The touts were lamenting outside. The gig was nowhere near a sell-out, with the top tier and some of the balcony curtained off. Perhaps the lack of sales prompted a budget cut when it came to the spectacle (and the number of people playing in the support act - usually seven, but tonight five).
The support act was 'MOSTLY AUTUMN' (not a jibe about the missing two). They play a folk rock that D&D players would love to have on in the background during a game. The lead singer resembled a depressed Disney Princess in her black maternity dress and tiara (I later discovered she dropped a sprog a week ago). Her hubby, the guitarist, looked like a wilder Grizzly Adams. He sang too. I wasn't overly impressed by her vocals or his guitar and the band lacked something (probably the missing two). I was glad when the lighting guy decided to throw everything up at the end in a frenetic burst because it signalled they were done.
This gig was attended by a lot of strange people. One pensioner became very confused because row U was not the one after Q. His wife abandoned him to security.
As an all-seated gig, you didn't have the luxury of moving to avoid the nuggets. We, unfortunately, had two in front.
The first, directly in front, was your typical inebriated Glasgow punter. Charming in an 'everyone's pal' kind of way, he produced the best heckle of the night - 'Richie, I want to drink your bathwater'.
The second was a younger guy, maybe in his forties, looking like a blond Liam Gallagher with Frank McAvennie's teeth, dressed in a polo shirt and white zip top. He danced the entire night like a toddler in need of a whizz, pumping the air with his fists, performing air drums and air guitar along with whoever was prominent, singing all the lyrics and constantly turning to his friends around the auditorium for affirmation. I don't know if he was autistic or just high. I just wish I had the same lack of inhibition to enjoy myself as much as he did. He even pulled a burd. Before we knew it he was bumping bums with a short girl with frizzy hair and an excited grin that said 'this is the best night of my life'. She'll probably stab him to death when she discovers it's not true love.
Our 'Liam' offered a major distraction from the show as he demanded attention from everyone around, mimic heckling the big boys, occasionally wandering off to shake the hands of a nearby friend. When the 'Felicity Smoke' bouncer with the blonde ponytail and glasses caught him wandering the path between block 2 and 5 looking for a better view, she marched him back to his seat. He looked chastised for about a second then he was up again drumming the air.
As for Rainbow, they played a mixture of Rainbow and Purple tracks, with Stargazer being particularly strong. The lead singer, who looked like the actor who played Robb Stark, has a powerful voice with a great range. He does superb justice to the Dio songs with a growl that sounded like the legend himself. I loved the little homages to Dio on the screen, either in footage or stills during those numbers. One day, when he is allowed to, Ronnie Romero will make a great frontman for a fine band.
Unfortunately, this is Richie Blackmore's Rainbow and no one is allowed to upstage him. The singer knew to drift to the edges of the stage when the god that is Richie was playing. While he is a great guitarist, he offers no empathy towards the audience, satisfied to perform as if on Lithium. Still, what he does is highly accomplished plucking.
One disappointment about the show was the visuals. We were treated to a forest, a candle, burning flames, a vortex effect, some twigs, smoke and some gloop. This does not make for interesting visuals. Maybe they were trying to recreate a proper 70s show, only with a big screen. I suspect they were saving money.
Surprisingly for Glasgow, the audience interaction was flat, beyond the morons shouting out. The singing along wasn't strong. The next best heckle was during the 'harpsichord solo' (yes, you read that right) when the man behind me called out 'Get your ice creams, two for a pound.'
Sad to admit, but Rainbow isn't Rising but it is the nearest thing you'll get to hearing the Dio classics live again. Long live rock n roll.
Setlist
Land of Hope and Glory (Edward Elgar song)
Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen song) (Intro)
Spotlight Kid
I Surrender
Mistreated (Deep Purple cover)
Since You Been Gone
Man on the Silver Mountain
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Soldier of Fortune (Deep Purple cover) (Ritchie and Bob Nouveau on acoustic guitars)
Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple cover)
Difficult to Cure (including bass and keyboard solos)
All Night Long
Child in Time (Deep Purple cover)
Stargazer
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
Encore:
Burn (Deep Purple cover)
Black Night (Deep Purple cover) (including drum solo)
The Temple of the King
Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple cover)
