Rainbow performed on this day in 1980 at the Rainbow Theater in London, England.
Rainbow were at this time on their Down to Earth tour, undertaken to support the album of the same name. This was the last date on the English leg of the tour, which lasted a little less than three weeks in total. After this, the group took about two months off before returning to the touring circuit, this time in Japan.
During the group’s hiatus, a significant reunion occurred. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore joined Gillan, a band fronted by his former Deep Purple collaborator Ian Gillan, onstage for an encore. As Deep Purple’s Mark II lineup had not performed together in seven years, this was a major occurrence. The Mark II lineup would reunite again in full four years later.
This concert is known to have been recorded, and is in circulation online.
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