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DPAS
LIVE REVIEWS Deep
Purple The tin shed that is the Birmingham NEC was the venue for my second sight of Purple this year. I was fortunate to be at the Dublin concert and hoped that this one would at least equal the stunner that they played that night in February. The atmosphere pre-gig seemed lacking somehow, and this was carried into the show - not the usual sing-a-long, dance-a-long in the front seats - apart from me and a few other old timers. There wasn't the usual buzz that has been there at every other Deep Purple gig I've been to - although I derived much entertainment from observing the t-shirts of the fans. The prize for most worn / oldest must go to the guy with the Gillan Glory Road tour shirt! Yes, I've still got mine & yes, I'm even sadder in that I have pristine unworn shirts from every gig going back to the 70's. (What's the point?) And, once again, I spent way too much on merchandise. Deep Purple then proceeded to go through the standard set. Space Trucking was a great inclusion, although I miss Fools & Child in Time. The usual superlatives are now approaching..... Glover was majestic as usual - solid bass, happy grin and a very entertaining solo. Paice gave his usual polished support & the one handed drum roll is a sight to see. Airey was efficient and can certainly cover the current set with professional & emotional input - how his contributions in the studio will pan out we will learn soon as, according to Mr. Gillan, they are in the studio from October for an album release next year. Speaking of Gillan, he had a ball. Laughing and communicating with as many of the crowd as he could. The voice was in fine fettle too. Morse was just fantastic, he handles the music with such sensitivity - playing Mk 2 standards with his own individual crafted style without taking anything away from the originals. Then came the point at the end of a (mildly) entertaining Airey solo - all went dark & as the lights came up to the opening chords of Perfect Strangers, Mr. Lord himself was there. A huge cheer went up as he threw himself at the keyboards - I can't remember seeing him so animated since Newcastle in Feb. '72!!!! All in all, a great, if not vintage performance. I only wish that more Pupendicular & Abandon songs were played. Ted The Mechanic is the only survivor. The Aviator has disappeared from the Dublin set, and - contrary to some - I look forward to hearing Well Dressed Guitar on the new album. (That's what Gillan said it was destined for). I am now looking forward to seeing them in Bristol on Wednesday, where the atmosphere is helped by the fact that it is in a theatre & not a tin shed. review:
Tom Dixon, What can be said thats not already been voiced on these pages? The
boys are delivering performances that fans will cherish forever. The
show at Birmingham was a joy, a stunning performance and a great sound.
Have no fears about Don Airey replacing the great man, he produced some
fine moments, gave a lot of added strengh to the set-list, seemed very
comfortable in the line-up., perhaps even and added more to the sound
of the band than Jon has in rec From beginning to end the show was awesome.....with wonderful moments throughout, and very strong performances. Space Truckin' was possibly the finest I've ever heard it, though the same can be said for much of the set-list....Woman from Tokyo was performed to perfection, as was When A Blind Man Cries, Perfect Strangers, Speed King, Hush and Highway Star. The soloing seemed to be extended more than on the earlier shows, as was Ian's rock'n roll medley during Speed King (which was introduced as "skiffle music from the Faroe Islands"!) Gillan sings and sounds better than he did ten years ago, he came across really strongly all evening. Jon`s entrance at the opening to "Perfect Strangers" drew huge applause, as did the reaction to every song throughout the evening. The whole show was the highlight, but if I had to choose, then the power of both Space Truckin` and Highway Star were on a musical level no other band could even contemplate reaching, it was that good. After evenings like this I know why my love for this band gets stronger and stronger as the years pass ! If you read this, Jon,...best wishes in whatever you get your fingers into (ahem....) and thanks for all things Purple !! review:
Neil Jones
I got home at 1am and spent the next day nursing a very sore throat
indeed The Planets were made slightly more interesting by the barrage of cameras shifting about amongst the players' undergarments in order to get the best shots. You think I'm kidding? At times it was really quite silly and I kept expecting the bass player to fall backwards over the cameraman who was pointing his camera through her legs towards the cellist. So what of the gig? I think it was a really good idea to get the new line-up to play and to demonstrate Don's skills. No he isn't Jon, he's Don, and we might as well get used to boogying down to a new Hammond style and sound. Deep Purple will always be a great band if they continue to play as well as this. Of course I miss Lord and Blackmore greatly and not having one of these characters in the band is a great shame. It was great to see Jon again in Purple, probably for one last time. I look forward to seeing him one way or the other on these projects he keeps talking about (I hope they appear with a higher frequency that his two last solo outings). Towards the end of the gig some punters around me at the front of the stage were getting a bit too crazed for my liking. Come on chaps, a bit more decorum please, this is England you know! And you're all around 40 years old! However the opposite appeared to be the norm at the sides of the arena, which were presumably populated by crash test dummies, who didn't appear to move at all! A highlight for me was seeing how many dads had brought their sons to see this great band. The lowlight was some young lady showing an interest in me back stage, and then trying to get me to sign up for a credit card! Is nothing sacred, even at a hard rocking Purple gig? Bollocks! Altogether a great night. review: John Blackburn Arriving unfashionably early for the show, I was tempted from the bar by the intro of the support band. As I made my way to the arena gate, I heard the distinctive sound of folk instruments (flute, violin and softer percussive sounds) and the thought briefly entered my head that Mr Blackmore and his minstrels were opening the gig. Restoring my common sense, I took my seat in Block B near the front centre and settled down to a pleasant medley of re-arranged classics, expertly played by the Planets. The flautist in her spotlight sensitive top being a highlight for me, sending my head firmly into orbit. Their sound was excellent and well balanced from where I was sitting, and I looked forward to the Purps combined virtuosity being transmitted with the same clarity of hi-fidelity. During the interval we listened to a few tracks from Roger's new album, and within 20 minutes the masters exploded onto the stage with the mighty Fireball. Most drummers need to ease their way gradually into their band's set. Little Ian, on the other hand, does not need to Paice himself (sorry) and hits the ground sprinting with one of the fastest and most complex drum intros ever recorded. What a professional, demonstrating to all imitators that he's still the boss, having probably influenced most rhythm sections around today. Within a few bars of the first song, Gillan spotted one of the video cameras recording some of the event and made lewd gesticulations to it, indicating his annoyance at being filmed. "What a jolly wheeze", I thought, "NEC...Come Hell or High Water...be-tighted Fender Bender...he's taking the Ritchie!" However, the joke seemed to persist into two or three of the opening songs so I'm not so sure he wasn't serious. (He was) I could envisage a pair of conga's soon being hurled at the lensman. Giving the soundman a couple of songs to get the levels right, he never did get it to the standard of the support act. OK, DP are traditionally a very loud band and they are playing tonight with aircraft hangar acoustics, but surely with today's technology and the band's ability to afford top class sound equipment, they could get this fundamental right. The speakers were straining and distortion was major. Steve's guitar was definitely too loud in the mix and Don's keyboards inaudible. Nevertheless, I could hear what they were playing (probably because I knew the songs). It was good stuff, and I had that warm glow of appreciation that here I was again, having supported the guys for over thirty years, happy in the knowledge that despite the flak I've so long endured for supporting an uncool band, I've stayed loyal to musicians of the highest calibre who are still here and moving forward, when most of their contemporaries just haven't lasted the course. I'm now enjoying the smugness of it all. Interestingly though, when they played The Well Dressed Guitar, having never heard it before, it was just a wall of noise to my ears, so hopefully it will appear on the new album and I can hear exactly what they were playing. Back to the positives though. The show romped on with great power, a particular highlight being Space Trucking and most definitely When A Blind Man Cries. An interestingly ethereal opening by Don and Ian's soulful ending to the song reaffirmed his place at the top of the vocalist league table. Spine tingling stuff. Traditionally the reserve of the guitarist, Hammond player and drummer, it was great to see Rog doing a far too rare bass solo. A superb player, he could now aspire to take the crown from the late, great, John Entwistle. Talking of solos, Don's dexterity on the piano was shown to great effect and cements him as a worthy replacement for Jon. At the end of his showcase, the lights darkened, an unmistakable low-end growl emanated from the Hammond and by magic, Mr Airey became Mr Lord. How did they do that!? A heartfelt and appreciative cheer erupted around the auditorium and he proceeded to take us through the rest of the set with Don joining in towards the end. And Paicey, does he get better with age, or what? the one handed roll was awesome, Buddy! In summary, the set played was staple fare but it would have been great to hear some fresh stuff from their extensive archive, particularly from the post-Blackmore era. However, it was great to get to see Jon for the last official time, the rest of boys obviously having the time of their lives, relaxed, happy with their lot and I went home feeling very much the same way. Here's to many more. review: Richard French age 44. |
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