COZY POWELL & DON AIREY Look North Interview 1980 How's your latest single 'All Night Long' been doing? Cozy Powell: Just came to the charts this week at number 30, so we're hoping that it'll get to the top 10 in a little while. Your last one 'Since You Been Gone' reached what... number four. Why is it we've waited so long for this first big tour in this country? Cozy Powell: We've basically changed the lineup of Rainbow several times over the last 2 or 3 years and we finally got the lineup that we want which is suiting the band and seems to be suiting the fans. So now the time is right to tour because there's no point in touring a country like England unless you've got the band exactly right the way you want it. All the members have got to be completely together. Now the lineup is secure, we've done an American tour, we've done a European tour, so we're ready for England and we hope that the band is sort of in 'Top Gear' as it were from now on. Don, you're starting your first British tour in sort of your home country really. What's it mean to you coming back to the Northeast? Don Airey: Oh yeah, I haven't actually played in the Northeast for about four years, well actually 10 years since I used to work in the Working Men's Clubs playing Hammond Organ for the turns etc, so yeah it's a big throw. You joined the band through Cozy didn't you? Yeah, that's right. We used to be in a band together called Hammer, Cozy Powelll's Hammer, one of the greatest bands that never was but then I joined a band called Coliseum and didn't see Cozy much till he gave me a ring last year, And I went over and had to play with Rainbow and joined them. What sort of year has it been for you? Don Airey: Very exciting. Actually we've never stopped working, we made an album, did an American tour, did a a European tour, we've done something like 25,000 miles over 100 gigs apped to half a million people or something. You're getting a fan mail from your hometown. Don Airey: I did have a letter once, it's from my mother.... hello Mom. What about the lineup of the band, as you said it had changed five times in five years, are you sure that you've got the formula right now? Cozy Powell: I'll tell you after tonight conert. I think it's the strongest line-up Rainbow's ever had and certainly the fans from the sort of ticket sales on this tour is concerned we must be doing something right because the tour is already a sellout as we mentioned earlier so I think Rainbow will stay together for quite some time from now on. What about the traveling? I know you like to drive yourself. Isn't that very tiring? Cozy Powell: I find it quite relaxing actually because I used to do a lot of racing so getting from gig to gig is something that I enjoy, it's a challenge to me. I don't like limousines, I don't like flying particularly, so driving to the concert is something I enjoy doing. I just have been driving back from Munich last night which took me about 7 hours, from Munich to Calais which is some sort of record I think, it's good fun and it's also another way of relaxing although it may not seem the case to you. I find it very easy on me. You've got quite a big circus together to get the tour on the road. Cozy Powell: We've got three big juggernauts of coaches and 17 man road crew and all the rest. We've got to get them around the country, so it's got a lot. Success with the tour, success tonight and hope the celebrations go on all night long. Cozy Powell: I hope so too, thank you. © Look North, UK TV - February 19, 1980