The official Deep Purple video channel is now available on YouTube as well. You will definitely be pleased to notice that the channel is inclusive of all lineups, although availability of the video footage that can be properly licensed varies due to obvious reasons. We are being told that the number of videos will be expanded considerably withing the coming months, including some rare clips.
Continue Reading »

It’s always nice to see the guys somewhere “exotic”.

I was a little shocked at the barn-like proportions of the venue, the Nangang Exhibition Centre, but as you can see from the photos, there was none of the sterility you might get in such a barn in Europe.

Great sound, interesting setlist and good onstage interplay as usual. The solos were good with Don’s usual local selection getting a rousing cheer from the crowd.

Good show chaps.

Dave Hodgkinson

See also Yangon’s photos.

First up, Electric Mary put on a good show. They were well suited to open for Deep Purple. They rocked hard and showed off some good chops. Easy to get into and enjoy.

After a short break the familiar drum opening to Highway Star started and a rousing rendition it was. They were off and running and put on a great show.

A good blend of old and new songs. Things I Never Said, Fireball, SKOW, Wrong Man (a great track live), TBRO, Sometime I feel Like Screaming (a real crowd favourite, testament to just how good Purpendicular was!), No one Came, Smoke on the Water with Hush and Black Night as encores.

Steve did a great Contact Lost and Don put in a pearler of a keyboard solo.

The crowd seemed really up for this show and the whole night had a great vibe. For me personally, Roger stole the show. He did a great bass solo and generally just showed off… He was great!

They all looked to be having a good time on stage and for this long time fan it was wonderfull to see them put on such a good show that was enjoyed by a very enthusiastic crowd!

Deep Purple… Thank YOU for “all the years”

What a great evening, a night out with Deep Purple on the first show of the Australian tour 2010.

The Brisbane Convention Centre is the right venue for Purple, great sound, lighting and of course great vibes (Gillan agrees).The stage setup was great with Paicey’s drums forward and Don forward centered, giving the fans that ‘up close’ feeling.

The show opened with Highway Star which had all the fans seated on the floor rise to their feet and most standing throughout the whole show. The set went in a new direction for Brisbane and included several tracks of ‘Rapture’ and several new suprising intro’s to the classics.

Evening highlights have to include Steve Morse’s solo going into ‘Contact lost’ – ‘Sometimes I Feel like Screaming’ – ‘Well Dressed Guitar’, and what a surprise to hear ‘The Battle Rages On’.

I think the rest of Australia are up for a treat with this show and set list. A great ‘Album Tour and not just the ‘greatest hits’.

Thanks to the Purple Team for being regular visitors Down Under…. 5 visits in 11 years!

Over The Rainbow at Vosselaar 21/4/2010 was such an exciting and astonishing experience ,that I would like to share a bit of this unforgettable concert with all other fans. 🙂

I saw OTR the first time at Uden last year, and that show was truly great. This show however, was a non-stop firework of the five members in action with unlimited power and speed and first class playing!

They opened with Tarot woman and it was at once very clear, that the band was in great shape, bursting with energy!

The rest of the setlist was: Kill the King, Man on the silver mountain, Street of dreams, Death Alley Driver, Eyes of the World, Can’t let you go, Ariel, Wolf to the moon, All night long , Jealous Lover, Stargazer, Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll, I surrender, Since You Been Gone, Can’t happen here, Spotlight kid.

Rondinelli, my favorite drummer, was more alert as a soldier in full war, and his drum work an explosion of skill and fastness. I like one of his great specialties, and that’s the changing of the rhythm at complete unexpected moments, and this was so noticed and appreciated by the audience! We loved his solo, his hand drumming, and this time the gong was also present at stage. 🙂

Paul Morris was much better to hear as in Uden, and so we could much more enjoy and become aware how gifted this man is. He is never dominant but his keyboard accompaniment support the band consistent harmonious and sensitive and with special effects when needed. Truly inspiring and refreshing.

Beautiful solo also. 🙂

Greg Smith is not only a full of live bassist, but what a voice has this man! And he never stopped one moment with giving all contribution of one could dream and even more… of one could not dream of! Vital with style and untiringly !

Joe’s voice was excellent, and his well known and true friendliness gave great pleasure …Turner gave all in singing and performing, touching, energizing, rocking! He added nice personal messages… and yes… this man is true, and he is not repeating the same words at every place! He has such a warm heart for the fans! 😀

Jürgen’s playing is in one word beautiful. He is not a show off, although he did kick the ass of Greg Smith… He is very relaxed, he accompanies very adequate and with touching solo’s every song! He expressess feelings and moods, and he is not only stuffing up songs with noise as so many do these days!

There were also people from the south of Belgium and even France to see them, and we all wanted other fans to know that OTR becomes day by day more superb, fast and exciting !!!.

There are many good hard rock concerts, but at an OTR concert, one would need an extra couple of eyes and ears…so much was happening in a wonderful speed…not in hurrying, but in creating not one dull moment !!!

Only one remark but not to their address…can’t the concert’s in future not take place in bigger hall’s? We were now like sardines in a box ! Can we buy CDs next time?

Thanks to smashing good looking OTR for this unforgettable evening in Belgium.

On March 31st Ian Gillan of Deep Purple gave a solo performance with the Bruckner Orchestra in Linz, Austria. The show was almost sold out.

The situation with age group was as varied as it usually is during Deep Purple performances. On my left I saw an approximately 70-year-old man, and on my right there was a couple, 40 years old both of them. In front of me there was a 16-year-old girl, and behind me I saw parents taking care of their kid.

It was my fourth time seeing Ian performing with an orchestra. This time the show took place in Linz, Austria – the craddle of cultural and musical heritage.

Friedman Riehle conducted The Bruckner Orchestra and the glamorous Lidia Baich was a special guest. I somehow knew from the moment I heard about the concert that the angel would descend from heaven to provide her personal violin touch.

Highway Star
Strange Kind of Woman
Woman From Tokyo
Wasted Sunsets
Ted the Mechanic (Lidia Baich)
No Lotion For That
Pictures of Home
Fireball (Lidia Baich)
Perfect Strangers
When a Blind Man Cries
Black Night
Smoke on the Water
– – –
Pictures of Home

The show did not only comprise of Ian’s performance. The orchestra also performed ‘Out of the Universe’ just before Ian took the stage and ‘Pictures of an Exhibition’ before the intermission. They basically followed the setlist I saw in Germany.

Before ‘Out of the Universe’ two attractive girls from Czech Republic performed ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, and ‘Show Must Go On’. It was a nice introductory part to the main event. For those who did not know what to expect the girls’ performance served as the harbinger of what was to come. For a handful of fans it was a gentle reminder.

What was striking for the latter group was the sound of the orchestra blended with the vocals. It was so clear. Each and every instrument was audible. Also the vocals did not step outside the orchestra – it was the driving part of the performance. For the first time in my life, I did not see the show from the first row. Thus, I could easily estimate the work of the sound engineer – it was brilliant. But as I found out later Ian brought Deep Purple’s sound engineer with him so everything worked like a clockwork.

Ian’s voice was drifting from the stage through the venue towards the back wall, bouncing of it and falling swiftly down. It was not returning. Great work!

The show was a fusion thing, performed with excitement and applauded with lots of enthusiasm. Thanks to the combination of Friedman’s work, sound engineer’s input and Ian’s vocals the ambience was there, and the elusive element of Deep Purple’s evergreens was captured. Obviously it was all in a different mood than Deep Purple but that was the spirit.

Ian was in good shape, seemed a bit tired but we have to remember the man came back from Armenia where he recorded a DVD, did a lot of press conferences and interviews, and was a guest in a local ‘idol’ type of TV show. Nevertheless, he put on a terrific performance and managed to deliver the goods once again. Those fans who wanted high fives with Ian could easily approach the stage and do it.

I personally treat Ian’s solo shows with an orchestra as a chance for him to keep the vocals hot and take a break from singing in high register. I mean he does not need to scream because for me he can do without it. He has a terrific timbre now.

‘Highway Star’ without any screams sounded very distinctive. Instead of screaming ‘I love her, I need her, I bleed her’ he sang it the way he sings ‘Better Days’ on OETM – in a sort of whisper manner. Worked for me! It is really refreshing to witness Ian performing in a different manner with 85 people on stage with him.

86 because of Lidia’s appearances. She was stunning. I mean not only she was stunningly beautiful, in a green, evening dress, but her touches in ‘Ted The Mechanic’ and ‘Fireball’ were great. In ‘Ted’ she was playing the part of guitar solo and in ‘Fireball’ she took her place in the vicinity of the keyboard. Yes, she nailed both organ and guitar part. I was really amazed. The orchestra, Lidia’s violin (her beauty too), and Ian’s voice is a combination that is hard to come by, and for me personally, it was the embodiment of high culture.

There were absolutely no glitches whatsoever, be it from Ian or the orchestra. They played really well, and their takes on Purple cuts were errorless and tasteful. I had tears in my eyes when I heard ‘Wasted Sunsets’ sung by Ian for the first time in my life. It was a very emotional moment for me, and he sounded so much better than on the ‘Perfect Strangers’ album.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think he had to mature to perform some pieces with so much emotion he puts in nowadays. I did not even miss the guitar sound. The title cut from 1984 album was performed in a fashion that sent shivers down my spine. I do not know. But sometimes I think there is something wrong with me. I literary live within the music. It provides the fuel for my soul..

‘Pictures of Home’ was chosen for an encore as the song in its original rock form has the orchestral momentum in it. The guitar and organ part were substituted by the orchestra and Ian’s vocals were providing the tune and he was the driving force behind ‘85 piece band’. ‘No Lotion For That’, a swinging rock’n’roll track that caught me daydreaming about the Morocco tour. But as they say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A word of conclusion for a closing paragraph. That evening in Linz treated fans of Ian Gillan to a side that is rarely seen outside his normal sphere of performance. It was enjoyable and surprising and needs to be experienced to be able to fully appreciate the over-all talents of this truly unique performer.

Ian Paice and DP tribute band Hush in La Coruña – January 30, 2010

Deep Purple are quite simply five of the best musicians playing today. This was confirmed on Saturday – I saw Ian Paice playing with Italian tribute group Hush.

A small venue (a discotheque by the beach) holding no more than 500 people – we were right at the front. The group was good, nothing to criticise, but it made me realise just how much more than good Purple are in comparison; and the comparison is recent, I saw them at the Hammersmith in November.

Paicey was the centre of attention and was amazing. Three drum solos, one of them a double with Hush’s own percussionist. It was fun to hear Burn, Mistreated and Child in Time too. Just one gripe – at one ‘quiet’ point in the gig I asked Ian to give my son a drum stick, he said “Maybe” and then at the end gave it to the guy standing next to him …

Well, it’s been two years since I saw Purple (Beauvais – March 2007), in a very impressive show, and fronted by an impressive Ian Gillan. I didn’t planned to see the band on this tour, but a friend of mine who is a big Gotthard fan proposed me the trip to Amiens (about one hour by car).

So… here we are : Gotthard makes a big impression to the crowd !

They’re enthousistiac, the show is full of energy, and the singer is really awesome ! My complaint is that every song sounds “dejà vu”. Gotthard’s music is full of clichés, and is somewhat a catalog of the 80’s hard-rock bands.

Then Deep Purple came on stage… very quicly 4 points are obvious :
– the sound is absolutely excellent ! I think I’ve never heard a sound as clear as tonight in a hard-rock show.
– the band plays very well, seems to enjoy the show
– Don Airey is incredible and his sound on stage (like two yeards ago) seems better than Jon Lord. It”s a big surprise because I love Jon Lord and was very sad of his departure. He’s almost leading the band on some songs, like during “Lazy” or “The rapture of the deep”.

So 3 very good points !
But… where”s Ian Gillan ?
Where is THE singer ?
Big Ian is only the shape of what he once was.
He looks very old, very thin, and I wonder if he’s not ill ?

His voice is as thin as his body, and during “Fireball” he seems so exhausted than it’s really a pity !

On some songs his voice seems more relaxed and better (“Wasted sunsets” for example), but in “space truckin”, “highway star”, and most of the old songs, he simply cannot sing anymore.

So it is time that the band understands the fact, and adapts the track list to Ian”s todays’ voice. It’s ridiculous to force him to pretend to shout “highway star” as he’s not able to.

So this show was very good on some points, but it was ruined on some ways by this fact : Gillan is not a hard-rock singer anymore (I mean during a long tour). He’s too old for that, there is no shame to accept it, but please : the band must absolutely discuss it and choose the right songs for him.

See you next time, and in a better shape Ian I hope…
Christophe

To celebrate the 65th birthday of Ritchie Blackmore, Lick Library is promoting four instructional DVDs from its library of titles, all featuring Ritchie’s style of playing. All these lessons are taught by Danny Gill, who himself studied from Joe Satriani.

All Lick Library guitar DVD lessons are filmed in high definition and include double screen so you can see what both hands are doing at the same time.

Jam With Deep Purple

Catalog number: RDR0313
Media: CD and 2 DVDs (PAL, Region 0)
Skill Level: Intermediate
Jam with Deep Purple is a double DVD set with an accompanying CD of tracks without the guitar so you can jam along as you learn. In the two hours of guitar lessons, Danny Gill walks you thorough seven classic Purple tracks — Woman From Tokyo, Lazy, Black Night, Smoke on the Water, Strange Kind Of Woman, Burn, and Highway Star. The backing tracks are featured on the “jam along” CD recoded with full professional backing band including drums, bass, keyboards and rhythm guitar.

Learn To Play Deep Purple

Catalog number: RDR0072
Media: DVD (PAL, Region 0)
Skill Level: Intermediate To Advanced
Learn to play Deep Purple tracks note for note. It is a two-hour DVD lesson which takes you through note for note through five timeless Deep Purple tracks. In this DVD, Danny take a more in depth look at these tracks covering techniques such as bending, picking, and key changes. He also discusses open-string licks, use of the tremolo bar and how Ritchie plays those staccato notes. Tracks include: Smoke On The Water, Burn, Highway Star, Lazy, Black Night

Learn to play Ritchie Blackmore — The Solos

Canalog number: RDR0285
Media: DVD & CD Set (PAL, Region 0)
Skill Level: Intermediate To Advanced
Ritchie Blackmore — The Solos has Danny taking you through the solos of Since You’ve Been Gone, Smoke On The Water, Man On The Silver Mountain, Highway Star and Burn. Each solo is played up to tempo, at a slow tempo and then at a medium tempo. The CD has fifteen backing tracks, one at each tempo for each solos featured on in the guitar DVD lessons. You can learn at your own pace and build up to full speed.

Quick Licks Richie Blackmore

Canalog number: RDR0236
Media: DVD (PAL + NTSC, Region 0)
Skill Level: Intermediate
Quick Licks in the Style of Ritchie Blackmore features more than 30 licks reminiscent of Deep Purple’s “Burn”. As Danny looks at each Blackmore-flavored lick he explains why the idea works at that particular point in the backing track. Danny also takes time for a more in-depth look at scales and rhythm and use of a slide.

Thanks to BraveWords for thew info.

Rick Wakeman reports in his monthly column titled “Grumpy Old Rick’s Ramblings” not only that he spent a most enjoyable evening with Jon Lord at the Thames Valley University doing a Q&A with some students, he also reports that

Jon and I also talked about some future joint concerts together which hopefully will happen next year. We both love the use of orchestras and it seems a very natural progression.

Question is why it took them nearly 40 years to find out 🙂