The Ultimate Ritchie Blackmore Magazine established 1996

 
  
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RAINBOW ARCHIVE TOUR DATES

RAINBOW MK VII

OCTOBER 1980 - SEPTEMBER 1981

 

 

RITCHIE BLACKMORE - GUITAR

ROGER GLOVER - BASS

DON AIREY - KEYBOARDS

BOBBY RONDINELLI - DRUMS

JOE LYNN TURNER - VOCALS

 

Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner replaced Bonnet and the 'Difficult To Cure' album was recorded and subsequently this line-up toured, promoting it.

 

Below are all the dates known from this period.

If a show, in part or full has been released on one or more bootlegs these are listed in green.

All interesting facts and anecdotes are in italics

If you see any errors or omissions please contact me with any details you may have.

 

1981

Month Day Date Country, place, venue Comments
February ?? CANADA: start of tour?
Saturday 21st USA: Richmond, Empire Theatre  No Release
Sunday 22nd USA: Fairfax, Louis Rock City co-headlining with Pat Travers  Do You Like Earache; Stargazer
March Wednesday 18th  USA: Washington, Seattle, Centre Arena "Rainbow opened for Pat Travers. Ritchie is upset about the sound, he is seen screaming at a tech on his side on the stage about the sound. Ritchie is pissed off the rest of the set, but plays a great show. Most of the crowd leaves after Rainbow's set. Joe is in fine from as well as the rest of the band. Standard set list for this tour. Ritchie smashes guitar at the end of the set".  
Joe St.Laurent
Saturday 21st USA: California, San Francisco, Cow Palace
Sunday 22nd USA: California, Los Angeles, Forum
April Friday 3rd  USA: Texas, Dallas, Moody Coliseum (Pat Travers) "Assuming my ticket stub is right, Rainbow played Moody Coliseum in Dallas, opening for Pat Travers on April 3, 1981. If memory serves correctly, Don Airey had broken his foot just before then and was replaced by another keyboard player, who's name I've long forgotten. Hope this helps. That was my second ever concert, and Rainbow completely blew Pat Travers away that night."  David
Sunday 5th USA: Texas, Houston, Sam Houston Coliseum (Pat Travers)
Thursday 16th USA: Illinois, Chicago, International Amphitheatre  Never Surrender 81
Friday 17th USA: Detroit
Tuesday 21st USA: Palmer Alumini Auditorium
Saturday 25th USA: Milwaukee
May Saturday 2nd USA: New York, Long Island, Nassau Coliseum
Sunday 3rd USA: Waterbury
Thursday 7th USA: Massachusetts, Boston, Orpheum Theatre (radio broadcast) Coloured Rainbow; More Coloured Rainbow; Electrified!; Ritchie Blackmore - Solo; The Sourse In Concert
Saturday 9th USA: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Tower Theatre  Ultimate Witchie's Night
Sunday 10th USA: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Tower Theatre
Tuesday 12th USA: New York, Albany
June Wednesday 3rd SWEDEN: Gothenburg, Scandinavium  Fire!
Thursday 4th SWEDEN: Stockholm, Isstadion
Friday 5th DENMARK: Copenhagen, Brøndbyhallen
Sunday 7th FINLAND: Helsinki, UKK Hall  European Night - Helsinki 81; video
Wednesday 10th GERMANY: Essen, Grugahalle  Love's Night; video - Live In Essen Gig officially videoed? Sold by fan club.
Thursday 11th FRANCE: Paris, Patinoire de Boulogne
Friday 12th FRANCE: Lille   Paris seen listed as 11th with Lille 12th
Saturday 13th HOLLAND: Rotterdam, Ahoy  Lost In Hollywood; Down To Rotterdam
Sunday 14th GERMANY: Hannover, Neidersachen Halle
Tuesday 16th GERMANY: Würzburg, Diem Halle
Wednesday 17th LUXEMBOURG: Luxembourg, Kickelscheur
Thursday 18th GERMANY: Köln, Sporthalle  European Night - Koln 81
Friday 19th BELGIUM: Brussels, Vorst Nationaal
Sunday 21st GERMANY: Berlin, Waldbühne Previously documented but unlikely (see below)
Sunday 21st FRANCE: Colmar, Theatre de Plein Air du Parc Expo "I think Berlin did not take place but in France." Philippe Witt
Tuesday 23rd GERMANY: Stuttgart, Sindelfingen  Lost In Stuttgart
Thursday 25th GERMANY: Hamburg, Ernst Merck Halle
Friday 26th GERMANY: Frankfurt, Festhalle
Saturday 27th GERMANY: Munich, Sedl Mayer Halle
Monday 29th GERMANY: Heidelburg, Rhein Neckar Halle
Tuesday 30th SWITZERLAND: Lausanne, Palaise de Beaulieu
Wednesday 1st FRANCE: Grenoble, Alexpo
July Friday 3rd SPAIN: Barcelona, Plaza de Toros with UFO? Bullfighter
Saturday 4th SPAIN: Madrid, Roma Velero with UFO?
Sunday 5th SPAIN: San Sebastian, Velodromo Hall with UFO?
Wednesday 8th ENGLAND: London, Rainbow Theatre  London Rainbow Theatre 8 July 1981; Smokin All Night
Thursday 9th ENGLAND: London, Rainbow Theatre
Friday 10th SCOTLAND: Edinburgh, Royal Highland Hall
Saturday 11th SCOTLAND: Edinburgh, Royal Highland Hall
Monday 13th ENGLAND: Leeds, Queens Hall
Tuesday 14th ENGLAND: Leeds, Queens Hall
Wednesday 15th ENGLAND: Leicester, Granby Halls
Thursday 16th ENGLAND: Leicester, Granby Halls
Saturday 18th ENGLAND: Stafford, Bingley Hall
Sunday 19th ENGLAND: Stafford, Bingley Hall
Monday 20th ENGLAND: St. Austell, Coliseum Bright Night
Wednesday 22nd ENGLAND: Manchester, Apollo Theatre Condition Critical; Made In England
Thursday 23rd ENGLAND: Newcastle, City Hall
Friday 24th ENGLAND: Newcastle, City Hall
Sunday 26th ENGLAND: London, Hammersmith Odeon Difficult To Reappear; Difficult To Cure Europe; Rainbow A Paris
Monday 27th ENGLAND: London, Hammersmith Odeon  Can't Happen Here; Black Destroy
?? WALES: Cardiff, Sophia Gardens
August Tuesday 18th JAPAN: Fukouka, Kudenkinen  Taiikukan Demon 81; What Happen Here
Thursday 20th JAPAN: Osaka, Festival Hall Missing Point
Friday 21st JAPAN: Osaka, Festival Hall Missing Link; Craze!
Saturday 22nd JAPAN: Fukouka Shades Of Whitchy
Sunday 23rd JAPAN: Nagoya, Shi Kokaido Silver Night Nagoya 81
Monday 24th JAPAN: Kyoto, Kaikan, Daiichi Hall Kyoto N Yoru
Wednesday 26th JAPAN: Tokyo, Budokan
Thursday 27th JAPAN: Tokyo, Budokan  Missing Gate
Friday 28th JAPAN: Tokyo, Budokan  Missing Gate
Aug / Sept ?? USA: Hawaii (Don Airey's last gig which finished abruptly when the band unknowingly left him onstage and went back to the hotel!)

Designed by Mike MacKechnie