In October 2002, David Coverdale announced plans to reform Whitesnake to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary in 2003. The new line-up was confirmed in December; Coverdale would be joined by drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, as well as bassist Marco Mendoza and keyboardist Timothy Drury. Talks had taken place between Coverdale and John Sykes about a possible reunion, but Coverdale ultimately felt that they had been their "own bosses" too long for a reunion to work. Sykes, meanwhile, claimed that after recommending Mendoza and Aldridge for the band, he never heard back from Coverdale. Adrian Vandenberg was also asked to rejoin, but he declined in order to spend more time with his daughter and focus on his second career as a painter. He's since made numerous guest appearances at the band's concerts. On 29 January 2003, Whitesnake began a co-headlining tour of the US with the Scorpions. Afterwards, the band toured across Europe, playing several shows with Gary Moore in the UK. Whitesnake then returned to the US to take part in the Rock Never Stops Tour with Warrant, Kip Winger and Slaughter, before embarking on a Japanese tour in September. The reformation was initially planned to last only a few months, but Coverdale ultimately decided to keep the band active. No immediate plans were put in place for a new studio album, with Coverdale citing his dissatisfaction with the music industry as a contributing factor.