Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW 17 June 2016 @ Loreley Germany. (full report and photos plus the opening bands)

***(Warning - as usual my blog is written in a chaotic unorganised way. I dont really planned or re-checked it after typing, Sorry but hope you enjoy it)***

This is my observation, review, photos and report on Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow 2016 lineup first ever show in Loreley Freilichtbuehre Germany.
Firday 17 June 2016.

- RAINBOW plays from about 9 to 10.50PM

opening acts for this Monsters of Rock show were
-Thin Lizzy Anniversary Show All Star Band plays from about 5.30 to 6.40PM
-Manfred Mann's Earth Band plays from 7.20 to 8.20PM

Loreley being on top of a mountain besides the Rhine River in the vicinity of Sankt Goar and Sankt Goahausen is Not exactly an easy place to access and leave for an outsider not familiar at all with the envirronment,
 But surely its a spectacular AWESOME open air location on top of a hill with meaningful classical, historical importance to the Germans.

The stage is remiscent of the mid 70s Rainbow across the stage.


This band means so much to me that I cancelled to see more Iron Maiden shows in europe around Donington's period and switch my backpacking alone thousands of km from home for the one and only Rainbow.

The band that amazed me since my childhood living in a village in South East Asia long long ago and certainly thousands and thousands of kilometres away from rocking Europe.
Basically Temple of The King lyrics was my way of learning English as a small kid.

So spending money, travelling to unknown places, is more of me paying tribute to  Ritchie Blackmore and his contributions. to the world of music that we all love in the past, present and future.

My first view of Loreley Open Air location for music performances.
simply incredible and its on top of the mountain besides the huge , big, wide, long never ending, powerful, scary Rhine River.

People by 4PM was all standing up on the stone seats thats on the Loreley concert area.
simply a marvellous historical place, and it seems that wherever you stand or in other cases when everyone seats, you should get a view of the stage.

By later its all crazily crowded.
squeezed tight. RAINBOW FANS ALL TURNED UP OLD AND YOUNG AND IN BETWEEN , MEN AND WOMEN.

Ok - definitely whatever Ronnie Romero has to say or his style of perfoming as a Rainbow fronttman MUST HAVE THE BLESSING OF HIS MASTER - RITCHIE BLACKMORE. 

on the song Man On The Silver Mountain, Ronnie Romero asked the audience "do you know who's the man on the mountain?".

The answer according to Ronie Romero is "RONNIE DIO IS THE MAN ON THE MOUNTAIN."

the way I see it, this is Ritchie Blackmore's approved tribute to Ronnie James Dio. Maybe this is as close as ever the man in black shows his affection for Ronnie James Dio.

Ok.

the setlist as the way I look at it.

I bootlegged the show by the way on audio as usual.

1. Usual classical music I dont know the title.

2. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Band kicks in)

3. HIGHWAY STAR

4. SPOTLIGHT KID 

5. MISTREATED

6. SINCE YOU BEEN GONE

7. MAN ON THE SILVER MOUNTAIN

8. CATCH THE RAINBOW 

9. DIFFICULT TO CURE (Ritchie exit to leave a Bass/Drum/Keyboards Jam).

10. PERFECT STRANGERS

11. CHILD IN TIME (Ritchie plays few seconds of WOMAN FROM TOKYO near ending).

12. LONG LIVE ROCK N ROLL (audience thought its going to be Black Night and sings the tune till Romero says its for later)

13. STARGAZER (infinity ending....it goes on forever.. yes dreams come true).

14. BLACK NIGHT

15. SMOKE ON THE WATER

My Observations...

- people from all over  the world, personally I chat with two seperate pairs of Scotland fans and two seperate pairs of Japanese.
- Chile flags all over. Romero mention Spanish fans. I think Ukraine fans were shouting out their country's name.
- an "Iran loves Ritchie Blackmore" was raised somewhere that I saw.
If IRAN is Represented, basically the whole world surely would have been there. LOL.

- Ronnie informs he called Ritchie "master". Ritchie occasionally approaches Romero to whisper or correct things or just confuses Romero up.
I think its the usual Ritchie PRANKS to wind up the occasion.
there was a part where Romero announce the setlist was rearrange, but then they did continue with Catch The Rainbow,
Ritchie was already bringing the setlist paper and have an on stage discussion on the next song to play with Romero.
besides that, Ritchie does come up to Romero when Romero was addressing the audience and kind of winds up Romero.

but all in good fun... LOL.

Ronnie Romero for me, when he talks he reminds me of Klaus Meine. But when he sings of course the Ronnie James Dio similarity cannot be avoided. But theres only one Ronnie and its always Ronnie James Dio.

he really can sing.
He reminds me of what it would be like if Ronnie James Dio had sung Spotlight Kid insteads of joe Lynn Turner.
I think the whole night, there was only one hesitation that i think Romero was in, after the solo of Smoke On The Water.
He did brilliantly this guy.
RITCHIE SHIULD RECORD A RAINBOW ALBUM, I MEAN A STUDIO ALBUM, WITH THIS CURRENT BAND.

-Jens Johansson is a Dio band member alumni  so no issues there, LOL.
-Bob Noveau is amazing, and really is the best dresser for the evenjng.
-David Keith drum set up is I think humble for the headliner especially when JUDAS PRIEST SCOTT TRAVIS played with Thin Lizzy earlier. LoL.

(And please, dont expect a Cozy Powell or a Ian Paice clone or copycat.)

This is how Ritchie Blackmore wants it to be. So let it be. Just thankful Ritchie is playing rock again and its simply magical evening just to be in the audience.

THE SOUND WAS BRILLIANT THE WHOLE NIGHT.
 -the crew members keep going up on stage before the show starts to make adjustments on the instruments and equipments.

Candice Night is there. Backing vocals...
i think her partner was named Christina or something.

Ritchie Blackmore can talk. LOL.
HE HIMSELF SAYS HE JUST LEARN HOW TO TALK,
I did not know Ritchie can talk on stage?
he was introducing ROMERO after Romero had introduced other band members.

Romero earlier during band introductions called the Bassist a NOBODY but the coolest guy ever.

At the final song, which Rainbow plays their usual style before it ends up rocking this time, the start of SOTW has a loud fireworks display.

Now, Most important ,
The songs...

-Child In Time was a tour de force. About 10mins long
-Difficult To Cure was a 13 minute extra ordinary performance like I say inclusive of the above mentioned Jam.
-Stargazer was like infinity ending, Romero did not sings " my eyes are bleeding,.." other than that its just like my dream of how Stargazer should be live really comes true.

7 Rainbow songs of which 4 origins with Ronnie James Dio, one each from Graham Bonnet and Joe Lynn Turner era, and an instrumental.
6 songs from Deep purple.

NO BURN,
NO KILL THE KING.

But over 100 minutes of Ritchie Blackmore using the moniker Rainbow, playing Rainbow and Deep purple songs. Never thought this day could ever happen but it.

********Enough Ritchie and the band improvisations and guitar extended solos to make it extra special evening...

And certainly thats what the fans want.

As usual people on the internet will bitch about the setlist, will bitch about everything.
but its ok. The fans who are there, those around me seems happy.

Imagine if the band stays together and does more shows and rehearsals together. They will be so much more awesome.

One of the great moments of rock history this one, Ritchie blackmore have his old band name come again although with new musicians.

More photos ..

Jamming part by Bassist, keyboardist and drummer minus Ritchie during Difficult To cure Beethoven song.

+×+×+×+× Lets switch attention awhile to the opening acts before we go back to RAINBOW,

Now the opening bands.
Manfred Mann's & Earth Band.
I dont know
ow what to expect but they are skilled professionals.

In case annyone wondering, Manfed Mann is the player on the keyboards.
the band is superb, some beautiful songs.

Deifinitely a band I want to check out. Some superb instrumental sections of songs too.


+×+×+×+× next... another opening act before I continue about Rainbow


THIN LIZZY or

BLACK STAR RIDERS WITH AEROSMITH WITH JUDAS PRIEST ALL STARS.

Scott Gorham is a Thin Lizzy member and so is the keyboards player.
Ricky Warwick is another Black Star Riders member, ex Almighty and a Northern Ireland born. So he kinds of fit Phil Lynott style.

The 2nd guitarist Damon Johnson is also a BSR.
And remember Black Star Riders only got its name after Scott Gorham wants to records new songs with the current lineup of Thin Lizzy.

Add to that Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton
plus Scott Travis of Judas Priest.
Its supposed to be Mickey Dee from Motorhead as the posters display to advertise  the shows,

Thin Lizzy current anniversary lineup plays over an hour of all their famous songs, plus Black Rose, a traditional Irish song.

WHISKEY in the Jar is the last song.
They also plays Massacre and also Angel of Death.
two songs surely very familiar with Iron Maiden fans especially knowing Iron Maiden had recorded Angel Of Death during the Dance Of Death album studio sessions but never released till now.

During I forgot which song, maybe Boys Are Back in Town

There was a
"Lets sing for Mr Gary Moore" & "lets sing for Mr Phil Lynott" Moment,

I remember the Thin Lizzy has a rocking start and middle portion of the show, but when it comes near the end with the Cowboy Song, Black Rose and Whiskey in the Jar , I find the last parts are a bit touching and emotional.

A great show by the current interpretations of Thin Lizzy with their greatest hits and popular songs sections,
and also Manfred Manns Earth band,

Back to Rainbow..

The ending...

Ritchie kneels in front ofnthe stage to the audience after the last song

Then Candice and fellow backup singer joins in for photos.

When the band turns around for photo with the audience taken by Ritchie Blackmore's guitar tech,
Ritchie was no where around.

Divert the topic awhile to Loreley itself before I finish of with a Ritchie photo alone on stage,

Lets have a quick HOW TO GO TO LORELEY FOR A MUSIC CONCERT AND HOW TO RETURN FROM LORELEY BACK TO SANKT GOAR.
I slept at Sankt Goar.
I took the 10 minute interval ferry which runs early morning till night to cross over to Sankt Goarhausen.
- For days with concerts in Loreley,

DO TAKE NOTE THE FERRIES WILL RUN TILL VERY LATE.
MORE BUSES WILL SUPPORT THE AUDIENCE TO GO DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.

share with you what happened during the Rainbow show,
Going to the show is not a problem, you can ssk around where to take the bus, and there is an information counter near to the ferry terminal at Sankt Goarhausen.
the bus will brings you up hill the mountain to Loreley if you dont want to walk and climb the mountain yourself.

After the Rainbow show, there are thousands of people outside the amphitheater which is I think built in the 1930s.
THERE are a lot of people camping and on caravan but also thousands waiting for buses to bring them downhill back to Sankt Goarhausen and the ferry station to cross River Rhine.
I was at the back of the queue and lucky for me the buses arrived and they opened the doors at the back of the long long horrible queue of a thousand and more people.

Going downhill was total darkness and lots of people climb down the hills by walking the slopes.

I Cross river Rhine by ferry to sankt Goar, AT ABOUT 1 AM IN THE MORNING in still of the night IN DARKNESS,
SO NOT TO WORRY.
YOU JUST GETNREADY SOME MONEY,
BUS TO Loreley is about 2.95 euro per direction and you can buy a return trip but the buses on way back, its hell and a crazy lunatic rush, so no worries about tickets LOL.

The ferry, yes they will check.. so, better keep your tickets handy if you already buy a return trip. AGAIN about same price.

So no worries. Worst case scenario, if the ferry is no more, just hang around for a few hours in Sankt goarhausen till the morning comes.

But its cold. Its summer but its still cold... I am not use to this kind of weather. LoL.

Last but not least,

Some Ritchie alone moment on stage,
when he returns furst to finish of SOTW if I am not wrong before the rest joins in. Or isnit to start SOTW.
I FORGOT. I TAPED THE SHOW, BUT LETS hear THE BETTER QUALITY bootlegs OUT THERE,

Ok one more time, the event  tshirts for Monsters of Rock Germany with Rainbow, and also Rainbow event tshirts for this 3 live performances of the new Rainbow,

I am sure we will have very good complete audio bootlegs of all 3 ofthe Rainbow ahows soon,

till then Long Live rock N Roll.



Now lets see if Stuttgart or Birmingham gets to sing KILL THE KING.

Happy Ramadhan.

**************************************
22 November 2016 extra information added.
**************************************

Note - After the 3 shows were played.

Stuttgart - Additional - 16th Century Greensleeves played
Birmingham - Additional - Soldier of Fortune and Burn played

Standby for the Japanese Blue Ray & CD Pressings with extra songs included & also the Photobook Review once I get them...