The Highway Star

The story of the Frankencaster

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Music Radar has an Steve Morse's interview with the focus on his old guitar -- a Telecaster body with a Strat neck and innards from hell, lovingly referred to as the Frankencaster -- the one that he used before Music Man […]

Lazy with Purpendicular

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:09:56 +0000

Back in March Ian Paice played a couple of shows with a European tribute band Purpendicular. The band produced a video with a short interview with the maestro and their live take on Lazy.

A Knight In York

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:38:18 +0000

Blackmore's Night will release a new live album called A Knight in York recorded last Fall at the Opera House in York, England. Darker Than Blue reports that the album will be available in several formats: DVD, blue ray, CD, and triple vinyl. […]

Paicey to guest on Jettblack album

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:40:14 +0000

Ian paice will appear among guest musicians on the new album by a British metal band Jettblack. He appears on the track Feel The Love, which is already available from Amazon UK. The album itself is called Raining Rock and is […]

Flying Colors announce tour dates

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 05 May 2012 23:21:38 +0000

Flying Colors, the "supergroup" with Steve Morse, Dave LaRue and Mike Portnoy, have announced a string of tour dates in September: two dates in the U.S. (one in California and one in New York City), followed by another eleven in […]

Steve Morse in iGuitar magazine

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 05 May 2012 22:01:30 +0000

Latest issue (No. 9) of the interactive iGuitar magazine has a special feature on Steve Morse with text, pictures and video. The video inteview alone lasts for almost an hour, so set aside some time and dig in. And don't forget to […]

WhoCares to release an album

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 05 May 2012 20:12:31 +0000

Ian Gillan and Toni Iommi's charity project WhoCares will release a compilation (with a few rarities thrown in) on June 22 via earMusic. Geoff Barton of Classic Rock Magazine spoke to Big Ian about the project:

Tell us about some of […]

Paicey talks shop

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:25:48 +0000

Ian Paice demonstrates his signature drum kit and talks about finer points of why and how. This video was shot on April 23 at the launch of his signature kit.

Morse is “still sort of like a music fan”

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:08:47 +0000

The Glide magazine has done a very interesting interview with Steve Morse. He talks about Flying Colors, growing up as an outsider in Georgia, his passion of flying and his passion of music:

You have played on so many albums and records […]

How not to run a festival

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:36:06 +0000

The Rock & Roll Allstars package, including Glenn Hughes, were scheduled to headline the Metal Open Air festival in Brazil this weekend (April 21). However, the festival was plagued with problems and they have cancelled the gig issuing the following statement: […]

So, what’s new?

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:51:27 +0000

Roger Glover posts an update on his website. Except it's not an update, really, but one of those semi random collections of musings which are always a fascinating read.

Sometimes I write music. I am excellent at imagining a song in […]

Gillan and Hughes in Dio tribute

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:10:43 +0000

Ian Gillan and Glenn Hughes will appear on the Ronnie James Dio tribute album that is being put together by Wendy Dio for a release later this year. Other artists involved are Anthrax, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilminster, Alice Cooper, Sebastian […]

Bass bonanza

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:15:19 +0000

In the spirit of celebrating the 40th anniversary of machine Head, we present you with this gem: Highway Star and Smoke on the Water performed by an octet of double basses aptly named Octobass.

The nuts and bolts

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:41:04 +0000

This one is for the sound geeks among us. Deep Purple were profiled in the February 2012 issue of the Total Production International magazine. They have interviewed FOH engineer Gert Sanner at the Birmingham’s LG arena last year during the orchestral tour. […]

New album producer

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:16:23 +0000

Darker Than Blue reports that in an interview to the French magazine Rock Hard Steve Morse said:

Well I think it’s now confirmed, it’s Bob Ezrin who will produce the new Deep Purple album

Bob Ezrin is, of course, known for his […]

Paice in Istanbul

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:40:51 +0000

Ian Paice will be in Istanbul this Saturday, April 14, to be on the jury for the Vodafone Freezone 15th High School Music Competition. His video announcement is posted here. If we understand it correctly, you should be able to […]

SOTW single

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:27:02 +0000

EMI will be releasing in UK a 7" vinyl single of Smoke on The Water for the Record Store Day held this year on April 21. Simon Robinson reported a while ago that the version being prepared is from the 1972 In Concert […]

Buddy Rich memorial concert

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:55:16 +0000

The Buddy Rich memorial concert was held on Monday, April 2, at the London Palladium. Ian Paice was one of the several drummers paying tribute to the maestro. He was also interviewed by the Rhythm magazine.

Hughes in Kiev

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:45:04 +0000

Glenn Hughes was a last minute addition to the double bill show of Slade and Suzi Quatro in Kiev, Ukraine on March 30. Turned out, he was in town to play an acoustic set at a charity event organized by […]

Machine Head radio show

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:27:58 +0000

Update (Apr 7): It appears that the show is not a new production, but will be a rebroadcast of the 15th anniversary show aired in 1987. (thanks to Nigel Young for spotting this)

Syndicated US radio show In The Studio is producing […]

Rockin’ in the free world — April Fools

stephen — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:33:04 +0000

While the band seem to be taking a rest from active touring and recording, allowing the singer to put his feet up and work on some lyrics, news reaches us of some extra curricula activity on the horizon. Having just […]

Sunflower Jam 2012

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:44:12 +0000

The 2012 edition of the Sunflower Jam will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday, September 16. Apparently Jon Lord's treatment is proceeding well enough that he is billed to appear there. (And with the whole thing […]

Surprise in Pratteln

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:25:04 +0000

On March 21 Ian Paice was playing a gig with the tribute band Purpendicular in Pratteln, Switzerland. The band received a surprise reinforcement as Roger Glover "happened to be in the neighbourhood" and joined them on stage. Update (Mar 27): Apparently, Roger […]

Morse to tour with G3

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:51:45 +0000

This summer Steve Morse will play in Europe as a part of the G3 tour with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Five dates in late July/early August in Germany, Hungary and Russia have surfaced so far. Full details in our […]

Glover in Venice

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:48:26 +0000

Roger Glover will support Hard Rock Cafe's “Street 2 Sanctuary” campaign to help girls forced to prostitution and their children from the streets of Bombay red light district and place them into the sanctuary and care of the Bombay Teen […]

Coverdale interviews

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:18:23 +0000

David Coverdale was a guest on US syndicated radio show In The Studio on the occasion of 25th anniversary of the eponymous '87 album, The conversation meandered far enough to touch his departure from Purple and management problems of the early […]

Paice signature drum kit

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:47:59 +0000

Pearl Drums will launch Ian Paice signature drum kit on April 23, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Machine Head UK release. The kit will feature nine drums, including Masters Premium Legend Maple toms and bass drum, with the signature snare. All drums […]

Montreux’2011 on vinyl

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:23:16 +0000

The Live at Montreux 2011 is about to be released on vinyl by a small label called Night of the Vinyl Dead. The release will be a limited edition, hand numbered to 500 copies, triple purple glitter vinyl in flip […]

Hughes in Guitar World

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:05:38 +0000

Guitar World has a lengty interview with Glenn Hughes, where he talks about everything from his humble beginning as a trombonist in a school orchestra, to Deep Purple, to Black Country Communion, to the late Gary Moore.

Would you say you […]

Morse: New album coming up

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:55:56 +0000

Jeb Wright did an interview with Steve Morse for Classic Rock Revisited. In this lengthy interview, Steve talks about Flying Colors, Purple, and his obsession with Native American art.

Jeb: You are not an egomaniac musician and neither is Neal […]

Paicey to appear at the Musikmesse

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:44:46 +0000

Ian Paice will appear at the Musikmesse this year during the signing session(s) organized by Paiste (his cymbal company). The sessions are scheduled for

Friday, March 23rd - 12:00
Friday, March 23rd - 14:00
Saturday, March 24th - 12:00
Saturday, March 24th […]

Paicey to support Learn To Play Day

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:31:10 +0000

The Learn To Play Day is a British national event taking place on March 31. The event will include free musical lessons to the public and "is designed to welcome people into music shops and to inspire them to get playing". […]

Rock’N'Roll Allstars

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:07:09 +0000

Glenn Hughes will do a tour of Latin America late April/early May as a part of the package billed under the moniker Rock'N'Roll Allstars. Other names on the bill include Gene Simmons (Kiss), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Matt Sorum, Duff […]

Pictures from Canada

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:12:21 +0000

The Canadian tour is over and truly yours had a chance to attend a few shows with a camera. Here are the results:

Q&A with Steve Morse

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:08:24 +0000

Flying Colors have published a first batch of Steve Morse's answers to fan questions submitted through their Facebook page:

Steve, are there any young guitar players who you particularly like? I mean we all know what your influences are but is […]

Whitesnake on hiatus

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:38:06 +0000

A message posted on the official Whitesnake website informs us that the band will be put on hiatus for the rest of 2012:

At this time the band plan to spend 2012 in the studio, mixing live recordings made during the […]

Paicey: “We had it quite easy”

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:27:43 +0000

K-97 from Edmonton did a rather interesting interview with Ian Paice when the Purps were in town. Ian talks about the changing face of music scene, his experience of working with Paul McCartney, living where he lives and many other things. […]

Purple in Canadian press pt. 3

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:47:37 +0000

Times Colonist from Victoria, BC, has published Roger Glover's interview/profile:

Now, every night I step on stage I value it immensely. [Performing] is something very few people get to experience, therefore I can't take it for granted. That's the only time […]

Paicey on Planet Rock

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 02:10:18 +0000

Ian paice will be a guest on My Planet Rocks radio show this Sunday, February 26, at 9pm GMT:

This week's My Planet Rocks sees DEEP PURPLE's IAN PAICE take the hotseat to pick out his favourite songs. He talks about […]

Gillan: “The juices will be flowing pretty well”

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:25:16 +0000

Calgary Herald has published Ian Gillan's profile/interview, which for once, is a little better researched than you average mainstream press fare. On the news album he sounds rather enthusiastic:

“I think it’s time for some new material it always injects a […]

More Morse era, please

Richard Hutton — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:13:11 +0000

Date: 2012/2/13

: Hamilton Place

: Hamilton

: Canada

First the good stuff. Good crowd on a cold night and a nearly full theatre. Hamilton Place seats 1,500 would say there were between 1,300-1,400 there. The guys were on fire despite some problems for […]

Touring the Great White North

VET — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:11:14 +0000

Date: 2012-02-17

: TCU Place

: Saskatoon

: Canada

Just returned from the Purple show - been a long wait since I bought the ticket... Had heard that the Canadian shows were being well reviewed - just added to the anticipation, especially seeing as […]

Hughes on KNAC.com

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:19:15 +0000

Glenn Hughes will appear live on KNAC internet radio on Monday, February 20. He is scheduled to be on the air at 4 pm PST, but exact timing is not confirmed yet. Of course, KNAC being the internet-only radio (and the […]

Paicey to perform at Buddy Rich memorial concert

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:50:54 +0000

Ian Paice is one of the musicians confirmed for the Buddy Rich memorial concert to be held on the 25th anniversary of jazz legend's passing, April 2, at the London Palladium. The show will feature members of the US-based Buddy […]

Wakeman, Levin, Paice?

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:59:44 +0000

Rick Wakeman writes in his blog entry for February 2012:

There is so much other stuff in the pipeline that I will be trying to bring to fruition this month which include a possible trio album with Tony Levin and Ian […]

Purple jetsetters

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:16:13 +0000

Just as you haven't been to Brazil until you saw a soccer game there, you haven't been to Canada until you've attended a hockey game. Our frontline correspondent reports from the trenches:

At the Winnipeg, MB show last night, Steve […]

Purple in Canadian press pt. 2

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:04:46 +0000

The Hamilton Spectator has Steve Morse's profile and interview mostly revolving around the story behind Contact Lost:

I’m a big fan of what NASA has done. People don’t realize the research and development strides that have been made, all that technology. […]

Purple Week-End

Jim irons — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:45:34 +0000

Date: 2012-02-11: John Labatt Center/Massey Hall, London, Toronto, Canada Well, where do I start? What a week-end indeed. First of all my brother (Scott) flew in from Scotland on the Thursday to be part of the Purple experience with my […]

No Strings (or Horns) Attached

Mike Whiteley — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:23:29 +0000

Date: 2012-02-12

: Massey Hall

: Toronto,ON

: Canada

On this wintry Sunday night, Deep Purple showed the sold-out crowd that, while last tour's orchestral backdrop was a pleasant enough venture, the innate power of the band is more than enough to shake off […]

Lucky In London (Ontario, that is)

sterling — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:23:16 +0000

Date: 2012-02-11

: John Labatt Centre

: London, Ontario

: Canada

Where to start? I live near Toronto and had hoped to see DP at Massey Hall. But all the decent tickets were gone in no time at all, so I was left accepting […]

RG on RnR HoF: “No, thanks”

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:22:52 +0000

The Chronicle Herald from Halifax, Canada, did an interview with Roger Glover. He spoke about the way things are done in the band, the "new" guys, and, for some reason or another, the question of Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame popped up […]

Roger Glover in Halifax Metro

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:28:14 +0000

Halifax Metro has published a short interview with Roger in anticipation of the February 4 Deep Purple show:

When asked by fans if he thought 40 years ago he’d still be performing today, Roger Glover doesn't hesitate in his reply. “Yes, […]

BCC Live Over Europe CD details

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:22:11 +0000

Black Country Communion will release its live concert CD, Live Over Europe, on February 28 on the Joe Bonamassa's J&R Adventures label. This two-disc CD follows up the October 2011 release of the two-disc DVD by the same name. No […]

Glenn Hughess at The Nervous Breakdown

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:55:46 +0000

In a new interview with The Nervous Breakdown Glenn Hughes tals about his book, how come he ended up wearing goat pants, does a bit of name dropping, and answers an either/or quiz:

Blackfoot or Molly Hatchet? Ah, Blackfoot, yeah! No knock […]

Meet’n'greet Paicey in Ottawa

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:09:25 +0000

There will be a Meet and Greet event with Ian Paice in the afternoon of February 8, between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm at the Dave's Drum Shop. Admission is free. Dave's Drum Shop is located at 390 Gladstone Ave., […]

Purple in Canadian press

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:13:47 +0000

As the Canadian tour approaches, musician's profiles and interviews start appearing in local media. Niagara This Week has Steve Morse's profile titled The Morse Code. London Free Press (that's London, Ontario) has a rather interesting interview with Ian Paice where […]

Steve Morse at the NAMM

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:41:53 +0000

Musicianews caught up with Steve Morse at this year NAMM to chat about his project, his plans, his gear, and the changing face of the music business.

Summer in the studio? — Beginning to look like so

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:45:36 +0000

The five summer dates -- two in Italy, one in Poland and two in Germany -- that we mentioned as contradicting with the band's summer studio plans are now listed on the ticket vendors' sites either as cancelled or postponed until […]

Drum clinic in Toronto

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:04:48 +0000

Ian Paice will hold a drum clinic in Toronto on Monday, February 13 at 2:00 pm. The clinic will take place at Just Drums located at 137 Willowdale Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M2N 4Y3. Admission is free. There will be raffle tickets […]

Summer in the studio?

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:46:52 +0000

A rather cryptic message from the band has appeared on the official site:

DEEP PURPLE are very excited by the prospect of making a new and significant album. To that end they have decided to extend their writing and recording […]

Great Gypsy Soul

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:10:34 +0000

An impressive roster of players have signed on to pay tribute to Tommy Bolin called Great Gypsy Soul. Produced by Greg Hampton and Warren Haynes, it's a project that brings together major players who actually perform alongside Tommy Bolin's playing […]

Rock Meets Classics

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:25:44 +0000

If you're wondering how the Rock Meets Classics tour is progressing, here's a video clip for your viewing pleasure. Ian Gillan with Mat Sinner Band and the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague ripping through the Highway Star and Knocking at Your Back Door.

Lose one, gain one

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:01:24 +0000

The show at the Moncton Casino, Canada, on February 6 is nearly sold out (there's literally a handful of seats left) and due to the overwhelming demand a second show in Moncton has been added on February 4. Tickets for […]

Corner Brook show cancelled

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:31:51 +0000

Unfortunately, the Corner Brook show on February 3 has been cancelled. No explanation is given for the cancellation. The promoter Paul Merc Concerts informs that tickets will be refunded at the Pepsi Centre box office. Corner Brook is a remote community (population […]

Glenn Hughes at the NAMM

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:43:40 +0000

Glenn Hughes will be participating in some signing sessions during the annual NAMM show in Anaheim, California later this month. He will be at the show 2 days: Samson / Zoom Hall A, Booth 6848 Friday, January 20th, 2012 12:00PM Laney Amplification Laney […]

Flying Colors

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:29:19 +0000

The project with Steve Morse, Mike Portnoy, Neal Morse, Dave LaRue and Casey McPherson that went into the studio a year ago has come to bear fruit. The band now has a name -- Flying Colors -- and will release an eponymous […]

Ian Paice to play with Purpendicular

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:53:03 +0000

The pan-European tribute band Purpendicular later this month will embark on a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Machine Head album. In March Ian Paice will be joining the for two dates: Patteln, Switzerland, on March 21 and Aschaffenburg, Germany, on the 23rd.

And the winner is…

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:12:49 +0000

The Broken Heart Invitation contest has concluded and the winner was announced earlier this week:

Of the several million entrants to the competition (surely that's wrong - Ed), the exhausted judges have spent many a long winter's black night pouring over […]

JL for BBC Proms petition update

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:58:06 +0000

The Jon Lord for BBC Proms petition that Elinor started about a month ago is still open. As of this writing, it has collected 1,582 signatures with a goal of 5,000. C'mon! We know that more people on THS alone have read that message. With Jon now struggling with cancer (and even if he didn't), you know it's the right thing to do. Go and sign it now.

BCC back in the studio in June

Svante Axbacke — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:44:43 +0000

In an interview with Artisan News Service, Glenn Hughes says Black Country Communion is heading into the studio in June 2012 to record the group's third album. Hughes says he already has some new material ready for the album. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqkxtSRETu4[/youtube] […]

Glenn Hughes on the Blairing Out show

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:58:58 +0000

The Blairing Out show has conducted an interview with Glenn Hughes during the Dimebash 2011 held on December 14 in L.A. Glenn spoke about the late Ronnie James Dio, his solo and BCC plans, the failed Mk3 reunion idea, Dimebag Darrell, […]

Roger and out

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:58:10 +0000

Roger Glover takes his time reflecting on the meaning of music and how it's shaping our lives:

I was recently reading the blogger Bob Lefsetz’s eloquent words extolling his love of music, particularly songs he heard when he was younger. […]

Emotional Fire

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:36:36 +0000

Joe Lynn Turner's Sunstorm, an AOR side project with German/American producer Dennis Ward, will release the third album entitled Emotional Fire on February 24th in Europe (February 28th in North America) on Frontiers Records. The Sunstorm project was born after Turner […]

Classic Rock Awards on British TV

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:09:21 +0000

The Classic Rock Roll of Honour ceremony that was held early November in London will be shown on Sky Arts TV channel in the UK. The broadcast is scheduled on Boxing Day, December 26 at 1:00 pm with repeat on […]

Don Airey NOT to guest at Saxon gig

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:08:20 +0000

Update (Dec 18): Saxon's official site now reports that

Don Airey is unfortunately not able to appear at Saxon's last show in London because his gear is not returning in time.

~~Saxon have announced that Don Airey will join them as special guest […]~~

Airey in Japan earthquake tribute

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:01:15 +0000

Don Airey took part in the recording of a classic Beatles song Help, which will be released on March 11 at the first anniversary of earthquake in Japan. The earthquake was one of the strongest in recorded history and Japanese […]

Gillan on Wikimetal

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:28:03 +0000

Brazilian website Wikimetal has featured Ian Gillan in podcast #50, released on November 28 (the interview starts at 15:30 into the podcast). You can listen to the podcast using Blabbermouth player or directly here (69MB mp3).

Jon Lord for BBC Proms petition

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:47:13 +0000

Elinor Bostock has started an online petition to get Jon Lord and his music featured at the BBC Proms:

While the programme is probably set already for 2012 there is always a chance for future years. It was partly the […]

A Hart Life

stephen — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 19:20:56 +0000

The long awaited biography of former Deep Purple and Rainbow tour manager Colin Hart finally dropped onto my doorstep the other day. Although very much looking forward to it, I was however slightly nervous as to the content. After all, […]

Twice the grandpa

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:11:31 +0000

Roger Glover became a grandfather again today, December 8, when his daughter Gillian gave birth to a baby girl Aranea. Our warmest congratulations to Roger, Gillian, Aranea, Trevis and Xavier. Thanks to RogerGlover.com for the info.

Purple Night 2012 — All Night Long

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:44:46 +0000

The Perfect Strangers of Finland will hold it's 4th Purple Night on January 14, 2012. The party is dubbed All Night Long and will be dedicated this time to Rainbow. Rainbow music from 1975 to 1995 will be performed by a house […]

Chopin’s Story DVD is out

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:14:50 +0000

The Chopin's Story DVD is finally out. It is a documentary about life of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin narrated and presented by Ian Gillan. We wrote about it before. The DVD will feature a brand new, exclusive interview with Ian done […]

The Mule is back

Markus Horster — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:28:31 +0000

Date: 03.12.2011

: Gerry Weber Arena

: Halle

: Germany

This was the second time I saw DP with the orchestra this year, first concert was in Gelsenkirchen this summer. I was really impressed about the gig in Gelsenkirchen, but this one last saturday […]

It died with an awful sound

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:01:41 +0000

40 years ago, on December 4, 1971, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention played a gig at the Casino de Montreux. You know the rest. In case you don't, read on at the Darker Than Blue blog. MontreuxMusic.com has videos, […]

O2 reveiw at The Arts Desk

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:51:45 +0000

A well written review, in which the author goes to see the Purple show a tad sceptical, but comes out totally enthusiastic.

If anyone tells you that Deep Purple’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra (1969) wasn’t a masterpiece then they’re […]

Jon Lord’s new concert DVD out now

Rasmus Heide — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:28:19 +0000

The highly anticipated DVD of Jon Lord’s Bucharest 2009 concert is finally out. Check out the taster clip below. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byhu1pD0pC4[/youtube] The DVD was filmed in Bucharest, Romania on November 5, 2009 and features the full second half of Jon’s concert […]

Below Par at The O2

Dave Bonner — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:25:37 +0000

Date: 2011-11-30

: o2

: London

: United Kingdom

Having watched the band perform since Mk III in 74 through Knebworth and many times since (see reviews of Paris, London & Cardiff) I really had a lot of expectation of the fusion once again […]

Great show in Manchester

Richard Walker — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:26:15 +0000

Date: 2011-11-29

: MEN Arena

: Manchester

: England

I was privileged to witness a stellar performance by the guys in Manchester yesterday. This was my 7th Purple gig, the first being Knebworth in 1985, and this was easily the best. The whole band […]

Lazy — piano cover

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:49:45 +0000

Can a lady at the piano sound just as badass as messrs. Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord and Paice did back in 1972? Judge for yourself.

Embarrassed, but hey, it’s only rock’n’roll

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:53:01 +0000

Roger Glover posts a message on his web site that, amongst other things, confirms that he flies easyJet like us, mere mortals. On the topic that always creates a stir on 'em internets:

IG and I shared the journey to Frankfurt […]

Canadian dates confirmed

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:24:11 +0000

Canadian tour dates in February 2012 have all been confirmed without any changes to the previously posted. Tickets for the most shows go on sale to general public this Saturday, December 3, with presales (where available) starting on December 1. […]

Superb in Glasgow

AJ — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:14:51 +0000

Date: 26/11/2011

: SECC

: Helensburgh

: United Kingdom

The usual set with an orchestra? We didn’t know what to expect but need not have worried. The orchestra really added something to the mix with added swing and different interpretations of the songs we […]

A great night in Glasgow

chris — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:54:30 +0000

Date: 2011-11-26

: SECC

: Glasgow

: Scotland

I’ve seen Deep Purple every time they have played the SECC and also in various other places around Europe when I can. This tour with the orchestra is not to be missed. If you don’t have […]

scottish show

ian gibbs — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:13:51 +0000

Date: 2011-11-26

: SECC

: Glasgow

: Scotland

Well I've seen purps a few times now since the reform and there have been a few enjoyable dates - like the trip down to Ipswich to see Jon Lords last show. Over the years I […]

“Freeze Yer Ass” tour — update

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:51:56 +0000

It is our understanding that the Canadian dates in February that we posted on Thursday are very much preliminary despite that at the time of publication they were appearing on both official sites. As of now they are still unconfirmed. Do […]

“Freeze Yer Ass” tour 2012

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:05:25 +0000

Deep Purple's management has announced a massive Canadian tour in 2012. The tour will start on February 2 in St.John's, Newfoundland, and finish on February 26 in Vancouver, BC. They will play 17 dates in every major (and some minor) […]

Stuck for a Christmas present?

stephen — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:41:05 +0000

How about a ticket to see Deep Purple next Christmas? New European dates just arrived, see the tourdates page for details

Classic Rock Innovators Award

stephen — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:14:46 +0000

Planet Rock Radio's Darren Reddick has just interviewed Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in the UK. During the show it was mentioned that tonight Deep Purple are to receive the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Innovators Award (whatever that is...) […]

Chopin’s Story presented by Ian Gillan

stephen — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:11:11 +0000

The premier of the film 'Chopin's Story', presented by Ian Gillan, is to receive its premier on November 25th at Progresja in Warsaw. As well as the launch of the film the venue will also play host to Polish rock […]

Technical problems

Andreas Thul — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:10:24 +0000

Due to technical problems, the server was unreachable for some hours.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Sunbury ‘75 program on Kindle

stephen — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:13:07 +0000

Deep Purple (Overseas) continue their expansion into the digital world with a republishing of the original Sunbury '75 event program on the Kindle format.

The Sunbury Rock Festival was an annual Australian rock music festival held on a 620-acre private […]

I haven’t ever had any ambition in my life. I just drift from day to day with a stupid grin on my face. It’s very fulfilling.

stephen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:26:55 +0000

Ian Gillan was recently interviewed by The Express and Star newspaper about the upcoming Deep Purple tour in the UK.

For a man with no ambition he seems to have achieved rather a lot and there is no sign of that […]

Colin Hart interview

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:12:41 +0000

The official Deep Purple video channel has posted a brief interview with Colin Hart (see inside). Colin's new book A Hart Life is out (well, almost) on Wymer Publishing in the UK.

Jon Lord in the studio

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:47:44 +0000

Last week Jon Lord was working at the Abbey Road in London on the studio recording of the Concerto for group and orchestra with Paul Mann, Joe Bonamassa, Kasia Laska and Steve Balsamo. Kasia Laska tweeted on October 14:

Just bought a […]

Charity auction for backstage passes

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:48:49 +0000

Teenage Cancer Trust is holding an eBay auction for a pair of tickets and backstage passes for any one of the four Deep Purple UK shows:

Glasgow, November 26
Birmingham, November 27
Manchester, November 29
London, November 30

The auction closes on October 23. The tickets […]

Being honest with your own life

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:35:14 +0000

Ultimate Guitar has a new interview with Roger Glover. He talks about If Life Was Easy, the state of music, his influences, his producer work, Purple history and present day, and many other things.

Episode Six came out of the English […]

Montreux’2011

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:35:34 +0000

A 48 minute edit of this year Deep Purple's appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival apparently has been shown on the Swiss channel TSR2. The complete show will be released on DVD and blue-ray on November 7 via Eagle Rock. Meanwhile, […]

Doogie White: travelling the rock’n'roll world

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:35:18 +0000

Rick Freeman offered us for publication an interview with Doogie White that he did recently. Rick: How did the solo album come about? Hard to believe that this is your first! Doogie: Well I had a great many songs kicking around that I […]

Participate in a DP research study

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:23:08 +0000

Trevor Morris, a student at Ravensbourne College, is working on a research project and is hoping to gain some insight from the Deep Purple fan community. He looking for your views on the following:

When attending a concert, what are […]

Be a Purple roadie for a day

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:12:22 +0000

Next week starting Monday October 10 Planet Rock will be running an unusual promotion for the Deep Purple UK tour in late November.

All next week we are going to be giving you the chance to do something most people can […]

BCC on big screen and small(ish) one

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:05:15 +0000

Black Country's Communion Live Over Europe will be shown on US cable channel Palladia HD on October 22 at 9 pm and repeated on October 23, 12:00 am and 4:00 pm, October 26, 4:00 pm, and October 27, 11:00 pm (time zone […]

Blackmore’s Night on SpazioRock

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 20:43:56 +0000

Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night recently spoke to Italy's SpazioRock. Well, Ritchie mostly kept quiet leaving his missus and the interviewer to do the talking.

And this statement definitely proves wrong all those who – fifteen years later – still […]

Fire in the sky - KB Hallen RIP

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:19:19 +0000

On Wednesday, one of Scandinavia's most classic venues burned down. KB Hallen in Copenhagen has seen many stars raise the heat in the hall and was of course the venue where the classic Deep Purple DVD from 1972 was recorded. […]

Don Airey - All Out

Andreas Thul — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:00:50 +0000

While the fans are still hoping and waiting for a new DEEP PURPLE studio album, most of the current band members release solo stuff or team up with other musicians for album projects: Ian Gillan joined forces with Tony Iommi […]

Glenn Hughes in the UK

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:16:23 +0000

Glenn Hughes will do two solo tours of the UK in the upcoming months. In November he will appear on a 5-date stint tied up to the paperback release of his autobiography (due on November 1 in North America and November […]

Moray McMillin R.I.P.

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:38:02 +0000

Slipped Disc reports that Moray McMillin, Deep Purple's front-of-the-house sound engineer between 1995 and 2004, has passed away. He died of lung cancer. I had the privilege of meeting Moray on his last tour with Purple in 2004. A lovely man […]

There’s a Purple album bubbling under

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:28:02 +0000

Roger Glover did an interview with the Swedish based Metal Shrine blog. He spoke about If Life Was Easy, divorce, fatherhood, Barbie Benton, Phil Collins, and touring with orchestras, among other things.

During all these years, were any of these songs […]

BCC YouTube channel

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:27:07 +0000

Black Country Communion has launched an official YouTube channel. It is promised to be updated on a weekly basis. The latest track posted is the Song of Yesterday (audio only) off the upcoming DVD Live Over Europe. You can also download […]

More Don Airey on British radio

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:07:30 +0000

Don Airey will do a couple more radio appearances to promote his new solo album All Out. On Wednesday, September 21st, he will appear on BBC Radio Cambridge in the Sue Marchant evening entertainment show. The show runs between 7 and 9 pm, […]

Classic Whitesnake box set

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:13:49 +0000

Classic Rock reports that a new Whitesnake box set is in the works, scheduled to be released (presumably, in the UK) on November 7. Titled Box O’Snakes: The Sunburst Years 1978-1982, this has every studio and live album from the period, […]

Roger and his singing talents

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:51:05 +0000

Another interview with Roger Glover -- this time with HeadBanger.ru. Turns out a lot can be covered in 15 minutes -- broken hearts, butterfly balls, parenting, singing talents, and meetings with presidents. Cue eloquent and insightful.

By the way, have […]

Don Airey on Welsh radio

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:21:26 +0000

This Thursday September 15th, Don Airey will be appearing on the South Wales radio station GTFM on the Rockshow. He'll be live in conversation with presenter Andy Fox, answering questions about Deep Purple, his new album All Out and his vast 35+ […]

A picture of an optimist in turmoil

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:10:01 +0000

Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles has a new interview with Roger Glover conducted by Martin Popoff. It covers a lot of ground, digging deep into the roots, surfacing for some Purple air, and soaring up to his new solo album. Two […]

Sunbury’75 app

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:00:31 +0000

Thomson Music has released a second Purple-related app for iPad:

The Sunbury Rock Festival was an annual Australian rock music festival held on a 620-acre private farm between Sunbury and Diggers Rest, Victoria, which was staged on the Australia Day (26 […]

The broken heart invitation

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:38:46 +0000

Roger Glover explains on his website the convoluted origins of If Life Was Easy artwork. He concludes with an invitation to all fans to take part in a contest:

If [...] you would like to win a specially signed copy of If […]

The Royal Family, pt. 2

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:24:13 +0000

Martin Popoff has a follow up to his Purple family book. The new book is called The Deep Purple Royal Family: Chain Of Events '80-'11.

This picks up where that book left off, offering a few modest milestones within its […]

BCC Live Over Europe details

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:29:05 +0000

The new Black Country Communion live DVD Live Over Europe was recorded during their summer tour and will be released on October 24 with Blu-ray to follow on November 15th. Watch the trailer inside.

Colin Hart’s book details

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:59:45 +0000

In July 1971 Colin Hart, a Geordie lad from South Shields, was on his first tour of America as a roadie for Matthew’s Southern Comfort. The group was part of a three-band bill with The Faces and Deep Purple. Following […]

All Out is now out

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:21:30 +0000

Don Airey's new solo album All Out is now available on Music Theory/Mascot. Besides Don himself, who handled all the keyboards, musicians on the album are: Bernie Marsden (Guitar), Carl Sentance (Vocals), Darrin Mooney (Drums), Keith Airey (Guitar), Laurence Cottle (Bass), […]

Jon Lord touring status

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:34:53 +0000

In view of the recent news, Jon Lord's live appearances have been cancelled for the remainder of this year. Attempts are being made (with Jon's blessings) to salvage the situation and proceed with the shows whenever possible. ~~Concerto for Group […]~~

A very Purple That Metal Show

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:13:05 +0000

Tony Iommi was a featured guest on the last episode of VH1's That Metal Show, but despite of that most of the show revolved around Purple. Or maybe not even 'despite', given the rather incestious relationship between the two bands. […]

October in Latin America

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:07:51 +0000

Deep Purple will spend this October touring Latin America. We have confirmed dates starting October 5 in Belem, Brazil, and finishing in Panama on the 27th. Full details in our calendar.

A country gentleman

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:17:10 +0000

Jam Magazine has a new in-depth retrospective interview with David Coverdale. David talks about what went wrong with Slip of the Tongue, how the Coverdale/Page project came about, and why it didn't last long.

The Coverdale / Page project would revitalize […]

Steve Morse on Proto-Kaw’s new album

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:20:57 +0000

Steve Morse has contributed a solo for the track called Pilgrim's Wake on the new album of Kerry Livgren's pre-Kansas band Proto-Kaw (now reformed for the third time). The album is called Forth and was released earlier this month. You can order the […]

Glenn Hughes on More Classic Rock

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:09:36 +0000

Glenn Hughes was in Berlin earlier this summer and gave an interview to More-Classic-Rock.com.

Jon Lord releases orchestral live album

Rasmus Heide — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:28:48 +0000

After some months of preparation, Jon Lord has released a new live album titled simply LIVE. Listen to the exclusive teaser below. Recorded in Bucharest, Romania in 2009 with a full symphony orchestra, the album includes a selection of orchestral […]

Gillan in Rock Meets Classic Tour 2012

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:07:38 +0000

Ian Gillan will take part in the Rock Meets Classic Tour 2012. The tour will also feature Steve Lukather (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann's Earth Band), Robin Beck, The Mat Sinner Band & The Bohemian Symphony Orchestra […]

Montreux’2011 on DVD

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:22:55 +0000

Eagle's Polish distributor Mystic Production reveals that this year's Deep Purple appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival is due to be released on November 7 on DVD and blue ray. Track list:

Orchestral Intro
Highway Star
Hard Loving Man
Maybe I’m A Leo
Strage Kind […]

BCC on British TV

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:00:14 +0000

UK cable/satellite channel Sky Arts will be showing highlights from this year High Voltage festival on Saturday, August 20 at 10pm. We are not sure as to the exact content of the programme, but the following artists are mentioned in the announcement […]

Jon Lord is fighting cancer

Rasmus Heide — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:04:22 +0000

Jon Lord has released this message today on JonLord.org: I would like all my friends, followers, fans and fellow travelers to know that I am fighting cancer and will therefore be taking a break from performing while getting the treatment […]

Purpendicular on vinyl

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:59:40 +0000

Purpendicular will be released on vinyl by a boutique Dutch label Music on Vinyl at the end of August. This release will include bonus track Don't Hold Your Breath originally available on the Japanese edition of the album. Amazon UK says that the title […]

Concerto’99 memorabilia auction

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:49:00 +0000

In 1999 Deep Purple restaged Jon Lord’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra for the first time in 30 years. This then formed the basis of tours in South America, Europe and Japan in 2000 and 2001. Singer Ronnie James Dio […]

Glenn Hughes on O2 TV

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:46:41 +0000

While being on tour in the UK with Black Country Communion, Glenn Hughes spoke with the O₂ TV.

Live in London and other goodies in the US

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:37:03 +0000

On August 16 Eagle Rock Entertainment will release on CD 4 historical Purple live albums: In Concert 1970/1972, Scandinavian Nights, Live in London and Mk.III The Final Concerts. Out of those, Live in London will be available domestically in North America for […]

Deep Purple in Vienne: Orchestra works

dpmuc72 — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:10:20 +0000

On July 27, Deep Purple were in Vienne, near Lyon, for what should be their only concert in France this year. It was part of their "Songs That Built Rock" tour, with orchestra. The venue is really unique. The "Théâtre […]

JLT’s open letter

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:54:50 +0000

Something went wrong in the Joe Lynn Turner's camp and today this open letter landed on our editorial floor:

Dear Fans and Media Friends, I am aware of a compilation of unfinished demo songs that was published on the Internet […]

Purple with violin

Joanna Ostrowiecka — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:50:36 +0000

24/07/2011 Dolina Charlotty, Slupsk, Poland

What a pity. I didn’t know my brother would be in Slupsk. I’d buy three tickets, the more so as he’s never seen Deep Purple live, although he’s their fan, too. When we reached the venue, […]

A day in the life of a touring musician

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:06:45 +0000

In the latest installment of Road Life, Roger Glover shares with us events which happened to him during just one day on the road:

Anyway, we recently flew in for a gig at a spa resort in the countryside where […]

Kunzelau, July 22nd 2011: Smoke on the Street, And Fireworks in the Sky!

Helge — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:59:32 +0000

Why on the street, you ask yourselves? Well, it is a bit macabre I must admit, but this phrase came to my mind on the way to the venue. When we were a few kilometers ahead of Kunzelsau, we saw […]

2011 Classic Rock Awards

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:45:36 +0000

The nominations are in for the 2011 Classic Rock Magazine Awards. The awards are chosen both by the magazine team and by polling the readers. There are several Purple related entries in the running. The categories you can vote in (and […]

Man in the Middle

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:29:47 +0000

Here are a couple of videos from the Black Country Communion gig in Copenhagen on July 12 (the one that Svante was tweeting live): Man in the Middle and a very fiery rendition of Burn, with Søren Andersen guesting.

Is it your first time?

stephen — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:36:37 +0000

It struck me the other day that we at THS have seen Deep Purple an awful lot of times throughout the years, but at each concert there are people there seeing the band for the very first time. Have you […]

Awesome!!!

Robbert Zwart — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:27:57 +0000

Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen Germany 20-07-2011 The whole day it was raining in Eindhoven. And when we left to Germany, Gelsenkirchen at some places it was still raining and busy on the road. In Gelsenkirchen no rain the whole concert. It was […]

Doc Rock

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:46:16 +0000

As we've reported previously, this past Friday, July 15, Jon Lord was awarded a honorary Doctor of Music degree by his home town's University of Leicester. Local press covers the event; Leicester Mercury writes:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was in Leicester on […]

Phoenix Rising in Houston Press

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:29:41 +0000

Houston Press has a rather favourable review of the recently released Phoenix Rising:

Phoenix Rising details the "untold story" of DP Mk IV, first with Deep Purple Rises Over Japan. The 30-minute concert film, originally shot for movie theaters but not […]

On the Lake Geneva shoreline

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:44:47 +0000

Euronews has a news report on the closing of the 45th Montreux Jazz Festival featuring our heroes. Watch it inside.

Chaos At A Concert

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:54:30 +0000

Urban Outfitters (shock! horror!) has a Deep Purple t-shirt for sale in Europe. The Chaos At A Concert male tee sports the infamous picture of the concert hall ravaged by fans after a gig on the Mark 2's last Japanese tour […]

DJ Glenn

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:19:33 +0000

Apparently Glenn Hughes has got himself his own show on Planet Rock. It airs on Sundays between 6 and 7pm.

I would like to thank Planet Rock for giving me the opportunity to share with listeners of my show the songs […]

If Life Was Easy release dates

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:20:09 +0000

The has been a bit of confusion as to the exact release dates of the new Roger Glover's solo album If Life Was Easy in different countries. Here's a complete breakdown:

Germany and Austria: released on July 8th
Russia: July 11
France: July […]

Turmoil in the fourth estate

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:34:05 +0000

New installments of Dear Friends and Q&A are up on Caramba! Newtonian consequences, dignity and respect, Caesarean black tent confusion solution, metric Missourian strategy, ~~groupies~~ liggers, and Rudyard Kipling -- it's all there. Read it.

Get up there and play

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:29:26 +0000

Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited has conducted an interview with Steve Morse. They spoke about his work in and out of Deep Purple:

Jeb: Deep Purple is your main band but I wonder if you are still allowed to create freely […]

Blackmore’s Night on German TV

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:15:50 +0000

Blackmore's Night will appear on the German TV show Fersehengarten this Sunday, July 17. They will perform the Journeyman off their Autumn Sky album.

The Sunflower Jam

stephen — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:33:32 +0000

On July 8th, 2011, Deep Purple played host to the latest Sunflower Jam at the Royal Albert Hall. This isn't a standard DP show, rather a collection of musicians assembled basically to have a bit of a jam that they […]

Live tweeting from BCC CPH show

Svante Axbacke — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:17:40 +0000

Black Country Communion hits classic DP ground KB Hallen in Copenhagen on July 12 and THS will be there. As from the Whitesnake show at Sweden Rock and Sunflower Jam last weekend, we will offer you the chance to keep […]

Sunflower Jam through the ‘tubes

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 08:29:04 +0000

For all of us who could not be at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday, Youtube to the rescue.

Phoenix Rising Australian release

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 07:41:04 +0000

The Australian release date for Phoenix Rising has been set for July 29th through Shock Records. This will be a standalone DVD with Rising Over Japan, the Gettin' Tighter documentary, and bonus features of Jakarta 1975 and Come Taste The Band remaster electronic […]

Las Vegas To Concord - Last 3 US Shows

Harry Heathman III — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:07:00 +0000

Following Deep Purple On Their Last 3 US Shows On “The Songs That Built Rock Tour” 2011 Deep Purple Live At The Palms, Las Vegas, NV June 23, 2011 Deep Purple missed the Northwestern United States again this tour. Living […]

Follow the Sunflower Jam

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:42:39 +0000

The Sunflower Jam 2011 is upon us. Tonight, July 8, the Purple world will converge at the Royal Albert Hall to witness what could possibly be a historic event. The Highway Star will be there and our special correspondent will […]

On oxymorons, pigeonholes and being comfrotable

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:14:03 +0000

Roger Glover writes about his new solo album:

...Could it be a journalistic urge to put everything in an easily digestible box (please, not literally)? I guess it’s all about pigeonholes and I’m not particularly happy about being stuffed into […]

Group and Orchestra Under the Stars and Seen by the Stars

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:34:08 +0000

Date: 2011-06-24 Venue: Greek Theater, Los Angeles, USA June 24th saw the return of Purple to Southern California for the first time in nearly four years. This was my seventh time seeing them and third in this venue. They really […]

The Journey for Deep Purple

George Kikonishvili — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:28:03 +0000

Date: 2011-05-18 Venue: Kucukciftlik Park, Istanbul, Turkey The stories about great journeys never get old, so let me tell you about a long journey, which took place in May, for Deep Purple's concert in Istanbul. I live in Tbilisi, Georgia, […]

If Life Was Easy album preview

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:21:45 +0000

Roger Glover's new solo album If Life Was Easy is due to be released on July 8 by Edel/earMUSIC. Here is a sneak preview.

The royal family

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 01:11:55 +0000

Martin Popoff has a new book out, titled The Deep Purple Royal Family: Chain Of Events Through '79. Instead of trying to write something about the thing we have not seen, here is the complete press release straight from the […]

Well done, Maestro Morse!

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:14:01 +0000

Amazing, but true. Geoff Barton writes in the Classic Rock Magazine blog:

Steve Morse has become the longest-running guitarist for Deep Purple, having joined the band in 1994. Morse’s unbroken 17-year tenure beats founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore’s stints with the […]

Phoenix Rising streaming

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:17:21 +0000

Coinciding with the North American release, AOL is now streaming the whole Phoenix Rising CD online. It can be listened to at this location. If you get a Beyonce CD instead, wait until the whole page finishes loading. And never mind […]

Vega$!

RickF — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 06:59:41 +0000

Date: 2011-06-23 Venue: Pearl Theatre, Las Vegas, USA A June day in Las Vegas, Neveda. 108f. Walk to the site of the show. Only 4km. Stopped and picked up 2 bottles of water. 1 liter each. 45 minutes later I […]

A cake with lots of icing

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:32:59 +0000

While in New York, Steve Morse spoke to Joe Bosso of Music Radar with the extensive interview now appearing on their web site:

The band is currently working on a new record. How far along are you with things? We've got the […]

Roger Bruce is a waste of space

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 06:27:55 +0000

The budding anthropologist in me (with no thanks to Dr. Brennan) says -- here's a fine specimen of the infamously dry British humour.

Two concerts in two capitals - twice happy!

Julia Akhmetshina — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:01:21 +0000

Date: 2011-03-23 and 25 Venue: Olimpiysky Sports Complex (Moscow) and IEC (Kiev) Moscow, Russia and Kiev, Ukraine This year I decided to go and see two Deep Purple gigs in the same tour – in Moscow where I live and […]

Hartford, CT, Bushnell Theatre, June 8

John Bartone — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:59:08 +0000

Date: 2011-06-08 Venue: Bushnell Theatre, Hartford, CT, USA I've been reading a lot of negative comments regarding the US tour. Well, I'll tell you this my fellow dp friends/fans. These guys put on one of the best performances I have […]

Magic night in Montreal

Danny N — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:57:01 +0000

Date: 2011-06-06 Venue: Place des Arts, Montreal, Canada I attended the Deep Purple with orchestra show in Montreal with family and friends last Monday. On the way to grab a quick beer and some food with my nephew before the […]

Purple Orchestrates an Awesome Show at the Ravinia Festival

Tracy Heyder — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:48:50 +0000

Date: 2011-06-18 Venue: Ravinia Festival Highland Park, Illinois, United States Me and my wife ventured on a 9 hour trek to see our heroes. We stayed a few miles away from the Park, in the Marriot Courtyard Hotel. They offered […]

A little jam in G

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:03:32 +0000

On June 10, Roger Glover and Steve Morse stopped by the studios of the WAXQ-FM / Q104.3 radio station in New York City and joined Gerry Martire for a special Live At 5 before the band's show at PNC Bank Arts Center […]

Gillan on Artisan News Service, part 2

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:18:22 +0000

Second part of Ian Gillan's interview to the Artisan news Service. Watch it inside.

BCC 2 in UK charts

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:09:06 +0000

Black Country Communion 2 was released last week in the UK and is enjoying chart success. The Official Charts Company reports that for the week ending June 25 it has topped the Rock Charts and is at #23 in general Album Charts. […]

Chopin’s Story by Ian Gillan

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:04:30 +0000

Polish documentary on the life of Frédéric Chopin narrated by Ian Gillan (which we've covered previously) has been completed. It's got a new title -- Chopin's Story by Ian Gillan from Deep Purple -- and will be aired Polish channel Discovery […]

North American press roundup

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:23:19 +0000

Here's a little roundup of the North American press coverage for the tour that was not featured elsewhere on our site. The Examiner has a positively glowing review and slide show of the first night at New York's Beacon Theater on June […]

You let your whimsy go

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:56:02 +0000

Before the start of this tour Roger Glover did an interview for The Aquarian. This one is rather interesting as it digs a tad deeper than your usual tour-promotional fare.

How is the writing going? When did you start? In March, […]

Phoenix Rising US release

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 05:15:36 +0000

After Phoenix Rising was released in Europe, several people have complained (despite our warning) that the European DVD would not play in North American DVD palyers. Well, the domestic release did not make wait long -- it's due on June 28 […]

Gillan on Artisan News Service

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:34:48 +0000

New York based Artisan News Service did a short interview with Ian Gillan about the current orchestral tour. Watch it inside.

Martin Popoff’s ebooks

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:10:55 +0000

Both of Martin Popoff's Deep Purple books -- Gettin’ Tighter: Deep Purple ’68 – '76 and A Castle Full Of Rascals: Deep Purple ’83 – ’09 are now available in electronic form. The ebooks have been published in PDF format, which is […]

Drive a Highway Star

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:36:15 +0000

Automobile magazine reports that Nissan is introducing a new minivan to the Japanese market:

Chances are when Deep Purple wrote the song “Highway Star” back in 1971, the “driving power” they sang about wasn’t a family-friendly minivan. Nevertheless, Nissan’s used the same […]

The “new” guy in the band

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:58:55 +0000

In anticipation of the June 11 show in Atlantic City, another interview with Steve Morse appeared in the local press:

I love being part of this. Musically this has been the easiest group I’ve been a part of. It’s a […]

Inspiration, indulgence and turning 60

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:35:57 +0000

A fairly in depth interview with David Coverdale in the Goldmine magazine:

Now you produced and co-produced with Doug Aldridge and Michael Macintyre? DC: Well we are “The Brutal Brothers.” It started way back when. I did a deal with an European independent […]

Mother’s Army reissue

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:40:39 +0000

Back in 1990s Joe Lynn Turner was a member of project called Mother's Army. Jeff Watson was playing guitar, Bob Daisley was on the bass and Carmine Appice on drums, later replaced by Aynsley Dunbar. The band managed to put […]

Steve Morse: “We’re doing what we do”

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:16:15 +0000

Steve Morse gave a brief interview to the New Jersey's Star-Ledger:

This one isn't going to be orchestra-based so much as: It's the rock band Deep Purple playing, with strings and horns being added for some color textures.

We're not going to […]

Phoenix Rising chart positions

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:29:21 +0000

The Mk.4 DVD Phoenix Rising was released in Europe on May 20 and went into the charts in several countries:

#4 Finland Album charts
#2 Sweden DVD charts
#38 Norway general charts
#50 Austria Album and DVD charts
#25 UK Indie charts
#22 Germany General […]

Bernie Marsden and Adrian Vandenberg onstage with Whitesnake

Rasmus Heide — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:56:04 +0000

Bernie Marsden (right) and Arian Vandenberg (background) performed onstage with Whitesnake at Sweden Rock Festival tonight. This is the news fresh in from The Highway Star's on-site reporter Svante Axbacke, tweeting from the festival site. 'He helped me start this […]

Roger Glover “If Life Was Easy” album details

Andreas Thul — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:54:56 +0000

This hodgepodge collection of songs reveals or obscures a range of emotions over a turbulent decade; separation, divorce, injustice, uncertainty, new love, escape, fatherhood, grand-fatherhood, emigration, touring and losing my mother are some of the extreme highs and lows during […]

Jon Lord - 70 years young

Rasmus Heide — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:39:02 +0000

Jon Lord is turning 70 today. Not resting on his laurels, Lord is busy recording the definitive version of Concerto for Group and Orchestra and priming Jon Lord Blues Project for a string of shows in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Holland later […]