![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan5.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/mcbride3.jpg)
Once upon a time in Budokan
After a year-long hiatus of 2025, Deep Purple have started their massive world tour on April 11 at the place that helped them to get propelled into the superstardom — Tokyo Budokan.
I must sya, the esteemed genlemen look good, all that sex drugs and rock’n’roll must be finally paying off.
Thanks to ロックっていいね倶楽部 for the videos and to Mike Whiteley for bringing them to your attention.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Gillan still has a warm mid range but his very strained higher range in combination with his lost screaming ability is becoming more of a problem. I trust they will completely revamp the setlist after the new album is out, in order to shake things up and to find songs which enables Gillan to shine more. When the lead singer is ailing, the focus shifts to the band. Not a problem for Paicey, Glover and McBride (nice tone) but a challenge for Airey, whose lack of improvisation detracts from the enjoyment.
April 12th, 2026 at 09:25Instead of
April 12th, 2026 at 09:40“You don’t want to live, don’t want to cry no more”
He says
“You don’t want to cry, don’t want to live no more”.
They also played a new instrumental called Guinnesis: https://youtu.be/V8dZDvJFom8
April 12th, 2026 at 10:03@ 1. “I trust they will completely revamp the setlist after the new album is out…” While I share your hope, were I betting man I would not put money on this happening.
April 12th, 2026 at 10:27Does anyone have informations what happened to Simon‘s left wrist? I noticed it yesterday when they met the PM.
April 12th, 2026 at 10:33Do you remember Steve playing with a cast on his left wrist 1999/2000 ? He is such a pro and dedicated to the music – whatever will happen.
The new piece just seems to be the instrumental that never was with Steve (except for „The well-dressed guitar“). Sounds great – I‘m very curious what the new album will sound like.
Not wishing to start any trite set bashing, but wouldn’t the inclusion of My Woman From Tokyo have been called for given the geography of the tour start?
April 12th, 2026 at 12:52Gillan seemed to warm up as the concert went along, but he has aged so much . I have always admired his desire to carry on doing what he does, but now I think it is one tour too far. He is missing the start of words especially the “s” eg moke on the water, maybe he has struggled with new teeth(Coverdale was never the same with his new ones) . I know it was the first concert and things will loosen up a bit, but would you recommend going to a show to a casual concert goer. Sorry to be negative.
April 12th, 2026 at 13:34I can not listen or watch these clips anymore. I love the band, but it is time for the final farewell.
April 12th, 2026 at 14:16I think Gillan sounds fantastic for a man who is nearly 81 , I doubt it will last for the whole tour though .
Very disappointed with the set list and the arrangements ( although tweaked in places , are the same ) as I’ve said for a while now , it’s just a cabaret show that’s milking it a bit too much now !
As for the new song ? …what a load of dross ! …its just this twiddly dee stuff that we have heard for years ( well dressed guitar, things I never said, Rapture, Nothing at all ….need I go on ? ) rearranged. Surely musicians of this quality can come up with something a bit more exciting and innovative!?
I’m not criticising , just telling the truth.
I love the band …always will …but I doubt I’ll buy the new album !
April 12th, 2026 at 14:36Sorry
Woah!
I look so much forward to see my musical heroes in October (and November!)
April 12th, 2026 at 15:40At FB I read someone commenting on people criticising Ian’s voice: Ian is the inheritance of the collected generation!
And I love that 😍
Yeah, of course his beautiful voice isn’t what it was, but listening to him, I hear all that was…. All the years collected in his singing 🤩
And the lyrics are still breathtaking 💜💜💜
Full show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLw48lOdXGk&list=RDMLw48lOdXGk&start_radio=1
April 12th, 2026 at 15:55Steve Morse left / was fired at the right time and rightly tried to persuade the guys to stop some time before he went which probably contributed to his demise. Same old set list, same old cliche wine drinking from Don etc. I don’t think this presents the band in a very positive light. Sorry, I have loved this band for years but this is a tour too far in my opinion. People will still go so what do I know.
April 12th, 2026 at 17:48@ 9 Agree on the new “song”.. nothing much to write home about.
April 12th, 2026 at 19:00@7 and @8: Been saying this for years. It’s become cabaret, paint by numbers, you name it. The musicianship is still high and the studio albums are usually quite good, but the setlists are boring, the playing rarely daring, and Gillan no longer should sing many of these songs on stage. It’s painful to listen to and watch. Please throw Into the Fire into the rubbish. Don’s intro to Lazy hasn’t changed in years. I don’t think Jon ever played the same intro to Lazy twice.
Time to act your ages, lads. Rush did it. Purple could, too. Purple were often much more than a heavy rock band but you’d never know that by this setlist.
Here are just some mid tempo tracks they could work into the sets to show off their chops and/or give the audience and Gillan’s voice a break: Anyone’s Daughter, Mary Long, Sometimes I Feel like Screaming, The Aviator (tribute to Steve), Fingers to the Bone, Never a Word, Clearly Quite Absurd, Above and Beyond, The Surprising, Nothing at All, Roll my Bones, I’ll Catch You.
Uncommon Man and Blind Man are powerful tunes but Gillan struggles to pull them off.
The only songs a Gillan-fronted Purple should play in every set are Highway Star, Smoke, and Perfect Strangers. They could rotate Black Night and Hush in the set and the rest of it should be reimagined. Turn the volume down a tad, have fun, and stop pretending you’re in your 20s. You fool no one.
April 12th, 2026 at 20:39Of course , we all know the 2 …or even 3 magical ingredients that are missing!?
I’ve got a novel idea …for the last and final ever album , why not go over to a New York studio ( cus Blackmore can’t travel anymore ) …and do something with him !?
April 12th, 2026 at 20:40I can’t see that ever happening for lots of reasons ( that we can all speculate about ) so , what I personally would like to see is , a final studio album with Steve ! I think that would be totally appropriate and bring some happy and amicable closure for the band and fans alike .
but what would be the new song?
April 12th, 2026 at 21:23Biology being what it is, I have resigned myself to the fact that with every new tour there will be a little less of DP’s former might. Let’s not kid ourselves, nobody gets better with age doing things that require physical stamina which a concert gig of rock music no doubt does. If I would not accept this law of nature, I would have stopped going to DP gigs a long time ago.
It’s nothing I keep going on about though. They still have a long way to go to reach the nadir that was Reunionbow.
April 12th, 2026 at 21:40@9 It seems to me that you are confusing the concepts of truth and opinion.
April 12th, 2026 at 22:11#8 Crabby:
Don’t doubt that the final farewell is almost here.
That’s exactly why I love watching these videos, and I’ll be back to see Purple live this year.
#9 Steve:
Unfortunately, like many others, you haven’t quite understood that you should ignore the criticism and enjoy Deep Purple for as long as they live.
#6 Uwe:
you’re right, but WFT which seems banal is actually one of the most demanding pieces for the voice of the entire MKII period, maybe they didn’t play it for this reason.
#12 Andrew:
but what problems do you have?
Purple are 80 years old, it’s their last tour, let them play the songs they love before time is over, otherwise we’ll only hear these masterpieces from tribute bands.
and this is said by someone who criticized Purple for their setlists over the last 15 years with Morse.
but now realize that 60 years of history of the greatest rock band in the world are coming to a final farewell.
Mind, body, heart and soul
April 12th, 2026 at 23:32We got rock and roll
And there’s nothing they can do
Oh man, lotta negative vibe here, even… haters?
@7 Of course I would recommend
@8 you can’t stad watching this (?!) Don’t do it, but don’t wish them farewell, please, these band has been buried since late 80’s as far as I remember, and here they are, alive and kicking as EVER
@9 The new song sounds like a great instrumental piece to me, ELP style, Don doing great, Simon incredible, in this new piece as well as all through the concert. Eagerly waiting for the new album
All in all, what do you want (or expect)?? Gillan’s voice is what it is, yeah, but Karin (the Purple-come-hell-or-high-water one) said it in an unbeatable (and beautiful) way. Simon’s a monster, solely him it’s worth all the money you paid. To see him playing in this/with the band. The way he plays Lazy, only second to Blackmore, pardon to the extraordinar Mr, Morse and all others on the guitar in preceding MARKs. The way he plays the fighting with Don’s on the final part of Hush…
I just can’t believe they are still going on, with this energy, with a monster of a tour ahead and with a new album coming on, that I WILL buy for sure, the most superdeluxe edition that I can.
I’m glad the legend goes on. Long live DP!
April 13th, 2026 at 00:43@5 McBride has a fractured wrist, according to a statement he made on his Facebook page.
I still enjoy the music, even though Gillan’s voice is spotty at times on the high notes. I understand, though: he’ll be 81 in August. I think of guys like Chuck Norris who were athletic their whole life, yet he just died nine days past his 86th birthday. And Ritchie Blackmore, who couldn’t perform more than one gig before last year’s Blackmore’s Night tour was canceled due to his many health problems: vertigo, cardiac arrest in 2023, disc replacements in his neck and back, visual sensitivity to light.
What sets Purple apart from the vast majority of bands is their staying power. Gillan, Glover, Paice are pushing 60 years in DP. If it were all about the money, they would’ve hung it up and enjoyed retired 30 years ago, being millionaires and all. I give them credit for having that passion for music – even if it’s not quite as powerful as it once was.
April 13th, 2026 at 03:25They can’t make a new setlist every night just to please youtube viewers.
April 13th, 2026 at 05:47I definitely don’t expect to see a new “Made in Japan” (performance-wise) next time I see them (in October),
I’m just looking forward to seeing them again no matter what they play (who knows, maybe for the last time).
I’ve followed them for so many years (since 1971).
I am surprised by all the negative comments.
April 13th, 2026 at 07:13Deep Purple set list hasn’t changed for a long time with the expectation of 3 or 4 songs maximum and considering they haven’t released a new album then the songs from equal one will be the new material used in the form of 3 to 4 songs maximum.
They are getting old so they are less adventurous and they need to keep the crowd happy playing the classical songs.
I won’t be surprised if the North America set list will have less of the new stuff.
I think the performance is great considering the long year off touring.
Enjoy more and criticize less
Peace ✌️
I think it’s a little late to start complaining that Ian’s voice isn’t what it was anymore (to me it hasn’t been since he first left in 1973) or that the set list is a bit static (less static than Oasis’ set list though who are last I heard quite a bit younger).
DP as a phenomenon are drawing to a natural close as a live act. Discharge with full honors. Behold the wonder.
April 13th, 2026 at 07:44@9 Steve
> As for the new song ? …what a load of dross ! …its just this twiddly dee stuff that we have > heard for years ( well dressed guitar, things I never said, Rapture, Nothing at all ….need I > go on ? ) rearranged
If it reminded me of something that would be “Remission Possible”.
April 13th, 2026 at 07:49I do not know if it will be in the new album, I found it OK but I doubt it will be a highlight. Or, to put it better, I hope the new album will have other highlights!
@19 & @20, great replies!
April 13th, 2026 at 07:58I think you need to be close to 60 years of age to appreciate what our heroes are still doing at their ages. Uwe, you are (obviously) correct in pointing out the erosion to one’s body as time bolders on and yes, if you expect the same energy as ‘70’s/‘80’s DP you will be disappointed. Last night I had a long haul flight and listened to the Nobody’s Perfect album, my word Gillan sounds good (@Karin).
No doubt in my mind, I will be traveling to see my heroes live during this tour and I will tag a couple of days onto the trip to create another DP memory. DP fans stay happy and positive, enjoy them one more time!
There are so many people here criticizing Deep Purple. I feel like I’m on some Led Zeppelin site. @19 @20 @21 @22, you know what I’m talking about.
April 13th, 2026 at 09:53@14 Well George M. your suggestions of songs to be added to the setlist reads like a list of 100% showstoppers for me. Not sure the crowd wants them to play stuff like Never a Word (if anyone knows it) and after all the band seem to like to play the bigger halls and satisfy audiences with their greatest hits. I am thankful they throw in a couple of new songs on every tour, not all of those classic rock bands still touring do so as we know.
Could I do without Black Night? You bet. I could even do without SotW. And Highway Star is a high energy workout that seems to suffer the most from their age to these ears. But I guess most folks would think of vandalising the hall (thinking of it – not doing it of course…due to THEIR age) if DP didn’t play SotW.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:40PS: I’m no singer but I guess some of the songs on your list (Mary Long, Sometimes I feel like screaming) are pretty hard to sing for IG these days too.
I’m with Uwe here. Noone would expect a band in their 80s to act and sound like one in their 20s. You know what to expect when you buy a ticket. And to me … they are not good enough for a band their age. They are good enogh for a band at any age. I just had the pleasure to watch Ian Paice from afew yards distance and man was I impressed. And while IG sure doesn’t sound like in former years I feel he sings better now than on many shows in the 80s.
There’s many things you cannot perform like before when you’re getting old. Music, sports … you name it. Does that mean you have to stop it altogether? I don’t think so.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:54Saw the setlist from Japan, I mean how many tours do they have left, you would think they would play all the Hit’s, 3 key songs missing & I hope they add them to the US leg of the Tour, (Knocking at your Backdoor) (Perfect Strangers) & (Women from Tokyo)
April 13th, 2026 at 11:07Fla76, you have a point with the jaunty Woman From Tokyo always being surreptitiously a tough song to sing for Ian (because he kind of sings it between two voices) – of course they could change the key to accommodate him these days, but tuning down isn’t exactly Purple’s strength or habit. It would make life easier for the stubborn old man sometimes though.
April 13th, 2026 at 13:24Age catches up with everyone. As long as they enjoy doing what they do and the audience appreciates it, let them continue touring. The fact that they have become boring to me (Don in particular), doesn’t mean other folks won’t find them exciting!! They have been my favorite band since 1973 but, as we all know, good things do finally come to an end. I’m looking forward to next studio album though!!
April 13th, 2026 at 15:13Ten years after
I’m glad that the song “Anya” (a big DP song) is on the setlist since Mc Brain is in the lineup
It all started in 2016 on Ian Gillan’s solo tour. Simon McBride was the guitarist for Don Airey’s band who accompanied Big Ian on tour. I was at a concert on that tour in Belgrade. . Big Ian + band, backing three vocals (one Ian’s daughter Grace), + Belgrade Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Beltley Klein …perfect play and sound …best moment of the concert song Anya..about like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFKmzD0hGAw&list=RDRFKmzD0hGAw&start_radio=1
Violins and Brass section still give me goosebumps to this day..like Richie’s riff Burn or SOTW ..big Ian sang brilliantly, Simon showed his talent, Don together with Stephen made a superb arrangement….like at the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 haha ..great music master Don Airey
April 13th, 2026 at 17:07I’ll let you all into a little secret …Don Airey actually left the band years ago . What comes out every night now is a Android / AI version of him that they have programmed to play exactly the same intros and exactly the same solos …every single night !
April 13th, 2026 at 18:48Does Big Ian have the voice he once did? Of course not. Age waits for no man. I’d rather have a chance to see him miss some notes rather than not see them at all.
April 13th, 2026 at 20:43Simon sounds great. Ian’s vocal accompaniment is worthwhile. I’m just thrilled to see them 50 years after the first time.
April 13th, 2026 at 21:25@ 19 & 20. Totally agree. Listened to the entire concert and apart from Simon having a sound issue with one of his solos it was classic Purple. Yes, Ian did struggle to start with but loosened up as the show progressed. Thought he handled WABMC well with applause from Simon & little Ian.
April 14th, 2026 at 00:09Only thing missing was Roger’s bass solo.
Have been a fan since 1971 and would give anything to see them one more time downunder in NZ. Here’s hoping!!!
Cheers
Phil
I was at both Budokan and Osaka. I loved both shows and so did the audience! I can vouch for that. Now looking forward to Nagoya!
April 14th, 2026 at 00:17Dear All in this forum. I love reading the comments, opinions and wisdom in this forum. I find it sometimes funny or intellectual or philosphical just like DP themselves. Our heroes are fighting the good fight we all face: staying sane and dignified facing old age. Sometimes it‘s not pretty.
April 14th, 2026 at 05:48If it wasn‘t for the magical internet and YT, we wouldn‘t even have these discussions and level of scrutiny.
I recommend NOT watching too much YT before seeing them live, because they are so much better when you‘re watching them live. The Power they still have is mind- boggling. I myself am pushing 60, but my front row guys and me still give it our best to reach front row center and marvel at world‘s best still active rock legends.
They will grace the brand new Stravinski Auditorium in Montreux for the 60.th edition!!! Rival Sons supporting and we will be there because we have disliked holidays without DP gigs since the PS tour! Go see them live and be moved and overwhelmed by their power and your own emotions.
Each setlist has pros and cons and you can never satisfy everybody.
Dirty Harry said it best: opinions are like a….holes, everyone‘s got one, Peace out
Bonjour.
Is no one notice when Ian came back from backstage ?
Don’t remember the song but he try to find his mic on the stand
then realized the mic was on his back pocket of his pants.
Is hard to see him getting blind like that.
When the blind man will crie We are all going to cry.
IMO the «hommage » for Jon and the concerto in the philharmonic at the end of this year might be a goodbye.
Sad , but hey the guys are 80 y old.
Who got a dad or uncle or brother whom is 81? Picture them doing what big Ian does. Is hard but it’s real. Is for everyone the same.
Au revoir. And long live DP family.
April 14th, 2026 at 08:28The new song sounds a touch like this Marks ‘Wring That Neck.’
I last saw them in the winter of 2012. This is the concert I will compare them to when I see them next in August. Anything earlier is madness. Even if you could snap your fingers and bring the band back to 2006 with a Mark II reunion it wouldn’t compare to 1993 Germany/Sweden, or Australia 1985, France 1975, London 1974, Japan 1972, hell Denmark 1968. Even the best Bolin concerts are better than they are now. Last Concert in Japan for Lord, Paice and Coverdale alone has way more fire. Aside from Simon, these men are all seniors and at the lifespan of the average human. When you take that into consideration, the way they play is amazing. There is not a single band out there with 4 out of five members at 76 and above performing like this. They’re still 5 guys on a stage with no player augmentation (Here’s looking at you Pete & Roger). There are zero backing tracks unlike Bon Jovi, KISS, Motley Cruë…the list is endless when you include much of the post 2000’s artists who are all in their physical prime.
April 14th, 2026 at 08:40To all the complainers it will all soon be over. This band in this configuration will not see 2020/30. When Gillan retires Glover will most likely go with him. Paice, Simon, Airey, Nick Fyffe and Glenn Hughes could maybe extend it to maybe 2030…just kidding. Wait, just think about it guys. They open with Burn and…
I should remind everyone that no singer sounds their best at the start of a tour… Ian needs time to get back into the swing of things. That said, I also share concerns with his dropping of consonants at the start of words and that his upper register sounds very strained.
What I think is needed are three simple fixes:
1) Gillan needs a vocal coach with him on tour to help keep his voice in shape. When I saw them two years ago in 2024, while he couldn’t scream, his voice sounded fucking fantastic for 79 years of age. He needs someone to help him get his voice back in shape and keep it there, daily, while they’re out on the road.
2) Don and Simon need to improvise way more and not play the same solos night after night, although I will note Don improvises more than Simon does at this point. Simon has been playing the same solos night after night for four years now – this is Deep Purple for fuck’s sakes – get back to your roots and jam lads! C’mon now!
3) The setlist needs to be totally revamped and refreshed – considering this is their last tour more than likely, a setlist comprised of the Blackmore, Morse and McBride eras equally would be a welcome change! They should not be afraid to embrace their entire legacy, including their 28 years with Steve!
#1 is unlikely to happen, I know (and it still needs to imo). #2 and #3 are very doable however – if we can get 2 out of the 3 for the final tour, I’ll take it! C’mon Deep Purple, you can do better than this, surely!
Is this really how you want to go out?? Get it together boys, I know you can do it!!!!
April 14th, 2026 at 11:34A rather disappointing set list. Gillan can’t carry Into The Fire anymore, I don’t like Uncommon Man because I don’t like ELP, ditto Bleedin’ Obvious and Hush & Black Night have been the encore for over 20 years now. It was time for a change of encore 10 years ago.
April 14th, 2026 at 14:40I can’t believe Ian is still trying to sing “into the fire”, he doesn’t have the voice for it anymore. I think “no one came’ or “living wreck “would be better choices.
April 14th, 2026 at 19:52#34 Steve:
It’s true, Don is very attached to his playing standards, but in reality he has never been an improvisational keyboard player, he has always taken fewer risks than Jon Lord or others, even if as a technique he is one of the three/four best living keyboard players on the face of the planet.
It must be said that even the Morse of the last decade always played on his usual licks.
I heard the new song, and when Don introduced it I started yawning. It sounds like something he’s already played on Whoosh, Infinite, or Rapture…
As for the setlist, there’s definitely no way they’d include songs from the Morse era.
April 14th, 2026 at 22:55I would also do without listening to Black Night & Hush again, but there’s no way they wouldn’t play them on the last tour.
Perfect Strangers will 100% be there…other songs like Into the Fire would actually be better removed in favor of something less tiring for Ian, but it’s a song that he himself loves and it’s ideal for the setlist because it’s short.
@43, I enjoy Uncommon Man because it sounds like ELP.
@29, I don’t expect them to sound like they did when they were in their 20s. I don’t want them to try to sound like that. That’s my point. Play smaller halls, show off their chops, give Gillan a fighting chance with lower decibels and changing keys to fit his reduced range.
If they don’t need the money, why play the big halls? I think most of their graying fan base wouldn’t mind if they put a couple slower, more melodic numbers in the set. If they insist on something from In Rock, how about Flight of the Rat? IG could handle that.
Purple is tied with Tull as my favorite rock band. I just don’t like to see them going out this way. Speaking of Tull, Ian Anderson’s voice is also shot and has been for decades.
Cheers
April 15th, 2026 at 00:52If I may add a personal comment:
In my humble opinion NO ONE (at least no one I have heard) can sing, or could sing like Ian throughout the years.
How many men at 80 do you know that sing better?
And I do not only focus on the quality of his voice, I focus on everything 😍
When he opens his mouth I hear all that was, and I am still pretty impressed with the Voice.
Some of you in here won’t listen to him, well, that is your choice of course, but me: I’ll be first in line cheering them on 🤩
(Oh and Simon McB was so amazing! He is the worthy successor to RB 💜)
I saw the show from the 11th of April, and yes Ian is vanishing now and then out back, but his face, his beautiful face is shining and he looks so content.
Guys, this band has been going on (with some pauses) since I was born!
And they look like they thrive in each other’s company.
Of course I can hear his voice is the voice of an older man, but the history and the legacy is shining through in every single syllable 🤩
April 15th, 2026 at 05:12Hope they revamp the setlist for the US leg of the Tour. Who knows, this could be their last, give the people what they want and add three very popular songs in the US, (Perfect Strangers), (Knocking at your Backdoor), & (Woman from Tokyo).
April 15th, 2026 at 08:48To elaborate further for people that do not like my comment that they should have the “final Fairwell” once and for all. Gillian needs to retire. The other members are top notch performers, and it is not fair for them to put up with subpar singing. Gillian is an old singer. David C. retired with class. How come Gillian cannot take the final bow? Would love to see them bring in Glenn Hughes for an album and let him have the honor of being a solo singer. Now that guy can still belt out some tunes and plays heavy rock rather than that last crap DP album of covers.
April 15th, 2026 at 12:39Frankly, I have never been much of a fan of In Rock material being played live, even back in the 70s – I found it unsurprising that already by 1972 most In Rock numbers had been phased out in favor of newer stuff.
In Rock is a hugely important album for DP (and the history of heavy rock/heavy metal), but as a crucible of a newly forged sound (sort of MC5ish – Lester Bangs was right with that comparison – with an ultra-loud Hammond added) and as the brandishing of unheard of before instrumental expertise, not as a collection of strong songwriting. To my ears nearly all of In Rock and still much of Fireball sounds formative compared to the songwriting heights DP reached on MH and WDWTWA.
And another point that for me speaks against the inclusion of In Rock songs in later live sets is that the whole record is very much a young man’s game, it’s as much an unadulterated energy tour de force as, say, the Sex Pistols’ debut – recapturing that angry young men’s Sturm & Drang in later years is the hardest thing and next to impossible.
April 15th, 2026 at 12:48I don’t agree that anyone including Glenn (who has his own health concerns) should step in for Gillan. I do think if Gillan could have seen himself give these performances 30, 20 or even 10 years ago he would have been appalled. We all know the aged neighbour who won’t give up driving until an accident or concerned relative intervenes. That same aged driver would have been heard saying they would definitely know when to give up some years earlier. Bron can’t advise him sadly, but his bandmates should make sure this sad spectacle concludes at the end of this tour if, god forbid, the accident hasn’t happened by then.
April 15th, 2026 at 17:14#49 crabby:
Maybe it’s not clear to you that Gillan will be the final bow at the end of this tour.
After Gillan, there will never be a Glenn or a David or any other singer in Purple, Purple will cease to exist, so some fans will cry, and other fans will not complain anymore.
#50 Uwe:
April 15th, 2026 at 21:47you’re right, but I think it’s also a duty to play a piece from InRock.
when Purple reintroduced Hard lovin man I had an orgasm, and I have to say that in the Wacken live it was really heavy, but it was practically 15 years ago, today it wouldn’t be possible
(Child in Time would be wonderful number with Gillan’s screams sampled and images of her as a young girl in the background on the LedWall)
In Rock has always been a ‘young man’s game’ album. Child in Time should never have been attempted after the 1980’s, and even then it was sounding a little too much, vocally, for want of a better description. Agree also with the comment about the songs in todays’ set and I have said as much a few times as plenty of other aficionados have too. Why in the name of Hell does Ian Gillan attempt those vocals histrionics? Madness if you asked me. Gillan is a rebel though, so good luck trying to stop him. A ‘die with your boots on’ attitude indeed. Cheers.
April 15th, 2026 at 21:58@49 You need to stop dictating to other people what they should and should not do. Especially when you are obviously unable to spell their surname.
April 16th, 2026 at 07:30To take a leaf from your book, you need to retire from posting comments here.
It’s getting to the point somebody should tell them to retire…heard TONS of flubs across the first few shows. Bass way off, Gillan can’t even sing Smoke on the Water or Black Night anymore without having to talk through the verses. Hard to watch, I’m sure it comes across better live but good lord. The fact Into the Fire is still being attempted is hilarious. There’s so many songs they could add in that have excellent instrumental parts and are easier to sing – Gypsy’s Kiss? Wasted Sunsets? Battle Rages On?
April 16th, 2026 at 15:18Stathis, I love you, but other people’s spelling mistakes should not be held against them as an argument against the validity of their contentions. Not a good look. It happens to all of us.
Big Ian will resign when he sees fit, no force on earth will get him to do it any sooner. Let him make the call – he will. But if someone slips him that Glenn – of all people! – would follow his footsteps as lead singer of Mk II material, IG will still be singing from his grave! 😂 You know what he – if unjustly – thinks of Mk III. And I’d prefer seeing Glenn playing Play Me Out and Feel in full in a club than to him belting out Mk II songs in arenas – he didn’t enjoy that too much already the first time around,
Comparisons between DC’s already effected retirement and IG’s – whenever that may be – I don’t get. In case you missed it, DC had to give up touring and singing because it was endangering his health, with IG we just see an age-related deterioration of voice. But in any case, it can’t be much longer for him, he’s already served more years than anyone of us could have rightfully expected over the decades/half-century of our fandom.
I was in Berlin yesterday and saw a Paul Simon gig captioned A Quiet Celebration, basically his farewell tour, where he is eschewing large halls he could easily sell out, preferring more intimate midsize venues (and then playing several gigs in one city). He’ll be turning 85 this year – he also looks a little like he suffered a stroke sometime in the more recent past. On a lot of songs, he has to skip notes or change the melody a little. The devotion to and passion for his craft is however still there. He played his newest album – a somber and not very ear-endearing, yet profound musical prayer called Seven Psalms – completly and then a choice of mostly deep cuts (quite a few never played live before) in often starkly different arrangements (ony two Simon & Garfunkel songs: Sounds Of Silence and The Boxer, both in very sparse, almost skeleton versions), avoiding obvious hits such as Mother & Child Reunion, Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes or You Can Call Me Al. He had a dozen top notch musicians on stage, using some of them only for a few songs or even moments, touring with them must cost him a fortune. And as I sat there listening (Edith is the Paul Simon fan in the family), I couldn’t help but think how this is a way you can treat your musical legacy too and age perfectly with grace.
I know, I know, Paul Simon is not a rocker and yesterday wasn’t a rock show (though the guitarists played some blistering solos). But man what a difference to the care and intensity you find applied to musical legacies at Reunionbow or Mk IX gigs.
April 16th, 2026 at 17:12#53 MacGregor:
You said it right, Gillan is a rebel, and he does what he thinks best and he doesn’t care about critical comments and he only cares about the rock that flows through his veins making him feel alive with his songs!
If people at the PC keyboard don’t appreciate the band and the singer, that’s their business, they can go to hell, this is the thought of someone who now feels the inexorable passage of time!
#56 Uwe:
April 16th, 2026 at 21:29I think Blackmore had the same thought as Gillan on the Réunion Rainbow tour: if you don’t like it, go to hell!
I’ll just say this ….this! Lol
Let’s not forget it’s a forum where everyone has an opinion …I’m definitely not saying my opinions are right ( cus they’re not ) …but they are right to me ! And nor will I ever force my opinions on people and insist that I’m 100% right …the truth is , I think we are all a little bit right and I love to see what everyone thinks .
I personally think Gillan is singing fantastic and he’s a force of nature …the guy is nearly 81 FFS …I think into the fire sounds amazing ….but we all know he’s not going to sound the same as he did years ago …but, so longs he’s happy and enjoying himself…he deserves that after all the pleasure and great times he’s giving all of us over the years .
My gripe is with the song arrangements and set lists ….they’re sooooo boring ! Same old same old , every single night !
Don Airey really is a robot !
I take my hat off to Paicey though …an absolute monster …how does he do it !?
As one of the guys on here said …if they could just throw something in for the true fans …that would placate a lot of us …Mandrake Root ( with true improvisation) living wreck …Rat Bat blue …just a little surprise or something.
But yes, I do think it’s time to retire …I can’t stand seeing this once dangerous and exciting band being turned into a cabaret act
April 16th, 2026 at 21:37@ 56- thanks for the Paul Simon review Uwe. He did ‘retire’ a few years ago, but as we know many artists cannot. Obviously a difficult thing to do for some, what else are they going to do? Some can retire gracefully and it reminds me of the old showbiz saying ‘always leave them wanting more’. It is a crucial aspect to a persons older years and retirement, they have to try and keep busy somehow, even if a little less than previously. There is nothing worse than not being unable to do that, for so many people out there. I watched Robert Plant and band perform a LZ song ‘Ramble On’ a few days ago on Colbert. As you have always stated, Percy has done it the ‘graceful’ way indeed. Mind you it is a different situation in some aspects, he has a ‘solo’ career where some band members from a juggernaut band do not. So they keep on keeping on, in the mothership, for good or for bad. We all must fall eventually as Moya Brennan from Claanad said a few years ago when diagnosed with a terminal illness. She passed a few days ago, bless her. Cheers.
April 16th, 2026 at 22:17Percy with band Saving Grace performing Ramble On.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca3VI4aGDjc&list=RDCa3VI4aGDjc&start_radio=1
April 16th, 2026 at 22:32#55
About vocal, the ceiling to me is singing Black Night and Smoke on the Water. If the singer couldn’t do them properly, then it’s a serious problem because both songs weren’t really difficult to sing
The solution is the set list. I think Mark IX will be okay to continue for several years, if they choose the songs that still rock but endearing to Gillan’s vocal nowadays. Any fan could pick a song from Mark 1 to Mark 8 beside the current Mark, let’s just keep SOTW, Lazy, WABMC, and Black Night on the set
And given how extensive Deep Purple have toured all over the world, so many countries since the 2nd decade of Steve Morse tenure (from Abandon / Banans tour) with the band. We can assume a lot of people have listened to those old songs before. It’s safe not to play them again except the mandatory hits
Even the band did not play Highway Star at many legs on Now What and Infinite Tour. I never heard any complaints or fans chaos because the highway song wasn’t there. Apres Vous and Time for Bedlam are fantastic opener
But we know (unfortunate to say this) who’s ego won’t be able to deal if this discussion took place. Especially if it is with the fans who didn’t have any idea about the kitchen-inside of the band
April 17th, 2026 at 02:24“I think Blackmore had the same thought as Gillan on the Réunion Rainbow tour: if you don’t like it, go to hell!“
I don’t even think that could muster feelings as strong as that about Rainbow. Blackmore’s treatment of his own legacy has always been sort of careless, he doesn’t rate most of his work with DP and he doesn’t care about Rainbow either. The fact that by his own admission in his birthday interview he wasn’t even willing to learn the Gates of Babylon riff properly, giving up on the song, says it all, especially against the fact that towards the end Dio era Rainbow was in dire need of fresh material, yet Ritchie thought it somehow ok to open for REO Speedwagon with a set mostly culled from the debut album released three years before plus Mistreated from 5 years before. Yawn. I also don’t believe that Ritchie himself felt good about his Reunionbow performances, he probably never heard one of the many released live recordings either. He didn’t even listen to that stuff when he still was in the top of his game.
Personally, I do not think that Gillan’s voice is presently anywhere near as much only a shadow of its former self as DC’s was on the last few WS tours or Ritchie’s guitar playing was with Reunionbow. Sure it’s weathered and withered, but he’s still a gritty and idiosyncratic enough singer except on the occasional off-night which he has always had, even as a young man. His voice still has charisma, as long as I hear that, I’m ok.
April 17th, 2026 at 09:04Still amazed about what people think/suggest on fora like this.
Gillian, where does this idiocy come from?Once thought it was an Americain blooper.
MANDRAKE ROOT, one my my favs , espec with Gillan live, d be too demanding the way he did it.
Iys a song he could ve done since the reunion uo to 2000, maybe.
What songs are suitable for Gillan without cringing has been a topic for decades now.
If you dont mind,instead of torturing myself seeing him do this to him and us, I rather give Cherkazoo another spin.
The man was monumental. I phucked up my self in so many ways, who am I to criticise this freak of nature?
Yes, he s vanishing but what a legacy.
April 17th, 2026 at 10:06I don’t have a problem with the band still touring. It’s up to them. We can all decide for ourselves whether to go or not. I’m going in the Autumn because I think it’ll be the last time and I want to enjoy it.
I just wish they’d play Perfect Strangers instead of Into The Fire – easier to sing and actually a better song!
April 17th, 2026 at 11:25Two concert Finland. Im so happy. Welcome everybody.
April 17th, 2026 at 20:18@62
Uwe, I salute you 🫡
“Sure it’s weathered and withered, but he’s still a gritty and idiosyncratic enough singer except on the occasional off-night which he has always had, even as a young man. His voice still has charisma, as long as I hear that, I’m ok.”
He has charms and a personality that reach all the way to Randers, Denmark ☺️
April 18th, 2026 at 09:52@50: Well put, Uwe. I, as were many of my fellow US Purple fans, was turned on to the band after hearing Machine Head and Made in Japan. We then gave a listen to the back catalog. Side 1 of In Rock certainly grabbed one’s attention, particularly on the discs that included the intro to Speed King. But I rarely listened to Side 2 and in fact prefer the other Mark II LPs and much of Mark I’s material to it. Of course, it took off in England, a market that DP had yet to conquer, so perhaps that is one reason the band seems to rate it higher than, say, Fireball and WDWTWA. But many US fans won’t mind a bit if they drop the In Rock tunes from the setlist when they arrive on our shores.
April 18th, 2026 at 11:18There is an Atlantic divide in the appreciation of In Rock, George, true. In the UK and Continental Europe, In Rock was epochal – it still is DP’s most-sold record by a stretch in its largest market: Germany. That album stayed in the upper regions of the German charts for two years and the iconic pop art cover was a standard feature in any record shop window in the first half of the 70s. It also sounded like nothing before. Mk I had meant nothing in Germany in contrast (though Mk I sales picked up considerably in the wake of Mk II’s success).
In the US, with the demise of Tetragrammaton In Rock fell through all cracks and was never promoted properly, hence it stalled at #143 in the Billboard Charts. North America only really picked up on Mk II in the wake of the release of Fireball (which was properly promoted by Warner Brothers) and the long tour with The Faces which did DP endless favors (that is one of the few howlers in Martin Popoff’s recent Purple bio where he dismisses the pairing of DP and The Faces as strange and a waste of resources, not realizing what it did for the band at the time).
All that doesn’t make the songwriting on In Rock less formative and more mature though – but that wasn’t the point of that album: it overwhelmed with a new and brutal sound, not songwriting craft or hummable melodies.
April 18th, 2026 at 13:57@67 George M – similar experience. “Fireball” was the record that opened my ears to Deep Purple, courtesy of a fellow expat schoolboy, overseas in a country where little rock music was to be heard. On returning to North America, found that “Machine Head” was all over the radio, as well as the MKI hits “Hush” and “Kentucky Woman”.
So “In Rock” ended up being among the last Purple platters I picked up. Found it rather underwhelming then, and to this day it remains my least-loved album of their entire original run.
@68 Uwe – exactly! “In Rock” was all about the sound. A wall of sheer noise. Very striking, not particularly tuneful. Lyrically and melodically, found it to be a step backwards from the best MKI material. As well as subsequent platters “Fireball”, “Machine Head”, and the sometimes-maligned “WDWTWA”.
Absent the chart success the record experienced in Europe, to this fan from the other side of the Atlantic “In Rock” seemed like the kind of record one buys in order to complete one’s collection, but seldom ends up playing. Like Nazareth’s “Exercises” or “Beginnings” by (Ambrose) Slade.
April 19th, 2026 at 11:04I’ll say it again:
All Ian really needs is a vocal coach to give him some training and exercises to keep his voice in shape while on tour – he needs proper technique and foundation more than ever in his golden years. He doesn’t need to scream anymore, and, he also shouldn’t be straining in his upper register like at the very top of the melody on HS or Smoke. I get he’s a rebel, and, even rebels need to know when to ask for a bit of help. If he could just let go of his pride and take a few singing lessons, it would help a awful lot.
As for In Rock: it’s my favourite Mk2 studio record, and kicks so much ass. It puts Machine Head to shame – so fierce and fresh to this day – when I hear the cacophony that starts Speed King, my eyes light up, and I’m a headbanging teenager again. The only thing Mk 2 ever did that surpassed it was Made In Japan, but of course, you can’t get better than MIJ can you?
For all my love of the Morse Years, even I will admit if forced to pick between Purpendicular and Made In Japan, it’s MIJ each time. Purple at their best, bar none. If I had to pick only three Purple discs to take with me to a desert Island, MIJ, Purpendicular, and In Rock would be mine – they are the best records the band has put out. Nothing beats them.
People who don’t like In Rock just don’t get it – if you don’t get that record, then might I humbly suggest you don’t get Deep Purple, period! If ever there was a record that said – this is Deep Purple in terms of sheer sound – In Rock would be it!
And likewise, Purpendicular is the In Rock of the Morse Years – it boldly redefines the band’s sound and says, “This is DP now, take it or leave it!” much like Rock did after Mk 1 was finished. They are the two seminal DP studio albums in my view for good reason.
April 20th, 2026 at 03:34“People who don’t like In Rock just don’t get it – if you don’t get that record, then might I humbly suggest you don’t get Deep Purple, period! If ever there was a record that said – this is Deep Purple in terms of sheer sound – In Rock would be it!”
Mike, thanks, but isn’t this a bit late to tell me after 51 years? 😂
You’ve said it yourself, In Rock is a statement “in sheer sound”, Machine Head otoh one in clever and elegant songwriting.
I agree that In Rock is “seminal” though. Not just the sound and the music, the whole package including cover art.
April 20th, 2026 at 18:23Uwe:
Better late than never!
I find the songwriting on MH to be a bit too clever and elegant. I honestly find it a bit too commercial and boring.
In Rock, to me, has the better songwriting – it’s got energy, drive and passion and lots of clever twists and turns you don’t see coming – these are all things MH lacks, as I think its refinement in song craft is its biggest weakness.
MH is boring, commercial and banal compared to In Rock – it lacks excitement and danger and all the things that makes DP what they are. Individually the songs are great, but it makes for a boring record, imo. I consider it The House of Blue Light of 70s Mk 2.
In Rock is a tour de force both individually and collectively. It is so good because it was new and fresh – you can only capture that sound and feeling once with each Mk – it’s why everything after In Rock and Purpendicular fail to capture the moment again – because the sound is no longer new and exciting.
April 20th, 2026 at 21:00#70 Mike:
On the desert island I would definitely bring InRock and Made in Japan too.
I’m happy to leave Purplendicular at home and take Perfect Strangers with me, and if I’m secretly carrying Abandon too!
InRock is the seminal bible of hard rock, but Machine Head is the next gospel, more refined
April 20th, 2026 at 22:57@58. In the words of Dirty Harry ” opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one”
April 21st, 2026 at 03:33Now in my opinion, Fireball was the preferred Mk 2 album for me but then it was the first one I purchased so may have influenced my choice, with In Rock in 2nd then Machine Head. The first two were pure rawness with MH more refined.
Cheers
In Rock and Fireball I play way more often than MH and WDWTWA. I can agree on most of the things @72 Mike said. To me In Rock has at least 5 brillant songs on it, whereas MH has like 3.
April 21st, 2026 at 08:13Personally I would love to have some MH songs dropped from the setlist in favour of… well almost everything else.
In Rock is the ultimate statement for a ‘new’ hard rock band. To start off with that was, well what more can be said. It has everything those five guys do best. Sure there are other grand songs and albums too, but that first up leviathan…………. What a beast it is. Cheers.
April 21st, 2026 at 09:10It’s nice that everyone likes different albums here, I value that. I guess it is my pop leanings that have me favor MH and WDWTWA over In Rock and Fireball. That and Roger’s gnarly Rickenbacker sound. Neither his Fender Precision on In Rock nor his Fender Mustang on Fireball really cut through. Then he switched to Rickenbacker and immediately announced his presence with aplomb in Highway Star as the opening song on MH!
Interesting to see THOBL as an 80s reincarnation of MH, I see it more aligned with Fireball in its eclecticism.
Perfect Strangers (the album) hasn’t aged that well in my ears, it’s a very safe and prudent album (understandably so) and a bit stiff. But there are of course a handful of great tracks on it even though I have meanwhile heard Perfect Strangers (the song) to death. The rectal rock’n’roller otherwise known as KAYBD still has my hair stand on end and the line “now she eases gently from an Austin to a Bentley” has Shakespearean beauty and magnitude!!! ☝️😎
April 21st, 2026 at 10:46Oh wow, now the Aviator Management GmbH has swooped down with almost Luftwaffe style precision and determination
https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-26-2021/VKB9Uh.gif
and locked down all vids! 😂 Allerhand!
April 21st, 2026 at 10:58@ 77- “now she eases gently from an Austin to a Bentley” has Shakespearean beauty and magnitude!!! ☝️😎 It certainly is that Uwe. I can just imagine the scene, early 1600’s at The Globe Theatre in England. The punters not knowing who Austin or Bentley are but at least pondering, just how lucky those two chaps were. Cheers.
April 21st, 2026 at 23:19Since I heard MiJ before I got a copy of MH I never really enjoyed the latter. MiJ houses the ultimate versions of those songs … Never Before is a filler anyway in my bookand Pictures of Home is a good song but for reasons unknown to me I find it too depressing (might be the mention of snow). So there is no reason left to listen to MH….and I rarely did over the decades. Every live version of HS, SotW, Lazy or ST beats the ones on MH as far as I’m concerned.
In Rock is much more exciting I think…and Fireball more interesting. Wdwtwa isn’t any of the above – but I played it the most. 😄
April 22nd, 2026 at 05:58Max
I just had a thought …Place in line could be the surprise number for us true fans …I love the song , I’m sure Gillan could sing it …and get a nice rest whilst the Robot and Simon stretch out in the solos !
It would certainly keep me happy !
I reckon they’ve been reading these forums because , I have to say , I’ve seen footage of the concert in Nag ??? in Japan and the solos in Hard loving man and into the fire are completely different….its brilliant ! Now that’s what I personally want to see .
April 22nd, 2026 at 10:50I would have posted it but they’ve taken it down
To all of you who believe In Rock to be DP at its pinnacle, I respectfully disagree. If anyone is listening to DP 50 years from now, it will be to Machine Head, and here’s hoping some Morse-era material. Every note, riff, chord sequence, etc. on MH is perfect. It’s DP at their highest level. The playing was impeccable. Everyone contributed mightily. Their performing prowess was matched by their songwriting prowess. Never before — ha, ha — or again would that be the case for an entire platter. Side 1 of In Rock was memorable and I still enjoy listening to those three songs, although RB’s Child in Time solo on MIJ is far superior to the one on In Rock. DP stepped out of the ‘60s with a thunderous roar with In Rock. There’s no denying that. And there’s a lot to like about In Rock. There’s nothing not to love about Machine Head, including the ballad, When a Blind Man Cries, which RB apparently vetoed from inclusion on the LP. With a few red lights and old beds, DP created its masterwork. It’s either Machine Head or Tull’s Songs from the Wood for my desert island rock LP. It’s that good. Cheers.
April 23rd, 2026 at 01:17@ 82 – George M, I don’t think anyone thinks that DP were at their pinnacle with In Rock, just that it was a full on gritty statement of intent and some aficionados really like it. I agree with your Jethro Tull sentiments, that later 70’s period was stellar indeed. Regarding Machine Head, it is a superb ‘polished’ effort on many fronts and definitely that 1972 era was DP at their peak. Every artist has a small window of time where everything seems to come together superbly. Cheers.
April 23rd, 2026 at 22:40I’m with George, but there is no denying that In Rock was a beast of a record and fully immersed in the Zeitgeist, even co-establishing it. MH is the more musical, polished work though. It’s Mk II at their artful zenith. But less hungry than on In Rock.
April 24th, 2026 at 15:18Steve – I am all up for it!
Place in Line is a nice one, a deep track, they never played it before plus they could stretch the end and do a little jamming.
April 24th, 2026 at 16:12