Roger Glover posts a message on his web site that, amongst other things, confirms that he flies easyJet like us, mere mortals.

On the topic that always creates a stir on ’em internets:

IG and I shared the journey to Frankfurt via Caracas and we had time to chat about the next album. It was a productive talk and despite all the negative things buzzing around the Internet, we are enthusiastic and will definitely be working on the project early in the New Year. I read somewhere that all the tracks were finished, awaiting only vocals. That’s not true. From the writing session earlier this year at El Cortijo studio in Spain (not Ian Paice’s studio, as I think some believe), we have a dozen unfinished jams and ideas for songs – rough diamonds that have yet to be polished. There it is.

Read more on RogerGlover.com.

Ah, and happy birthday to you, Reverend.

Canadian tour dates in February 2012 have all been confirmed without any changes to the previously posted. Tickets for the most shows go on sale to general public this Saturday, December 3, with presales (where available) starting on December 1. Check your local classic rock radio station for presale info (and share below).

Full details and ticket info in our calendar.

Date: 26/11/2011

: SECC

: Helensburgh

: United Kingdom

The usual set with an orchestra? We didn’t know what to expect but need not have worried. The orchestra really added something to the mix with added swing and different interpretations of the songs we know and love. They added even more power to the band and Well Dressed Guitar and Rapture of the Deep were superb.

The man who really stood out was Don Airey who seemed to love every second and was on fire alongside the always excellent Ian Paice. Highlights were many although the real standouts were Perfect Strangers and Lazy and it was great to hear Hard Lovin’ Man. It would have been good to hear Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming too but I suppose they did that at the ’99 gig.

The sound men did a great job too with the acoustics as the SECC is a hard place to get right. The band will be hard pressed to top this although a new album might do the trick….

Date: 2011-11-26

: SECC

: Glasgow

: Scotland

I’ve seen Deep Purple every time they have played the SECC and also in various other places around Europe when I can.

This tour with the orchestra is not to be missed. If you don’t have a ticket, buy one now, you won’t regret it. I was 8 rows back and the mix was great. The orchestration brings a new variation to the songs and compliments the sound of the band perfectly. It was great to see the orchestra enjoying the gig as much as the audience. It highlights what Paul Mann had previously observed on the 2000 concerto tour when he said that orchestras loved working with Purple due to their musicianship.

All band members played to the usual high standard. I’m a big Ian Paice fan and he seemed to be really fired up. He’s influenced by big band music, so I think he enjoys having the orchestra. It can’t be easy with him being critical to the timing of both the band and orchestra, but he makes it look effortless.

For me, the attraction of Deep Purple is the level of musicianship. Having an orchestra with them does not in any way detract from that, it actually does the opposite and shows how good they are actually are to be able to integrate it all faultlessly.

Date: 2011-11-26

: SECC

: Glasgow

: Scotland

Well I’ve seen purps a few times now since the reform and there have been a few enjoyable dates – like the trip down to Ipswich to see Jon Lords last show. Over the years I have tried to see as many as I can and 2007 it was 4 during the UK tour including 3 on the Trot, Glasgow, Sheffield and Birmingham and yep good fun…

SO last nights show in Glasgow with the orchestra behind was … erm … in simple terms ONE of the best I’ve seen in a good few years. I’m not going to break it all down… JUST go and see it OK.

I hope you have better weather than I did as a car aqua planning on all 4 wheels in the oustside lane at 60 mph for 100 yards is not fun. Anyhow waffle … the boys are really flying at the moment … GO AND SEE THEM, ok, and enjoy – all the old favs are there and Lazy and When a blind man cries (my favs) were just superb.

Well done guys.

A very happy chappie in dundee – Ian

It is our understanding that the Canadian dates in February that we posted on Thursday are very much preliminary despite that at the time of publication they were appearing on both official sites. As of now they are still unconfirmed. Do not make any travel plans yet.

We sincerely apologise to everyone involved.

Deep Purple’s management has announced a massive Canadian tour in 2012. The tour will start on February 2 in St.John’s, Newfoundland, and finish on February 26 in Vancouver, BC. They will play 17 dates in every major (and some minor) city of the country apart from Montreal and Quebec City, where the band has performed last summer on the orchestral tour.

Full details in our calendar. These will be updated once we get ticket info.

How about a ticket to see Deep Purple next Christmas?
New European dates just arrived, see the tourdates page for details

Planet Rock Radio’s Darren Reddick has just interviewed Ian Gillan and Roger Glover in the UK. During the show it was mentioned that tonight Deep Purple are to receive the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Innovators Award (whatever that is…)
You can listen to the show, and the interview here using their listen again feature.

for those having trouble finding the link try here the interview starts at about 1hr20 in

The premier of the film ‘Chopin’s Story’, presented by Ian Gillan, is to receive its premier on November 25th at Progresja in Warsaw. As well as the launch of the film the venue will also play host to Polish rock band Kruk. A potential November DVD release is also being planned.

Exctracts of an interview with Jerzy Szkamruk below:

Who came up with the idea of getting Ian Gillan for the project and what did you want to achieve by that?

It is a long story. The idea of getting a worldwide formula star as a narrator for the documentary had been evolving for a couple of years. We were to do a film about the salt mine in Wieliczka with Ruthger Hauer, but nothing really materialised. Roman Rogowiecki was involved in that project and we were really close to make it happen. In the Chopin Year [2010] I asked Roman to find a person who would narrate Chopin’s story in an entertaining way. We were considering a couple of people, but Roman was bent on getting Ian Gillan who received our film and developed a great liking to it. And so Ian became the narrator of our film.

Okay, we all know that film recording requires some sort of discipline. Was Ian disiciplined on the set as the presenter?

Indeed, he was. Ian comes from very firm branch of show business and we knew it perfectly well that if he copes on stage and in many different projects (the one in Gdansk with Baltic Philharmonics, his duet with Pavarotti and many, many more) he must be somewhat disciplined. It’s no doubt, because years of working on stage, shape every human being. Apart from that, all the show businnes people, or people from what we call in Poland ‘the West’ are folks who succeeded thanks to the discipline and nothing else. Work, work and work!

Exactly. Ian recollects on your cooperation with a lot of warmth. How did you feel the work with such an artist as Ian was going for you?

I’ve said it before that I’m glad we did the shooting before Deep Purple’s concert in Katowice not after. It was in concert where it dawned on me how mighty Deep Purple and their music is. Owing to this seemingly unimportant fact, I treated my work with Ian as a laid back experience. Of course there is always stress because of vartious doubts, but after the first few takes it turned out Ian was very good on the set. He also swiftly memorised the narration text and learned to dance Oberek (Polish regional dance). There were slight mishaps on both sides but that’s how it goes when you work on something big for the very first time. I remember Ian had some objections when it comes to the script itself, because it wasn’t written in the language he would have liked. Ian always paid attention to the English language. I remember him joking: ‘If my English teacher heard this and not the other phrase, I would have my hands treated with a ruler.’ That’s the way it was both in Polish and English school back in the day. As you can see the old methodology of teaching is still preserved nowadays. We didn’t always keep up with Ian. The fact the script needed stylistic reworking was actually a waste of time. But I think those two were the only elements that shattered the harmony of shooting the film a bit – ‘shattered’ is not the best, I’d say they made the work a little difficult. I don’t know if we should say this to people, but on the other hand I think it’s our common experience – Ian’s and mine. Looking at things in a different way, the atmosphere in places where Chopin actually was, was very inspiring to Ian. I think it was for the better. When you’re in places where Chopin was…

And you see what’s going on around you…

And you see what’s going on around you, you can see the surroudnings, architecture, scenery, folklor you’re yield to inspiration. Your imagination opens up and everything works better then.
Tell me how Ian reacted when he got to know about the project?
I haven’t got a clue really. I sent my promotional film entitled ‘Fryderyk 2010’ to Ian. Roman was involved in that, and he said Ian really liked the film and that he would like to work with us. I was really surprised that in our times, where everything is in a constant rush, and people are overwhelmed with their daily routines we got the swift answer from people who are well known. It was a great, optimistic feeling – Ian saw my film and liked it but first and foremost he wanted to do the narration.

When seeing Ian in new role for him what will the old fans experience?

Some kind of Ian’s universality as a human being. The man who is mature, shaped by life and has had a lot of experience and considerable knowledge. I remember being young and all the older people, especially the parents, were saying rock was evil, and that it turned peoples’ grey matter to the left. It turns out rock musicians have proper education and immense life knowledge. It wasn’t what they were trying to talk into us back then. For instance, Brian May of Queen has a PhD in astronomy! All of the musicians are vastly characterised by positive divergence from the musicians of today, presenters or DJ’s. I’m positively surprised by this fact and we have acheived what we wanted to in the first place.