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

Fire was on the stage and in our hearts...

Smoke on the water, and fire in the hearts.

I read all the reviews of this show and was surprised how positively people judge this show. Yes, the band is great, and the show was great, but my personal impression was not that bright. First CON - having a short set before (good, high-quality) Lynyrd Skynyrd is not the right thing. Second CON - sound... I wish I could kill sound guys. I was not close to the stage, but still unpleasantly surprised by harsh, rattling sound, especially on guitar.

This sound fitted Ted Nugent well... hmmm... what to say here without hurting his fans (if there are any here). I was quite surprised when I knew from the internet that this guy keeps torturing strings and his own throat for years. It looked, as my wife noticed, like boys going on with their school band rehearsal. Sorry guys, but for me as a progressive rock lover and European-minded person, it was a big pain in the ear (literally, too). Let alone lyrics with sparse vocabulary of "babe rock&roll c'mon" and talking to audience using 95% of "Shit","No shit","New York" words.

Alas, this sound flew over to beloved DP! Sounded like cheap computer speakers sometimes. I wish I could kill the guys who mix!!! As someone already has noticed, Jon was barely heard, and guitar was screaming sometimes just too far. The only time I saw DP before was in Germany '94, with Joe Satriani. Well, he was more accurate, Morse has... mmm... more fire... and probably chainsaw in a garage...

No, no way I would like to say that show was bad. NO! It was great, as people review here. Just my personal opinion, my perception is that there was some magic missing. Mist could not save "Smoke On The Water" mood from the way Morse played "greatest R&R riff ever (Glen King)". Or am I too exigent? Or just getting older (30)? [We all are! Rasmus 31] Anyone had the same feeling there at Jones Beach?

Then, Lynyrd Skynyrd rehabilitated American music after what Ted Nugent did.

Smoke was on the water, fire was on the stage and in our hearts... I burn through all the years. Thanks, Deep Purple!

Aleksey Gnilitskiy


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