The first full video footage of the Ronnie James Dio hologram in action at the Wacken Open Air music festival in Germany has emerged online.
After performing anthems like ‘Holy Diver’ and ‘Stargazer’ on Saturday night, Dio Disciples stunned the 75,000 strong crowd when Eyellusion’s Ronnie James Dio hologram joined them to belt out set closer ‘We Rock’.
Up until today, there has only been short Instagram and Twitter videos of the performance but now you can see it in its entirety below. There is also some high quality footage at the bottom of the page.
Coinciding with the performance, hologram entertainment company Eyellusion issued a press release revealing the hologram was one year in the making and there are plans afoot for it to be toured globally in 2017.
Ronnie’s widow Wendy Dio, who manages Dio Disciples and is a member of the Eyellusion team, commented: “When I first experienced the full production of Ronnie performing with his band as a hologram, I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears.
“With Eyellusion, we have been able to get Ronnie back up on stage where he belongs, ensuring that his music and memory live on. I want Ronnie’s fans around the world to share this experience.”
She continued: “The economics of making music are changing, with tours being more important than ever.
“For artists who have been blessed with legions of fans around the world, the question is how to continue meeting the demand for your music. At the same time, newer acts are thinking about how to build a following and reach more people.
“Today, all artists need to find new, modern ways to connect with fans and Eyellusion is supporting those efforts.”
Dio Disciples guitarist Craig Goldy told Rolling Stone: “We know how much the fans miss Ronnie and the special and unequalled element that he brought to his live performances. Being able to recreate that same kind of magic for his fans at Wacken was incredible.
“For so many years Ronnie always invested big in his live shows as his way to give back to the fans, and that is exactly what we aimed to do with this latest performance. We can’t wait to bring this experience to even more of his fans and perhaps even a newer generation when we bring this incredible live experience on the road next year.”