Back in January when the Singapore show was announced I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that Deep Purple would also stop here in Bangkok. This place is simply not on the major concert circuit. Most acts hit Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo during their Asian tours, but Bangkok is usually completely off the radar.

So to my great surprise after having purchased my concert ticket, air tix, etcetera for the Singapore show, about a month later it was announced that the Purple would in fact be coming to Bangkok!!! Being the fanatic I am, I surely could not pass up the chance to see my all-time favourite band in my home town. So out I rushed to the box office and got some great seats for my wife and self right up front and centre, just one row back from the stage.

On hand for the event at the Bangkok Thunderdome last Friday night were as I expected, lots of British expats, and once again lots of young fans in their teens and early twenties. I never realized though just how many Thai rockers there are – they made up easily half to two thirds of the crowd. Again this is a testament to the wide appeal of Deep Purple – people of all ages and cultures love this band. Looking around the venue I estimated about 4000 people were in attendance.

The band started out with another dramatic intro to Highway Star but to my distress everybody remained firmly planted in their chairs. What on earth was going on I thought? And I wondered what the band was making of this – was this just polite Thai reserve? Well I didn’t have to fret long as into about the second verse fans from the back reaches of the arena surged forward to the stage, and then like in Singapore the place was just absolutely hopping.

The band went through essentially the same setlist as in Singapore, but in Purple`s inimitable style they made each song unique with different fills and solos. That`s what makes any live experience with this band so rewarding for a fan – the music lives and breathes and never becomes stale – no rote versions here.

More strong performances and smiles all around by Big Ian and company. Even at 64 years old, Ian G. puts in a very energetic performance – he moves all about the stage and can still jump to the music like people half his age.

The sound in the Thunderdome was not as good as in Singapore`s Indoor Stadium, but no one seemed to mind – a good time was held by all – a great response from the crowd through the entire show.

Highlights on this night were Steve`s incredible work on No One Came, the crowd-pleasing Perfect Strangers, the ever-classic Smoke on the Water, and dazzling displays by both Roger and Steve on the encore performance of Black Night.

After a one hour and 45 minute set it was all over. Led by Paicey, the gents came forward and bowed to the audience with the traditional Thai wai.

I had the good fortune of receiving one of the band`s setlists which had been taped to the stage floor. For the encore portion I note that Speed King was listed, however the band did not play it on this night, nor did they in Singapore. No complaints from me though, what Purple did give us all on both nights was 100% full on rock with passion and conviction.

Long May Purple Reign!

In 1972 whilst in Japan for the ‘Made In Japan’ concert series , Purple also spent time at the local TV station NHK in Tokyo filming a 2 hour spot for the “Young Music Show”. Unfortunately it appears that the tapes have been lost, but we are being promised that the search will continue.
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I have been an ardent fan of Deep Purple since the spring of 1973 when a friend lent me a 45 rpm record of Smoke on the Water (studio version on one side, live edited version from Made in Japan on the other). From that point onward I was completely hooked on all things Purple and have followed with keen interest the band in all its incarnations for over 37 years now.

To say that I have always been a huge Ritchie Blackmore fan would be a gross understatement and I must admit that back in 1975/76 I was unable to adapt to the then Tommy Bolin brand of Purple. Yet with the benefit of intervening years during which time I developed a wider musical palate, I rediscovered Bolin`s version of the band and now hold some of his guitar work in as high regard as Blackmore`s. Likewise I must admit that I have not always been able to completely appreciate Steve Morse`s guitar style in Purple in spite of his 15 plus years with the band. I can now say that has all changed after the concert I witnessed him play a couple of nights ago in Singapore. The man is obviously a key driving force in the band`s enduring legacy and from what I saw and heard, had moments on the fretboard which out-shined even the venerable Blackmore.

I traveled from home in Bangkok down to Singapore to catch the band at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Wednesday May 14th and with no opening act and no lights on a jet black stage the band kicked immediately into overdrive at 8:15 p.m. with the pulsating rhythms and wailing guitar intro of Highway Star. Then with a flash, on came the lights and there was Ian Gillan standing there screaming like it was 1972. Everyone in the place was out of their chairs and on their feet. The sheer energy between the band and the audience was palpable.

Before and during the concert I looked around on what I estimated to be a crowd of between 6000 to 7000 and saw people of all ages and races of this very multi-cultural city. Seated beside me was a young lady of sixteen who told me her dad had introduced her to Deep Purple some years back and her favourite album was Made in Japan. There were hundreds of other young fans like her there to witness a band that has been rocking for almost two generations before them. I challenge anyone to name me another active touring rock group that has been around as long, and which has the cross-cultural / cross-generational appeal that Purple has.

Proceedings continued with Things I Never Said, Strange Kind of Woman, Maybe I`m a Leo, and as Ian Gillan introduced it…..here`s the title track from our latest album – Rapture of the Deep!! I noted how strong Ian was of voice, not only in the lower and mid-ranges, but in the upper register as well, he hit all the notes. And Steve`s guitar renderings on these songs were just superb. As well, from my vantage point I noted how amazingly good the sound was in this venue.

Onward through their catalogue came Fireball, Contact Lost, Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming, Well-Dressed Guitar, and Mary Long on which Ian did a wonderful middle-eastern tinged vocal outro.

Then it was Don Airey`s chance to shine on the intro to Lazy which once the band joined in got the entire place up and boogying. It was clearly obvious that the band is happy to be on stage making music and playing for the people – smiles all around. These fellows are not doing it by the numbers, nor for the money – they all could have retired comfortably years ago on their royalty checks. Instead it is apparent that they are up there for the sheer joy of the music and the interaction with the crowd.

Next up was a very funky version of No One Came with some great jamming guitar and bass interplay. Then it was back to Don Airey for an extended solo (after about 5 minutes or so Ian Paice got up from behind the cabinets and feigned a playful rifle shot at Don) and intro to Perfect Strangers. At that the place jumped to its feet, people gyrating, heads banging to the music, fists pounding the air – it was dare I say almost a religious experience.

The momentum of the band and crowd continued with Space Trucking and a brilliant Steve Morse solo, and then completely erupted when Steve hit in staccato the first three notes of Smoke on the Water. The place was seething and hit its high point on the now familiar sing-along of the chorus. And then it was over – the band said its thank yous and into the front rows were tossed picks, sticks and towels. The appreciative fans cried for more and were rewarded a couple of minutes later with a jazzy jam intro to Hush on which Ian Paice delivered a great swinging solo. From there Roger Glover went into full gear on an absolutely stunning bass guitar solo (I never realized what a master he is of the instrument) which then segued into a raucous Black Night. Steve delivered a great solo with a highly-spirited crowd call and response. And then it was really over, final goodbyes, more sticks and picks, and on came the lights. It was about 10:00 p.m. – about a 1 hour, 45 minute performance.

After the show a few die-hard fans (self included) waited out by the trucks for a final glimpse of the band. First out was Steve Morse who came over to give autographs and chat with the kids. Last out was Ian Gillan who even after a long session of backstage chatting, in his ever gracious manner made it a point to come over and reward the few remaining fans who had been patiently waiting by the security gate, with handshakes and to sign whatever was placed in front of him.

An overall very satisfying concert experience from a band whose following seems only to be growing. I was looking forward to seeing them in Bangkok two nights hence.

It looks like the Deep Purple tour of Italy last December was so successful that the band has been booked to the country again this July. The set of eight dates, all taking place in rather picturesque settings, often by the seaside, have been confirmed by the Italian promoters (but not by Thames Talent, not yet anyway). Tickets for all dates — starting July 21st and ending on the 30th — are already on sale.

And if your schedule will bring you to Italy in June, be sure to catch Don Airey performing with the local bands: June 17th near Venice, 18th near Varese and 19th near Cremona.

Full details, as usual, in our calendar.

Thanks to Francesco from Deep Purple Italia and to Ivano Bosello for the info.

Roger Glover:

A huge part of my life just disappeared. Words are not enough, emotions are too much.

My sincere condolences to Ronnie’s family and friends.

Ian Gillan:

My Dear Friend Ronnie,

Departed but not gone. Resting peacefully (for a while) but never forgotten.

I’ve had a sackful of mail since your passing; a sharing of grief and sorrow.

We all remember your huge voice of course – my ears are still ringing: Your wicked humour and sense of decency: The utter professionalism and personality that inspired so much respect from your friends in music.

The list goes on but the quality that stands out above all others is your enduring generosity. The one thing that we all treasure, the gift you gave us was your kindness.

We all agree you were the kindest man we ever knew.

Catch up later mate,

Cheers, ig

Steve Morse:

Ronnie Dio was a real musician. He was a guy that everybody liked, and always sang loud, in tune, and strong, with that famous voice. I watched him patiently deal with fans at the stage door, and patiently deal with me when I was lucky enough to back him up on our orchestra tour. We backed him up doing a couple of his tunes, and he was tactful and precise with his constructive comments. He could tell if I played one note wrong. I recall him telling me that he used to play trumpet, which might explain his very good ears.

Everybody that ever met him will miss him, as well as anybody who ever heard him sing.

Jon Lord:

I would like, along with my wife and daughters, to express my sadness at the passing of Ronnie Dio.

A friend of many years standing and a truly delightful man. His voice was an instrument of power and of beauty, and was a seminal influence in rock music. His loss is even more devastating when considering how much more he would have had to offer us.

My heart goes out to dear Wendy, and my thoughts are also with Roger and Richie, who were so close to him for so long.

I will always cherish the memories of those remarkable nights at The Royal Albert Hall in September 1999 when, sitting on the stage with all the massed musicians of Deep Purple, The London Symphony Orchestra et al, Ronnie sang Roger’s lovely song “Sitting in a Dream” and brought us smiles and tears, and goosebumps as big as they come.

I shall forever connect that song with that moment and with Ronnie.

Rest in peace my friend.

With love
Jon

Ritchie Blackmore:

Ronnie had a unique and wonderful voice. He will be sadly missed in the rock and roll world.

Glenn Hughes:

It is a very sad day today… I have lost a very dear friend.

Ronnie was a true Leader of Heavy Metal… an Icon and a Visionary… there will never be another like him.

Ronnie gave me wisdom, and showed me great compassion when he was in ELF, all those years ago, when we were on tour together in my time in Deep Purple. He was a beautiful Soul, kind, considerate and a wonderful teacher.

Someday I’ll be bringing your Microphone up there with me, and we’ll sing a song, and share a Vindaloo together…

I’ll miss you mate.

David Coverdale:

[I was] so very sad to hear of Ronnie’s passing… My thoughts, prayers and condolence to his family and friends.

Joe Lynn Turner:

Ronnie was a true gentleman of rock… always kind and giving. I was proud to know him… everyone he touched was raised higher. His energy and legacy will live on… and I — as a fellow member of Rainbow — will continue to sing his praises and his songs.

May God hold him in his hands… RIP.

Greg Smith:

I have lost someone who I looked up to as a teenager and that person became my good friend. I shared many laughs, stories, drinks and good times with him on and off the road.

Ronnie, I will miss you terribly and always think fondly of the times we spent together and of your tremendous talent.

Till we meet again, my friend!

Bobby Rondinelli:

I was very sad to hear of Ronnie’s passing. He was one of the best singers and writers ever, and every time I saw him he was a total gentleman. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten.

Doogie White:

A very great man lost his life [on Sunday].

Ronnie James Dio was one of, if not the greatest singer I ever heard.

I remember trembling when I heard ‘Rainbow Rising’, such was the passion and energy not only from the band and Ritchie’s [Blackmore] guitar but from that voice that shone above all else. He was also a jolly decent chap who had time for all fans come rain, wind or shine.

I first met Ronnie 10 years or so ago and he said, ‘Ah! So you are Doogie, I know who you are, but never knew what you looked like. Come in, son and have a glass of wine. Is red okay?’ This was backstage at the Wembley Arena. He dedicated ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ to me that night, saying ‘To my new friend, Doogie. You may have sung it, but I sang it first.’

We met a few times after that and discussed his excitement at doing the TENACIOUS D movie and the loss of his thumb in the bizzare gardening accident. We agreed gardening was the new RnR.

I had a tremendous affection for the man. He was kind, considerate and wonderful fun.

My thoughts at this time go out to Wendy [Ronnie’s wife/manager] and to the extended Dio family. You do know how much he was and is loved, for his music, his singing, his humanity.

Catch the rainbow… Ronnie… Catch the rainbow.

Graham Bonnet:

It was a horrible day yesterday. I want to thank him for being a good friend, and drawing the map for me, when I was in doubt of the role I would play in Rainbow. My musical background was so different from his but I listened and learned the way to be a replacement, as such and followed the master of hard rock singing, and the name he used to call me “Gray”…the only American that abbreviated my name that way..it was funny to hear…Thanks Ron !!…and Wendy I know will keep him in her heart forever…My love goes out to him and his family…only one Ronnie!

Paul Mann:

Ronnie had the gift of making those who met him feel, for the time they were with him, as if they were the most important person in the world. His music will long outlive him, and defeat the cruelty of his premature passing. His total commitment as a performer was a massive inspiration. During the concerto shows, I used to retire to the wings to watch his songs with Purple, and in the bar after one particularly emotive night I said to him that as far as I was concerned he could sing excerpts from the telephone directory and turn them into poetry. “Only if I believed in that particular set of numbers”, he said.

I will remember his generosity of spirit: I lifted a gift tag on a bouquet of flowers at my grandmother’s funeral to see that they were from him. And his sense of humour. He could do a pretty decent Geordie accent. And I still have the bees, and the John Belushi hat and shades.

And that voice…

Steve Morse dedicated his Guitar Parade on May 18th in Seoul to Ronnie’s memory:

Ian Gillan spoke to the Taipei Times before the band’s first ever appearance in Taiwan. The first part of the interview is from a telephone conversation and is hardly interesting, while the second was done over email and digs a little deeper than usual:

Taipei Times: When Deep Purple began in the late 1960s, a lot of rock bands were influenced by blues and R ’n’ B. What artists in particular inspired you to sing and make music?

Ian Gillan: I grew up with classical music, jazz (well boogie woogie — my uncle was a pianist) and was a boy soprano in the church choir. Then I was touched by the young Elvis, Little Richard and moved on to Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald, somehow learning to play blues harmonica and absorbing everything from field laments to Delta blues and up the big river to Chicago…

Oh, yeah, about the new album:

TT: What’s next for Deep Purple? Is there a new album in the works?

IG: No idea — we never make plans. 2010 is a busy year on the road — we don’t finish until mid-December, so I guess we’ll take a holiday then see what’s what.

You can start your moaning now 😉

Read more in Taipei Times.

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

Roger Glover sends us an update from the road:

The tour is going really well so far. It was probably the best Australian tour we’ve ever done. The audiences get younger every time, and they know how to rock!

The Asian section of the tour is also superb, a lovely welcome wherever we go. It was especially good to play in Taipei, somewhere that we’ve never been before (and there’s not many places like that left-we are very lucky).

The band is really enjoying playing and every night on stage is an adventure and a joy.

Thank you and good luck,
RG

Thanks to deeppurple.com for passing this along.

On May 12th purple played in Singapore. Venue was the National Indoor stadium. An airconditioned venue. A good decision as the humidity was really heavy outside.

The show was supposed to start at 8pm without an opener. At 8.10 the intro tape was started and after all members had entered the stage, paicey started with his drumkit into highway star. A great opener in my opinion.

According the newspaper, the venue was visited at this event by an aprox number of 5500. The mood was good and whenever the old classic songs where played, they went crazy. After 108minutes the show was over. A great night with great musicians in good shape. It was a good decision to go to Singapore.

Highway Star
Things I never said
Strange kind of woman
Maybe I’m a leo
Rapture of the deep
Fireball
Contact Lost
Sometimes I feel like screaming
Well dressed guitar
Mary Long
Lazy
No one came
keyboard solo
Perfect Strangers
Space truckin
Smoke on the water
Hush (with solo from Roger, Steve and Paicey)
Black night

I don’t travel often on work, so it was a nice surprise when a trip to Singapore coincided with a Deep Purple concert on May 12, 2010. Of course I had to see the concert, so tickets were booked, and I managed to slip away a little early from work to catch the gents live.

I reached the venue (Singapore Indoor Stadium) at 8:10 PM (10 minutes past the scheduled start) to the strains of Highway Star. By the time I located my seat (to the right of the stage), Don was in the middle of his keyboard solo. The mix didn’t sound quite right. The keyboards and vocals seemed way too low.

The mix improved as the evening went on, and so did the performance of the band. I really need to get some sleep, but here is a quick review of the show.

Highway Star
The mix, the mix, the mix…was quite lousy, at least where I was, but the band sounded tight. The crowd was really into the song, though.

Things I Never Said
Competent job, but IMO they can drop this one for some time.

Strange Kind Of Woman
Excellent version. The mix was still an issue, with the guitars dominating way too much. Only Paicey’s drums sounded consistently good in the mix. The version was similar to DP’s earlier tours Total Abandon.

Maybe I’m A Leo
Nice version. The mix was beginning to get better now, although Don’s solo still sounded like it was played from somewhere deep down a well. Tasty drumming by Paicey.

Rapture Of The Deep
The mix finally sounded right. A great version of the song! Big Ian sounded great. How the hell does he still have the pipes after so many years on the road? Some of the crowd settled down during this song.

Fireball
Scorching version, with stunning drum work by Paicey, and some great work by Don as well on the Hammond. The Hammond sounded great in the mix.

Contact Lost
Big Ian introduced Steve with, “I want to introduce you to the freshly manicured, very equatorial Steve Morse.” A lovely version of Contact Lost song followed, which blended into…

Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
A shorter version of the song that appears on the album, and the Total Abandon tour, but it sounded great. Big Ian in fine voice.

Well Dressed Guitar
SIFLS blended into the Well Dressed Guitar. I have always liked this song live, and this was no exception. Steve clearly getting a lot of time center stage, and Paicey’s drumming during this song was also exceptional.

Mary Long
My first time hearing this song live, which was great. Not as strong as the Perhelion version though, but still thoroughly enjoyable.

Lazy
Don’s short Hammond solo heralded the beginning of Lazy. Excellent version. Great vocals.

No One Came
I love this song live, and this version did not disappoint. Terrific guitar outro by Steve.

Don Airey keyboard solo
Good solo with a short snippet of Mr. Crowley’s key intro. Predictably led to…

Perfect Strangers
Tight version! Really got the crowd on its feet.

Space Truckin’
*The* song of the evening, I thought. Paicey’s drumming was stunning. Great vocals too.

Smoke On The Water
A short guitar intro by Steve led to Smoke. The crowd was on its feet throughout the song. I am not too fond of this song, but I thought that they played a good version.

Encores:

Hush
Good version with a slightly longish keyboard solo.

Roger entertained the crowd with a nice bass solo, before the band burst into…

Black Night
A great version of this song, featuring a short guitar spot by Steve where he got the crowd to sing along with the guitar. Great way to end the evening – it ended much too soon!

I was seeing the band after 3.5 years, and it was good to see that they remain as tight as ever. Big Ian looks in great shape, and still has the pipes. Paicey\’s drumming continues to be a highlight of any concert. Steve is phenomenal as usual. Don and Roger look like they are enjoying themselves a 100%.

Still a great band to see live. And yes, they are *loud*.

This was my second time seeing Deep Purple the first time I went to see Deep Purple was in May 2006 on the second night in Sydney with Status Quo during their Australian Double Trouble tour and they were good there too.

The second time was at a different place, Entertainment Center. I thought that the Hordern was a nice place but the Entertainment Center is better and more bigger.

Anyway Electric Mary opened up (whom I was new of) however they were very good and introduced themselves nicely and said at the end of the show they were going to be at the merchandise section if anyone wanted to meet them. I was about to meet them but I didn’t have enough time. Speaking of tour merchandise, I got a 2010 tour shirt, and some CDs. Don Airey’s A Light In The Sky and an Electric Mary album. I was disappointed to find out that there were no tour books for this tour but then I thought it was because they weren’t promoting a new album.

Anyway me & my mum got back in just in time to see Deep Purple come on stage. They played their intro Montauges and Capulets and then they began the show with Highway Star. Lots of people were cheering, but the audience seemed a bit tired & motionless at the beginning of the concert. At the beginning of the show the sound was a bit soft but during Fireball the sound started to get louder. When the sound got louder people started to get more into the show. When The Battle Rages On started the sound shot up to deafening level and that’s when everyone started to get up and move around more often.

They played for approx 2 hours and played 21 songs in their setlist, we got encores Hush & Black Night including a bass Solo that should have went on for longer.
it was a great show and I hope they come back to Sydney soon. My highlights were The Well Dressed Guitar, No One Came, starting the show with Highway Star, the Encores & Roger Glover’s Bass Solo. I also liked the lighting effects for this show too. There was no sing along during Smoke on the Water, only during the choruses. Sadly we didn’t get any new songs as lots of people hoped but oh well.