David Coverdale recently chatted with Eddie Trunk and disclosed why Whitesnake was far from bidding farewell to touring while explaining how he didn’t have any commercial or financial expectations from the band anymore.
We might as well say that Coverdale is at a point in his career where he really doesn’t need to be on stage all the time to score some major checks since he has, like most of his peers, managed to build an impressive net worth over the years. So, when the 71-year-old rocker had to cancel several shows last year in Europe due to health problems, people started thinking maybe that was it for Whitesnake.
However, as the rocker was discussing the band’s plans for touring in the future, he disclosed how his decision not to retire wasn’t financially motivated. For David, composing and writing new tracks or releasing new Whitesnake records had always been about having new pieces to perform on stage since touring was a matter of passion for him.
Still, even with all his desire for showmanship, he had made up his mind about bidding farewell at 69 after those health problems occurred, although a pandemic and a disappointed bandmate would get in the way of his plans to call it quits.
With COVID and the lockdown putting things to a halt and making things impossible for the act to announce a farewell tour, Coverdale also witnessed how their new bassist, Tanya O’Callaghan, was quite upset over the fact that the band was retiring, so he decided that maybe, he could do this for a few more years.
So, as the singer greenlighted future tours while naming some countries he ‘had to’ visit to pay his respects, he also made sure to note that he didn’t continue performing because he needed the money but because he enjoyed it. So, David’s wish to end things with decent final shows made it clear that there was more of Whitensnake on the way.
Coverdale on whether he wanted to ‘button up’ touring with decent shows:
“Well, really, yes, of course. There were two choices — one, to be able to go out. I went out with people I adore, which included the Whitesnake crew, which were just warriors beyond. Japan I’d love to pay my respects to; the U.S., my adopted home; South America — I would love to do this.
As you know — we discussed before — I was hoping to retire at 69, which I felt was the entirely appropriate age for the singer of Whitesnake. However, it was not to be. That COVID bastard thing… I had a blast with the musicians; there’s no question at all.
Tanya, who was so electrifying as a performer, was just brokenhearted. She felt like she found the perfect boyfriend in her band brothers, and suddenly it was taken away from her.
He continued:
“So, yes, I would like to fulfill that, rather than do a video going, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thank you for 50 years.’ It doesn’t feel right for essentially a live performer. If you remember, I mostly made records in order to have new songs on stage. That’s always been the M.O. for me — to create new music to take out and perform and the classics.
So, yes, I would like to do that. But it’s gonna be dictated by my health because, economically, it isn’t necessary for me; I’m very fortunate. But I love, love, love what I do. But we do have three to five years’ worth of projects to do to finish off this ‘legacy’ series, with some new stuff inserted in there.”
So, it seems that we’ll be seeing more of Whitesnake, or at least, as long as David has no problems with his health. The rocker noted how he had no problems with touring, and he would love to bid farewell to the stages with a decent goodbye, so it’s no question why the 71-year-old-rocker is currently planning to travel worldwide despite not needing the money.
