The Deep Purple Hub, the fan-forum and show resource website that has grown steadily since its inception a few years ago, has taken the next logical step in that growth: a domain name and their own server. You will now find it at http://deeppurplehub.com.

An Irish site dedicated to promoting independent bands have published nothing short of a glowing review of the June 30 show in Cork:

Deep Purple are considered one of the founding fathers of heavy metal. Once crowned the loudest band in the world in the Guinness book of world records, Deep Purple blazed a trail from the early seventies with their unmistakeable combination of blistering guitar licks, fuzz-fuelled keyboard solos, space-high vocals and accomplished rhythm section. They captured the minds and the ears of audiences with unforgettable riffs such as “Smoke on the Water”, “Black Night” and “Woman from Tokyo”. But today Deep Purple is a well-travelled band who has undergone more changes in their 40 years than our fluctuating economy…

Continue reading at Musicnews.ie.

Thanks to Mike Quinlan for the info.

Several Deep Purple archival (re)releases are currently in production due for later this year:

1. The 35th anniversary edition of Come Taste The Band with the album freshly remixed by Kevin Shirley and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
2. A blue ray edition of Rises Over Rapan with 5.1 surround sound and a newly produced documentary showcasing the Mk4 period.
3. A 30th anniversary edition of Deepest Purple with an extended track listing and bonus DVD featuring newly created from archival footage music videos for Child in Time, Woman from Tokyo, Stormbringer and Might Just Take Your Life.

As for the current lineup, performance at the Caribana Festival in Crans-près-Céligny, Switzerland on June 9th was recorded in 3D video.
<speculation>
We have no further info. Just a sneak suspicion that a certain Funky Claude, who was always quick to embrace new technologies, might have been involved. Once the technology settles in, the show might be released in whatever will be the format of the day.
</speculation>

The album is released by Mascot Records in the UK and Europe on Monday September 20th, followed by a North American release via J&R Adventures on September 21st.

After the Deep Purple’s Joensuu show has been cancelled a few days ago, we now have received news that Turku show is cancelled as well. YLE.fi speculates that both shows have been cancelled due to poor ticket sales caused by competition:

The Deep Purple shows likely suffered from competition from two big rock festivals, this weekend’s Tuska in Helsinki — starring Megadeth, W.A.S.P. and Testament — and next week’s Ruisrock in Turku, starring Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, the Specials and Canned Heat.

This caused a slew of cancellations and shifting the gigs to smaller venues. Other affected artist include Beach Boys, Green Day, Joan Jett, Nick Lowe, Dr John, and Good Charlotte.

Thanks to YLE.fi for the info.

Roger Glover writes in his first (and hopefully not the last) installment of Road Life notes:

A few years ago, I had descended from my hotel room a trifle early before a concert. I was sitting in the bar having a swift half when someone recognized me. “Aren’t you excited?” he inquired excitedly, quivering with his own. I politely asked him what about. He stared at me incredulously, “Tonight, the concert is tonight.” “Oh that, no, not particularly excited,” I replied, rather too nonchalantly. That’s when it struck me – how accustomed had I become to the world of industrial-strength touring that what to many would be a high point of the week, month or year was to me merely a date on the calendar – another city along the way? There was a time when the thought of getting a gig at a local pub sent me into spasms of exhilaration and the anticipation had my blood thumping. Have I become so inured by the sheer volume of years on the road that I have lost that simple pleasure? What happened to the boy that worked so hard at the paper round, patiently saving his precious cash so that one day, maybe, he’d have enough for a down payment on that red Hofner bass guitar that shined so alluringly through the dirty window of the local music shop?

Read the rest at RogerGlover.com.

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.

From Glenn’s Twitter yesterday, June 17th:

I’m on my way to the studio to record a duet with my late brother Tommy Bolin..I’ll let you know all about it 2nite..another emotional day..

followed the same night by

All done @ the studio, I sang a duet with Tommy Bolin “Lotus in an Oriental Sky” + I wrote and sang an unfinished Tommy song, very moving.GH

and

The Tommy Album will be a tribute, with lots of my mates..Warren Haynes and Steve Lukather have been recorded, more duets 2 come with TB

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info

At the end of the first leg of this year’s tour, Steve Morse sends us his update from the road:

This tour has been going amazingly well. I am consistently surprised at how many places we find young people mixed with older in the audience. If we keep going, it maybe possible to meet a lot of 3rd generation fans. Actually, we already have met some. Anyway, the sheer number of Countries, time zones, and hours of traveling have made this all seem like a hazy dream to me. We have done longer legs, but this really seems like a long one! Everywhere we go, people have been very hospitable, and I think that being a musician is something that everybody knows of in every country. If I go into a fancy hotel, they may wonder what I’m doing there, but when they know that I’m a musician (with any traveling band), they smile and remember that every touring band is a little weird looking from time to time.

Despite the horrible problems and bad news across the World, people are still going out to see our concerts, and seem to be having a great time. South Africa was just getting ready for the World Cup onslaught of tourist/fans, and had built lots of new infrastructure, but I imagine that there could end up being more people than places to park, rooms, rental cars, etc. simply because soccer, (oops, I mean football) is such a big deal. Janine and I got to do a few tourist activities while we were down there and we were very glad to get a tour guide that was so friendly.
~Steve

Heaven & Hell with Ronnie James Dio were booked to play this summer at the High Voltage Festival in London along with the string of other European dates. These shows had to be cancelled when Ronnie’s health took a turn for the worse. Now, remaining band members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice will honour their commitment for only this one booking — where on July 24th they will perform a one-off tribute to the late Ronnie with Glenn Hughes and Jorn Lande joining them to share vocal duties. Proceeds will be donated to the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout” Cancer Fund.

Thanks to black-sabbath.com for the info.

Wymer Records in the UK is releasing an album of Mk1 songs recorded by Nick Simper with the Austrian band Nasty Habits. The album is aptly called The Deep Purple Mk1 Songbook. The first edition will be limited to 1,000 copies with bonus video footage including a Nick Simper interview. To coincide with this album Nick Simper & Nasty Habits will be also releasing a download single featuring a storming version of The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues and an alternative version of Hush.

Track list

1. And The Address
2. The Painter
3. Mandrake Root
4. Emmaretta
5. Chasing Shadows
6. Lalena
7. Wring That Neck
8. The Bird Has Flown
9. Why Didn’t Rosemary
10. Kentucky Woman
11. Hush

Nick Simper – bass / vocals
Peter Brkusic – drums / vocals
Christian Heissenberger – guitar
Helmut Puschacher – keyboards
Christian Schmid – vocals / percussion

Catalogue No: TSA1002
Format: Limited edition jewel case enhanced CD with 12 page booklet
Retail price: £12.99
Release date: 16th August 2010

The album can be preordered through Wymer UK online store.

We will leave you with a little taste of what the band sounds like. Nick Simper and Nasty Habits live at Club Reigen, Vienna, Austria, March 14, 2009. Mandrake Root:

Thanks to Wymer for the info and to jimk01 for the video.