|
A review by Mike Garrett
Set List. Kill the King, Miss
Mistreated, I Surrender, 16th Century Greensleeves, Do You
Close Your Eyes, Catch The Rainbow, Still I’m Sad, Stone Cold,
Mistreated, Man on the Silver Mountain, Since You Been Gone, All Night
Long, Black Night, Stargazer, (Encores: Difficult to Cure & Long
Live Rock n’ Roll).
This was the first-ever gig
that (tribute band) Rainbow Rising have performed with their new lead
guitarist; Barry "Blackmore" Sharples. Barry has been
playing guitar for 22 years, mainly in local pub bands. He is a
life-long fan of Ritchie Blackmore and regards the chance of playing
in a Blackmore tribute project as a dream come true. Right from the
very start of the gig, one can see how much Barry loves playing the
classic Rainbow songs and this seems to inspire him to deliver an
excellent performance.
Getting the Fender guitar
sound correct, is always a challenge but Barry seems to do it just
right; quite an accomplishment considering that he only acquired his
Fender a short while before his first Rainbow Rising gig!
The album "Rainbow Live
in Germany - 1976" seems to have been used as the inspiration for
the band's versions of: 16th Century Greensleeves, Do You
Close Your Eyes, Catch The Rainbow, Still I’m Sad and Man on the
Silver Mountain. The album Rainbow on Stage seems to have been used to
inspire the band's versions of Kill the King and Mistreated. Of
course, this is my own personal opinion!
The tracks Mistreated (a
shortened version), Stargazer and Difficult to Cure were my personal
favourites but the overall standard of musical presentation was very
high indeed. Special mention should also be made of Tor Underseth's
keyboard solo in Do You Close Your Eyes; an extended version including
all sorts of musical ideas and effects (even the second movement of
Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" at one point!).
The superb drumming finale (by
Mick Rice) during the same song was also superb. In fact, we should
not fail to also praise Raggie on vocals and Tony "Ronnie Dio -
Shepherd's Pie!" Speakman on bass!
Whatever is your favourite era
of Rainbow, this band do a great rendition of it (Perhaps we may get a
track from "Stranger in us All" one day as well? My personal
favourites are Too Late for Tears and Hall of the Mountain King; hint,
hint!) It was a superb night's entertainment. Keep up the good work
lads! (I also thank my mate Steve Pearson for driving our little gang
from Lincoln to Derby). |