![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/paice3.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/morse3.jpg)
Not to stress much about it
Vintage Guitar magazine publishes online a short interview with Simon McBride that originally appeared in the September 2024 print issue.
Did you adapt your style to Deep Purple, or was it already a good fit?
I think part of the beauty of Deep Purple over the years is they never really had a fixed “sign.” They have that ability to adapt. It was, “Let’s just play and see what happens.” I had ideas, which I pre-constructed in my studio; we all are always writing stuff. There’s a track called “Sharp Shooter,” which is from a riff I had. I thought, “That’s too heavy, they’re never going to use it.” But here we are. They’re using it! There are no rules.
Read more in Vintage Guitar
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
On April 20 Simon McBride posted on Facebook that he will be opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd on their European tour. Any more info on that?
May 1st, 2025 at 04:47“I think part of the beauty of Deep Purple over the years is they never really had a fixed “sign.” They have that ability to adapt. It was, “Let’s just play and see what happens.”
And that really is the beauty in it! And why Purple still feel fresh, vibrant and so much breathtaking 😍💜💜
May 1st, 2025 at 06:46The woman is right. Listen to her.
For once!
May 1st, 2025 at 11:33Peter, here, five German gigs in June & July plus one in Austria:
https://www.eventim.de/artist/lynyrd-skynyrd/lynyrd-skynyrd-celebrating-50-years-3785500/
If Simon plays as their opener it is of course nepotism of the worst kind given the incestuous relationship between DP and LS! 😂
Last time I saw Skynyrd (in 2019) they were real crap, they had severely underestimated the size of a hall (Festhalle, Frankfurt), played with a too small PA there, turned it up as loud as they could to compensate and the unpleasant noise that followed didn’t go unnoticed on stage either which showed in their general mood. To be fair, I’ve also seen them opening for Purple in 2003 on the Bananas tour (with a great sound) and they gave them a run for their money.
Rickey Medlocke, a shrewd businessman and capable guitarist plus natural frontman, of course by now acts like he owns LS which he probably does.
I might go to one of the gigs just for Simon, not that LS live is generally bad, but they are a greatest hits show, they basically play their Made In Japan (= One For/From The Road) in full.
May 1st, 2025 at 12:06So …we definitely do know now who is to blame for =1 being so bad !
May 1st, 2025 at 14:03Thanks Simon , at least you’re honest and take responsibility…I always thought Sharp Shooter was soo tacky and was like an album out take throw away from the Clear Air Turbulence or Come taste the band sessions …its a kiddies tune .
That confirms it for me …I won’t be buying the next album !
@1 Yes! I‘m gonna see them in Bonn on july 5th. 👍🏻
May 1st, 2025 at 14:30“That confirms it for me …I won’t be buying the next album !“
No matter, Steve, I always buy at least two copies (one for the car and for home), so I’ll make up for it!
May 1st, 2025 at 19:39@ Uwe
I saw a sensational Simon McBride gig in Munich just a month ago. Had bought the LS ticket months before and now I am looking forward to a great evening in a sweltering tent. Simon solo is a must. And =1 is brilliant.
May 1st, 2025 at 20:03Another new article about Simon and his influences, favourite albums, musicians etc etc.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/simon-mcbride-the-soundtrack-of-his-life
May 1st, 2025 at 23:15@7
May 2nd, 2025 at 07:09Uwe, I Can match that! Two copies and 1 download 😃
@9
Thanks MacGregor 🤗
May 2nd, 2025 at 07:09@5 Tastes differ, I do like Sharp Shooter a lot. But your comment makes me wonder. What for heaven’s sake has that song that qualifies it as an outtake from CAT? If there ever was an album related to DP that Sharp Shooter would not fit in – it’s this one. Well…except quality is the one thing in common.
May 2nd, 2025 at 07:22Thanks, Peter, ok that is a recommendation, I’ll likely go.
Tell us a bit more about the Simon gig you saw!
May 2nd, 2025 at 13:17Seems like he’s pretty down to earth.
May 2nd, 2025 at 13:18Being on the new album – I’m certainly in on the purchase!
Let’s rock !
@5 & 12
Guys, really thankful that you bring up Sharp Shooter.
You see, I have no clue what so ever what the song is about!
The lyrics is always very important to me, but I just can’t figure out what’s it all about.
May 2nd, 2025 at 14:56Is Ian singing to a guy? A girl? To me it’s quite ambiguous 😊
Karin @10: That’s only because you’re always distracted and lose things! 😂 If wasn’t for René …
May 2nd, 2025 at 16:16@16
Uwe, I do not lose things!
Actually I possess very few items, and my cds and dvds I would NEVER lose! Never ever!
René does have a lot more control over everything than I have, I wholeheartedly admit that 😄 but some confusion and weirdness is also cute I’ve been told 🤓
May 2nd, 2025 at 17:21@ 17 -Karin, just tell Uwe that you don’t ‘lose’ things, you only misplace them. There is a big difference, believe me, I know. Cheers.
May 2nd, 2025 at 22:31@18
Thanks MacGregor, I’ll do that 😃
Juuu-huuuuu Uuuuuweeeeeee: I never lose things I just misplace them!
(Right MacGregor? ☺️)
May 3rd, 2025 at 10:26From the wilderness of Tasmania, I hear the indigenous drums for your support loudly, Karin!
May 3rd, 2025 at 12:58@20
Well isn’t the Queen of Denmark from that area?
So nice with some support 😊
May 3rd, 2025 at 14:52@Karin- from the man himself -Caramba- hope this helps!
The complete lyrics – all in good time
some = all / the effluxion of time
106 Sharp Shooter
From the Deep Purple album =1
I couldn’t possibly explain this song, as most of you are far too young to cope with such a mature theme. I grew up with the distant fear of imprisonment should I ever conspire to corrupt public morals, which was once a serious crime (The OZ trial of 1971); an offence that carried a potential life sentence.
I’m still trembling at the knees and searching for obscure euphemisms in order to disguise my intentions from nice people who sit on the committee of righteousness and proper haircuts; those who would ban all colour except grey from the spectrum of life.
Sharp Shooter
May 4th, 2025 at 13:00@22
Aww thanks Kiddie 😊
May 4th, 2025 at 16:52I don’t see what Sharp Shooter would be about other than some attractive femme fatale that caught the ole Lotharian’s eye (and imagination).
It’s ok to busk about babes, you know.
May 4th, 2025 at 17:34@7, @10
Been buying the limited ultra special editions, with the vinyl, cd, T-shirt and many other stuff within, of the last ones since Now What?! and of course I will do it again if there’s another one. That should count for 2 o 3 of the average editions…
May 5th, 2025 at 18:32Love the MARK IX (as all of the other ones, all of them gatered together around the number II, the brightest of them all.)
Thinking about a NEW album makes me dizzy. Just don’t know how can still be. Unbelieveable.
@25
“and of course I will do it again if there’s another one”
I’m with you John!
May 5th, 2025 at 23:28Even if the cost meant I had to go 2-3 days without coffee, I would bye them 😊
@ 21- Mary the Queen of Denmark hails from Hobart town Karin, the largest city here, definitely not from the Tasmanian ‘wilderness’. Approximately a quarter of a million commoners, peasants and dung gatherers and counting do dwell in Hobart. Sorry, a sad attempt at humour especially when talking ‘royalty’, I had better be careful. I might get locked up in a dungeon or even get beheaded or something. I am not a genuine ‘Taswegian’ as I have only resided here for nearly nine years. I would be considered an imposter or something along those lines. A mainlander, one of those pesky ‘Australians’ who should have stayed up there. You hear all sorts of comments but that wouldn’t be any different in any country would it? I used to hear stories while I lived on the mainland about all Tasmanians having two heads. I have not encountered any as yet, but I do keep an eye out, just in case. Cheers.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-01/how-australian-mary-donaldson-became-queen-of-denmark/103276432
May 6th, 2025 at 06:30@27
“I might get locked up in a dungeon or even get beheaded or something.”
Well, not by me you won’t!
“You hear all sorts of comments but that wouldn’t be any different in any country would it?“
No unfortunately not! In the thread “Good to see…” you can see janbl mentioning him living on the ‘devil’s island’, well originally I’m from that island too, and moving to Jutland I was teased big time with my language 😄 even in a tiny country there is a big diff in the dialects.
But never mind the royals, never mind the dialects, because the blackbirds are in my area again and THAT is something to appreciate 😍
May 6th, 2025 at 08:36(Even though I know in your neighbourhood they are annoying!)
@ Uwe Hornung: here is my Munich concert report – but it will probably get lost in the internet space. I’ll send it anyway… whoosh…
Simon McBride and Band in Munich, April 01, 2025:
I had bought the ticket to see Simon McBride solo in late 2024 and I did not know what to expect. That evening, April 1st, 2025, I even had to push myself to get out of the house – there was an anxiety that the concert would be of purely instrumental prog music. Nevertheless, I must say that I really think McBride has added new energy to Deep Purple. I like his stage performance (cheeky on the earlier tours) and = 1 is a fantastic album. I arrived at the 400 peeps venue ”Strom“ much too early and found myself standing right in front of the belly-high stage. Their were quite a few shop-talkers keen on picking up a few Simon McBride licks for their home guitar use. Lick-spotters. It was about 20:45 hrs when the three-piece band started playing in front of a seemingly full house (but surely not 400). Simon was doing the vox and guitar, Dave Marks the four-strings, and Mart McCloskey was on the drums. This line-up has recorded and played together for a while and there is a lot of fun and positive vibes in their performance. Marks also tours with the Hans Zimmer Band. I must admit that this was all new terrain for me and I hadn’t done any homework before the concert. I knew none of the songs on the setlist, not even any of the five cover songs (not quite true). I was expecting two hours of shredding and a few Deep Purple classics. Well it turned out to be a hard bluesrock powerhouse with tiny hints of ”Smoke…“, “Speedking” and “Black Night“. My front of stage position was great for lick-spotting (yes, my barre chords have improved) and for feeling the energy on stage. I‘ve seen Simon four times with Deep Purple and never had I been only a nose-length away from his fretboard. The downside was that I didn’t really hear his singing. But at least I can say that his singing looks good. No really, he can sing. Simon was a bit confused by his setlist on paper and had to decipher the title to each song as his road manager had turned them all into unmentionable filth and smut. Honestly – the moderator would not publish my literary masterpiece if I put out what stood on that setlist: i.e. “Don’t Dare” was listed as “Dong Dare” etc. And yes, I did dig the gig. Simon spoke about his cover album and about how much he disliked the original version of The Cure‘s ”Lovesong“, but when he recorded it in halftime he liked the result. And that‘s what we got to hear and that was when I decided to buy his covers album after the show. ”So Much Love To Give“ is a killer song and it includes an unbelievable guitar and bass battle. See if you can find it on Youtube. Grandios! So, it turned out to be an evening worth its while and I am happy that I did go after all. The band signed the CD. Of course Simon was quite in demand and when it was my turn I said to him:”Thanks for blowing the cobwebs off your new band.“ I think he appreciated that.
Here’s the DP snippets: https://youtu.be/oa4R5Fuvau0?si=idwXl5fO582DNzlH
May 8th, 2025 at 15:22Herr Stickler, vielen lieben Dank für diese ausgezeichnete Konzertbesprechung! Much appreciated.
May 9th, 2025 at 13:02