Blackmore’s Night, the renaissance-folk group fronted by legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and vocalist Candice Night, has abruptly postponed two concerts on their current US tour, citing unspecified medical issues.
The affected performances include the show originally scheduled for Saturday, November 15 at the Newton Theater in Newton, New Jersey, and the upcoming concert on Thursday, November 20 at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware. Venues have advised ticket holders to hold onto their stubs as new dates are expected to be announced shortly.
While the band has not disclosed the specific nature of the medical emergency, the sudden schedule change comes just months after Candice Night offered a candid assessment of her 80-year-old husband’s ongoing health battles.
Speaking on the Iron City Rocks podcast in August while promoting her solo album Sea Glass, Night revealed that the former Deep Purple and Rainbow icon is currently managing a “trifecta” of serious conditions that make touring a logistical challenge.
“There’s the three main issues with him that are going on,” Night explained in the interview. “He has a heart issue. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, so we stay on top of that. He’s got gout, so that’s difficult. It’s affecting his feet really badly. And it’s starting in his forefinger, so it’s hurting the mobility in that, so he just had an injection for that. And his back, of course, which has always been an issue.”
She noted that these compounding physical ailments have forced the couple to drastically alter how they approach live performances. Extended travel, particularly flying, has been ruled out due to the physical toll it takes on Blackmore.
“It’s not so much the travel on a plane. Honestly, it’s the aggravation before you even get into the plane… and it’s all the sitting of traveling,” she said. “So that’ll affect his back and all the rest of it. And the jet lag that stresses your heart… it really does take a toll on a human — on a healthy human, so forget about someone who’s 80 years old and going through these issues.”
To accommodate Blackmore‘s needs, the band has shifted to a “mini road trip” touring model, booking shows that are within driving distance to avoid the stress of airports and rigorous schedules.
“If we go someplace, I’m driving,” Night detailed regarding their new routine. “Hopefully it’s close enough to the venue. You get to the venue, you go back, you get a good night’s sleep that night… and then you move on to the next place and have a day of travel. So it’s a very slowed down way of doing it.”
Despite these precautions, Night emphasized that Blackmore remains hyper-aware of his physical limits.
“One of the things that’s so great about Ritchie is he can recognize — he’s very in tune with his own body, and he stays on top of everything,” she said. “And when he doesn’t, I nag him to stay on top of it… like eating well and things like that.”
There is currently no word on whether the remaining dates of the tour will proceed as planned.
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