Ritchie Blackmore has released the first photo of the lineup he’ll play with for a rare series of shows by Rainbow next year.
The guitarist will be joined by Lords Of Black singer Ronnie Romero, Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson, Blackmore’s Night drummer David Keith, and bassist Bob Nouveau.
“And so the rehearsals begin,” says the former Deep Purple member.
The group will perform the Best of Rainbow and Deep Purple at the Monsters Of Rock festivals in Loreley, Germany on June 17 and Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany on June 18, as well as a solo headlining date at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, UK on June 25.
The shows mark a rare return to rock by the guitarist after years as the leader of Blackmore’s Night, a medieval folk band he formed in 1997 with then-girlfriend and now-wife Candice Night.
Deep Purple are among the nominees for induction into the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
The band are under consideration among 14 other artists for one of five spots in the Cleveland-based institution alongside Cheap Trick, Yes, The Cars and Steve Miller, among others.
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