Music

Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow

SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Stuart Morrison

four stars

THIS really could have been an appalling car wreck of a gig. Here was Ritchie Blackmore, back playing hard rock after two decades of the medieval lutes and tights of Blackmore’s Night and promising a selection of classics from both Rainbow and Deep Purple. A recipe for disappointment all round that turnedout to be very good indeed.

Much of the credit rests with his new vocalist, Chilean Ronnie Romero. Blackmore describes him as a cross between Ronnie James Dio and Freddie Mercury. Indeed, Romero had the unenviable task of covering the umpteen vocalists involved in both Purple and Rainbow, but he managed it superbly. He tore into the opening trio of Spotlight Kid, the pop rock of I Surrender and the Purple classic, Mistreated, whilst staying true to the style of Joe Lyn Turner and David Coverdale. But he really shone on the Gillan and Dio material. Man on the Silver Mountain was excellent, but Child in Time was sensational, with Romero mirroring Gillan’s crooning to screaming style, perfectly. The song also featured a truly exquisite solo from Blackmore, the years rolling back as the notes flew from his fret board. But it was Stargazer, the seminal track from the Rising album, which underlined Romero’s credentials. A Ronnie James Dio tour de force, the young Chilean nailed it.

There were a couple of low points. Difficult to Cure, in particular, developed into an interminable keyboard solo, which killed the atmosphere stone dead. But overall, this was a triumph for Blackmore, whose playing was exceptional throughout. He is one of the great guitarists and whilst he may now be in his early seventies, watching this, you would never guess it.