Source: Blabbermouth.net
Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore will perform RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE material at what will probably be four shows next year in Europe. The U.K. concert will take place on Saturday, June 25 at the Genting Arena in Birmingham. The performance will be Blackmore’s first U.K. rock show in over 20 years.
As previously reported, the two concerts in Germany will take place at the Monsters Of Rock festival on Friday, June 17, 2016 at Freilichtbühne in Loreley and on June 18, 2016 at Festplatz am Viadukt in Bietigheim-Bissingen.
Blackmore will be joined by LORDS OF BLACK singer Ronnie Romero, STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE’S NIGHT drummer David Keith and bassist Bob Nouveau.
Blackmore recently told Billboard.com about his plans to revisit RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE classics: “I’m now 70, so I just felt like playing some rock ‘n’ roll for a few days. We’re going to do four or five dates” — most likely in England, Germany and Sweden — “of just playing the old rock stuff, PURPLE stuff and RAINBOW. I’m doing it for the fans, for nostalgia, and the singer I found is very exciting; he’s a cross between [Ronnie James] Dio meets Freddie Mercury. So this will mean exposing a new singer to the masses, and I’m sure he’ll become pretty famous because of his voice.”
