Whitesnake bassist Tanya O’Callaghan recently commented on her experiences touring with men in an Instagram post, addressing the misconception that touring with a woman could be harder.
She captioned a video from their tour flights, writing, “Recently, someone asked one of my bandmates, ‘What’s it like being in a band with Tanya?’ and what was being insinuated was more like, ‘It must be hard to be in a band with a woman?’ As if that’s inherently complicated. I’ve heard this so many times over the years and it made me giggle because, after nearly 20 years on the road with A LOT of bands, I can confidently say: It’s always dudes that bring any drama if it occurs, and I say that lovingly, my brothers.”
After listing what it’s like to be in a band with her, she added, “And if you follow me to the gym, I will absolutely stretch the s#*t out of you and teach you some yoga moves too. Basically, I’m a terrible berry influence if you don’t want to be healthy. I’ve spent so much time on the road with guys, I have ‘band mom’ mode. ‘Did you eat some veggies today? How’s everyone doing mentally? Let’s go for a walk and stretch it out.’ Unbelievably un-rock-n-roll, I know.”
Tanya officially joined Whitesnake as the new bassist in November 2021, replacing the former bassist Michael Devin days after his departure was announced. She played with the band for a farewell tour in the following year.
Whitesnake canceled three shows on its European tour on June 28, 2022, because David Coverdale had sinus and trachea infections. They called off the rest of the tour three days later.
It is still uncertain whether the band will return to complete the tour, although O’Callaghan didn’t rule it out because Coverdale is slowly recovering.
