Rainbow performed on this day in 1981 at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernadino, California.
Rainbow were still early in their Difficult to Cure Tour at this point, though the warmup gigs were now in the rearview mirror. They had gone from a set of small club gigs, the likes of which singer Joe Lynn Turner had been frequenting prior to his recruitment by the band, to sold-out arenas. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had been determined to make it in the US with Rainbow, and was finally getting his wish.
The band apparently played an excellent show and impressed audiences with the skill they displayed despite being a relatively new lineup. However, they got into some trouble for playing overtime and making workers stay longer.
[A]lready they’re tighter than two clans of Scotsmen and burn better than Joan of Arc.
Review of the concert. Retrieved from here.
There is no known recording of this concert.