Speaking with Candice Night fuels us with an ethereal energy that cannot be matched.
Now imagine that energy on stage, alongside the magic of Ritchie Blackmore. A must-see experience, right?
Right.
There’s a romanticization of the Renaissance era that few have replicated like Blackmore’s Night; from their discography to their live presence to the way they carry themselves, this band encompasses the patient, thoughtful, mythical, and creative aura that comes with the middle ages. However, the musicality is far from antiquated. Ritchie Blackmore is on the top of his game, there’s a freedom to the art, and the harmonious soundscapes he and Candice Night shape (on stage and off) are locked in, tuneful, and succinct. It’s instrumentally ageless and quite stunning, making it surely worth chatting about… which is exactly we did.
The last time we spoke, Candice, we talked about how timeless the songs are in the world of Blackmore’s Night, and how the on-stage arrangements elevate that even more. How do you maintain that, both personally and alongside the band? Do you have any favorite moments with these songs, especially in a live setting and made even more robust?
I tend to just get lost in the music – literally allow it to transport me to another time and place. Sometimes when my eyes are closed onstage and I am channeling the spirit of the song wholeheartedly, I forget there are even other people in the room watching and listening. I am somewhere else, and the song is the avenue to that escape. I’m on the same wavelength as the audience listening to it, but I am the medium for it to come through, as well. So, because Ritchie and I are so in tune, we pay special attention to each other and allow the song to flow wherever it wants to go; allow it to guide us, not restrain it, so there is an incredible freedom and creativity. That’s why you won’t hear a song the same exact way twice when you see our shows multiple times. There have certainly been many magical moments in shows with the songs that we remember. We were singing “Hanging Tree” in a castle courtyard in Germany and right when the song ended, the clock tower began chiming eerily, or singing “Under A Violet Moon” and before the song, ended the full moon had made her appearance overhead as if she were a part of the stage show or simply listening to the music. Moments when I was singing “Cartouche” in Turkey and a whirling Dervish jumped on stage and began dancing and spinning to the song. [There was] a time in Nuremberg when they cut the power on us because we played too long over curfew, and the whole audience sang “Now and Then” so loud because my mic no longer worked – just the sound of the full audience who wouldn’t leave even though they were told the show was over and to go home – yet they climbed over the barriers to the stage across bushes planted between stage and audience, so they could grasp our hands and sing on the top of their voices. We have so many memorable moments. We have been so blessed.
The Aquarian has been covering Blackmore’s Night for quite some time and something always noted is the elegance. What’s it like to be on the stage, in the midst of the soundscape being shared to the audience? Is it as powerful as we can imagine, and how do all feel being served the artistry?
We love The Aquarian and always love reading your articles! I remember years ago when we were in your area, we used to be able to go to a restaurant and pick up a copy at the door. We always looked forward to getting a copy in our hands. Thank you for your support.
It’s a very magical atmosphere. To be able to create your own world, your own musical landscape, and have others join you as you sing and play for them… not for them but with them it seems. We don’t feel as if there is a separation between the audience and ourselves, we feel lucky to be part of this whole journey with the fans who are right there with us who come on the path less traveled through the woods and join our world for the evening. Our musical community is so close and powerful. The music is the power and the love and positivity and bonding through it is intense. We so appreciate everyone who is traveling this musical escape through the veil of time alongside us.
You’re a Long Island native, Candice. Do shows in and around this NYC area feel extra special to you? What is that presumably warmth like upon return?
I am a Long Island native. Originally from Hauppauge and as an island girl, I have the ocean in my veins. It’s always wonderful playing home because you know so many of the people in the audience. It makes it hard to leave the stage after the show because you have so many people coming up and saying, “Hey, it’s your landscaper, your mailman, your kid’s teacher…” so you take the time to shake hands and talk to everyone. It’s like doing a show at your home at a party, but even on stage, I always feel so much love from the audience even if I haven’t seen them before, they feel like friends I just haven’t met yet. There is a great meeting of the minds and souls between our fans and ourselves. Still, playing at home usually means our kids will be there, family members, people who we have known closely for years, so it always just feels comfortable. One of the reasons we wrote “it’s good to be back,” on “Home Again,” is because I love to travel, but there’s nothing like coming back home.
In 2007 you told us about Ritchie and working with him, in the studio, on stage, and just as two artistic beings. You said, “He’s probably everything you heard and nothing you heard. He’s this mystery conundrum wrapped in enigma! He’s probably one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.” At the time you had been alongside him for 18 years, and now here we all are, 17 years later, so how does that statement hold up?
He still has a pension for being predictably unpredictable. We are always changing, evolving and growing as humans, as partners, as a family, and as songwriters. When I originally said that, it was prior to marriage and kids. That is the hardest job and most challenging job you will ever love. Our dynamic has changed a bit because our lives have been expanded and enriched by our two children who are now 14 and 12, so it’s a whole new world for us, but we are a strong, connective partnership. We take it day by day as always and do our best in each situation.
What can be expected from this run of Blackmore’s Night performances? They’re always so Renaissance-y in theme and style, production and song, and you are also frequently on the road. How do you and the band keep things fresh, keep making each other and the fans happy with the shows being put on?
When COVID, hit, we never knew that our last show in a castle field in Abenberg, Germany was going to be our last for so long. That was 2019. It was incredible, a great show, great audience, and great memories. But then we stopped, as did the rest of the world, for years. We started doing a few shows in the USA during the last couple of years, just a handful of them, and have yet to get back overseas yet. (Still hoping to make that happen!) This time around we will do three weekends, the end of June and beginning of July, just where we can drive to that makes sense routing wise. Because we aren’t a band that goes on the road for a year or even a few months where we get road weary or lose our stamina or enthusiasm for playing. When we do play, it’s full of fresh energy and I think the audience can feel that. The band members are friends and we all really enjoy each other’s company and musicianship, and we act onstage as we do offstage. We love music; we have fun doing what we are doing and we don’t take it for granted. We invite the audience to be a part of our world and together we will make memories that will last a lifetime before we disappear into the night to travel to the next show. That wonderful after show glow will remain. Looking forward to making memories and singing with you all.
FOR TICKETS TO SEE BLACKMORE’S NIGHT ON TOUR, INCLUDING PERFORMANCES AT THE VOGEL IN RED BANK ON JULY 5 & 6, CLICK HERE! PART OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO THE ANIMAL CHARITY: RESCUE RIDGE!
