Two Candian bands, Public Animal and Mokomokai, has released a split 7″ with one Deep Purple each.

The songs can be streamed online and bought as downloads but there is also an actual vinyl single released by Squirtgun Records, in purple vinyl of course! If I understand things correctly, the vinyl only seems to be available through the Toronto record store Rotate This.

Thanks to Nigel Young.

On Monday night in London there was a release party for the DVD and CD from the Royal Albert Hall Jon Lord tribute show. Many of the people who was part of the show was at the event. What Brian Johnson did there is still a mystery. More details are avaialble at metaltalk.net.

Thanks to Mark Taylor.

Those of you interested in the (audio) technical side of a Deep Purple tour should check out an article from the US tour in the online mag Pro Sound News.

The band’s both sound engineers are interviewed and the article is mainly focusing on the engineers’ approach to the sound and the equipment they use. Depending on your interests, the article might be totally confusing. For the sound engineers among us, it is very interesting.

Thanks to Nigel Young.

According to some online ticket agencies it now looks like it’s the turn of Italy to spend this year for enjoyment next year.
Tour dates posted on therockblog.net show the following dates:

30/10/2015, Palafabris di Padova
31/10/2015, Mediolanum Forum di Assago (Milano)
05/11/2015, Mandela Forum di Firenze
06/11/2015, Palalottomatica di Roma

these dates, along with the other shows in Germany and France remain unconfirmed, however may be on sale through local agencies.

thanks to Lutz Reinert for the info

The Deep Purple Community on Facebook conducted an interview with Don Airey in August 2014….

“The success of NOW What?! was overwhelming, the album is still in the TOP50 of Amazon Germany’s music charts, sitting at #2 in the Hard Rock charts right today. [the questions to the Don were sent in August 2014]. Did it came as a big surprise for you? Are you expecting the same, or, probably even better reception for a follow up next year? Fans are joking that Deep Purple returned in mainstream fashion for the third time with NW?!

The success of Now What was a real big surprise in every way, and one of the nicest too! When you make a record you don’t actually expect anything. Just hope you can get it finished, mixed, mastered, and delivered somewhere near the deadline. So at the moment we are entertaining no hopes of the ambitious kind for the next record, if and when we get it finished, but obviously our fingers are crossed. ”

You can read the full interview here

thanks to Georgi Kikonishvilli

AllMusic recently conducted an interview with Ian Paice in which he recalls his first meeting with Jon and talks about the Celebrating Jon Lord event which has just been released on many formats.

AllMusic: Can you remember meeting Jon Lord for the first time?

Ian Paice: The first time I actually met Jon, I remembered it but there’s no way he would have. The band I was in at the time, we opened for Jon’s band, which was called the Artwoods, at the Marquee Club in London. Although they never really made it big internationally, in Europe and Britain they were quite well known, and so we knew all of them as a band. The first time I saw Jon, I remember this incredibly slim, tall, rock and roll guy in front of you, he just looked right, he was very impressive, and when he played, it was obvious that he was very, very good at what he did.

I enjoyed the night and thought no more about it other than you get to see really good people play as you get around the country, and then when the Deep Purple formation started and I walked into the room and saw Jon was on keyboards, it all came flooding back to me, remembering how good he was and what a possibility it was with musicians of that caliber, that whatever came out of this audition session could only be good for me. He was always very supportive, always very kind. I was pretty nervous going into this, and he took a few minutes to say, “Look, none of us know what’s going on, relax, have fun, and when you hear something, react to it, do something.” So the next half hour, which was my audition, basically, it just flew by, and we had a good time. I always remembered it, obviously.

you can read the entire interview here

Ian Paice gave a drum clinic and concert on September 13th in Angera/Lago Maggiore, and you can see some footage from the event below.

thanks to Yvonne Osthausen for the info

Some online ticketing agencies are reporting that they have tickets on sale for a tour of France and Germany in November. 2015.
We all of course know what we’re doing in (over) a years time…. for those more organised you can purchase tickets via links below.
These dates have not been confirmed by management, so once more please don’t make travel plans based on this info alone!!

13.11.2015 Oberhausen König-Pilsener-Arena
14.11.2015 Magdeburg GETEC Arena
16.11.2015 Rostock Stadthalle
17.11.2015 Leipzig Arena
18.11.2015 Hannover Swiss Life Hall
20.11.2015 Trier Arena
21.11.2015 Nürnberg Arena
23.11.2015 Hamburg o2 World
24.11.2015 Berlin Max-Schmeling-Halle
26.11.2015 München Olympiahalle
27.11.2015 Frankfurt am Main Festhalle
28.11.2015 Stuttgart Hans-Martin-Schleyer-Halle

tickets available from here

In addition the following French dates have been posted on viagogo.de. Check with your preferred ticketing agent first for better prices!

Mon 02 Nov 2015 Le Dome, Marseille

Tue 03 Nov 2015 Patinoire Meriadeck, BORDEAUX

Wed 11 Nov 2015 Zenith de Paris, Paris

Mon 30 Nov 2015 L’Amphitheatre, Lyon 06

Tue 01 Dec 2015 Zenith Strasbourg Europe, Strasbourg

thanks to Lutz Reinert for the info

We’re receiving reports of dates on sale for a South American Tour this fall, with shows in Brazil on sale now.
Please check with local promoters/press for more details and do not make non-refundable travel arrangements on this say-so, these dates *Have Not* been confirmed my management!

Looks to be starting in Mexico on 4th November 2014 but no venues/dates for Mexico available. We will post them as soon as we know!

Brazilian dates as follows:
7th November Brasilia
9th November Curitiba
11th November Sao Paulo (Area of the Americas)
12th November Sao Paulo (Americas Space)
14th November Florianopolis
15th November Porto Alegre

Tickets for the Sao Paulo shows are on sale at www.ingressorapido.com.br

with thanks to Rodrigo Victor for the details

UPDATE :
The Argentina show is reported to be happening on November 18th 2014 at the Luna Park Stadium
http://www.akemusic.com/index.php?module=detalles_show&idShow=211 for more details…
thanks to Juan Ignacio Flier….

and Mexico City Arena has a date of November the 4th reportedly.
The Legalize Festical in Chile lists the band playing on the 23rd of November, here so it looks like there are more dates to come…..

Steve Morse features in an interview with Sweetwater’s Guitars and Gears:

And Ian Paice features in this months
Modern Drummer

thanks to Yvonne Osthausen