[ d e e p P u r . p l e ) The Highway Star

Indian review

To put into words what an experience Deep Purple was in the garden city of India would be quite impossible. From the opening number "Woman From Tokyo" to the closing "Highway Star", I was part of a 30,000 strong crowd that was treated to a spectacle of mind numbing music, pyrotechnics and enrapturing musical skills.

To many of the die-hard fans, the current Deep Purple line up may not look the same as it did in its hey day. But to say that they have lost their musical ideology and stage presence would be a grave mistake. Ian Gillan can still shatter glass with the amazing vocal mastery he still very much possesses. Jon Lord wears his usual epitome of coolness tag and Ian Paice can only serve as an inspiration to every aspiring drummer on the Indian rock scene. To say he has talent is like saying that the Pope is religious. Words can't describe the solo he executed on his skins, playing a one handed high-tempo drum roll on the snare with his right hand, which makes it all the more remarkable him being a left-handed drummer.

Steve Morse can burn a fret board as well as anyone else and his compact style makes for interesting music, especially with a rock medley that the band has put together, termed the "Italian ballad". Starting with snippets of Elvis's "Now or Never", onto AC/DC's "Back In Black" and so forth, it served as a prelude to the legendary "Smoke On The Water" which I can honestly say brought the whole house down. Never have I seen (call me sheltered) 30,000 screaming rock fans jumping up and down with hands flaying in the wind and voices singing in perfect unision to the tune of a song that no matter how many times I hear, still gives me goosebumps.

Roger Glover exhibited his usual brilliance on the 4 strings and kept the unit together.

I can only hope that Deep Purple continues to rock and come out with tunes that exhibit the brilliance of the early years.

Peace,

Sidharth Nazareth


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