Jon Lord felt he need to make some clarifications regarding his upcoming Summer Proms concerts, so he asked us to post this information:

Hi All

I [would like to] clear up what appears to be a bit of confusion about what I am gonna play at these three UK “Summer Proms” gigs I’m doing, on next Saturday the 26th July at Weston Park in Staffordshire, then on 16th August at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, and on 23rd August at Marble Hill near Twickenham.

It has been variously reported that I’m playing the Concerto for Group and Orchestra, and/or that
I am just doing a “warm-up” set with the Gemini Band before the “main event”.

So here’s the reality:-

I am playing three pieces:- The Telemann Experiment, The Road from Lindisfarne and Bourree (from Sarabande). I will be playing piano and will have Steve White on drums and Mark Cox on guitar, (and a bass guitarist I haven’t met yet!) plus all three pieces will be with the full orchestra, and will be closing the first half of the evening.

Much as I try really hard not to get too puffed up, and get myself into a hissy fit about my position on the bill, I also have to confirm the following:- I am NOT the “warm-up act”!!

Peace, love, music and all that good stuff

Jon

Reports are coming in about an amazing gig at this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival. The band switched some stuff around and brought in some surprises into the set.

The full setlist:
Fireball
Into the Fire
Strange Kind of Woman
Rapture of the Deep
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Contact Lost
Steve Morse Solo
Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
Wring that Neck
Well Dressed Guitar
The Battle Rages On
Don Airey solo
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
Highway Star

Jazzy Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
Hush including Ian Paice Solo
Black Night including Roger Glover bass solo intro+”amazing jam” [according to our reporter] with Montreux Jazz Festival General and “Smoke …” legend Claude Nobs playing harmonica

Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov.

from Don’s record company, Mascot Records:

07/16/08 M- Don Airey Tour Cancelled

The recently announced tour of Don Airey has been cancelled due to his busy touring schedule with Deep Purple.

Off course the tour will be rescheduled, we’ll keep you updated on any news regarding Mr. Airey.

The ones I remember:

Pictures of Home (with a bit of Child In Time)
Things I Never Said
Into the Fire
Strange Kind of Woman (with duet between Ian & Steve)
Rapture of the Deep
Demon\’s Eye (nice replacement)
Contact Lost
Steve Morse Solo
The Well Dressed Guitar
The Battle Rages On
Don Airey Solo
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
Steve Morse and Glover Jam
Highway Star
Smoke on the Water

Encore:

Hush with Ian Paice Solo
Roger Glover Intro
Black Night

Very nice evening with the band in top form.

Introduced by one of the most boring shows I’ve ever seen (by Andy Timmons), the guys hit the stage at about 22.20 P.M. Not so good in the beginning, the P.A. balancing got o.k. very quickly.

Every one seemed in excellent shape, big Ian sung as good as usual, but let me tell you this: Paicey played the best drumming ever, in dozens of Purple shows I’ve seen in the past. We got a drummer for the next 40 years!

The only little disappointing thing was about the tracklist which hasn’t been changing that much in the last 2 years. At least, “Things I never said” it’s about to become a live classic so….

No doubt I’ll be there next time, but then we all want a new studio record!

Nick Simper will perform in Austria in November this year with the local band called Nasty Habits. They will play a special set of Deep Purple Mk1 numbers.

Shows booked so far:
November 14 — Orpheum, Graz
November 16 — Viper Room, Vienna

We’ve been informed that more dates in Germany are in the works.

Thanks to Peter Brkusic for the info.

VH1 Classic in North America is airing a show called Seven Ages of Rock (which was co-produced together with the BBC). The fourth episode Never Say Die is about hasrd rock and heavy metal and features Deep Purple along with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica. The Purple part is mostly about Smoke On The Water. It had clips of the band miming to Black Night, Copenhagen’72, Hofstra University’73 plus casino burning down, interspersed with Gillan and Glover interview bits.

If you didn’t catch it on cable, here’s the relevant piece of the show from youtube (while it’s still there):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZmnFOs0jdk

Thanks to Brad DeMoranville for the info.

The wonders of high speed rail, joys of private jets and the fury of nature — read all about it in the latest installment of Steve Morse’s Notes from the road.
Continue Reading »

it seems the weather had other plans when Deep Purple were about to hit the stage in Zaragoza on the first night of the European tour this summer, here’s what Ian Gillan had to say about it:

Deep Purple – 11/07/08 Zaragoza
As we were about to hit the stage the gig here was blown out by a storm that arrived without notice.

Did I say a storm? It was a tempest of biblical proportions.

Sorry we didn’t get to perform for you but the damage to stage and equipment was so bad that it was impossible.

Some of the crew (not ours) were injured and we’re waiting for reports.

I hope you are all ok!

We always try to get through these things, but for reasons of safety it was called off by the promoters.

Needless to say we look forward to seeing you again sometime in the future.

Cheers from all of the band, ig

and thinkSPAIN.com reports:

Violent storm wrecks rock fest

Last night’s Monsters of Rock festival was washed out by a violent fifteen-minute wind and hail storm that also disrupted the 2008 international exhibition cultural programme.

One spectator was hospitalised after being hit by a metal scaffolding plank, but was not seriously injured.

Around 7,000 heavy metal fans had been looking forward to a star-studded line-up, including the likes of Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and Twisted Sister.

Organisers are assessing whether tonight’s concerts, including a performance by Iron Maiden, can be salvaged.

At the Expo site, the storm, which struck at around 10pm, forced the suspension of a joint concert by Estrella Morente and Dulce Pontes, also interrupting the Iceberg show.

We have received an unconfirmed report that both Israeli gigs on September 7th and 8th at the Hangar 11 in Tel Aviv have been cancelled. Instead, Deep Purple will play a gig on September 7th at a rather unusual venue — Caesarea Amphitheatre. This venue is located on the ruins on an ancient Roman amphitheatre that apparently still serves it’s original purpose. Israeli media also reports that the show will be recorded for a new live DVD and CD.

Did anybody else besides me thought of Live in Pompeii ?

Update (Jul 14): A second gig at the Caesarea Amphitheater has been announced, to take place on September 8.

Thanks to Adar Avisar and Ilya Ferber for the info. Photo: Michael C. Berch, Wikimedia.