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‘Ere’s a song fo’ya, one last time
A pro shot of a complete Whitesnake show from June 2, 2022, in Hamar, Norway, was posted to them intertubes. It is described to be the video wall production with front-of-the-house soundboard sound. It is one of the last Whitesnake live performances (if not THE last one) that was professionally recorded. The tour imploded under the weight of health problems just 3 weeks later. David Coverdale since then has announced his retirement.
Thanks to Skyline Productions for the video, and to Mike Whiteley and Daniel Bengtsson for the heads-up.
Update (Dec 11, 2025): On top of his retirement, David Coverdale has announced today his complete withdrawal from all social media:
Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls, Brothers & Sisters Of The Snake…
After over 20 fun-filled years of interacting online with all of you Snake People, first with the BBS on whitesnake.com & then onto Twitter ( those were the days ) Facebook, Instagram & Tik Tok…It’s been a fab ride, but, along with the over 50 years in the music business, it’s time for me to withdraw from social media to fully engage in sweet reflection on my career & my life & enjoy my retirement with my friends & my Beloved Family…
It has been such a pleasure for me to interact with you all over the years…sharing music videos, funny memes, farts & giggles, tour info, Unboxings, Q & A with DC…Santa Snake…etc…
Unforgettable, precious memories…& I thank each & everyone of you for your support & participation…
What An Incredible Journey We’ve Shared Together!!! What A Magical Experience!!!
Please take care of yourselves & know YOU are TRULY LOVED BEYOND MEASURE…
Be Safe, Be Happy & Don’t Let Anybody Make You Afraid…
A Very Merry Christmas & Wonderful New Year To You & Yours From Me & Mine!!!
Your Obedient Serpent
David Coverdale
Dec 2025
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
That’s not a bad band, very proficient, but the slightly older lead vocalist has severe issues. 😑
Seriously, this is a hard watch and listen for me. You can see David struggling, I mean physically struggling with his breathing even when he is not singing. Painful to watch (and listen to), all the elasticity and inherent melody has left his voice for the most part, only sparking up in places like some wounded fluttering bird. It was time for him to call it a day. He was morphing into an Ozzy-like figure. This couldn’t go on.
I used to love his voice. On this recording I mostly wince hearing it. And it is not a gloating wince, but one of shared pain.
I’m not a great fan of later WS line-ups, but this particular six-(wo)man-backing-combo does well and especially in the vocal department tries its best to cover for an ailing David. Hoekstra is a natural-born showman, a little tacky, but entertaining, those grand gestures he internalized with TSO. I’ve always liked Reb Beach’s playing, he’s a little on the clinically modern side, but tastefully so. I also appreciate the more prominent role of the organ in the overall band sound compared to earlier tours. Dino’s behing-his-back keytar solo is a hoot and he takes a load of DC’s vocal shoulders. Tommy Aldridge, it must be said though, is no Little Ian when it comes to playing those verse breaks in Burn. He doesn’t really have a feel for them. OTOH hand, Ms Tanya O’Callaghan has the pleasantly clankiest Precision Bass sound with a DP offshoot since Paul Martinez played with PAL – sehr schön.
December 11th, 2025 at 01:39Is Coverdale lip synching?
December 11th, 2025 at 02:21For years he wasted his voice on demanding vocal duets (“Mistreated”, Crying in the Rain, Still of the Night”…) he should have given up concert performances like the great Ian (with Child in Time, Speed King) maybe the unfortunate corona did its thing?
Thanks for recording this, a valuable video document. Thanks David Coverdale for the music
PS Dino is an excellent backing vocalist… and as the first ….like Luka Modrić 🙂
December 11th, 2025 at 07:43Great lead vocals by Dino but in WS I expect them to come from DC. Impressive hair though 🙂 But it can’t compensate for the lacking vocals. DC must have come to the same conclusion in the end.
December 11th, 2025 at 07:44It would have been better not to publish this, too sad 😢
December 11th, 2025 at 09:06Well, it was a lot of fun while it lasted.
My first WS gig was already in August 1983 at the Ruisrock-festival in Turku…and the last one was on this particular tour, 6th June 2022 at the Helsinki Jäähalli (Icehall).
And speaking of this video…it´s not an easy one to watch.
Hats off – as always – to the mighty caveman behind the drums, Mr. Tommy Aldridge! I was lucky to meet him once and we had a very nice long conversation all things about drums and drumming.
Tommy as a musician is someone like the Great late Ronnie James Dio – 100 % delivery. Always.
…and speaking of this lineup here…it was a pleasure and relief to see that the woman behind the bass, Tanya O´ Callaghan, was concentrating 100 % in her playing. Not to show off all the time.
I wish You all well.
Joulupukki (The Father Christmas) is on his way from Korvatunturi very soon… so be very, very nice.
December 11th, 2025 at 09:51A nice live performance with the usual hits and a very engaging Mr. Coverdale.
Joel H. was really good, the rest as well… overall: nice.
I never had the chance to see Whitesnake live… but I never thought they were *that great* either…
However, everyone here delivered a solid performance, with Mr. D.C.’s vocals already quite worn and therefore somewhat limited. Enjoy your retirement!
LLRnR
December 11th, 2025 at 12:36kraatzy
Those first few Whitesnake albums were a joy. DC’s voice deep, melodic and bluesy.
The man sang some great songs
I hope he enjoys his retirement
December 11th, 2025 at 14:05It’s better than Ozzy. Let’s wheel that money making machine onto the stage one last time for the paycheck. David has retired with dignity. David’s singing is not much better than Ian’s. Glenn is sounding a bit harsh now in some of the latest videos. What do you expect? They are all getting up there in age. What about Richie? He is now limited to touring in NY and NJ.
December 11th, 2025 at 14:36#1 DC had been struggling with his voice for some time, so he chose the band members specifically to support him vocally. I find it more authentic this way than when the vocals are backed up, like some other rock singers do. Unfortunately, I think you can’t expect much more from singers in the 70s and 80s. When I watch more recent live videos of Deep Purple, for example, I usually cringe at their singing. To this day, I don’t understand why Big Ian doesn’t get some help and bring two or three backing singers on stage. It can’t be about the money.
I actually found the Snakes’ performance very likeable, and Cove was in good spirits and very entertaining.
Unfortunately, I’ll never be a fan of Tommy A. He may be a great guy as a person, and he certainly gives 100% at every gig, but even Cozy played with more subtlety than him. In my opinion, he just blasts everything along and has absolutely no groove. I first noticed this in 1984 at a concert with Ozzy, later with the Thin Lizzy Sykes band version, and finally with Whitesnake.
December 11th, 2025 at 15:36About DC
NOW
https://m.facebook.com/Whitesnake.official/photos/d41d8cd9/1416266049864149/
December 11th, 2025 at 16:18today in1981 was my first Ws show. seeing this is sad and painful. unfortunately the same with big ian. only difference is, that dp was and is a real band and not hired musicians like ws after 1987 – imho.
December 11th, 2025 at 16:31Well, I havent listened to a lot of DC live recently and had the impression that there was a lot of malice in the discourse about him losing his voice. Now, seeing this, I think he made a gracious decision to retire from hard rock. The magic of a metal tenor being a baritone has an expiry date. I still would like to hear him singing a laid back bass baritone blues swan song.
December 11th, 2025 at 19:42@2: Would his voice sound so bad if he was lip-synching?
December 11th, 2025 at 22:42@11: Retiring is one thing but why disappear from the public altogether? The DC I know would be all over every media outlet by now discussing his retirement and reflecting over his fantastic career in public, not in private. The guy is free to do whatever he want, and all of a sudden change personality late in life, and I am absolutely not into conspiracies, but there is something here that isn’t right.
December 11th, 2025 at 22:46#2: Definitely, yes. Either miming to a tape, or at least being carried by bandmates with suspiciously similar voices.
#9: “One last time for the paycheck”?? NO. All of the $$$ raised by “Back to the Beginning” is going to charities. The members of Black Sabbath did not get paid for it.
December 12th, 2025 at 01:38I agree, something isn’t right. The way he says goodbye is astoundingly somber for a man who used to celebrate everything larger than life. It’s as if something huge has struck him, not just a self-determined retirement from stage at an age where it is hardly a surprise unless you are Mick Jagger. I hope there are no threatening health issues.
December 12th, 2025 at 01:45#2: Dino is singing for him but I can see why you get the impression of lip syncing. DC’s mouth moving to a wall of backing vocals. Questionable and the reason why it was so hard to get behind WS from 2003 and onwards. He was stronger in 2003 though.
December 12th, 2025 at 05:31@15
I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while now. Beyond the voice issues, I’ve always had the feeling that there’s something bigger going on that he doesn’t want to let on… This is just my feeling.
December 12th, 2025 at 06:19Ciao..
@15, Svante – the social media is a drug, maybe David has grown up to get himself out of the grip of this addiction, that 95% of people around us now suffer. I think we need to waot and see if he hangs up the interviews / appearances to a definite zero. I only hope there’s no sickness behind it or clock of doom ticking on him… This boy was he way he was, still a great hero, a mammoth of the voice – I’m not ready for the real “fare thee well”.
As to the material, I can’t even bring myself to try to watch it. I want to remember THAT VOICE AND SWAGGER and not witness an unnecessary suffering of his, which the last tour has clearly been.
December 12th, 2025 at 06:48@9 It was a big – and understandable – wish of tha late Ozzy Osbourne to do a last show, after he had to cancel the ones that were planed a few years earlier. It brought joy to many people’s hearts and was obviously the one thing that “money making machine” needed to finally let go. Oh, and btw: That gig was a charitiy event with the “paycheck” being donated to two childrens hospitals and a Cure-Parkinson’s-organisation.
December 12th, 2025 at 09:09@15
Gentlemen, I deal with a lot of very ill people, and if – IF – something is wrong, please give him tranquility because that’s what a person needs in such a situation. Peace and dignity 😊
December 12th, 2025 at 09:45#17: Maybe he feels less inclined to spend time on social media now that he no longer has any product to promote and sell? I agree it’s a little puzzling though.
December 12th, 2025 at 13:15DC has now added a list of credits to accompany his farewell post:
https://www.instagram.com/whitesnake/p/DSIfCpdj_Ih/
December 12th, 2025 at 14:55Yes, the profuse thanks to Bernie Marsden and John Sykes are especially prominent. 😑
December 12th, 2025 at 16:33