Croatian singer and multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusić was enlisted by Whitesnake for what became the band’s final European tour. He has opened up about the behind-the-scenes chaos that led to the cancellation of the group’s 2022 tour dates. Jelusić addressed guitarist Reb Beach’s remarks describing the farewell tour as a “disaster.” He explained that a string of COVID-19 cases among band members forced repeated cancellations. This ultimately led frontman David Coverdale to call off the remainder of the European leg, along with planned North American, Japanese, South American and residency tours.
“Well, that was a really weird tour. I saw [then-Whitesnake guitarist] Reb Beach, he gave an interview saying the farewell tour was a disaster. You know why? Because Reb Beach got COVID, and he tested for COVID. He was COVID positive for 20 days. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. So he was kept away from… His last gig was Kraków… So he did, like, maybe 10 gigs, and then David wanted to cancel already,” Jelusić said.
“We were in Prague, and I remember us talking to David. I said, ‘Listen, if Joel [Hoekstra, then-Whitesnake guitarist]…’ ‘Cause Joel is a different kind of a guy. He needs to learn everything. I’m more of a guy, if you ask me to play now something, I’m gonna start playing it. If I know the song, I’m gonna play it. I’m gonna find a way. And I told Joel, ‘Listen, this can work. I can help. I can play riffs with you with the left hand. I have a cool sound. We’re gonna make it work. Just let’s not cancel stuff.'”
Jelusić went on to describe how the situation escalated further after additional band members fell ill during the tour.
“So we pulled off Prague, and we kept going, we kept going. And then another band member got COVID after Hellfest. And we were kept in Milano for a week. At one point I said, ‘You know what, guys? If we’re not gonna do shows, I’m gonna go home.’ I sat on a bus with my stuff and I drove 12 hours back home, and I said, ‘You know what? Just let me know when’s the next gig. I mean, nothing is happening for a week.’ This is actually the first time I’m telling this story. So I got home. And then he canceled my hometown show. People were super disappointed.”
Despite the setbacks, Jelusić said the unexpected downtime led to other opportunities.
“And then Steel Panther was opening for Whitesnake, so Steel Panther decided to play a [headlining show at a] smaller place, and they called me as their guest. So I sang and played keytar with Steel Panther, having a little fun. And I went to do a blues festival, and Coverdale said, ‘I’m canceling the rest of the European tour,’ which opened a new thing for me. I went to play an all-star show with Johnny Depp, Joe Bonamassa, Zakk Wylde, which was amazing.”
“And then I did The Dead Daisies thing, ’cause [then-The Dead Daisies singer] Glenn [Hughes] got sick. It was the same month. I learned 14 songs in one day, and we opened for Judas Priest. And then David canceled the North American [Whitesnake] tour, then he canceled the Japanese tour, the South American tour and a residency tour.”
Reflecting on how the cancellations reshaped his career, Jelusić described launching his solo project while also navigating a legal dispute.
“So we were booked for two years, and I said, ‘Okay, I’m not doing anything but this.’ All of a sudden everything is empty. But it worked out fine because I started [my solo project] Jelusick early 2023 clean, ’cause I ended up with a little court case, big court case I had with Frontiers [Music Srl]. After [David] canceled everything, we were in touch, but we never talked about playing live again, and then he just retired. I spoke to him a couple of days ago. He was hiking, so… I guess he’s doing well if he can hike.”
Jelusić closed by reflecting fondly on his time in the band and his relationship with Coverdale.
“I really enjoyed my time with David. He’s my biggest hero, and it’s been an honor seeing him giving me so much love and respect in the band. It was amazing.”
The timeline of that ill-fated run lines up closely with the account Jelusić now shares. Whitesnake’s European farewell tour launched on May 10, 2022, in Dublin, Ireland. What turned out to be the band’s final performance took place on June 23, 2022, at Hellfest in Clisson, France.
The European leg was officially scrapped on July 1, 2022, when Whitesnake announced it was “unable to continue its European Farewell Tour” due to “continuing health challenges” and “doctor’s orders.” That announcement came just days after the band had already pulled three shows because of Coverdale’s infection of the sinus and trachea.
The cancellations didn’t stop there. On August 5, 2022, Whitesnake pulled out of its U.S. and Canadian dates alongside the Scorpions. Coverdale cited his “continued treatment for a persistent upper respiratory infection” as the reason he could no longer perform. That decision effectively ended the band’s touring commitments for the year, matching Jelusić’s recollection of the North American, Japanese, South American and residency tours all being scrapped in succession.
Coverdale has not toured since that summer. When he formally announced his retirement, he framed the decision as the natural end of a career spanning more than five decades, telling fans, “it’s time really for me to hang up my rock ‘n’ roll platform shoes and my skintight jeans.”
Jelusić’s account offers a rare inside look at just how quickly a booked-out two-year run unraveled show by show, illness by illness, until Coverdale ultimately stepped away from the road for good.
Source: Rolling Stone Brasil
