Ian Gillan and Ian Paice have appeared on france24.com to promote Now what?!. Get the scoop on Gillan’s secret balletic past and other things at their website (the interview starts about 4:20 into the video).

An audio track of the EPK chat that will be included on the DVD of the deluxe edition of the album:

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

This is an excerpt from the promotional interview with the band recorded in December 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WJHa6aeowE

90 seconds from Out Of Hand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkj0rUM6g0

A slightly different excerpt from the same inerview as the above, this one was posted by the record company:

Thanks to topartistvideos for posting it and to Andrey Gusenkov for bringing it to your attention.

Both Ians will be on the BBC Radio 2 show Simon Mayo’s Drivetime on Tuesday, April 23. The show is on the air between 17:00 and 19:00. As a matter of rule, BBC programming is available online from their site for a week after the air date.

Thanks to Peter Cross for the info.

Irish rock band / comedy troupe Dead Cat Bounce has put together a mocumentary project called Discoverdale, which is now doing rounds in the independent movie festival circuit.

The lead singer of Irish comedy rock superstars, Dead Cat Bounce, is at a crossroads. His band is about to be history, and he has never known the identity of his father. Until now…

He has just had a bombshell dropped on him. His biological father is none other than rock legend, DAVID COVERDALE.

Now he’s convinced his band-mates to join him on an unforgettable journey chasing the Whitesnake European tour, in pursuit of the mighty Coverdale. Travelling on a shoestring, busking their way around Scandinavia, these three comedy rockers get more than they could ever have bargained for…

Classic Rock has some comments from Coverdale himself:

Was the film done with your knowledge/co-operation or did they simply “stalk” you?
DC: Both, to be honest.

So you’ve seen the film in its entirety – what do you think of it?
DC: It’s very funny and the cast and crew did a stellar job. I feel it will do well. It has some very “real” moments.

Did they ask to to play a cameo role at all?
DC: I “play” myself throughout the flick. Not sure I’m BAFTA worthy, mind you!

Thanks to Classic Rock for the info.

Looks like the PR gates have opened and the promotional flood for the new album is upon us.

Ian Gillan gave an interview to the Ultimate Classic Rock:

How did you arrive at ‘Hell To Pay’ as the first single from this album?

Well believe me, it wasn’t my choice. We haven’t got a clue about what should be focused on or anything else. There were two tracks I think, that they wanted to select, probably the start of the record label debating. I guess that half of them wanted a slow one and half of them wanted a rock song, so ‘Hell To Pay’ was their choice.

I think we’re shooting a video in Berlin in a couple of weeks for another song entirely, a song called ‘Vincent Price,’ as far as I know. So I think this is just a taster, this single and they work for me, but I wouldn’t know where to start.

Read more in Ultimate Classic Rock.

Gillan also spoke to Rhode Island radio station 94HJY:

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov and Blabermouth for the info.

Russian magazine InRock features Now What?! as it’s cover story in issue #2(58)/2013. We are working on obtaining the original English text of the interview they did with Ian Gillan for republication on The Highway Star.

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

Roger Glover gave an interview to Guitar International, which, quite naturally, started out with the talk of the new Deep Purple album. After opening with excuses for the eight year wait, he proceeds straight to the catalytic role of the new producer, the eminent Bob Ezrin:

Robert: I have to say the band sounds really energized. Was it exciting to start writing with the band again?

Roger Glover: It was. Bob really injected a great stimulus into us. He was blown away by the musicianship of the band. He said some very astute things. He said “Trying to get ahead with a big riff on the radio ain’t gonna happen. Times have changed.” He said, “What I saw last night in the concert, that’s what people want to hear. You should stretch out.”

And those words, “stretch out,” hung with us. Then the next writing session we had, we took him at his word. And just having him on board and eager to produce us was a stimulus in itself, because he’s a man with a huge track record. Those writing sessions were very productive and I think we came up with some very original stuff. Original when you’ve been around as long as we have.

Read the whole thing in Guitar International.

Thanks to BraveWords for the info.

First of all, let’s dispense with the hype : the record label claim that the new Purple album is a cross between Made in Japan and Machine Head (or words to that effect) is just that, hype, and a bit unfair to both incarnations of the band, the current and the one responsible for those masterworks. After all, the two main soloists in the band are different people, impossible to compare to each other.

What is definitely NOT hype is that on this new album, Deep Purple do what they do best, what they have done on numerous occasions in the past : dispense with the rule book. Consciously or not, they look at what people expect from Purple, and then proceed to not pay any attention to it. They’ve done it with In Rock, Fireball, Come Taste The Band, Purpendicular and now once again with Now What?!

This is the most unusual, interesting, unexpected album Purple have done for a very long time. This is the definition of a progressive rock band.

I shall not go into the usual track-by-track thing, I’l just single out things like the plethora of circular riffs on “Aprez Vous”, the complex construction of things like “Uncommon Man” , “Body Line” and “Blood From A Stone”, the hooks and melodies on “A Simple Song” or “Out Of Hand”, the horror movie atmosphere on, appropriately enough “Vincent Price” (a standout with Gillan’s weird, treated vocals), oh, lots and lots of interesting stuff.

It’s telling that the single features two tracks so vastly different to one another – a classic Purple rocker and what is perhaps the most…sly song they’ve ever done, see, “All The Time In The World” is so simple, almost unremarkable at first listen, but gets you well and truly hooked, until you feel it’s one of the absolute best songs the have ever written.

This is an album so densely packed with ideas that it can only be fully enjoyed through repeated listens.
Not having had access to a full resolution copy, I can only imagine the full extent of Ezrin’s production-if we’re to judge from the two tracks on the single, it’s definitely widescreen. Certainly I don’t think anyone has managed to capture Gillan’s voice so well in recent years, he sound incredible on all tracks.

Instrumentally the album is dominated by Morse’s “bluesier” playing, the one that regular concert goers have been experiencing on recent tours, and by Don’s immense variety of sounds. Rhythm-section watchers will have a LOT to sink their teeth into.

In closing what is, of necessity, a short review, two points :
“Now What?!” has been well worth the eight year wait since “Rapture…”. This is a Deep Purple album to enjoy, explore, cherish and be proud of.
Seeing as the CD is dedicated to Jon, I only wish he was around to enjoy it. He would have been very proud indeed.

P.S. The bonus track, “It’ll Be Me” is a Jerry Lee Lewis song that the Javelins used to do back in the day.

Stathis Panagiotopoulos

Perfect Strangers of Finland is celebrating their 15th anniversary by organizing a traditional Purple Night concert. Who Do We Think We Are will be the theme for this Purple Night, which is being held for the fifth year in a row now.

What:

• Solid Faces (Pietarsaari): the band that toured with Doogie White in 2009. They will perform a set of Purple covers.
• Angry Machines (Oulu): will perform a set of Dio, commemorating 30th anniversary of Holy Diver.
• White Shade of Purple (Kouvola): will play mostly music of Whitesnake.

Guest singers for the night will be Jari Tiura (e.g. Former Michael Schenker Group, Stargazery) and Peter James Goodman (e.g. Conquest, Purple Society).

When: Saturday, May 18, 2013, from 9pm — 4am.
Where: Virgin Oil, Kaivopiha, Mannerheimintie 5, Helsinki, Finland.
Tickets: €12/€14 at www.tiketti.fi.

Thanks to Jari Kaikkonen for the info.

Deep Purple live at Heineken Music Hall (Amsterdam, Netherlands 2012-12-04)

I have been to several concerts of DP and each concert was superbe.
The crowed was very enthousiastic and the band was playing wonderfull.
Looking forward to see them in Zwolle and Lokeren this year. Hopefully they will play a lot of new material, because their new album sounds great.

review by ERIK