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![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/airey2.jpg)
Smoking with Edgar
Costa Mesa: One of my all time favorite bands is back, touring in support of their new cd Rapture of The Deep. The cd has been out well over a year and they were supposed to tour last year. However, Ian Gillan released a solo album and a solo tour followed. As a result no Deep Purple. Sad.
However they are back, and rocking! Last night’s set was awesome! I really enjoy them much more now with Steve Morse on guitar than the old guy (what was his name? I cant remember!) Steve has always been a precise and excellent guitar player.
His Dixie Dregs and solo work have always been nothing short of amazing! I have felt that his presence in Deep Puple gives the band new life during live shows as he always has fun and interacts well with the band and the audience. Last night was no exception.
Ian also sounded very good last night. His voice was crisp and the energy level was very good by all of the members.
A big highlight was that Jill and Gary were there doing photography work for their friend Edgar Winter, who opened the show (I will post his set a bit later). Anyway, Edgar came out for Smoke on the Water and he and Deep Purple just ripped it up! It was a great night with great seats and great weather. I can’t wait for the bands return!
Set list as follows:
Pictures of Home
Things I Never Said
Into The Fire
Strange Kind of Woman
Rapture Of The Deep
Woman From Tokyo
Guitar solo (short)/
Well Dressed Guitar
Knocking At Your Back Door
Lazy
Keyboard solo
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
Highway Star
Smoke On The Water
Hush
The jam on Smoke on the Water went a bit extended with Edgar, which was awesome! As a result, the did not do The Battle Rages On during the encore, but having Edgar on stage with them was well worth it!
Mark Ploesch
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing