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From: Makoto Ikeda <ikeda@isocs.iso.ch> 
Subject: DP at Montreux Jazz Fest review

So let's get the bad news out of the way first so that we can end on a good note. Originally DP was the only act scheduled. It was presented as "Deep Purple: 25th anniversary of Smoke on the Water". Unfortunately the organisers crammed in another act, ZZ Top, due to space problems. So the set list was extremely short. But anyway...

DP was introduced by "Funky Claude" Nobs. The five came strolling out and was welcomed as the band who put "Montreux on the map". After handshakes from the mayor and Nobs, they were off with Fireball.

The set list:

  • Fireball
  • Ted
  • Pictures of Home
  • Black Night
  • Cascades
  • Woman From Tokyo
  • No One Came
  • When A Blind Man Cries
  • Hey Cisco
  • Speed King
  • SOTW (encore)

Only 11 songs for less than 90 minutes!!! :-( I really missed not hearing Highway Star as I would like to know how Steve handles the solo. Still it was quite good seeing the band having a great time.

Highlights for me:

  1. Steve and Jon parrying instruments in Black Night and Speed King.
  2. No One Came, just simply incredible!
  3. Roger and Steve singing in Hey Cisco (and encouraged by Ian).
  4. Speed King (with Not Fade Away and other bits, the only time when there was an extensive amount of "noodling"). This was my favourite part of the set, although I would have liked to hear Steve play that explosion of a riffmeister at the beginning.

Some quotes/factoids said:

  • From Jon "When A Blind Cries was written in the Grand Hotel".
  • From Ian "Rog wrote Smoke on the Water".

During Steve's solo in Cascades, someone shouted out "Blackmore", but this did not bother him at all. He smiled throughout the whole concert and added a great deal of atmosphere to the proceedings.

And as they came out for the encore, a real surprise... Ritchie Blackmore came out and joined the band members in a 25th anniversary rendition of Smoke!!! ... err, sorry, got carried away there.

At the very end, Claude came out and gave medals out to each of the five. A very personal touch to a fine concert, but I feel like I haven't seen the whole thing yet.

The local Swiss Romande paper had an article on Purple at the festival.

Makoto

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