David Coverdale, frontman of Whitesnake, has slammed anti-maskers, calling them “covidiots” while arguing “c’mon, wear a fucking mask.”
While the cases of coronavirus continue to spiral out of control both in the United States, and on our shores of Australia, many health and government officials are encouraging citizens to wear masks or face coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19.
While Melbourne has recently unveiled that anyone above the age of 12 must wear a mask while going outside lest they wish to pay a $200 fine, many cities around the United States are trying their best to put similar clauses in state.
Many Americans across the country have turned the debate of wearing masks from being health conscious to an encroachment on their freedom, and something politically driven, and Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale has had enough.
Talking to Marci Wiser of 95.5 KLOS, he noted that he’s feeling a bit sad about the entire situation, especially because the hard rock collective was slated to host their farewell concert at his upcoming apt age of 69.
“I was hoping to be able to do my farewell tour, my gratitude tour at 69,” the 68-year-old said. “What better age for the singer of Whitesnake to retire than 69? I’m already designing the t-shirts,” he stated.
But, as the pandemic continues on, Coverdale notes that “we’re never gonna get out there” with “covidiots refusing to wear a mask for political reasons or freedom of expression.”
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Check out David Coverdale’s interview with KLOS:
With the global pandemic specifically spiking as a tragedy in the United States, Coverdale noted that he’s disappointed to see that this moment in time hasn’t sparked the same sense of community as previous hard times in the country have.
“The only time I’ve seen real community in this country that’s adopted me, this beautiful United States Of America, was after tragedy,” the English rocker noted.
“9/11, everybody was just nice to each other and supportive, and you really genuinely felt a sense of community. And for whatever reason, politically, whatever, the sense of community is being driven apart, and we have to put this jigsaw back together. Otherwise, we will fail as a species. This is an evil, evil virus that’s doing the rounds.”
Continuing on, the Whitesnake singer expressed that he is deeply disheartened to see many U.S. citizens turn the debate of the mask into a political agenda, stating “the very sad thing is the dialogue has been compromised for decades now politically and created such division. It’s so unfair.”
“This is not politics; this is health. And once we develop a community in this amazing country and become the beacon of democracy it’s supposed to be to shine its light on the rest of the world, then we can start working on global community, global solidarity. This isn’t just hitting Americans; this has hit everybody — even indigenous tribes in the Amazon, for God’s sake. It’s not political; it’s health, darling.”
At this rate, Coverdale notes that he’s still thinking about the farewell tour they’re missing out on: “Making this incredible pandemic a political issue is the most ridiculous thing I can imagine. We’re never gonna get out. I’m never gonna be able to do my fucking farewell tour,” he states with a chuckle.
On offering a final word of advice, Coverdale simply states: “C’mon, wear a fucking mask, so we can go out again.”