Ritchie Blackmore Playing guitar is like breathing Ritchie Blackmore, founding member of Deep Purple, hasn't played hard rock in 20 years. He prefers to tour castles and palaces with his wife Candice Night to make medieval music as Blackmore's Night. This Wednesday, the guitarist who wrote "Smoke on the Water" is coming to Berlin for a concert with his legendary band Rainbow. We asked the 73-year-old what he thinks about when he makes music, what connects him to Germany and whether it's still fun to play the old songs. Mr. Blackmore, you have released a live album with your old band Rainbow and are coming to Berlin for a concert. After more than 20 years of absence, are you longing for the old beast of rock 'n' roll? No. I just kept talking to fans and a lot of people wanted to hear Rainbow songs from the '70s, the era with Ronnie James Dio. Then my wife Candice discovered a singer on YouTube and asked: What do you think of him? I thought it was great, it reminded me of Dio. That was Ronnie Romero. So I thought about gathering musicians and giving a few selected concerts. Ronnie is a very good singer, he could revive the early Rainbow days. Now let's just see how it goes. We are very excited to come to Berlin. Do you still enjoy playing live, even in large halls? I actually prefer playing in small venues like with Blackmore's Night, but in the big ones you play a little louder, that's all. I still love performing. I'm very happy that I can make a living playing guitar and not have to go to work. But I detest traveling. I would prefer to never leave the house. Back with Deep Purple, the management constantly sent us around. That was too much. Today I take it easy and tour when I feel like it, not when those up there force me to. Does Ritchie Blackmore have to practice before he goes on tour? I've been playing the guitar for almost 60 years now, and I'm pretty good at it now. And I'm happy when people come to listen to me. For me, playing guitar is like breathing. Yes, friends ask me: why are you still practicing? For me it's like this: When I wake up in the morning, I have to breathe - so I have to play the guitar. In other words, I just really enjoy making music, and whether it's Renaissance music or hard rock depends entirely on my state of mind. And how much coffee I had in the morning. You will also play the Deep Purple smash hit "Smoke on the Water" with Rainbow, among other classics. Don't you hate the song by now? No, I really like "Smoke on the Water." And since I wrote it myself, it also fits well into a Rainbow concert. A lot of fans want to hear it and I never get tired of playing it, even because I haven't played it for 20 years. A classic win-win situation. When you make music, do you think about your audience? Or what else are you thinking about? I always think about the audience, about what people might like, because the end result ends up with them. I'm also thinking ice cream, fish and chips, fried herring and cabbage rolls. I write the best music when my brain is empty, which is a lot lately. Speaking of cabbage rolls: You have had a close relationship with Germany since the 1960s. What fascinated you about the country back then? I came to Germany in 1963 with Jerry Lee Lewis's band, the old rocker. Today that's what they call me: old rocker... We played at the Star Club in Hamburg, and I just liked everything about Germany: the way the people were, the workers, the hard workers. And the beer was pretty good too. Okay, I was 18 at the time, an impressionable age at that age, and it was the first time I'd been outside of England. Despite it. Has Germany changed since then? It has occurred to me over the past five years that I would like to see more emphasis on the country's history. There is so much history here such as castles and great things from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Instead, I see a lot of advertising on TV and a lot of Americanism spilling over into Germany. That disappoints me a bit. We always have enough of that when we are in the USA. Nothing against America, but it's getting a little redundant over there. I, on the other hand, even think your 'Schlager' songs are great! So, my only criticism would be that you shouldn't copy the USA so much. You used to be an icon of the wild rock 'n' roll life. What does Ritchie Blackmore do at 73 when he's not making music? Look out the window for a long time. To go for a walk in the forest. Bolting around with the children on Sunday afternoons. I spend my time happily with my wife and children, listening to my six-year-old son playing the drums and my seven-year-old daughter singing. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Today, 8 p.m., in the Velodrome Alexander Gumz, Berliner Morgen Post - April 18, 2018