After the fantastic success with the Lego Blackmore, other toy companies want a piece of the pie. Above is Playmobil’s version.

It’s all change on the web front again in time for the launch of the new Deep Purple album in April 2013.

As well as a new album launch site, http://www.deeppurple2013.com there are also new Facebook pages, and a new Twitter feed which promises the funniest and silliest tweets from the band along with exclusive competitions and possibly advance info about the new album.

Say Fender :
For more than 40 years now, Blackmore’s famously forceful G minor blues riff in the 1972 Deep Purple classic “Smoke on the Water” has served as the quintessential heavy rock guitar riff and a metal-melody primer for burgeoning rock guitarists everywhere. Its place in rock history is as solid as the stature of the guitarist who played it.

The Ritchie Blackmore Tribute Stratocaster takes you back in time and back to the shores of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, where the smoke from the burning Montreux Casino drifted over the waters on Dec. 4, 1971, as the building was destroyed. That night, the members of Deep Purple watched the “fire in the sky” from their hotel and drew inspiration for a timeless rock classic. Blackmore played the song’s powerful double-stop riff on a black 1968 Stratocaster, not knowing at the time that he was creating an archetypal guitar figure that would be eagerly imitated by legions of guitarists.

More details here

“it never started with a successful television appearance or a front page on a newspaper. It started in the clubs in the back streets of a local town somewhere, whether that was Liverpool or Manchester or Seattle or Sydney.”

Australian site the Brag conducted an interview with Ian Gillan last November which has now been published here

Also appearing recently was this audio interview with Roger Glover for the 4BC Drive show.

thanks to Yvonne Osthausen and the Official Ian Gillan Facebook page….

In December 2012 Ian Gillan provided a keynote speech at the ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy. Titled “The Parallax Effect of Long Hair” it covered some of Ian’s experiences and how his haircut was at the time.

The full video can be viewed below:

We’ve mentioned this band before, when Ian Paice played with them, Purpendicular, one of the greatest Deep Purple tribute bands around (and competition is fierce).

Purpendicular consist of UK and European musicians with the ability and determination to perform Deep Purple’s music.

In 2012, Purpendicular criss-crossed the European continent with their 40th anniversary Machine Head show. For 2013 they’ve prepared something slightly more exotic – a 20th anniversary The Battle Rages On tour.

Since 1993, this tour has remained a favourite of mine, so naturally I have high hopes for Purpendicular’s version. They usually come well prepared and always try to add something different to their set.

Celebrating Deep Purple’s 1993 set – Come Hell Or High Water if you like – they promise to include The Battle Rages On tracks such as Anya, the title track, A Twist in the Tale and Talk About Love. But also older and newer tracks like Highway Star, Walk On, Mistreated, Child in Time, Fools, When a Blind Man Cries and a bit of Jon Lord’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra to honour the late great Maestro.

I saw two of Purpendicular’s shows in 2012, and even with a last-minute stand-in guitarist, they were spot on and showed both an excellent time for the audience and great respect for the music in a two-set evening of Purple tinted fun.

Further down this page, you’ll see Purpendicular’s elaborate tour schedule for 2013, but do check out also this clip from their tour last year. Beyond the shameless endorsement in the beginning, you’ll see examples of both Purpendicular’s music and and their tour antics… 🙂

Highly recommended.

Purpendicular live in 2013

04.01.2013 Germany Straubing Raven
11.01.2013 Germany Berlin JWD
12.01.2013 Germany Dresden Tante Ju
28.01.2013 Russian Federation Moscow Svetlanov Hall
30.01.2013 Russian Federation Samara Maximilians
31.01.2013 Russian Federation Kazan Maximilians
08.02.2013 Germany Bremen Meisenfrei
09.02.2013 Germany Hamburg Downtown Blues Club
14.02.2013 Poland Wroclaw Firlej
15.02.2013 Poland Krakow Rotunda
16.02.2013 Poland Katowice Katofonia
22.02.2013 Germany Fulda Alte Piesel
23.02.2013 Germany Düsseldorf (Neuss) Hamtorkrug
01.03.2013 Switzerland Montreux NED Music Club
02.03.2013 France Samoens Le Bois aux Dames France
22.03.2013 Germany Maulbronn Live Music Park
30.03.2013 Netherlands Kerkrade Rock Temple
04.04.2013 Germany Hamburg Marias Ballroom
05.04.2013 Denmark Randers Tante Olga
26.04.2013 Germany Freiberg Tivoli
27.04.2013 Germany Plauen The Ranch
03.05.2013 Germany Köln Kantine
04.05.2013 Netherlands Sint-Michielsgestel Cafe Zaal Overberg
19.05.2013 UAE Dubai City Hall
06.07.2013 Germany Affalterbach 7 Eichen Open Air
06.09.2013 Netherlands Weert De Bosuil
05.10.2013 Germany Schortens Fair Cafe
06.10.2013 Germany Rheda Blues Club
18.10.2013 Germany Ebesbach OKV
19.10.2013 Germany Torgau Kulturbastion
27.11.2013 Belarus Minsk TBC

More info at www.purpendicular.eu

Also, drummer Bernhard Welz previously did a couple of Concerto concerts with Jon Lord, and also released a solo CD with several Purple members guesting.

A message has appeared on the Montreux Jazz Festival site confirming that Claude Nobs has succumbed to his injuries sustained in a skiing accident recently.

“On January 10th you left us!
Only a few days after your accident in Caux-sur-Montreux, in your beloved mountains, overlooking the lake that you were so fond of.”

Read the full message.

TheHighwayStar offers its condolences to Claude’s family and friends.

As temperatures are reaching to world record highs in Australia, The Bureau of Meteorology’s interactive weather forecasting chart needs to be updated with new colours and one of them was decided to be Deep Purple. Especially fitting since Deep Purple themselves will be doing their best to raise temperatures down under next month.

On a more serious note, we of course hope the best for everyone suffering from this heat wave and that everyone looking forward to the shows will be able to enjoy them. Our thoughts are with you.

A new teaser video clip has appeared on the Ear Music official video channel on youtube which offers the first chance to hear a sample of the upcoming album.

“Funky” Claude Nobs has been injured in a skiing accident during the Christmas break.
“The Montreux Jazz Festival communicates that during the Christmas holidays Claude Nobs fell while practicing cross-country skiing. As a direct consequence of this accident, Mr. Claude Nobs underwent surgery at the CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne). He has remained to date in a state of unconsciousness. His condition requires further additional tests, the results of which are not known yet.

All necessary measures have been taken to currently ensure the perfect management of the Festival in accordance with a planification in place for a long time. The Secretary General of the Festival, Mathieu Jaton, assumes all of Claude Nobs’ responsibilities. The Festival shall not fail to further inform on Claude Nobs’ condition when receiving more information.

Meanwhile, there will be no further comments in order to protect the private sphere of Mr. Nobs and his close family. The entire team of the Montreux Jazz Festival wishes a full recovery to its boss.

The Foundation Board.”

The Highway Star sends our best wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery.