[% META title = 'Tour Reviews' %]

Gillan exhausted over kid's stuff

My wife, brother, 8-year-old son and I had second row seats in front of Roger Glover. The Mark is a medium indoor hall that seats about 8,000, and was about half full. I know that the tour has been playing the shed circuit and we saw the tour two nights earlier in Milwaukee, (and have tickets in St.Louis ;-) so I was wondering how the bands would respond to the small crowd.

I am getting excited just thinking back to Deep Purple's performance. Let me preface this by saying that I am 42yrs old, have seen DP twice in 1985, in 1999, and in 2001. They have been my favorite band since my second album Machine Head back in eigth grade, and my son has really gravitated towards Ian Gillan and the Total Abandon DVD.

Dio came out right on time and played a great set as mentioned in earlier posts. He could not jump into the crowd like he did in Milwaukee because of the mote in front of the stage with security in it. Being indoors he had a much better light show and the evil ambience came across much better. The mix and sound was good, and he seemed genuinely pleased with the crowd's enthusiasm.

Deep Purple was next and I don't know if being off the previous day, or having the closest seats in my life mattered, but they were smoking white hot. Two seats in front of us were empty, so my son and brother got to stand up against the wall. My son was smiling and clapping right from the beginning. Roger Glover and Ian Gillian noticed my son from the beginning and consistently made contact with him throughout the show. Roger made sure he got a pick and Ian gave him a working harmonica key chain. Ian Paice even gave him a nod. I gave Ian G. a couple of thumbs up and he returned the favor. The front three were constantly working the crowd, making individual contact with people.

I don't think the mix could have been any better. It sounded so clear and crisp. The separation of all five instruments were impeccable. They played their most recent set opening with Fireball, switching Space Truckin' for Black Night, and Hush and Highway Star for the encores. I don't know if time was an issue, but I did see Ian G. give RG a cut sign and there was no bass solo or Ian P. drum solo.

Ian G. was in top form and had quite a workout. He too seemed genuinely pleased with the crowd's enthusiasm, and after Highway Star he fell to the ground, lying completely on his back, exhausted. An amazing performance it was, and showed to at least one father and 8yr-old son that this band not only plays great music, but really cares and appreciates their fans, young and old. Thank you guys for a night we'll never forget.

Next up Scorpions. The mix was terrible, the stage amps turned up way too loud to distortion, and the front three played to the hall, not the people. (I saw them in W.Germany in 1982 while in the Air Force and have always liked them.)

Deep Purple won the battle by a wide margin Tuesday night in Moline.

Keith Krafft

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