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The
band is not (but surely should not be expected to be?) an exactly
perfect replica of the original band in either appearance or sound but
at many points in its act, it does come incredibly close to achieving
this; unbelievably close in fact!
Playing
the role of Ritchie Blackmore is going to be demanding for anyone who
attempts it (automatically putting them under the scrutiny of the fan
and critic alike), so full marks for Roy Chudobskyi (alias "Mr.
Ritchie Blackmuir" on stage) for being brave enough to give it a
go. Roy’s playing style (during large parts of the act) does come
very close to replicating the Blackmore original. It would seem that
Roy has spent many hours listening to the original Blackmore
recordings and learning to play the riffs and key solo parts. What is
thus presented to the listener in each of the band’s songs, is large
musical chunks of replicated Blackmore guitar work, linked together by
sections that are evidently Roy’s own work (albeit obviously
Blackmore-inspired). The balance between Roy’s original work and the
replicated Blackmore compositions does vary in each song and there are
some deliberate slight variations in the playing style on different
gig nights as well.
Besides
duplicating the guitar work of Ritchie Blackmore, Roy also dresses
like him. This involves a black wig, black trousers and the
distinctive black lace-up shirt. Roy is also planning to acquire a
pair of tan-coloured boots to make his appearance complete. The stage
appearance is further made convincing by the facial expressions and
other Blackmore-like mannerisms, that Roy has obviously spent hours
learning how to reproduce. At some shows, Roy even smashes guitars, or
sets fire to them, in true California Jam fashion. This is very funny
and entertaining to see, regardless of your opinion about the music.
The job
of vocalist for any band will always be hard. In this case, Raggie has
to assume the roles (at various points in the act) of Ronnie James
Dio, Graham Bonnett, Joe Lynn Turner and Ian Gillan. Raggie has a very
competent and sustained "mid-to-slightly-high" vocal range,
though this fact in itself limits the extent to which he can interpret
each famous vocal style he is trying to portray.
Raggie
can reproduce the Joe Lynn Turner vocal sound by "softening"
his voice, a simple but very effective technique. The Dio and Gillan
vocal parts in turn involve Raggie inserting "deep" or
"screaming" sections (at appropriate moments) into what is
mainly his own personal vocal style. On some nights, Raggie can
reproduce the Dio sound quite effectively. It is apparent though, that
an awful lot of vocal and mental concentration is needed to do this.
This is why in the second half of the act, the Dio songs begin to
sound more like Raggie again (but in fairness, who can be expected to
sustain the same constant vocal power of Mr. Dio?) Raggie has also
gone to the effort of sewing moon and star decorations onto his jeans,
in the same way as Ronnie James Dio did. The Graham Bonnett vocal
sound is never really replicated; the songs seem to be sung purely in
Raggie’s own style but this should not be viewed as a detrimental
factor.
Drummer
Mick Rice is quick to point out that he is no Cozy Powell (and because
of this, he won’t attempt a drum solo as part of the act). Despite
these modest comments however, Mick’s playing style on stage shows
him to be a fast, powerful and highly competent drummer, whose playing
experience makes him well suited to the needs of the band.
Tony
Speakman is an accomplished bass player and backing vocalist. His vast
playing experience and sense of humour on stage are factors that
ensure that the whole band enjoys themselves; especially when the
audience tease Tony about being a Dio look-alike!
As the
band arrive on stage, the pre-recorded voice of Judy Garland saying
"Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore" can
be heard...... the band launches into Kill the King. Members of the
audience who have not heard the band play before perhaps doubt that a
tribute band can play this song effectively. Then doubt soon turns
into delighted amazement, especially when the famous guitar solo break
is replicated superbly. The whole band really rocks, being very
disciplined and together.
Catch
the Rainbow may be a slightly simplified version of the original but
by the use of a good reproduction of the original key guitar segments,
Roy manages to weave his own improvisations around this as well. The
net result is some dramatic guitar work that certainly evokes the feel
and spirit of the original. As the song changed from Roy’s guitar
solo, to Tor’s keyboard section (at the Hull gig), the entire
audience broke into applause in appreciation of the guitar work they
had just heard. The incorporation of a slow, gentle, atmospheric
keyboard section does work amazingly well in this particular
interpretation of the song. During the Cleethorpes gig, the
effectiveness of this was lost due to the keyboards being too low in
the mix. At the Hull gig however, the keyboard sound was incredibly
clear and did full justice to the electric keyboard sound that Tor was
trying to present.
Still
I’m Sad is also done very well. The band’s timing during this
number is very tight and disciplined. Tor again presents a keyboard
solo which, though Carey-influenced, is clearly more of his own style.
Tarot
Woman is incredibly well received by the audiences. The keyboard and
guitar work both being very close to the original versions. The
extended keyboard solo/introduction to this song is without doubt Tor
Underseth’s personal "showpiece" of the act, incorporating
Carey-like organ crescendos and exerts from Bach. When the main song
kicks in, the rendition is well done - especially the guitar work!
Stone
Cold provides a much needed slow number for the band at this point.
Being well known, the audience sing-along to it. At the Cleethorpes
gig, a number of girls went to the front and started dancing when this
track began.
The
epic medley of Man on the Silver Mountain-Blues-Starstruck has to be
experienced to be believed. In my original gig notes, I wrote "I
love this track, it just rocks along!" Again, the interweaving of
Blackmore segments and Roy’s own style make this track a success. As
Roy comes out of the heavy solo into the Blues section, the audience
again applauds him with appreciation. The inclusion of the full
version of Starstruck (which was not done during the original shows?)
is a nice touch.
At this
stage in the show, the band (being accomplished entertainers,
irrespective of what they are playing) like to ensure that they have
the entire audience on their side, joining in and enjoying themselves.
Thus the entertainment tactic of playing Since You Been Gone and All
Night Long, one after the other, ensures that all the audience are
clapping and singing-along at the top of their voices. By getting the
audience to do this, Raggie demonstrates that he has good showmanship
skills, regardless of whatever music he is presenting. The sight of
many people coming forward at this point, to dance at the front of the
stage at the Newark gig, seemed to emphasise this point.
With
the audience fully on the band’s side, the band then launch into the
hit Black Night that goes down a storm. The ecstatic audience is just
getting used to this when suddenly the track changes to Stargazer,
with huge cheers erupting in response. The secret to this track’s
success is the band’s decision to play it at an extremely well
disciplined medium-paced-tempo (as on the original studio-recorded
version). The keyboard mix in this song is excellent but the most
memorable part of this song is the awesome guitar work that definitely
does almost convince you that you are listening to the original band.
The
show encore is usually Long Live Rock n’ Roll, which gives the
audience one last chance to sing along. Depending on the success of
the night, an optional brief rendition of Minstrel Hall may occur and
sometimes the band plays a storming good rendition of Smoke on the
Water.
Of the
three gigs, the one at The Springhead was the best. I say this due to
a far better sound mix on the night, plus an enthusiastic response
from a crowd about 250 or more.......
The
band members themselves are only too pleased to talk to other
Blackmore fans after the show. After the Leaking Boot gig
(Cleethorpes, 5th March 2004), I was allowed to interview
them for over an hour. After talking about the band’s history for a
while, we then discussed its popularity. The average audience
attendance at a Rainbow Rising gig is around 100 – 200 people, not
bad for a tribute band! A possible reason for this, is a lingering
nostalgia for 70s and 80s rock music in general. Perhaps more
specifically, with Ritchie Blackmore no longer presenting a purely
rock-orientated show to his audiences these days, this has created an
opportunity for tribute bands to perform the still much-loved
back-catalogue of Rainbow and Deep Purple, to an army of fans who thus
form a ready-made market for this type of music?
Ultimately,
each one of us must decide whether or not the concept of tribute bands
appeals to us. For my part, I see Rainbow Rising as a great way of
bringing like-minded Blackmore fans together for an evening (both on
and off stage!). A not too expensive night out, with a great band,
like-minded fans and plenty of rekindled nostalgic memories can’t be
bad. Is this band the UK’s Number 1 Tribute Band to Ritchie
Blackmore’s Rainbow? Oh, I think so!
Mike
Garrett
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