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Manager's night

Gillan in the bar

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FRIDAY/AUG. 1

     This was the Manager’s Special night.
     I hooked up first with Bruce Payne around 11:30 p.m. in the hotel bar (where else!) or so, and then Colin and Charlie strolled in separately a short while after. Conversation soon turned to golf as I had booked Bruce and Charlie a tee time for Saturday afternoon at one of the finer golf courses in the world at Kananaskis — about an hour west of Calgary. Bruce even asked if I was interested in going, but I hadn’t been on the links for two years since our son was born — daddy is the babysitter in the daytime. Now, if I knew then what I know now — their eventual golf scores, I might have reconsidered! :-) Nah, I was committed to going to see the Saturday lineup of bands at the rock festival and they didn’t disappoint.
     On Purple issues, had a copy of LATO on hand, and Bruce confirmed what we all suspected — it was released by Thames just to get around the hassle of regular record company procedures and all the steps/headaches? that go with it. Just a live recording gift for the fans. I don’t think any of us are disappointed. It rocks.
     As far as touring this year, there may be a gig in Mexico come October, but there’s nothing officially planned for anything else this year. If something comes up that fits into all their respective schedules, more gigs may take place. So save up those dimes and quarters kids and see if you can book ’em at your local hall!
     I was amazed at how everyone was flying in separately from all over the place. Bruce from Conn., Colin and Charlie from Florida. And the band? Gillan from London, Glover from Conn, Lord from London (sitting behind IG), Paice from L.A. and Morse from Florida. All this for what turned out to be a one-off gig (remember the 2 B.C. shows cancellations) in Calgary. I remarked to Bruce how lucky I felt about this show because backstage in Nov/96 for the Toronto/N.Y. shows I was asking (more like begging) for more Purple come summer time. Never dreamed they would play this close to moi.
     As always, it was fun listening to the tales from the road of past Purple gigs. Said our goodnights about two hours later and told Bruce I’d see him the next night — same time, same bar . . . and hopefully with the band in tow!

Next: Aug.2/Gillan in the bar