There are people out there who truly waisting their lack of charme, that's what an old proverb says by novelist aimund Vidranyi. And another saying by Goethe reads: a personal character is up to somebody's personality and not to his talents. Both rhymes tell the truth what's up to Ritchie Blackmore. But one thing is for sure. This man has composed the probably most famous guitar riff in Rockmusic and has written musichistory with that one. So who cares about a difficult character or excentric. And though he doesn't make any rockmusic in that sense anymore and more or less focuses on ancient historic music, he will never get rid off this certain reputation beeing on of the greatest rockguitarist of all times. No surprise, that half of the audiance at a Blackmore's Night Concert are still Deep Purple fans next to lover's of the middleage cult. Let's put it that way, Blackmore's Night are standing for this certain sound, which probably would have been named Heavy Metal back in Renaissance times. 

Whereby, to correct myself, it's not quite right, as Blackmore's favorite times, the Renaissance had evolved around 1400 and ended aprox. 1600. And that was a little later than the middleage century. Nevertheless does Sir Richard appreciate this posh, dark atmosphere with this certain touch of slightly morbid melancholy, which is only enlightened by the sunny character of his wife  and compagnon Candice Night.
Often I have asked myself, how these two so different characters cope with each other. But I presume it's this  - different contrasts are often pulled to each other as it's always said. Apart from that, Candy, as Ritchie uses to call her, owns a huge talent herself what's up to singing, playing and the talent to entertain the audiance in a very funny way. 
One thing I have to mention ahead, is the fact, that there is no certain setlist at Blackmore's Night concerts. the whole event is more or less a huge jamsession, which are led by the boss. There are only some points for the generell orientation. Everything else develops out of spontainous moods and reactions. And the sound engeenier has got a lot to do to get all this in the right place. So such a concert as just described, can last from 75 minutes minimum up to 2 1/2 hours. As I said, it's all a question of Sir Ritch's mood and the quick reaction of all participants.
Usually these concerts are performed at castles, classical theaters like tonight, or abbey churchhalls etc. But I assume, I don't tell you out there any news by that. In our case tonight it's the lovely Prinzregenten Theatre here inMunich, which si completely sold out, which again means aprox. 1.100 people are sitting in here and waiting for things to come.

The magic is started by my favouritc instrument, which is played by some neat looking man while walking through the audiance. Oh well yu backpipe or as we call it - Dudelsack. In my personal opinon, the guy who invented this monster, should still be tortured and shot to the moon for that. But well, tastes are different, ain't they. And so the backpipe still own a huge popularity, exspecially around Loch Ness, at ancient middleage fan circles and on the northpole. Okay okay, not that far... I confess....
Our backpiper here, who later on also plays in Blackmore's backing band, trys everything to get us into the right mood, not only with this instrument but also with some other ancient,exotic pipes and stuff. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Albrecht Schmidt-Reinthaler, who is the general manager of the so called "Geyers Schwarzer Haufen" here in Germany. 

And as later on Candice confesses, Blackmore's Night has stolen quite a bit of his music. Therefore it's Alberichs... äh sorry Albrechts (we are not at the Nibelungenring here) good right to take part at Miraculix magic mix. 
And that one again, is started by Rumpelstitzchen (german fairytale figure - and that's what he looks like - yeah well at least a little bit:-)
starting with it's famous slogan: oh how good, that almost nobody knows, that my name Earl Grey of Chimney goes.... (though most fans do know, who he is anyway). In any case, this 4strings acrobat does exactly know how to put himself into the right limelight, before the over all dominating boss of the band climbs up stage. 

He's got to anyway, because as soon as Sir Ritch and 
Mistrel Candice appear up there, everything else is pushed
into the background. Pity, but the all including presence of
Lady and Lord Blackmore doesn't allow so much space for the rest of the group.Although all these guys up there are excellent musicians themselves. And that's somehow a matter of course. Because with any other Mr.Blackmore
wouldn't work anyway. A very energetich 'Locked Within The Crystal Ball' starts this delicate chamber concert. And it wakes up memories in me about the the Videofilming   
about two years ago at this castle in Bavaria. The funny plastic ball... oh sorry.. I mean of course the Crystal ball is putting dust on since then and the magic is gonne. But mind me, the clip is excellent. I just luv it, everytime I watch it.
                           

This song comes across almost the same way as it does within the video. And here at the theatre no black man steps out of a mirror and frightenes our beautiful maiden, who soon surprises us with the pleasant message about the new family member  in the house Blackmore, who has arrived past may. Although Daughter Autumn Esmeralda has not accompanied their parents on the current  trip. So this tour doesn't contain too many dates which is understandable. Oh before I forget the new visitor on planet earth has also lent the new chartbreaking (in the truest sense of the word) album her name. And mind me, Super Ritch is not alone with the fact becoming a dad aged 65. Rod Stewart is the next in the line to receive this honour. 

From the - fairly put together - setlist (thanks to Chimney-Boy and my collegue Andy Schöwe) who both, as myself, don't exactly know anymore what and in which order the music has been played, you can see, that Renaissance has been combined with Ludwig van Beethoven and some modern tunes. We call that Cross Over in generell nowadays. Next to many well known Blackmore's Night classics, we hear some notes of Luigi's 9th or the Carmina Burana - free after Carl Orff and later on again a little of the fifth symphony of Beethoven. 
The Meistro dedicates only one single song to his musicial past, which is 'Soldiers Of Fortune'. But that's it, what's up to the - long time ago closed capter of the Deep Purple bible. He's practiced rockmusic long enough, as he said within a statement in the past. And the past tense for him is as interesting as a mouldy church mouse, who has literatuelly vansished because of the decay process - at least for him....

In any case, Mr. Blackmore seems to be in a very good mood tonight and shows so much physical movement that he's almost ready for the next Olympics. The band digs deeply in the individual creativity and transfers it into an interesting musical bunch of flowers. But if the enthusiasm puts out too much of this acoustic sound carpet, played in a rather quiet way, it can be overdone a little. But thanks god, this soft and quiet bit doesn't last longer than about 20 minute and once again develops into a star shower rain  par excellance. 

The positive party mood of the boss does allow another encore to perform the aditional prayers ‚The Village Laterne’ and ‚The Times Are Changing’ and the Mid Winter's Night Medley, which is closing the 2 1/2 hour marathone. The amen in the church is twittered, and despite some minor weak point - also what's up to the generell local sound conditions (though I'm not quite sure,if that is maybe due to my personal seated position) there is no further criticism to be done. The good reputation is surely secured.  - And there he goes and is vanished again from the scenery and was not seen again for this night. But that's how he is our infant terrible of Renaissance Rock'n'Rolls. Otherwise he
it wouldn't be Ritchie Blackmore, would he?! And to finish this monologe about a great show, a good night out, (thanks Mike), and a unique character -  I wanna finish this with another saying: "The only difference between fickle moods and a lifelong passion is: that the moods usually last a little longer (Oscar Wilde) - 
http://www.blackmoresnight.com/