Joel Hoekstra recently addressed questions about the future of the Whitesnake Experience project. He clarified misconceptions about the band’s long-term plans in an interview with Border City Rock Talk.
The guitarist’s comments came in response to speculation about future shows and the project’s direction. When asked about potential 2026 performances with the Whitesnake Experience featuring himself and Marco Mendoza, Hoekstra provided detailed clarification.
“No, that was really just set up. We did one of those technically in France, just over the border from Switzerland. I think we were staying in Switzerland, but the gig was in France,” Hoekstra said. “It was just kind of called Allstar Band featuring members of Whitesnake. It was just kind of something that, you know, David [Coverdale] said, ‘Yeah, that’s cool with me.’ And that was fine.”
The guitarist explained that fans and media outlets had misunderstood the project.
“And as it turns out, this Whitesnake Experience thing, there was some language involved there that got out ahead of what we were doing. I mean, it was intended to be a one-off gig,” he continued. “Anything long term with that would have to come from David. This was meant to be just kind of like, hey, let’s get together and have some fun and do a one-off. Suddenly all this traction online about it being a project and that the only thing David had given approval for was for us to do a one-off.”
Hoekstra emphasized that any future developments would require direct involvement from Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale.
“I made a social media post trying to say like what’s everybody doing? Like that’s not what this is. It was just a one-off and, you know, David, to his credit, was cool with all that,” he said. “But anything longterm. That I think would have to come from David. So that would be something that David would say I’m interested in doing this. As far as I know, there’s not really anything really happening with that.”
The Whitesnake Experience featured members Tommy Aldridge, Joel Hoekstra, Marco Mendoza, and Michele Luppi performing without David Coverdale.
David Coverdale announced his retirement from music a couple of months ago with an emotional farewell message to his fans. While Hoekstra’s comments suggest uncertainty about the project’s future, the Whitesnake tribute scene continues to thrive with various acts carrying on the band’s legacy.
Multiple tribute bands are currently scheduled to perform Whitesnake material throughout 2026. JamBase reported that “Slow An Easy: The Whitesnake Experience” is set to perform at The KING of CLUBS in Columbus on April 11, 2026. This represents one of several tribute acts operating under similar names but separate from the project Hoekstra discussed.
The tribute band circuit has embraced the Whitesnake catalog extensively. StubHub listed “Forevermore The Whitesnake Experience” performances scheduled for January 31, 2026, in San Antonio. These tribute acts operate independently from the original Whitesnake members’ one-off project that Hoekstra addressed in his interview.
The UK tribute scene also remains active. Whitesnake UK announced 2026 dates including a January 30 performance at The Station in Cannock. These various tribute acts demonstrate the enduring popularity of Whitesnake’s music, even as questions remain about future collaborations between the band’s actual former members.
The distinction between official member collaborations and tribute acts highlights the complexity surrounding the Whitesnake brand and its various interpretations in the live music scene. Hoekstra’s clarification serves to separate the one-off project featuring actual Whitesnake members from the numerous tribute bands that continue to perform the band’s material across different venues and markets.
