On October 29, 2005, we witnessed one of the biggest metal concerts ever held in Israel. The legendary Ronnie James Dio took the stage of Pavilion 1 at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds, with his band, and gave a tremendous and unforgettable performance.
(Photo: Scanpix Norway)
The performance was the last of the "Holy Diver Live" tour, which would later also be released as a live album and DVD.
This was Ronnie James Dio's first visit to the Holy Land. Before the show, he stated that he had no idea about the musical culture in Israel and he didn't think it was a place where metal bands come to play, but after talking with the members of "Scorpions" who visited Israel he was very enthusiastic.
The band that accompanied him included drummer Simon Wright, guitarist Doug Aldrich, bassist Rudy Sarzo, and keyboardist Scott Warren.
During the concert, the entire masterpiece album "Holy Diver" was played from start to finish, as well as a collection of songs from Ronnie James Dio's era in the bands "Rainbow" and "Black Sabbath". Dio stated during the show that it's a shame that such great songs don't get to be played live. Since Ozzy Osbourne returned to "Black Sabbath" they haven't played songs from the Dio era and "Rainbow" is long gone, so "Dio" is the only band that keeps these excellent songs alive in concert.
As part of his visit, Dio made a short tour of the country that included a visit to the Western Wall and the holy places for Christianity, in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Believe it or not, there is full video documentation of this historic performance:
Part I:
Part II:
The Concert Setlist:
1. Tarot Woman
2. The Sign of the Southern Cross
3. One Night in the City
Holy Diver Live:
4. Stand Up and Shout
5. Holy Diver
6. Gypsy - Drum Solo
7. Caught in the Middle
8. Don't Talk to Strangers
9. Straight Through the Heart
10. Invisible
11. Rainbow in the Dark
12. Shame on the Night - Guitar Solo
13. Gates of Babylon
14. Heaven and Hell
Encore:
15. Man on the Silver Mountain
16. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
17. The Last in Line
18. We Rock
19. The Mob Rules
For the live album released following the tour: Spotify