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Arrow Classic Rock, Lichtenvoorde, Holland
June 27, 2003

1. Highway star
2. Knocking at your back door
3. Pictures of home
4. Haunted
5. Speed king
6. Well dressed guitar
7. I got your number
8. Lazy
9. Perfect strangers
10. Smoke on the water
11. Space trucking

12. Hush
13. Black Night

And the winner is… Deep Purple!
Deep Purple played for the over 20.000 classic rock fans at the Arrow Classic Rock Festival yesterday, they closed the day. Uriah Heep, Status Quo, Lynyrd Skynyrd were on before them, then Deep Purple came and tore the place apart!
Other bands that played on the fest that day were Thin Lizzy, Y & T, Wishbone Ash and a few other bands. I only saw UH, SQ, LS and DP in a row on the main stage.
Uriah Heep really sucked - why? The Keyboard player played Hammond on a synthesizer! Whahahahaha, what a flop! Besides, I don’t like the singer either.
Then came Status Quo - nice - as always, they did a good job and by now I know the setlist almost by head (its always the same). Then Lynyrd Skynyrd came. Cool band, good sound, very solid and they rocked. Only minus was the singer - what a show-off. He was constantly complaining to the audience that we did not applaud and shouted enough. He treated us like an American audience, and that sucked a bit, we are not Americans. But the music was cool especially the last song Free Bird which had some very nice and long solo-ing. Then it was Purple time. They started with Highway Star and they ROOOOOCKED!
The Man Of The Match tonight was DON AIREY. *What a man*. He is just Fantastic. He worked himself all into Deep Purple. He did some excellent solo’s - I was really stunned by his performance. He lets the hammond rattle and clatter - extreme is the word. And what is so nice about Don - he fills the songs up here and there with some synthesizer (orchestra’s, samples and loops) - and that is just what brings the extra touch to DP’s sound. And his solo-ing - simply amazing. He is absolutely the best man to replace Jon Lord. The rest of the band were also in top-form - Gillan’s voice was in a very good state (HOW the # does he keep his shape?!?), Roger’s bass sounded very full this time - what a thundering sound!!, Steve was great and gave us a very long intro to Smoke J, Ian Paice was superb (listen to him carefully in the middle piece of Black Night - fawless, he’s all over the drumkit) but too bad - no drum solo!
The new songs were also beautiful. Haunted - a nice rock ballad - Blind man / Wasted sunsets-style. I got your number - this song I need to hear again! It sounded great, and it’s not a simple song, actually quite well thought with very nice cords. I’m sure the new album sounds fantastic - can’t wait for the release!
Deep Purple sounds fresh again. Don Airey impressed me a LOT and I think he’s the one that lifts DP up and opens other musical perceptions for the rest of the band, just like Steve Morse did in ´95, ´96. He lifts the band to yet another level higher, DP sounded a lot more solid en powerful. The two new songs sounded amazingly fresh, new, different and solid and raised my expectations for the new album. In August last year I saw DP, they were nice but they missed the spark that they had yesterday!!
Deep Purple thanks a lot for a beautiful evening again, and see you again very soon!
Gerard Alberts, The Netherlands

I talked with a guy who saw them in Birmingham a few days earlier and he said Purple 'lost the audience'. Well, here in Lichtenvoorde it was definately NOT the case. The WHOLE crowd was into Purple. Everywhere around my people were singing and screaming along when they took off with HIGHWAY STAR. It's been a long time they openend the show with this one.
Reinier Scheffer - read Reinier's full review

"I just saw something..."
Our third Deep Purple Show in four weeks. Three parts of Europe (Belgium, Italy and now Holland) and three different shows.
To reassure all the fans. I don't know whether it was the Dutch audience or the shows but the score Deep Purple versus Skynyrd was 10 to 1 and Lynyrd Skynyrd did its best to get the crowd in action. Sorry guys....
Ian Gillan sounded a bit hoarse in the beginning but recovered rapidly and well.
I do really like Haunted! It's a good thing Purple left out Mary Long and put Knockin' in but I felt disappointed about leaving out I'm Alone, but that might be the result of playing at a festival.
Although DP played longer than any band the show was already over after 89 minutes. Everybody had great fun again on stage and so time flied although
I.G. was very tired as he kept saying for at least four times during the show. It gave Steve a chance to make him confused especially in the beginning of Speed King. Ian Gillan rushed to his papers (of the set lists) to check what was suppose to follow. We had a big laugh about it.
Steve Morse had also changed the riffs again during his solo. The Stones riffs were left out, Here comes the sun gone and Ticket to ride in and so on. We also liked the solo of Don Airey very much; with the complete Sience Fiction elements we heard the first time in Cologne aug 2002.
Deadly tired after arriving at home at 04.00 A.M. (imagine the traffic jams before and after the Festival with 30.000 people near a small village in a rural area of Eastern Holland) we had nevertheless a very good feeling after a successful festival, especially thinks to our own beloved Purple gang!
Thanks again guys for a wonderful show. See you all next time!
Jannie & Dirk de Hen

We were lucky to see Skynyrd from up close. And we stayed there to get the most out of Purple's show.
Made in Japan was my sixth album. I'd never seen Purple live though, until now. And I was not disappointed. Not at all.
The set opened with a blistering Highway Star and closed with Black Night. The crowd was humming the chorus when they noticed Black Knight's first chords! And they were humming it leaving the venue!
Smoke on the water, I Got Your Number, a superb version of Lazy! O yes, this was special.
IJme

The first thing I noticed was that DP with Don Airey is still DP! He’s doin’ a marvelous job behind the keys, and gave me no trouble whatsoever to get used to his sound. Sure I miss Jon, but in the same way I miss Ritchie, David, Glenn and all the others. They left some wonderful memories, but the ‘new’ DP is still a force to be reckoned with.
Harrie Hendriksen - read Harrie's full festival review

Although it had only been four weeks since Roeselare, couldn't wait for this one.
What a day, hey? To get so many top bands performing in the same place was quite an achievement. Took me back to a time when the music was what really counted. Everyone I spoke to had a really good time, but after all it was Netherlands. It was great to see so many of you guys (who have worked together in different bands), performing the best music in the world.
As ever DP, Delivered Perfection, with a great set.
It was always going to be difficult to fill Jon's role, but I thought Don was truly excellent. Steve's Guitar medley was clever, and the rendition of "Stairway" "just made me wonder" will we ever hear that live again?
It was clear to see the band were together, enjoying the music, and the rapport with the audience. It's fantastic that after all these years, you guys are still giving pleasure to so many with your excellent songs.
The day was kinda summed up when just before the encore a Dutch guy standing next to me said "Doesn't it make you proud to think this band is from your country?", and you know what, he couldn't be more right.
It's been another excellent tour, can't wait for the next one now. Good Luck, and take care. Thanks for a great time.
Nigel Bridges

Haunted – starting of with synths and purple lights creating a perfect atmosphere. The guitarsolo was bluesy and beautiful.
I Got Your Number – will become another Purple classic. Can’t wait to hear Bananas.
When Steve started to play Hocus Pocus of the Dutch band Focus I knew Smoke at arrived, followed by classic tracks that fitted in perfectly at a festival like this (only classic rock bands).
Backstage we had a great view. We had a great look on Ian Paice and saw his amazing drumskills, we saw Ian G. relaxing during a keyboard/guitarsolo. So many good memories.
Don proved to be the best replacement for Jon Lord. My son loved the Star Wars theme, but I know Don can do a lot more (I have some Colliseum II records to prove). Back in the old Rainbow days he played it also. So show us some more wizardry.
The band seemed to have fun onstage. During Speed King it seemed the band was joking with Ian Gillan. When Ian thought it was time to go back to the microphone the band started playing something else.
Theo and Vincent Moonen

Maybe it was because we saw them for the 7th time, but I wasn't impressed tonight....
The band sounded tight, Gillan's voice was better than ever, but the setlist was disappointing, to say the least. Highway Star, Knocking...., Lazy, Perfect Strangers; I've heard them all over and over again. Where were great albums like Purpendicular and Abandon?
And what was that keyboard solo? It felt like an insult to me. Star Wars? Come on, guys!
The new songs, well... I guess they have to grow on you. All in all, to me it felt like a rehearsal in front of a big audience. I hope the Bananas tour will be a lot more energetic and surprising (because I will be going, of course).
To me, Skynyrd and especially Y&T entertained me a lot more. [Uh-oh, competition from Ian's old drummer! Rasmus]
Sorry, guys!
Walter Coolen

DP played after a (surprisingly!) great gig from Lynyrd Skynyrd. So they better be good. They were - and they were not.
First of all, I had the chance to stand very close to the stage, so I was warmed by the sheer joy Gillan & Co had in playing and foolin' around with the audience. Second, I was very impressed by the way mr. Morse and mr. Airy made me forget (at least half of the time) certain heroes of the past.
What I missed was a more adventurous set though. It was too predictable, just a few surprises.I guess if it had been another band, I was very content, but hey, we are talking Purple here!
To me Purple always was about five almost jazz-like musicians who played whatever they felt like, taking risks, one creating right on the spot, the others reacting and the audience witnessing it. The only one taking risks on stage was Mr. Gillan, the rest of the band was very solid but I hoped for some extra efforts, but it might have been the fact that it was a festival
As for the new Bananas tracks; Haunted, a nice balad and I've got your number; good uptempo, a bit Vavoom Ted - but both songs had a kind of 80s sound.
Wonder if they know that "new" groups like Queens Of The Stone Age sound very much 2003 but also very much In Rock 1970.
Adri Karsenberg

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