Ritchie Blackmore Monsters of Rock 2016 Interview Nearly 20 years after the last Rainbow gig are three more shows, two in Germany, booked. This will please the fans. What are the reasons for this surprising decision? Why? Any special moment? Perhaps the death of Jon Lord? Ritchie: The main reason is simple: to play nostalgic, good music for the fans of this music. Sometimes I like to play hard music, but not all the time. With Blackmore's Night we have three or four hard rock songs in the program. It's just a bit of fun and nostalgia, as I hope. It is rumored that you had with David Coverdale on a Deep Purple Mark III Reunion spoken, but which has not occurred from the mentioned reason. Was that perhaps a reason for the decision, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow revive? Ritchie: Yes. I correspond with David at times, but we never really managed to organize the musical side of things. Mainly because I wanted to focus on the early Rainbow times more what he did not find good. Why are there only three shows in Europe? Why not also in Japan, where Rainbow were always big? The last gig before the first resolution during the Turner era took place there as well. Ritchie: There will be two shows in Germany and one in England. Some other first had to be shelved because the appointments have overlapped with some gigs of Blackmore's Night. Because when I'm on tour, I do not like it, more to be away from home. If I had done all shows that had come for the 'Rock Event' in question, I would have been much longer way than I had wanted. If the project works, however, and people like it, we will probably play more shows later. Two concerts in Germany, which is great. Did you have influence on the choice of places? I ask because of the Loreley, an ideal venue for you and this kind of music. Ritchie: The Loreley has always been one of my favorite arenas, so it made sense to take them in the shortlist. Since the rumors of these concerts thanks to Joe Lynn Turner became known, your phone has determined gebimmelt all day, right? Was it hard to choose the musicians for these events? Ritchie: Not really. The initial spark came when I heard our singer, the rest quickly acquiesced to. Of course there were other artists who wanted to be there, but I wanted a fresh, exciting band. I did not want to play with some other famous people only reason together - I wanted to keep it fresh. What skills have had the musicians? It would have been easy for you, an All-Star line-up with old "friends" from the 70s to stand on his legs. Ian Gillan, for example, said that between you there is no longer armed. Why did you not do that? Ritchie: The requirements were simple: I wanted to have good musicians who are keen. I do not believe to have someone in the band, just because he's famous. The other day you said that you do not hear your own music. Now you have but to prepare yourself. Is that exciting or rather a strange feeling? Come as not some memories high? Ritchie: I must of course much Rainbow- and Purple stuff listening to learn my stuff again, but I really hear my music is no longer when it is received. Unless I'm sitting somewhere in a restaurant, or play it on the radio. But I did not even have a collection of my own stuff, I only have a few, but most do not. This is not meant patronizing relation to the music, it's just simply that I want to do other things after shots. There are a lot of choices, how do you decide which songs will play her? What can we expect? I do not want to get stuck in your skin, because you will not be able to please everyone. Ritchie: It's actually simple: I suppose the best songs and pack them together. Until now I have a list of maybe 16 or 17 songs. It's easy when you know what people like most. Can we also expect material from Blackmore's Night? Many of the songs are atmospheric, not far from classics like "Stargazer". If your wife Candice be attending? She knows the songs, too, because it was in the 90s a backing vocalist. Ritchie: My wife will be with another singer there to give some of the songs a bit more shine, they require. We are but definitely not play Blackmore's Night pieces. Monsters of Rock / Shooter Promotions, Germany - December 2015 - translated from German language -