Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow reveal first image of 2016 line-up

The image depicts legend Ritchie Blackmore standing alongside Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson and Blackmore's Night drummer David Keith & bassist Bob Nouveau with new singer Ronnie Romero casually propped up on a stool.

The new line-up will perform Deep Purple and Rainbow classics at three European shows this summer – two concerts at Germany’s Monsters of Rock plus a completely and utterly sold out show at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on Saturday 25th June.

Speaking to Dutch rock magazine Aardschok about his new ensemble, Blackmore said: "The whole idea was to find good musicians. Of course, there were many familiar names around, but this idea didn't appeal to me.

“Unlike many others, I prefer to discover new musicians who can add a fresh approach to my music. It's great to present new musicians to the public."

He added: "The singer Ronnie Romero is complete unknown. He's 34 and I'm sure that he'll have a great career in this scene. He is originally from Chile, but lives in Spain.

“Bassist Bob Nouveau is from Connecticut, and Jens is a known and respected keyboard player. It's very easy to work with him, because he's so experienced.”

As translated by Blabbermouth, he finished: "With drummers, I always tend to be very selective. For instance, I do not like to work with showmen. On stage, I need a groove and a lot of these so-called 'famous' drummers often rely more on the show element than on feel.

“I know many guys who can make their sticks fly and use sixteen bass drums, but who are mediocre when it comes to music. David Keith, however, has a great feel for rhythm."