JLT in a recent interview with Spanish metal website rafabasa.com went on record that they’ve got Ritchie’s approval to go on the road as Over The Rainbow:

This project is very real and if you don’t see it, probably you couldn’t see it again, and it’s the reason because we would like to come all over the world, for the people to see it at least one time and stop the rumors because Ritchie gave it his blessings. He knows about it, very much, and he has discussed it with Jürgen and he knows that it’s a good situation for his son. He wants to feel proud as a father, it’s a very natural feeling, and he trust in Bobby and me in the project, because we’re like big brothers to Jürgen. We know him since he was 15, and we’re going to protect him, to take care of him like a young brother, so Ritchie feels very comfortable with it because he knows that his son is in good hands, and this is a important point for Over The Rainbow.

The interview is published in Spanish, but BraveWords has it in English.

Russian Internet TV company Nevsky Express filmed interview with all five members of the band and bits of the live show from the February 16th Over The Rainbow gig in St.Petersburg. You can watch the video on their web site. Click on ‘высокое качество’ to switch to higher quality stream (you need a rather fast Internet connection for it to play smoothly). Click on ‘скачать ролик’ if you want to download the clip. Otherwise it’s a pretty standard Flash player not unlike the one on YouTube and many other sites.

The interview is subtitled, not overdubbed, and the questions asked were:

• Who’s idea it was to organize this tour?
• Rainbow is like a sacred institution in Russia. It’s a big responsibility. Aren’t you afraid?
• Jurgen, what does your father think about the project?

Thanks to Tatyana Marshanova for the info.

Dutch site FaceCulture has an interview with Ian Gillan (probably done during his media tour around Europe a couple of weeks ago). In conclusion, the subject of a new Purple album pops up:

FaceCulture: Are you thinking about the new album?
IG: […] We’ve got to be in the right frame of mind — where we going make the record, who’s going be the producer, when we are going do it.
FaceCulture: Do you already know?
IG: No. But we are thinking it’s about time.

Watch the interview:

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

Ritchie wearing a German national team jersey and being interviewed at a soccer game in Munich during The Battle Rages On tour:

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

Here is a video from the recent Paicey’s visit to Moscow, where he held a drum clinic on Ferbuary 8. Sadly, the interview bits are overdubbed in Russian:

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

Setlist Over The Rainbow – Minsk February 14th:

Tarot Woman
Kill the King
Street of Dreams
Man on the Silver Mountain
Death Alley Driver
Eyes of the World
Ariel
Power
Can’t Happen Here
Jealous Lover
Stargazer
Long Live R’n’R

Encore 1
Since You Been Gone
I Surrender

Encore 2
All Night Long

Total time around 1:50

Thanks to Kevin Dixon, Rainbow Fanclan and Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

All South American dates that we had listed for a while now, have been officially confirmed by the Deep Purple management. The only additional date is March 5 in Florianopolis, Brazil. We still do not know anything about the venue in Antofagasta, Chile, so if anyone has more information, please get in touch or leave a comment here. Likewise for any other additions, corrections, etc.

Another date have been added (unconfirmed so far): a special appearance at the Dubai Bike Week on March 20. This one comes from the local media.

Los Angeles sleaze rockers Snew get a gold star in the “somewhat innovative covers dept.” because they:

a. Didn’t choose Smoke on the Water as a Deep Purple cover to record.
b. Invited an unlikely guest musician to solo on the track.

The guest is legendary prog/fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth who delivers two of his trademark insane solos on this track. One solo on his regular electric guitar and one on his SynthAxe, playing an organ sound to make his best Jon Lord impression.

The result? Well, if you’re into Mötley Crüe-type sleaze metal then you might like it. Me, not being a fan of many things sleazy, and being a fan of Allan Holdsworth, thought the solos were the coolest thing about the song.

The song will be exclusively available free for the entire month of February on the Snew website as a free download to all who registers on the site.

If you get more curious about the great Mr. Holdsworth, there are as usual several great recordings to check out on YouTube. Here’s a couple of goodies.

Whitesnake will play this year at the Download festival in Castle Donington. The festival will run on the weekend of June 12-14 with Coverdale and his boys reportedly appearing on the 14th, just before headliners Def Leppard. Festival passes and packages go on sale Friday, February 13, at 9 a.m. (more info). Live Nation presale starts on Thursday, February 12, at 9 a.m. on www.livenation.co.uk (you need to register at downloadfestival.co.uk and/or livenation.co.uk for the presale). Individual day passes might be available at a later date, depending on the sales of weekend packages.

In preparation for the Donington show, Whitesnake will also tour for three weeks around Europe, starting with an open air in Sandnes, Norway on May 21. That tour will include headlining several festivals, and playing some low-key, smaller venues outside of major cities. We will post the details as soon as we get them.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net and Nigel Young for the info.

Joe Lynn Turner has a couple of interviews out, dealing mostly with Over The Rainbow, with some old time Rainbow anecdotage thrown in for the good measure, and also the recent JLT’s Live in Germany record.

The first one is with AntiMusic:

Morley: I understand you’ll start off by touring. Do you anticipate recording new material down the road?
Joe: Yeah. Good question Morley. It’s been discussed. Already it’s been discussed, you know, whether or not, or when we should do new material. Right now we really feel that we’ve got to get this thing off the ground and it’s got to be a good show and novel enough and valuable enough for people to want to come and see it. Which I think just the concept it already is. I mean, when I found out that Jurgen was going to do it, I said: “You know Jurgen,” I said, “Even your father will come to the show out of curiosity.”

Read the whole interview at antimusic.com.

The second one is with the Metallville Magazine:

What is the funniest thing you have ever read about yourself?
JLT: That I am gay!! LOL!! That is by far the most rediculous, yet, finniest thing I have heard. I am SO FAR from gay it’s crazy. I guess the fact that I am more refined looking, polished in appearance and have good grooming habits that some people might have that incorrect impression…LOL! Very funny.

Read the whole thing here. And no lipstick jokes! 😉

Thanks to Lisa Walker and Mike Garrett for the info.