To celebrate the Sunflower Jam 2009, British radio station Planet Rock will be auctioning off an Epiphone Les Paul Special II guitar signed by the crème de la crème of rock royalty.

The eBay auction begins on 10th August and ends 20th August – make sure that you head there on Monday 10 August to find out where to place your bid:

www.planetrock.com/auction

The lucky winner of the auction will not only get to take home the signed guitar, but will also secure a pair of tickets for this year’s Sunflower Jam and will be presented with their prize on stage in front of the audience.

Here’s the full list of the rock stars that have signed the guitar:

Duff McKagan – Guns’n’Roses / Velvet Revolver
Scott Gorham – Thin Lizzy
Steve Rothery – Marillion
Mike Rutherford – Genesis
Dave Edmunds
Dave Brock – Hawkwind
Tony Banks – Genesis
Danny Bowes – Thunder
Justin Hawkins – Darkness / Hot Leg
Carl Palmer – ELP
Snowy White – Thin Lizzy
Chris Robinson – Black Crowes
Chris Shiflett – Foo Fighters
Tony Clarkin – Magnum
Phil Collen – Def Leppard
Meat Loaf
Joe Bonamassa
Rod Argent – Zombies / Argent
Glenn Tipton – Judas Priest
Rob Halford – Judas Priest
Luke Morley – Thunder
Ian Paice – Deep Purple
Nuno Bettencourt – Extreme
Gary Cherone – Extreme
Les Holroyd – Barclay James Harvest
Black Stone Cherry
Martin Turner – Wishbone Ash
Mick Abrahams – Jethro Tull
Brian Tatler – Diamond Head
Joe Satriani
Bill Ward – Black Sabbath
Nicko McBrain – Iron Maiden
Mick Box – Uriah Heep
Jon Lord – Deep Purple
Vince Neil – Motley Crue
Steve Vai
Mike Portnoy – Dream Theater
Jack Bruce – Cream

Thanks to Fenella dale dor the info.

The Good Old Boys’ live set performed at the Deep Purple convention in May 2008 is now out on CD, released on July 13 by Wymer Records.

Axel Dauer shares his thoughts:

The long time overdue release

Dear Purple bunch, may I point your attention to this: finally, the Good Old Boys have released an official Live CD.

They were playing the Deep Purple Convention on May 3rd, 2008, as THS reported, and that gig was — fortunately for all of us — captured on CD. What a smart move since this was one brilliant show. For those of you who are expecting something like a DP tribute band, please don’t read on.

Nick Simper is having way more class than that (unlike a certain Rod E. with his 1980 Purple bogus). This man has no need to rest on his past merits. He does still have the chops. Neither do his bandmates have any reason to hide their individual talents behind the “big name” of Deep Purple. Every single one of them is a true master of his instrument (so is Alan with his voice) and as a band they’re tighter than a bull’s ass.

I’ve seen these guys live several times and every single time I was blown away by their performance. Now, with this release, all of you are in a great position to experience them, too. What a treat! The CD (like their shows) is starting rather “shy”, but it’s increasing and increasing until they’re reaching the state of pure power and fun. These guys are top of the notch regarding handmade, honest Rock’n’Roll, always surprising the listener with another individual icing on the cake. Most of their material is based back in the early 60s. Their music has nothing to do with Deep Purple. I do understand that they felt obliged to play at least one DP song at this show (Hush) — since this was a DP convention after all — but I’m pretty confident that Nick could have easily given up on that and his arm needed to be twisted hard to do that.

So, if you’re just going for another DP tribute CD, stay away from this. But if you want to hear finest Rock’n’Roll, performed by some of the best musicians around, you don’t wanna miss this on your shelf. This band does indeed know how to ROCK!!!

The album can be ordered through Amazon UK or directly at the Wymer online store.

Can you forget a Deep Purple show which starting with snaring drums of Highway Star? No. No. No. Thousands of NO as Istanbul screamed last night.

Venue opened at 20:00, lights off at 21:00 by the lovely seaside of Bosphorus, quite warm evening, with a considerable high humidity, the show started with a different intro that we hadn’t heard before (except the bootlegers for sure). Then came Highway Star. Do you need anything else? What else do you need for a review?

I was finished then. We were finished then.

According to the paper I grabbed from a stage crew the setlist was like that: No drums solo by the way. (Mr. Ian Paice left the backstage earlier than the other guys.)

01. Highway Star
02. Things I Never Said
03. Wrong Man
04. Strange Kind Of Woman
05. Rapture Of The Deep
06. Fireball
07. Contact Lost guitar solo
08. Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming guitar solo
09. The Well Dressed Guitar
10. Wring That Neck
11. The Battle Rages On
12. Keyboard Solo
13. Perfect Strangers
14. Space Truckin’
15. Smoke On The Water

Encore

16. Hush
17. Black Night

Sound was not balanced in front of the stage during the entire concert, we’ve heard bass and drums very clearly, guitars and keyboards (except the solos) and vocals were not clear. But who cares? Highway Stars are on stage, man!

Mr. Roger Glover was shiny, contributed more and very interactive during the show. Really highlighted.

Drums. Mr. Thunder. Words are not enough for Mr. Ian Paice. We wish he hadn’t been ill.

We were lucky to enter the backstage and spent some 2-3 hours inside, photo session, autograph session, again photo, then drink and eat. All the guys and production crew were so nice to the audiences, except Mr. Ian Paice most of the time stayed at the room. I wish them a quick recovery.

Mrs. Sally Day, PA of Mr. Gillan, aprooached me, introduced herself, took my t-shirt’s photo and admitted that their main source is still www.thehighwaystar.com. Thank youuuuuu thehighwaystar.com. Long live.

T-shirt? Yes, it is the one: “Gillan: I heared we\’re playing Ouagadougou this winter. Lord: Have you checked it on The Highway Star?” My 10 years old mint t-shirt, which was XXL that I could find when I was only L back in 99 something. I am happy to get fatty and found the chance to wear that t-shirt and autographed by Deep Purple. Everybody loved that.

We had so much fun yesterday and as Mr. Glover said, Deep Purple is lucky since we still were there and as I said we are lucky since Deep Purple is still touring. We are looking forward the next tour.

Next tour is definitely necessary, because Mr. Gillan promised me and Mrs. Sally Day confirmed to put my 5 year old son to the side stage that the venue is age restricted yesterday.

OK, roll on.

Show and backstage shots from my buddies Tarik Burcoglu, Devrim Sahin and Mr. Korhan – go to gallery:

Well, this is the 3rd time that I am in a DP show (all in Thessaloniki).

But this was a special time because it was the first show for my kids, 11 and 13 yrs old. And their first time was a DP show!!! And they enjoyed it. And of cource they are right. It was an amazing show. I think it was better than the other 2 shows in Thessaloniki.

The highlights of the show were the
– Highway Star (always a great opening)
– Perfect Strangers
– The battle Rages On (a great performance)
– Smoke On the Water
– Black Night (an amazing ending for the show)
– Steve’s and Don’s solos and the small bass solo bt Roger and Ian
– and Rapture of the Deep & Hush, as my kids indicate.

Unfortunatelly no Star Wars in Thessaloniki, but it doesn’t matter because we were watching 5 Stars for 90 minutes onstage.

And Ian is a great singer although some parts of the songs were too difficult for him. But he’s still better than other (even younger) singers.

Thank you Ian, Ian, Steve, Don and Roger. We’re waiting for you next summer or … Who knows when.

Glenn Hughes, Rock Tent, Karmoy, Haugesund, Norway.
July 30 2009.

Glenn Hughes from Trapeze, Deep Purple Mark III and IV, Black Sabbath and solo playing at the island Karmoy near my home town Haugesund (south west in Norway), its just great!

When I’m thinking of Deep Purple Mark III, I’m thinking of the album “Burn” and the picture of Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale together with Blackmore, Paice and Lord in front of the Clearwell castle. Great picture of a great band.

Glenn Hughes’ band at the tour in Norway was the norwegian band, “Come Taste The Band” (CTTB). In an interwie with Glenn Hughes he said that he was touring in Norway this year to celebrate the songs from Deep Purple Mark III and IV and have fun.

The CTTB opened the show with the riff from “Stormbringer” than Glenn Hughes appeared on stage in black with his white Fender presision bass guitar, and started singing: “Comin’ out of nowhere, drivin’ like rain, stormbringer dance on the thunder again…” ..and the crowd exploded … a fantastic opening.

The next song was “Might just take your life” (one of the best songs from “Burn”).

The band had a good sound during the show and performed with great energy, everybody was enjoying themselves. Glenn Hughes bass sound was good and his voice was great. He was still able to sing the high notes and the falsetto. Glenn Hughes is not only a hard rocker, but also a soul singer, a fantastic musican.

Other songs at the concert: “Sail away”, “You fool no one”, “Mistreated”, “Gettin’ tighter”, “Love child”, “You keep on moving”, etc.

-encore: “Soul mover” (the only song from one of Glenn Hughes solo albums) and “Burn”!!!

During the concert there was a drum solo, organ solo and a bass solo.

In my opinion Glenn Hughes three best albums is: “You are the music, we are just the band” (Trapeze), “Burn” (Deep Purple) and “Soul mover”. The best DVD: “Soulfully live in the city of angels”.

Glenn Hughes looked healthy, the playing was good, he was joking and smiling and it looks like he was enjoying himself in Haugesund. Before he left the stage he said:
“Next time I see you, just call med papa” : )

Hans B. Vikse (Norway)

Glenn Hughes played a Deep Purple set with the boys from Norwegian tribute band ‘Come Taste The Band’.

Glenn was in excellent shape and in good humour. I have seen this band a couple of times before, and they are pretty good. This is the best I have seen them, and it looked as if Glenn got the best out of them.

I saw this as a good chance to hear some good MK 3/4 songs, and it turned out to be a very fun and memorable night. Of course the original is better, but I think it`s great that Glenn did this as part of his “summer holiday”

Extended solos from all in the band during the show, and nice to see and hear “the furniture” Hammond. Guitarplayer is a Blackmore authentic in his playing and Vidar the singer made some nice harmonies with Glenn.

Set list: (Might not be 100% correct order)
Stormbringer
Might just take your life
Mistreated
Sail away
Lady luck (Vidar from CTTB sang this, and very good too)
Gettin’ tighter
You fool no one
You keep on moving

encores:
Soul mover
Burn

Approx 4-500 people at the festival.

The Highway Star reader Craig Neely caught Dream Theater in Philadelphia recently – and came away with some interesting thoughts about Deep Purple. Read on …

My friend, Dave, and I saw Dream Theater for the first time on July 31, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. I was first turned on to them a few years ago when The Highway Star posted a link to a clip of them playing Highway Star at a gig.

Deep Purple is the best band ever.

On June 13 Deep Purple played at the Great Wide Open festival in a small picturesque town on Mühldorf in Bavaria, about an hour or so outside of Munich. It was a very enjoyable show, I’d even dare to say one of the best ones that I have seen (and I’ve seen my fair share). Here is a video of Hush to illustrate my point:

We have a new photo gallery from the show as well as from the one in Dortmund on June 10. Enjoy!

Thanks to SuperPurplefan for uploading the video and also to Helge for trying to help out.

Current Deep Purple’s front of the house soundman Gert Sanner gave a brief interview published by soundcraft.com. Among fairly technical things, he shares his memories of the recent Japanese tour:

Purple don’t use a set list, so I have to be on my toes all the time ready to make adjustments in a split second, the Vi allows me to do that.

Of course, the “don’t use a set list” bit is, ahem, a stretch of imagination as many here have witnessed the “not used” set list first hand.

There was a special moment in the 2nd Tokyo gig, when I had the biggest surprise, we’d just started ‘Perfect Strangers ’ and, unannounced, Jon Lord walked on stage and started playing keyboards, it all seemed a bit Spinal Tap mixed with Still Crazy, I certainly had to react fast to that!

Read more at soundcraft.com.

20 years ago, on July 8, 1989, a group of musicians gathered at the Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London to make a benefit record to raise money for the 1988 earthquake relief in Armenia.

In early October this year Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi and Geoff Downes will visit Armenia together with Jon Dee who organized the original Rock Aid Armenia project. They will receive Orders of Honor from the President of the country, visit cities of Spitak and Gyumri that took the hardest hit 20 years ago, and attend presentation of the Smoke On The Water remix to be released via iTunes with proceeds going towards further relief projects in the earthquake zone.

A possibility of Big Ian performing a show with the local philharmonic orchestra is also being discussed. Gillan’s manager Phil Banfield released the following statement to the media:

Despite the busy schedule of Ian Gillan and Deep Purple, we are currently looking at the possibility of Ian performing his orchestral concert in Armenia. When Ian meets President Sargsyan in October he is hoping to be able to announce the date when he will be able to perform in Armenia.

Thanks to Dima Zykov and Mediamax for the info. Also, big boo to Mediamax for violating the terms of Creative Commons license.