Whitesnake last performed in June 2022, when the band was forced to cut short a European farewell tour because frontman David Coverdale was suffering from a serious respiratory infection. Coverdale’s lingering respiratory issues also led to Whitesnake canceling a North American tour leg that year. The band has been on hiatus ever since.
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Now comes word that most of Whitesnake’s current lineup will team up this summer for a special performance without Coverdale at the 2025 Zaječar Guitar Festival in Zaječar, Serbia. The group will perform on August 29 under the moniker Whitesnake Experience by the Members of Whitesnake.
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According to a post on the festival’s website, the band will feature current Whitesnake drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarist Joel Hoekstra, keyboarist/singer Dino Jelusick, and keyboardist Michele Luppi. Former Whitesnake bassist Marco Mendoza also will be part of the group. Coverdale has given his permission to the band members to play the gig. The news was announced at a May 31 press conference in Belgrade, Serbia, that was attended by Jelusick and Mendoza.
In a statement, Jelusick, who is a native of nearby Croatia, revealed he’d be singing lead at the concert.
“We’re preparing a special setlist of Whitesnake’s greatest hits,” he said. “Singing the songs of my childhood idol David Coverdale is a special honor and pleasure for me. Although I’ve performed with big names in the rock world in the meantime, Whitesnake’s songs suit me best, and playing with such a fantastic group of musicians is pure hedonism for me.”
More About the Guitar Festival and Whitesnake Members’ Performance
This marks the 58th year that the Zaječar Guitar Festival has been held. The 2025 event runs from August 28 to August 30 at Kraljevica Stadium.
Mendoza, who was a member of Whitesnake from 2003 to 2005, said of the upcoming festival performance, “Tradition and quality are very important to us, and the Guitar Festival, with its 58-year history, is something you must respect and cherish. Your audience is one of the best in the world, and I believe they will enjoy this performance with us.”
Whether Whitesnake Might Tour Again
In an October 2024 interview with Spain’s Metal Journal YouTube channel, longtime Whitesnake guitarist Reb Beach was asked about whether he had any information about the band possibly returning to the road.
“No, I have no news,” Beach told Metal Journal. “David hasn’t told me anything. The last I heard from David about it was he asked me to keep some equipment at his house in case we do something.”
The guitarist, who joined Whitesnake in 2003, added, “I know he has always talked about doing some shows in [Las] Vegas, just as a farewell in Vegas.”
Beach then noted, “[P]ersonally, I don’t see David traveling anymore, doing a world tour again and going to different countries. That’s my opinion. He hasn’t said that. It’s just that, you know, he’s 72 years old. He sold all of his publishing. He got a lot of money, and I don’t think he needs to … tour anymore.”
Whether Whitesnake Is Planning a New Studio Album
Beach also was asked by Metal Journal if it was possible that Whitesnake will record a new studio album.
“I haven’t heard anything, really,” he replied.
Whitesnake’s most recent studio album was Flesh and Blood, which was released in 2019. In recent years, Coverdale has been overseeing a series of box sets featuring newly mixed and mastered archival recordings. The latest collection, titled Access All Areas: Live, was released in April. The eight-CD set features recordings of six concerts spanning from 2004 through 2015.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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