The Highway Star

Autumn Sky album teaser

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:46:08 +0000

New Blackmore's Night album Autumn Sky is due to be released in a few days and what appears to be an electronic press kit has found it's way to Youtube. Featuring (shock! horror!) smiling and happy Blackmore, here it is.

DP special on Get Ready To Rock

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:57:13 +0000

There will be a Deep Purple special tonight, Sunday, August 29th, on Get Ready To Rock radio at 9:00 p.m. GMT. You can listen to Get Ready To Rock online through their player or directly from http://freedom.wavestreamer.com:6424/ (MP3 stream, you might need to […]

From Bob Daisley’s attic

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:28:57 +0000

Bob Daisley has posted on Youtube three promo videos for the Long Live Rock'n'Roll album. They all appear to be excellent quality, albeit the band is obviously not playing live (look for Blackmore in his typical fashion barely even pretending to […]

Nick Simper on Rockpages

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:07:47 +0000

Nick Simper has spoken to Rockpages.gr, which resulted in a quite interesting interview covering a lot of ground between his days in Purple, Warhorse, Fandango, Flying Fox and Quatermass, current projects with The Good Old Boys, and the recent release […]

- We’re all big Purple fans in this band

Rasmus Heide — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:26:42 +0000

Opeth's lead singer and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt tells The Highway Star how the band came to dress their new live album and DVD in a sleeve that pays tribute to Deep Purple's original Concerto for Group and Orchestra from 1969. […]

Film about Gillan’s Armenia project aired Aug 20, 2010

lonewolf — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 23:08:05 +0000

Mediamax presented its “Pictures of Home” documentary on “Shant” TV Channel. From the promotional information:

The film is based on the footage, made in October, 2009, during the rock stars’ visit to Armenia within the framework of “Armenia Grateful 2 […]

JLT will be “celebrity face” for a festival

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:17:57 +0000

Joe Lynn Turner's management has issued the following press release:

While vacationing in Antayla, Turkey this summer, some Turkish businesspeople approached Joe Lynn Turner with the idea of presenting a major rock music festival in or near the city sometime […]

High Voltage festival on UK TV

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:47:10 +0000

British subscription TV channel Sky Arts will air highlights of this year High Voltage festival next Saturday, August 28th. The festival, which was held on July 24 in London, saw the last performance of Heaven & Hell, with Glenn Hughes and Jorn […]

No spandex required

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:35:23 +0000

An article published today on Guitar International starts with

Steve Morse is sitting in a studio on the outskirts of Orlando, Florida, chewing on a chocolate chip cookie and waiting patiently for the members of his band to show up for […]

Gettin’ Tighter film trailer

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:10:43 +0000

A trailer for the upcoming DVD Gettin’ Tighter: The Story of MkIV has been released to the public. Release date has no been pushed from December 2010 to some time early 2011. The good news is that the DVD will include exclusive new interviews with Glenn Hughes and founder member Jon Lord.

New video interviews with Glenn Hughes

Svante Axbacke — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:09:44 +0000

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npdAGUHhFng[/youtube] Glenn Hughes recently talked to http://www.faceculture.com. FaceCulture spoke to Glenn about the Black Country, California, Joe Bonamassa, his rock dream, forming a band, writing under pressure, playing live, drugs, autobiography, age, secrets, achievements and lots more! An excerpt is […]

Gear Run: Steve Morse and Don Airey

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:15:28 +0000

Guitar effects company TC Electronic has posted a couple of videos providing inside look into the effect setup for both Steve Morse and Don Airey.

Another BCC album before the tour?

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:02:32 +0000

In an interview with billboard.com, Black Country Communion drummer Jason Bonham says the band is talking about recording a second album before going on tour in 2011. The band's debut album is released in the UK and the rest of Europe […]

Steve Morse & Sarah Spencer: Angelfire - a review

Andreas Thul — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:56:53 +0000

While the next DEEP PURPLE album still seems to be far, far away, a new Purple-related side-project faces the light of day: Steve Morse joined forces with 22 year old Sarah Spencer to release a vocal album under the "Angelfire"-banner. […]

BCC single available as free MP3 download

Svante Axbacke — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:06:26 +0000

Black Country Communion have today posted a free MP3 download of their debut single “One Last Soul” on their official website. BCC’s debut album is released in the UK/Europe by Mascot Records on 20th September, followed by 21st September North […]

From Snakepit to Whitesnake

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:34:55 +0000

The latest press release from the Whitesnake camp informs us that the band is back in the studio, working on the follow up to Good To Be Bad, and with a new lineup to boot. Out are bassist Uriah Duffy and […]

Windows on Youtube

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:45:02 +0000

A complete video of the 1974 Windows performance has appeared on Youtube. It was perhaps the most experimental of Jon's work and people tend to either love it or hate it (myself falling firmly into the former category). This is […]

Fireball remastered by Steve Hoffman

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:17:45 +0000

Steve Hoffman, who has a cult following among some audiophiles, has reported in his blog that he's working on a Fireball remaster which will be released on the Audio Fidelity label:

All done mastering this album. I think this is the […]

Deepest Purple DVD progress

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:56:35 +0000

We've got further details on the bonus DVD that will be included with the Deepest Purple anniversary reissue. It is still work in progress, so things may and probably will change. Tracklist:

Hush (Playboy After Dark, 1968)
Speed King (Vicky Leandros show, German […]

Bumweasel shock

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:33:16 +0000

Big Ian in the latest installment of Dear Friends addresses the contentious rumours of the band's "last tour" amidst contemplating the viscous membrane of our finite universe:

It would be an exaggeration if I said there have been ten band meetings […]

Deepest Purple DVD outtakes

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:02:47 +0000

EMI Music will be releasing in late October a new anniversary version of the Deepest Purple compilation (which in itself was a bestseller going straight to #1 spot in UK). The anniversary release will include a bonus DVD featuring a range […]

Black Country Communion – a preview

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:47:59 +0000

Glenn Hughes has decided he wants to spend the last third of his career playing rock music. The kind of music that earned him his fame in the early 70s, first with Trapeze and later Deep Purple. The vehicle that […]

Purple rock South Africa 2010

Fungus Gil — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:50:37 +0000

This is a combined review of 3 concerts. It’s my 40th Anniversary ... of following Deep Purple’s music. This came to mind during the 3 concerts I attended recently – 28th May at The Dome, Johannesburg; 30th May at the […]

“Last tour” rumours denied

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:12:22 +0000

A couple of days ago both Deep Purple official sites have posted denial of unspecified rumours "from an unknown source" that the current European tour will be the band's last:

This is not the end. We frequently receive emails from fans saying that […]

Autumn Sky

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:41:55 +0000

Blackmore's Night will release its new album called Autumn Sky on September 3 via Spinefarm/Universal throughout the world, and on Sony for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Additional cover art will be used for different territories. Songtitles set to appear on the […]

Gettin’ Tighter: The Story of MkIV

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:23:42 +0000

The Deep Purple Mark 4 documentary has been completed for release in December 2010. The exciting news are that the footage of the infamous visit to Indonesia in December 1975 has been located and will be included in the documentary. […]

All Star Bolin Tribute Album

Svante Axbacke — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:27:18 +0000

Four years in the making, a new all star tribute album to Tommy Bolin is getting closer to release. This weekend's Tommy Bolin Music Fest is, in addition to live music, a pre-release for for the album, called “Mr. Bolin’s Lake Night […]

BCC Debut Album In Three Formats

Svante Axbacke — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:04:40 +0000

Black Country Communion, the new group featuring Glenn Hughes will release their forthcoming self-titled debut album in the following 3 formats; Limited Edition 2-Disc CD/DVD, CD, and vinyl. The album will be released in the UK on September 20th by […]

Appice’s, Iommi’s and Butler’s final thunder?

Rasmus Heide — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:53:36 +0000

This is a concert report from Heaven And Hell's tribute to Ronnie James Dio this weekend at London's High Voltage Festival. A big cheer goes up from the crowd. We're at London's High Voltage Festival waiting for Heaven And Hell to […]

Funky Claude tells the story

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:21:54 +0000

Gibson.com has an interview they recently did with Claude Nobs. The inevitable question, of course, came up:

Tell me what you remember about the “Smoke on the Water” incident on December 4, 1971. This was one of the concerts I was doing […]

Steve Morse on Guitar Planet

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:46:25 +0000

Steve Morse recently has done a quite entertaining interview for GuitarPlanet.com.au. Ever wanted to know why is that SOTW is banned from the music stores or why the Y2D guitar comes only in 3 colours, watch it. And if you didn't, watch it as well.

The Seventies: 1970

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:51:25 +0000

Swedish channel SVT is broadcasting a new 10-part series called The Seventies. Deep Purple are prominently features in the first episode -- 1970 -- which was shown on July 17 and now you can watch it online at svtplay.se. Unless […]

Purple videos on iTunes

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:56:44 +0000

There is a new previously unreleased video of Deep Purple performing Black Night in Hamburg circa December 1970. The footage have been partially available on YouTube for some time now, but the release features complete song and in much better quality video […]

Opeth pays artwork tribute to the Concerto

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:20:29 +0000

Swedish prog-metal band Opeth is releasing live footage and audio from the band’s recent performance at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall. The front cover artwork concept pays tribute to the original Concerto for Group and Orchestra album, underlining the band’s longstanding […]

Glenn Hughes interviews

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:11:00 +0000

As the Black Country Communion goes into the full promo mode, Glenn has just finished a European tour doing public appearances and interviews. Interview to the French channel France 24 (in English) can be viewed at France24.com. Acoustic performance (including […]

Who’s complaining?

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:34:13 +0000

You had a terrible day which seems to be going from bad to worse. You finally get to the gig, look on stage and see a bass player happily bouncing around. And you think to yourself "oh, these guys have […]

Simper’s Roadhouse Blues

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:25:22 +0000

As we reported earlier, release of the Nick Simper's Mk1 Songbook will be accompanied by single of The Doors' Roadhouse Blues backed by Hush (unreleased version) and The Painter. The single will be available on a CD and not as digital download.

From Mandrake Root to Mozart

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:22:19 +0000

In his 1997 interview for the Japanese TV RB explains origins of riffs for several Purple classics. Some are very well publicized, some are not. Some connections are pretty obvious, while others not so much.

Steve Morse releases new vocal album, Angelfire

Rasmus Heide — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:08:36 +0000

This press release just hit The Highway Star: Acclaimed guitarist/composer Steve Morse has teamed up with breakout singer/songwriter Sarah Spencer to release Angelfire, an album of haunting, harmony-laden acoustic songs.   Sarah Spencer, 22, grew up in a musical family. She began […]

The Madisons

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:37:25 +0000

On June 26 Episode Six had their reunion at the Sheila Carter's house in England. Later that day, the Roger's sister Christine 60th birthday party witnessed a reunion of Roger's very first band -- The Madisons. Roger writes about those […]

Made in Belfast 2010

Alan Taylor — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:57:24 +0000

At last Deep Purple play Belfast. Unfortunately, due to the financial collapse of the promoter, the show was moved from the outdoor Custom House Square to the nearby St George's Market. The market, a working market for much of the […]

Rocking Durban after 15 years

Dereck — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:42:02 +0000

Deep Purple make a long overdue return to South Africa after a 15 year break. They were last here in March 1995 just before the release of Perpendicular. The concert was kicked off by Wishbone Ash and Uriah Heep doing […]

Purple’s eye to Caucasus

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:53:11 +0000

Almost 1 year ago I told you the story, how hundreds of Georgian fans travelled 2000km to see Deep Purple's concert in Istanbul and to meet Ian Gillan personally. Now I tell you, how 1,000 Georgian fans travelled to Armenia […]

New home for the Hub

lonewolf — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:46:04 +0000

The Deep Purple Hub, the fan-forum and show resource website that has grown steadily since its inception a few years ago, has taken the next logical step in that growth: a domain name and their own server. You will now […]

Cork review at Musicnews.ie

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:00:56 +0000

An Irish site dedicated to promoting independent bands have published nothing short of a glowing review of the June 30 show in Cork:

Deep Purple are considered one of the founding fathers of heavy metal. Once crowned the loudest band in […]

Upcoming releases

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:44:47 +0000

Several Deep Purple archival (re)releases are currently in production due for later this year:

The 35th anniversary edition of Come Taste The Band with the album freshly remixed by Kevin Shirley and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
A blue ray edition of Rises Over […]

Black Country Communion Album Artwork

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:17:21 +0000

The album is released by Mascot Records in the UK and Europe on Monday September 20th, followed by a North American release via J&R Adventures on September 21st.

“Glut of foreign stars” forces cancellation of Finnish shows

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:46:01 +0000

After the Deep Purple's Joensuu show has been cancelled a few days ago, we now have received news that Turku show is cancelled as well. YLE.fi speculates that both shows have been cancelled due to poor ticket sales caused by competition:

The Deep […]

Neutral to overdrive

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:26:05 +0000

Roger Glover writes in his first (and hopefully not the last) installment of Road Life notes:

A few years ago, I had descended from my hotel room a trifle early before a concert. I was sitting in the bar having a […]

Glenn Hughes “records a duet” with Tommy Bolin

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:52:48 +0000

From Glenn's Twitter yesterday, June 17th:

I'm on my way to the studio to record a duet with my late brother Tommy Bolin..I'll let you know all about it 2nite..another emotional day..

followed the same night by

All done @ the studio, […]

Meeting third generation fans…

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:09:54 +0000

At the end of the first leg of this year's tour, Steve Morse sends us his update from the road:

This tour has been going amazingly well. I am consistently surprised at how many places we find young people mixed […]

Hughes to join Heaven & Hell in tribute to RJD

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:32:54 +0000

Heaven & Hell with Ronnie James Dio were booked to play this summer at the High Voltage Festival in London along with the string of other European dates. These shows had to be cancelled when Ronnie's health took a turn […]

Nick Simper + Nasty Habits = Mk1 Songbook

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:58:09 +0000

Wymer Records in the UK is releasing an album of Mk1 songs recorded by Nick Simper with the Austrian band Nasty Habits. The album is aptly called The Deep Purple Mk1 Songbook. The first edition will be limited to 1,000 […]

Rainbow vinyl bonanza

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:54:53 +0000

On July 12 Universal's specialty label Rock Classics/Back on Black is reissuing eight classic Rainbow albums on vinyl. This includes studio output from RB's Rainbow to Straight Between The Eyes, plus On Stage and Finyl Vinyl. All records will be pressed on 180-gram […]

Böblingen’72 on German TV

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:57:58 +0000

On June 8 German TV station SWR Baden-Württemberg aired an interview with a local photographer Harald Kümmel. Harald was an enthusiastic concert goer back in the seventies and took a lot of pictures from the concerts which he attended. He […]

BCC Debut Album Track Listing

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:11:55 +0000

Black Country Communion has released the track listing for their debut album “Black Country”. The album will be released by Mascot Records in the UK and the rest of Europe on Monday September 20th, followed by a North American release […]

“Foundation of influence for future generations…”

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:19:29 +0000

Online portal Entertainment Africa has a rather interesting review of the show in Johannesburg written from a prospective of a mainstream rock fan apparently of a younger generation. Since the site is barely usable (for starters, the font on my screen is […]

PR video from Black Country Communion

Svante Axbacke — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:16:19 +0000

Black Country Communion's official site has been updated with a promotion video. In the video, all members get to talk about the band and we also get a look into the recording sessions as well as some sound clips of the […]

Pictures and setlist from Cape Town

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:46:17 +0000

Our long time reader and contributor Brian Currin has pictures (more here) and setlist from the show on June 1 in Cape Town:

Highway Star
Things I Never Said
Strange Kind Of Woman
Maybe I’m a Leo
Rapture Of The Deep
Fireball (including Into The Fire riff […]

Abandon artwork limited edition prints

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:16:37 +0000

In the spring of 1997 Ioannis was introduced to Roger Glover and Bruce Payne and began working on Abandon. Ioannis recalls:

There was a huge rush to get the art finished approved and off to the printers, It is one […]

Jon Lord back at Trondheim’s cathedral

Hans Peter Jenssen — Sun, 30 May 2010 23:47:03 +0000

What can be said that has not been said already about Jon Lord and his music, his performing and his dedication to his work and to the people he teams up with? Jon Lord & the Lord Chamber Orchestra with […]

“Black Country Communion is here”

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:16:27 +0000

It looks like Black Country Communion, or BC Communion, is the new name for the band featuring Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherenian. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVfMa61Zjmg[/youtube]

Smoke on the porter

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:36:23 +0000

Now, here's a merchandise idea and a half... ;-) Hot on the heels of the Deep Purple Zinfandel, the Heavy Seas Brewery down in Maryland is releasing in June an Imperial Smoked Porter very appropriately called Smoke On The Water:

This first […]

Bangkok smiles back at Purple

Gary Halverson — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:00:50 +0000

Back in January when the Singapore show was announced I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that Deep Purple would also stop here in Bangkok. This place is simply not on the major concert circuit. Most acts hit […]

Lost classic film

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:57:13 +0000

In 1972 whilst in Japan for the 'Made In Japan' concert series , Purple also spent time at the local TV station NHK in Tokyo filming a 2 hour spot for the "Young Music Show". Unfortunately it appears that the […]

Purple night in Lion City

Gary Halverson — Sun, 23 May 2010 07:30:14 +0000

I have been an ardent fan of Deep Purple since the spring of 1973 when a friend lent me a 45 rpm record of Smoke on the Water (studio version on one side, live edited version from Made in Japan […]

Roman Holiday

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:47:16 +0000

It looks like the Deep Purple tour of Italy last December was so successful that the band has been booked to the country again this July. The set of eight dates, all taking place in rather picturesque settings, often by […]

Purple family remembers Ronnie James Dio

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:54:33 +0000

Roger Glover:

A huge part of my life just disappeared. Words are not enough, emotions are too much. My sincere condolences to Ronnie's family and friends.

Ian Gillan:

My Dear Friend Ronnie, Departed but not gone. Resting peacefully (for a while) […]

Gillan in Taipei Times

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:52:36 +0000

Ian Gillan spoke to the Taipei Times before the band's first ever appearance in Taiwan. The first part of the interview is from a telephone conversation and is hardly interesting, while the second was done over email and digs a little […]

Roger updates from the road

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:21:10 +0000

Roger Glover sends us an update from the road:

The tour is going really well so far. It was probably the best Australian tour we've ever done. The audiences get younger every time, and they know how to rock! The […]

Purple over Singapore

rudy neises — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:08:24 +0000

On May 12th purple played in Singapore. Venue was the National Indoor stadium. An airconditioned venue. A good decision as the humidity was really heavy outside. The show was supposed to start at 8pm without an opener. At 8.10 the […]

Sizzling in Singapore

Mahesh Srinivas — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:03:04 +0000

I don't travel often on work, so it was a nice surprise when a trip to Singapore coincided with a Deep Purple concert on May 12, 2010. Of course I had to see the concert, so tickets were booked, and […]

Sydney: Can we have everything louder than everything else?

Cameron — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:54:11 +0000

This was my second time seeing Deep Purple the first time I went to see Deep Purple was in May 2006 on the second night in Sydney with Status Quo during their Australian Double Trouble tour and they were good […]

Riff Raff for Ronnie James Dio

Dae-Won Lee — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:52:17 +0000

May, 18th, at Seoul, Korea, rain had fell down all day when DP had the seventh gig in the history of this country. Walking toward the venue, I was in a dark mood instead of thrill and anticipation, because, as […]

A sad day

stephen — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:15:09 +0000

Wendy Dio, wife/manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio , has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were […]

Concerto in Delaware

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:42:22 +0000

Considering that the venerable Concerto for Group and Orchestra is a rare guest this side of the pond, we thought we'd pass this on as a public service announcement: What: University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra and student rock band Dancehall Throwdown perform Concerto […]

New Living Loud album in the works

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:50:29 +0000

While being in Australia, Steve Morse and Don Airey met with Bob Daisley to discuss the schedule to complete recording of a new Living Loud album. 3 tracks have already been laid down and are awaiting Jimmy Barnes to complete […]

Official video channel now on YouTube

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 12 May 2010 04:47:50 +0000

The official Deep Purple video channel is now available on YouTube as well. You will definitely be pleased to notice that the channel is inclusive of all lineups, although availability of the video footage that can be properly licensed varies due […]

Taipei: Good onstage interplay

Dave Hodgkinson — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:48:28 +0000

It’s always nice to see the guys somewhere “exotic”. I was a little shocked at the barn-like proportions of the venue, the Nangang Exhibition Centre, but as you can see from the photos, there was none of the sterility you […]

Adelaide loves that Glover boy!

Ron Palmer — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:54:07 +0000

First up, Electric Mary put on a good show. They were well suited to open for Deep Purple. They rocked hard and showed off some good chops. Easy to get into and enjoy. After a short break the familiar drum […]

Rapture Rages On in Oz

Dave Chakley — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:49:14 +0000

What a great evening, a night out with Deep Purple on the first show of the Australian tour 2010. The Brisbane Convention Centre is the right venue for Purple, great sound, lighting and of course great vibes (Gillan agrees).The stage […]

Vosselaar Over The Rainbow - superb

Annemie — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:43:18 +0000

Over The Rainbow at Vosselaar 21/4/2010 was such an exciting and astonishing experience ,that I would like to share a bit of this unforgettable concert with all other fans. :) I saw OTR the first time at Uden last year, […]

Orchestral Gillan in Linz

Wed, 05 May 2010 21:35:07 +0000

On March 31st Ian Gillan of Deep Purple gave a solo performance with the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz, Austria. The show was almost sold out. The situation with age group was as varied as it usually is during Deep Purple […]

Paicey stands out by miles

Wed, 05 May 2010 21:31:14 +0000

Ian Paice and DP tribute band Hush in La Coruña - January 30, 2010 Deep Purple are quite simply five of the best musicians playing today. This was confirmed on Saturday - I saw Ian Paice playing with Italian tribute […]

Amiens: Good show but…

Christophe duflot — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:17:57 +0000

Well, it's been two years since I saw Purple (Beauvais - March 2007), in a very impressive show, and fronted by an impressive Ian Gillan. I didn't planned to see the band on this tour, but a friend of mine […]

Purple instructional DVDs

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:28:04 +0000

To celebrate the 65th birthday of Ritchie Blackmore, Lick Library is promoting four instructional DVDs from its library of titles, all featuring Ritchie's style of playing. All these lessons are taught by Danny Gill, who himself studied from Joe Satriani. All […]

Jon Lord and Rick Wakeman joining forces in 2011?

Andreas Thul — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:02:26 +0000

Rick Wakeman reports in his monthly column titled "Grumpy Old Rick's Ramblings" not only that he spent a most enjoyable evening with Jon Lord at the Thames Valley University doing a Q&A with some students, he also reports that

Jon […]

Brisbane and Sydney setlists

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:33:27 +0000

As the band is back on the road in Australia, Brisbane Times has a rather favourable review of the opening night at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, giving it 4 stars out of 5:

While it's clear the band, especially Gillan, […]

Gillan’s interview in Herald Sun

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:43:39 +0000

Australian newspaper Herald Sun has published an interview with Ian Gillan. No groundbreaking revelations there, just the same war stories most THS visitors have already heard and read. But it's good to see the band getting media attention during the tour. […]

Austrian drummer’s album to feature Deep Purple-members

Rasmus Heide — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:13:10 +0000

Update May 26: Release date has been put back to June 15. "Stay Tuned" is the title of Austrian drummer Bernhard Welz' first solo album. It features a slew of prominent guest musicians, including Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Don Airey, […]

“Black Country” is in trouble

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:39:57 +0000

It looks like the future of the band formerly known as Black Country is under one big question mark. Producer Kevin Shirley reports on his Facebook page:

I'm the studio with Journey - producing their next album. Despite not rushing, […]

New Q&A at Caramba

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:12:33 +0000

'Who Cares', dreaminess, complaining less, loosing his strings, Euclid of Alexandria, Vladimir Putin, Robert Mugabe and Britney Spears, Giransan vellybad amellicatobrame and underground buzz -- read all about it in the latest installment of Q&A at Caramba!

Ian Paice drum clinic + concert in Györ

Monika Schwarz — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:23:38 +0000

Is it crazy to drive 750 km to Györ, Hungary, to see a Concerto and a clinic? Some people may say so, but I say it is totally rational, sensible and normal behaviour – for any Deep Purple fan ;-)! […]

Touring update

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:11:50 +0000

Here is a summary of the recent developments on the touring fronts of Purple family. Deep Purple's appearance at a Russian festival on June 12 has now been confirmed. They have also a new Italian open air tour pencilled in for […]

Blackmore’s Night in the studio

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:16:14 +0000

According to their official website, Blackmore's Night are "diligently working in the studio and going into final mix stage on the new CD". No word on the release date yet. In other news, Realms of Fantasy Magazine has published an interview […]

Singles & E.P. Anthology ‘68-’80

Andreas Thul — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:40:48 +0000

On April 9 EMI will release a 2 CD set called 'Singles & E.P. Anthology '68-'80'. The package features 35 single A's and B's, alternate takes and live versions, spanning from the "Hush" single back in June 1968, the last […]

Japanese girls still rule

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:09:09 +0000

Sadly, the Burn cover went up in smoke to the Youtube heavens (my personal wish to Warner Music and their lawyers is to go bust ASAP), but here is another one that you might enjoy.

Whitesnake 1987 re-release

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:49:50 +0000

Geffen will be releasing a yet another deluxe remastered edition of the 1987 Whitesnake album later this month in North America. The CD+DVD package will include the original American album tracks and bonus tracks from Live... In The Shadow Of The […]

Hay Superstar

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:47:51 +0000

As we reported earlier, on March 28 Ian Gillan appeared on the Hay Superstar show which was broadcast on Shant Tv in Armenia. He sat in as a honorary judge for the competition where aspiring musicians performed Deep Purple songs. The […]

“…We’re a country and western band.”

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:57:09 +0000

The year was 1984, the spring was in the air, the video machines were all the rage, and Deep Purple were celebrating their reunion with a red carpet press conference in New York City. The banjo player stayed in his dungeon […]

Would you like a glass of Purple?

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:46:31 +0000

A California company is marketing a 2007 Lodi Zinfandel with a Mk1-ish label design (and, we assume, appropriate colour), and a name of a band which recorded one of the first albums the winemaker had bought. The Gray Market Report has […]

A weekend in Armenia

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:12:49 +0000

At a press conference in Yerevan yesterday, March 27, Ian Gillan said that his performances with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra will be released on DVD which will be available internationally. He praised orchestra's professionalism and added that he considers Armenia […]

Win prizes at the DP store

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:54:21 +0000

The official Deep Purple online store is running a promotion to celebrate it's recent opening. If you spend over £20 they'll give you a £5 discount (enter voucher code DP-WTX1-BLMT-GTW3 at the checkout) and you will be automatically entered into a […]

Gillan on Armenian TV

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:51:06 +0000

During his visit to Armenia Ian Gillan will appear on local TV on March 28. He was invited to take part in the Hay Superstar show (which is a local equivalent of Pop Idol) and he "gladly accepted". Three of […]

New Hughes band live premiere

Svante Axbacke — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:12:50 +0000

The band formerly known as Black Country got together at a Joe Bonamassa show in Riverside, CA, March 17, to make their first live appearance. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e3PkJoczAw[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bQXz0FXUGM[/youtube] Glenn Hughes has promsied an announcement of the new band name "soon".

Rock nad Volgoi

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:30:11 +0000

Russian promoters have announced that Deep Purple will headline this year the biggest rock festival in Russia Rock nad Volgoi, which will be held on June 12 in an open field in the outskirts of Samara. The inaugural festival in […]

Official Deep Purple video channel

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:09:49 +0000

The brand new official Deep Purple video channel has opened:

Encompassing the band's ongoing 42 year career, and backed by multi label collaboration, Deep Purple is proud to release DPTV as part of the growing MUZU phenomena: http://www.muzu.tv/deeppurple MUZU.TV is a […]

2010 Bolin Festival

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:52:36 +0000

The 2010 Tommy Bolin Music Festival will be held Friday and Saturday July 30th & 31st in Bolin's hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. This years show will feature Johnnie Bolin, Stan Sheldon, The Stella Blue Band, Bobby Berge, Roger Rothwell, […]

Listen to Jon Lord’s new album

Rasmus Heide — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:49:30 +0000

JonLord.org has launched an exclusive preview of To Notice Such Things, Jon Lord's new album, to be released on March 29. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVY3pFoG0a8[/youtube] Find out more about To Notice Such Things on JonLord.org/tnst

Heavy Metal Britannia

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:23:44 +0000

Last weekend BBC Channel 4 have aired a documentary called Heavy Metal Britannia that covers the earlier history of development of the hard and heavy music on the island, from You Really Got Me to The Number Of The Beast. A number […]

Remembering John Coletta

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:28 +0000

Fame Games' Radio Show dedicated to the memory of John Coletta was aired in two parts back on July 19 and 26th, 2006. The show obviously covered a good chunk of Purple history with Derek Lawrence, among many other people, on […]

Parlez-vous Purple 2010

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:47:02 +0000

French fans will receive a massive dose of Purple this year. First, the band will make a stop in the summer to play Festival les Deferlantes in a seaside town of Argelès-sur-Mer. They will head back to France in the […]

Black Country needs a new name

Svante Axbacke — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:19:45 +0000

Black Country, the new band featuring Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian, need to think up anew name. “There is a band already called Black Country and their legal representatives have already reminded us of that fact,” […]

Book tip with Coverdale stories

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:54:33 +0000

If you like funny tour stories, and as a bonus, if you are a fan of any or all of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Coverdale-Page, Whitesnake, Bryan Ferry, Madonna, The Smiths, Michael Jackson, you should read bass player extraordinaire Guy […]

Fender, Marshall, Aiwa, Lace Sensors and BSM

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:30:37 +0000

A small German company called BSM will present it's new treble booster guitar pedal at the upcoming Musikmesse which will be held in Frankfurt at the end of March. The pedal aims at recreating the Mk2 Blackmore's sound. BSM already has a […]

Santana to cover SOTW

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:12:40 +0000

Billboard reports that Carlos Santana is going to record a cover of Smoke on the Water for his next album:

Santana hopes to keep the love going on his next album, another project overseen by [Sony executive] Davis that continues the […]

Jon Lord radio interview and new album preview

Rasmus Heide — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:33:20 +0000

This Sunday February 28, Classic FM will air a brand new interview with Jon Lord along with an exclusive preview of his forthcoming album, To Notice Such Things. The show goes out on Sunday, February 28 at 9pm GMT. Listen […]

Funky Claude and the gambling house

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:00:58 +0000

Leading up to the 44th Montreux Jazz Festival (which will be held in July), MontreuxJazz.com started a weekly column of 'behind the scenes' reminiscences. This week Claude Nobs recalls the events of the Casino fire in December 1971. Nothing really new in […]

Neil Carter on Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale and Cozy Powell

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:07:13 +0000

Back in 2008 Metal-Temple.com published an interview with Neil Carter of UFO/Gary Moore/Wild Horses fame, who is now teaching music at Brighton College. Here are the juicier bits:

A special quote should be given for Glenn Hughes: your impression, working with […]

Live chat with Glenn Hughes

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:16:00 +0000

This coming Sunday, February 28th, Glenn Hughes will appear in a live chat with fans on his website. The chat will run between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. PST. In order to participate you will need to register at his […]

Tony Carey, J.R., and Formula 1

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:56:38 +0000

Tony Carey is back from his cancer woes and have started a new project with J.R. Blackmore. They have teamed up with a metal frau Ela and recorded a song called Silver Arrows (Racing On). The project is billed as EBC […]

More about Black Country from Hughes and Bonamassa

Svante Axbacke — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:45:54 +0000

Glenn Hughes did an interview about his new band, Black Country, with the blog Rock Guitar Daily.

We're as bombastic as The Who, and as bluesy as Free, but we are doing some different kinds of things in terms of […]

Gillan and Iommi donate musical instruments

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:56:56 +0000

Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi have donated 4 Takamine acoustic guitars and a Gretsch drum kit with Paiste cymbals to a musical school in Gyumri, Armenia. The town of Gyumri was devastated during the 1988 earthquake. Last October Gillan and […]

Whitesnake working on a new album

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:37:51 +0000

David Coverdale has issued the following update:

It is unlikely that Whitesnake will tour in 2010, as we have committed to writing & recording a new studio album & delighted to report we are working with an enthusiastic, highly respected […]

Machine Head to be reissued by Audio Fidelity

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:55:36 +0000

This time Machine Head will get audiofile treatment by the Audio Fidelity label. The album in it's original form (no bonus tracks) will be reissued on 24 karat gold CD some time in March, remastered by Steve Hoffman. Track listing: […]

JLT to guest on That Metal Show

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:38:34 +0000

Joe Lynn Turner will join Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson on February 27 at 11pm (Eastern Time) for That Metal Show on a US cable channel VH1 Classic. Trunk says, "Joe was great to have as a guest. We […]

Jon Lord: Around the world in 20 concerts

Rasmus Heide — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:11:01 +0000

"Around the world in 20 concerts" is the title of the latest interview with Jon Lord published on his website. Here, he talks about a busy 2009 that took him to concert stages around the world - incl. places he'd […]

New official online store launched

lonewolf — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:22:10 +0000

February 1st has seen the launch of one of the most comprehensive Deep Purple online stores to date. In a partnership that sees for the first time all associate labels working together to promote the band, this new (and official) […]

Paice dates in Italy rescheduled

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:06:10 +0000

Due to "organizational reasons", the Ian Paice & Tolo Marton February dates have been rescheduled to April. Ian Paice & Tolo Marton Band new dates: 8th April - Gran Teatro - Padova - Italy 9th April - Muddy Waters Live Music […]

… and on Twitter too!

Svante Axbacke — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:42:44 +0000

The other day we jumped on to Facebook, and now we're on Twitter as well. Updates to The Highway Star will from now on appear also on Twitter, and as a follower of us there, you will automatically be notified of […]

Join The Highway Star on Facebook

Rasmus Heide — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:23:56 +0000

The Highway Star has finally found its way onto Facebook. Arguably the world's number one social media platform, you can now hook up with us there. Updates to The Highway Star will from now on appear also on Facebook, and […]

The West Uzbekistan Percussion Ensemble

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:57:27 +0000

Back in 1970 Mike Thorne worked as an assistant at the De Lane Lea Studio in London. One day his sound recording experiment with an air conditioner became a part of Deep Purple lore:

Several massively expensive tube mics (a […]

New tour dates and old ones confirmed

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:46:06 +0000

A bunch of tourdates that we had listed for a while, as well as a couple of new ones, have just appeared on the official Deep Purple site and as so are now confirmed. That includes

all the Australian dates
Singapore and Hong […]

Jon Lord talks about new album

Rasmus Heide — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:58:51 +0000

In a brand new interview for his website, Jon Lord talks about the background to his new album, "To Notice Such Things." The album is dedicated to the memory of Jon Lord's dear friend Sir John Mortimer, and Jon explains […]

Vote Jon Lord into Hall of Fame 2010

Rasmus Heide — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:02:59 +0000

You can help vote Jon Lord into Classic FM's Hall Of Fame 2010. Last year, Jon Lord’s "Durham Concerto" was the highest new entry in Classic FM’s Hall of Fame as it jumped in at no. 75. Jon Lord's previous […]

France and Belgium in November

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:56:19 +0000

French promoter Gerard Drouot Production has just announced a new Deep Purple tour in Belgium and France. The dates are:

Nov 3, Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium
Nov 5, Lyon, France
Nov 6, Montpelier, France
Nov 7, Bordeaux, France
Nov 9, Rennes, France
Nov 10, Paris, France

Further details in […]

Montreux ‘96 and ‘06 on vinyl

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:02:49 +0000

Good news for all you vinyl junkies out there. Apparently both Montreux 1996 and 2006 shows have been released on vinyl at the end of last year. They quietly came out on a UK label Rock Classics, each as a […]

Blackmore’s Night reissues

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:25:41 +0000

First four Blackmore's Night albums are apparently being deleted by SPV and will be reissued by the in-house label Minstrel Hall Music. Differences from the previous pressings are summarized below. Shadow of the Moon (MHM001) Tracklist as per the 1998 UK […]

Making of the Butterfly Ball

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:00:29 +0000

Very interesting interviews with Roger Glover, Ronnie Dio, Eddie Hardin, Ray Fenwick, and Alan Aldridge (author of the book). This was filmed circa 1999 (a poster of a 1999 DP gig in Hamburg can be seen at one point).

Comments from the Black Country camp (and video)

Svante Axbacke — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:57:59 +0000

In Kevin Shirley's online diary, he confirms what Jason Bonham said about Black Country and also confirms the rumour that there is a keyboard player in the group. Maybe no one told Bonham that. :) Kevin Shirley writes:

So there it […]

Rising sun and down under

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:55:38 +0000

It looks like the band will spend this spring (or autumn, depending on how you look at it) in Australia and Far East. Lennard Promotions has just announced the 2010 Deep Purple Australian tour

New album from Don Airey?

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:18:31 +0000

Joe Bonamassa has reported on Facebook that he recorded with Don Airey this week. No more information at this moment but Bonamassa referred to it as "Don Airey's record".

More details on the Hughes super group

Svante Axbacke — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:12:30 +0000

At the Guitar Center's Drum-Off last weekend, Jason Bonham did a tribute to his father, the late John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. Glenn Hughes was Bonham's guest at the show. In an interview before the show, Bonham talked about his new […]

Jon Lord announces new album

Rasmus Heide — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:52:09 +0000

Jon Lord will release his new all instrumental album, "To Notice Such Things", on April 5, 2010 through Avi Records. Titled after its main work – a six movement suite for solo flute, piano and string orchestra – the album […]

Morse: “Music works across the borders”

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:12:44 +0000

On January 3rd Steve Morse spoke at length to the Long Live Rock show. The hour-long interview covers a lot of ground -- touring all the weird places, the act of recording being a charitable event, his new SMB album, […]

Double dose of Steve for California

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:32:17 +0000

Steve Morse has six dates lined up in California in January with his band. He will support himself with the public debut of the Angelfire project -- a collaboration with young vocalist Sarah Spencer. Update: Angelfire will appear only on January 14th, 15th and 16th dates, not on all six as we reported earlier.

Kevin Shirley remixing CTTB

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:37:38 +0000

Glenn Hughes has broken the news that he's been indeed working with Kevin Shirley, and they are working on the Come Taste The Band remixes. Update -- Kevin Shirley: "I'm diggin' it... I was a Deep Purple fan before I was a Zeppelin fan..."

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and other things

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:26:43 +0000

The Rainbow Fanclan has a new interview with Graham Bonnet where he delves into some historical anecdotage:

- You recorded "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" before you were in Rainbow, so I assume it was your idea to do […]

What It’s All About

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:32:39 +0000

Our own Roger checks in with his customary end-of-the-year message:

What’s it all about then? I’m sure you often wonder about that.
Well so do I. There are several possible answers to that rather ambiguous and immense question. In no particular […]

Man, did we have a ball …

Stéphane Dethloff — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:18:49 +0000

... as we watched Deep Purple live in Toulouse, on December 3rd, 2009 Deep Purple's appearance in Toulouse might have been THE gig of this French tour. As French Deep Purple 'aficionados' tell, it was among the best they've seen […]

Good gig in Nantes

Leray — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:12:26 +0000

Good surprise with Not responsible and Wasted sunset and a new WABMC and a punchy No one came. Disappointments: no Perfect strangers. Very good rendition of Wring that neck. The show was professional, energetic and the crowd enthusiastic. Amazing Steve […]

Ronnie Dio update

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:42:22 +0000

Ronnie James Dio, who is undergoing treatment for his cancer at a Houston hospital, sends his thanks for all the words of your support and encouragement:

I'd like to take the time to thank everyone for the most wonderful gift I […]

Signed guitar in charity lottery

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:25:04 +0000

After the concert in Jesolo near Venice on December 11, all five members of Deep Purple have signed a MusicMan guitar which was donated to a charity lottery. The lottery is organized by the Hard Rock Cafe Venice together with the […]

South Africa, here we come

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:33 +0000

It looks like the long dry spell for the South African fans is coming to an end. Three concerts were announced in that country for 2010:

Johannesburg, Friday May 28, Coca-Cola Dome
Durban, Sunday May 30, ICC Arena
Cape Town, Tuesday June […]

Bologna live broadcast

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:55:58 +0000

Deep Purple performance in Bologna on December 16th will be broadcast live by the Italian RAI Radio 2 starting at 8 p.m. GMT. You can launch the player at the Radio 2 website or from the main RAI page (select "Diretta Radio" […]

Hughes in new supergroup?

Svante Axbacke — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:03:17 +0000

Is Glenn Hughes going to be part of a new supergroup? Recent Twitter comments from Hughes suggest something is in the works:

"In Newport Beach havin' lunch...on my way to Malibu to work with possibly the greatest hard rock producer on […]

Secret Zürich gig on DVD

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:39:26 +0000

Swiss banker Stefan Jemetta's "private" Deep Purple gig on December 18, 2007 at Zürich Kongresshaus is due to be released on DVD, "with the approval of Thames Records, Bruce Payne." A basic website to promote the release has been set up at www.deeppurple.ch and a promo clip was posted to Youtube (see inside).

Gillan writing with Iommi

Nick Soveiko — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:09:27 +0000

According to this Swedish interview, Big Ian was writting with Tony Iommi and a plan to start a "charity band" project is in the works:

Shouldn't you do something with the guys in Black Sabbath? - Weird that you should […]

Roger’s sketch in charity auction

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:22:08 +0000

While in London on the UK tour, Roger Glover has found the time to draw a sketch and donate it to the No Surrender Charitable Trust to be auctioned off as a part of their Art of Music '09 program. The Ebay auction for the drawing has just started and will continute until December 7.

Rock solid in Oslo

Hans Peter Jenssen — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:12:14 +0000

Good concert, no low points, some averages and mostly highs. Steve and Roger in a playful mood, and Don was really showing off during the whole concert. Some interplay sections with Steve was excellent. Some particular nice bass solos from […]

Glenn Hughes Autobiography

stephen — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:45:38 +0000

Joel McIver has been working since 2006 on an autobiography with Glenn Hughes, to be published by Foruli Publications. "We are very excited about this project, and working with Glenn Hughes is an absolute pleasure. The book is Glenn's autobiography, […]

Ronnie Dio diagnosed with cancer

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:47:08 +0000

Several days ago it was announced that all Dio's European tour dates are cancelled and refunds are being issued, with Ronnie himself being in a hospital for unspecified reasons. Today his wife and manager Wendy has released more details:

Ronnie […]

Don Airey in Jackie Stewart tribute

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:22:14 +0000

Don Airey has contributed some Hammond to the recording of Fly Free -- a tribute to the legendary Scottish race driver Jackie Stewart. The song was written by Jackie's son Paul as a gift for his 70th birthday. Eric Clapton contributed […]

Århus: In the absence of pink

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:36:40 +0000

As Gillan put it, we got to hear some songs not played too often. Tonight it was Bloodsucker, or rather closer to the Bludsucker version from Abandon, where Gillan doesn't take the easy way to try to protect his voice, […]

Purple stories in Belgium

Wesley Vandewalle — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:32:29 +0000

It had been a while since Deep Purple was doing a gig in Belgium. Standing on the first row, the atmosphere and information exchange was taking my interest level up high at the beginning of the concert. A very dedicated […]

Antwerp: Good but not brilliant

luc appelen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:29:49 +0000

"Intensive tasting and enjoying every single minute of a Deep Purple concert, because it always can be the last". This was again my motto for the gig in Antwerp last Wednesday. After the gig my feeling was that the Purps […]

A story of the great band that wasn’t making any money

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:13:06 +0000

Mickey Moody gave an interview to RockPages.gr. Not surprisingly, good three quarters of it revolves around his days in Whitesnake:

Rockpages.gr: Did you feel a full member of Whitesnake or just a player in David Coverdale’s band? Micky Moody: Full member, […]

Birmingham in the press

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:25:06 +0000

Birmingham show on November 13th received quite a favourable coverage in the local press. Debbie Bennett writes in the Express & Star:

...On the third night of the band’s UK tour, 64-year-old barefoot frontman Ian Gillan belted out hits and rarities […]

Warren Haynes in Amsterdam

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:38:31 +0000

Last night in Amsterdam Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule fame joined Deep Purple on stage for a jam over Black Night. Pictures and videos from the show are already surfacing.

Love that burns brightly

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:51:35 +0000

In the anticipation of the Birmingham and London dates, Times Online has published a brilliantly eloquent piece on Deep Purple that surely will resonate in one a many hearts:

The exact date has long been wiped from the memory’s hard […]

“Something spiritual has taken place…”

Graham Cooke — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:08:41 +0000

The set started with Prokofiev's 'Montague and Capulet' from 'Romeo and Juliet' and it really built the atmosphere, and then Purple burst into a really fiery version of Highway Star with Glover and Paice driving it along much faster than […]

Not Responsible in Glasgow

andrew jones — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:01:23 +0000

Purple were on great form last night and their set list was the best in years. There were outings for Wasted Sunsets, Wring that Neck, No One Came, and Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming along wlth the usual classics. The […]

Old, live and rare in Glasgow

Ivor Lloyd — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:57:07 +0000

I went along to this gig hoping that, for a change, it wouldn't be a "greatest hits" show and I wasn't disappointed. From the opening Highway Star to the encores the band constantly surprised with their choice of material, and […]

Wasted Sunsets in Manchester

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:08:11 +0000

Deep Purple threw in a setlist surprise last night in Manchester on the first date of the 65,535th leg of their European tour: 1 Intro/Highway Star 2 Things I Never Said 3 Wrong Man 4 Strange Kind Of Woman 5 […]

Nothing from the industry

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:01:52 +0000

British newspaper Express & Star has published an interview with Ian Gillan where he takes potshots at showbiz in his home country:

We’d play almost anywhere. But the climate in the UK is not friendly. Nothing wrong with the fans, […]

Interview with Ioannis

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:00:12 +0000

Graphic artist Ioannis has more than 165 record covers under his proverbial belt, including some that you might know very well. He kindly agreed to answer our questions. THS: Your work with Deep Purple included cover art for Abandon (1998) and Rapture of […]

Where extremes meet

Nick Soveiko — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:01:13 +0000

October this year saw both banjo players touring the Eastern part of the North American continent with their respective bands. Which gave some of us the opportunity to see Blackmore's Night and Steve Morse Band within a matter of days.

Triple Trouble competition

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:24:54 +0000

Caramba gives you a chance to exercise your wit and win a signed copy of Triple Trouble:

Win a signed copy by answering the simple question: 'How many songs has ig written and why? Obsessive attention to detail not necessarily rewarded. […]

Steve Morse Band: presidential guitarist

William Forgus — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:55:49 +0000

This was simply an amazing show. I was able to get to stand directly in front of Steve and watch him master that guitar. He played several songs from his new album mixed in with older material. Everything was amazing. […]

Misty-eyed night with Blackmore

Frank Fitzgerald — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:51:42 +0000

This was one of the best shows I've been to in a long time. It's been years since I've seen Ritchie perform live as the opportunities are few and far between. I see DP whenever they come around but in […]

Stormbringer coming

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:42:05 +0000

David 'Rock' Feinstein told Classic Rock magazine a story of Blackmore the weatherman causing a riot by refusing to go on stage:

It happened when I was in Elf in the early 1970s. We supported Deep Purple at an outdoor show […]

Lemmy on Blackmore

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:27:47 +0000

The following feature may contain references to sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. Oh, and some bad language too. Dig in!

Gillan — Live: Triple Trouble

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:49:16 +0000

Demon Edsel is releasing a triple CD Gillan live set authorized by Big Ian himself. ~~No specific release date is available at this time.~~ The 3CD set will be released in the UK on November 9 and available in other countries as […]

Steve Morse in Classic Rock magazine

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:31:16 +0000

Steve Morse recently spoke to the Classic Rock magazine. His short interview appeared online:

We are in the sort of position where we don’t have any pressure on us. We’re not a pop act, so nobody these days expects us […]

Fires at Midnight in Chicago

Nick Soveiko — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:16:40 +0000

Ten days ago I was in Chicago to see Blackmore's Night with a couple of my friends. We drove 2,600 km (that's 1,600 miles in medieval units) for that gig and to catch Steve Morse Band in Toronto on the […]

Gillan remasters from MetalMind

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:23:13 +0000

Polish label Metal Mind is releasing remastered versions of the selected albums from Ian Gillan’s discography: Naked Thunder, Toolbox, Cherkazoo & Other Stories, Clear Air Turbulence, Scarabus and Accidentally on Purpose (Gillan/Glover). All albums will be released in a new digipak edition each […]

The finger fell off…

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:39:27 +0000

This is an interview that Gillan and Glover did circa 1987 for the German TV. Make all you want out of it, but I've found it, ahem, entertaining ;)

A Castle Full of Rascals, in hardcover

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:08:18 +0000

Martin Popoff has a follow-up volume to his book Gettin’ Tighter. A Castle Full Of Rascals: Deep Purple '83 - '09 follows the tradition of Gettin' Tighter and Rainbow: English Castle Magic by narrating the band's history "in their own words", through extensive […]

Blackmore interview on Fender.com

Nick Soveiko — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:43:14 +0000

Promoting his band's US tour, Blackmore gave to Fender one of his rare interviews. He talked about his writing process these days, castles and ghosts (what else!), why he started to play guitar and not trumpet, ticket prices, and many […]

Blackmore’s Night enchants Chicago

Mark Bojanowski — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:38:33 +0000

Last night at House of Blues, Ritchie Blackmore again showed Chicago why he is considered among the greatest guitar players on earth. Ritchie, Candice and the rest of the lords and ladies of Blackmore's Night turned in a spectaular two […]

Blackmore’s Night cures insomnia

Chrissy Pesqueux — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:36:31 +0000

Hate to say this but the Blackmore's Night show in Cleveland was one of the most boring shows I have ever seen. Candice seemed to lose her enthusiasm half way thru the show. If you have insomnia, this show would […]

Doctoral dissertation on the music of Deep Purple

Svante Axbacke — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:32:24 +0000

Doctoral dissertation on the music of Deep Purple (Helsinki University, Finland): “Theory and Analysis of Classic Heavy Metal Harmony” by Esa Lilja. The thesis was published 17 October 2009. ABSTRACT: The study looks into heavy metal harmony from the point […]

Swedish promotor fined over Deep Purple sound levels

Svante Axbacke — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:58:32 +0000

A Swedish promotor in Gothenburg, Sweden, has been fined by the local authorities for not being able to keep sound levels at legal limits. One of the shows this summer that reached an illegal level was the Deep Purple show […]

New Turner and Rondinelli interviews

Svante Axbacke — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:46:08 +0000

Blackmore's Night Official Scandinavian Fan Club has posted two new exclusive interviews with Joe Lynn Turner and Bobby Rondinelli on their website. The questions for the interviews were sent in by fans.

Win your chance to be on stage

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:26:07 +0000

Planet Rock will be running a contest between October 12th and 26th:

How do you fancy seeing Deep Purple live? OK, how do you fancy watching the gig from the stage? Now, how do you fancy sitting next to Ian Paice's […]

Creative minds work in mysterious ways

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:35:37 +0000

It's Bombay calling again and it says that nothing is new under the moon. Many years ago there was a Canadian band called Warpig. Their music sounded clearly inspired by Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. They even shared a sound engineer […]

Child in Edinburgh

Nick Soveiko — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:35:03 +0000

Child in Time, Edinburgh, Usher hall, October 5, 2009. The singer's name is Grant Barclay. He had been given a tremendous voice and talent to use it, as evidenced by this recording. We wish him all the best in his endeavours.

Space Truckin’ Round The World

Nick Soveiko — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:08:48 +0000

Classic Rock magazine reports that there is a new live compilation in the works by Purple Records. It will be released in November and will mark the 10th anniversary of the label. The double CD compilation will be called Space Truckin' […]

- You feel he has a lot of wisdom

Rasmus Heide — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:44:34 +0000

Scottish music students interviewed about rehearsing the Concerto for Group and Orchestra with Jon Lord on keyboards. This Monday October 5 they will perform the Concerto at Edinburgh's Usher Hall. Talking about their very first rehearsal with Jon Lord: - […]

Gillan and Blackmore decorated in Armenia

Nick Soveiko — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:20:45 +0000

As we have reported previously, Armenia is honouring the 20th anniversary of the Rock Aid Armenia project. On October 1 Ian Gillan together with Tony Iommi, Geff Downes and the project organizer Jon Dee have arrived to Yerevan to take part in […]