St. Louis: Packed venue, with an enthusiastic crowd who sang every word to nearly every song and started one of those spine-tingling exchanges of energy with the band. Synergy at its finest. It was electric, on every conceivable level.

Hard core fans may be tired of the classics, but the audience in St. Louis didn’t show any signs of that. It was an amazing night….

(may not be the correct order)

Pictures of Home
Things I Never Said
Into The Fire
Strange Kind of Woman
Rapture Of The Deep
Woman From Tokyo
Knocking At Your Back Door
Lazy
Contact Lost
guitar solo
Well Dressed Guitar
keyboard solo
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
Highway Star
Smoke On The Water

The Battle Rages On
Hush

Jim Collins

A new Glenn Hughes DVD titled Live in Australia has a provisional release date of September 1 in most territories except Europe, where it is expected in early October. Included on the DVD are:

• live performances from last year acoustic gigs in both Sydney and Melbourne
• live footage featuring Chad Smith at the Rome show last July
• Making of Music For The Divine documentary
• behind-the-scenes Tour Diaries
• three of the recent full-length Music For The Divine videos

This concludes our two day GH news blitz 😉

Thanks to Mike Garrett and GHPG.net for the info.

After reading the other review of Chicago, I sat back and said to myself – what show was this guy at because it certaintly was not the same Deep Purple show I saw..

First let me say something about the openers Supagroup. These guys put on a great show.. They played rock and roll the way the new bands of today have forgotten to play it. They used their influences (Van Halen, AC/DC, and of course a little hint of Zep here and there) but made a sound of their own – mind you: used not copied.

The “baby brother” lead guitarist (his name escapes me) just wailed. These guys did something that up and coming ‘rock’ bands don’t do anymore, they played rock and roll, not growling into a microphone and calling it singing.

No theatrics, or 9 thousand tattoos trying to look like tough guys, just straight old school played in a way that has long been forgotten. Keep working guys, because I think with enough exposure you will be huge.

Now on to Deep Purple and anyone who has been reading reviews from other shows pretty much knows the setlist so I will skip that part of it..

First was location and that was close enough to the stage to be able to shake hands with Ian Gillan (thank you, by the way). When they hit the stage it was just incredible – very very tight and the sound was great. There was no distortion at all. If I had to make one bad remark on the sound the only thing would be that on occassion the bass was up just a little bit too much but having said that I was also right in front of Glover for the whole show and that had everything to do with it.

As for the song selection, sure they played all the classics. It was great to hear Strange Kind of Woman again and it was the first time I had seen them play The Battle Rages On so that was a treat too.

And no, there wasn’t that much from the Morse era – but in my opinion I feel the band is doing this simply because in general the fans have turned away from DP, which is obvious by the fact that they had to cancel Monday’s show due to lack of sales.

When you ask your local radio station to play something more recent from Purple they ignore you and play Smoke on the Water – oh wait I actually heard for the first time on radio Speed King. But again, they wouldn’t play anything new(er). Rhis is a band that deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but people keep ignoring the fact that they are still around and still making great music.

Here’s an idea: How about we stop the ‘if only Blackmore would come back’ talk? Ritchie has been gone for about 14 years now. Let it go! OK, I’m not kidding anyone, sure I’d love to see Ritchie back too but it won’t happen. And I’d sure hate to be in Steve Morse’s shoes. It has to be very tiring by now after all these years to still keep getting compared to Blackmore. Two different people. Two different styles, both unique and great in their own right. Enough said, move on.

I’d much rather see the band as I did Sunday night – getting along smiling and interacting with the crowd as opposed to going through the motions with an attitude of ‘OK, we can play the big stadiums again but will our guitar player be in a mood and throw water at a camera?’ (Just watch the Come Hell or High Water DVD to know what I’m talking about).

One last thing and I’d like to comment on: Is it just me or has Ian Gillan lost a lot of weight? Hopefully everything is OK and he is just skinnier than usual.

My advice to even the casual DP fan – don’t miss this tour because they are playing just as good as they ever have and having fun doing it. Considering it took them two years to be able to get to the States on this tour, who knows what will happen next time, because God forbid that the radio stations would say ‘hey, here is some new Deep Purple’ and try and get them the exposure they need and deserve!

Bonzo

Sanctuary will release a Glenn Hughes anthology compilation titled “Voice of Rock – This Time Around: An Anthology 1970-2007”. The two-CD set will have the following release details:

Glenn Hughes
This Time Around: An Anthology 1970-2007
Castle Music
Release Date 27/8/2007
CMEDD1528
5050749 415288
CD

Disc 1 –
Trapeze – Medusa
Trapeze – You Are The Music
Deep Purple – Sail Away
Deep Purple – Holy Man
Deep Purple – You Can’t Do It Right
Deep Purple – Gettin’ Tighter
L.A. Cut Off
I Found A Woman
Hughes/Thrall – Muscle And Blood
Reach For The Sky
Black Sabbath – No Stranger To Love
So Much Love To Give
Burn (live)
Coast To Coast (live)

Disc 2 –
Coffee And Vanilla
I Don’t Want To Live That Way Again
The Way It Is
Curse
Double Life
Midnight Meditated
Can’t Stop The Flood
Don’t Let It Slip
Secret Life
Dark Star
Soul Mover
Iommi/Hughes – Dopamine
Steppin’ On
Justine
This Time Around

Glenn will also appear on “24/7/365 – The Tribute to Led Zeppelin”, put together by Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali. Glenn is singing on Four Sticks. Also with strong Purple connection, current Whitesnake and ex-Dio guitarist Doug Aldrich contributed guitar on The Wanton Song. The album is due in the US on September 18, on RSM Records (distributed by MVD Entertainment).

Thanks to Sanctuary Group and Blabbermouth.net for the info.

This from a Purple performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London in May 1970 that was recorded for a British TV programme Southbank Summer. This surfaced only a couple of years ago.
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Chicago: The boys were back in town Sunday night to play to a jammed packed House of Blues (unfortunately jammed because two nights were whittled to one).

Prior to main event, the crowd had to suffer through the strains of New Orleans based Supagroup. While Supagroup rocked competently, they added nothing that wasn’t derivative of other “hard rock” bands over the last 30 years. The cliché riddled approach was embodied in their lead guitarist who was wearing a Van Halen T-shirt while attempting to channel AC/DC’s Angus Young.

The bar was not set very high for Purple, however rarely is there a bar set that Purple cannot hurdle, regardless of height.

Without rehashing the set list, Purple came out firing on all cylinders and put together a show as good as I remember seeing (my 14th show of the Steve Morse era).

Apparently the band was miffed at not holding the loudest band in the universe title anymore and tried to reclaim the honor with brain splitting volume. With Don Airy feverishly working the high notes, no one escaped the venue without an ear buzz lasting the remainder of the week.

The sound problems that have plagued the tour continued here with poor mixes and distortion dotting the soundscape.

Highlights of the evening included the spectacular “Rapture of the Deep” and the surprising performance of “The Battle Rages On”.

In agreement with other reviewers, I was disappointed in the lack of representation from the Steve Morse era. DP played only one song from the great “Rapture” album proper and one from “Bananas”. Oh, to hear the return of “Ted”, “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”, “Seventh Heaven” or “Money Talks”!

Perhaps it is time for the band to come to terms with the fact that they are not reaching a new audience for the most part. The fans that are showing up these days are largely the hardcore Purple contingent, that would gladly swap “Woman from Tokyo” for “Rat Bat Blue” or “Strange Kind of Woman” for “The Aviator”.

I continue (and will continue) to show up at Purple shows to hear the one or two songs that I’ve never heard them play live as well as to hear their differing instrumental treatments of old favorites, however it would be great for them to expand the scope of their set list.

Mark Bojanowski

At Deep Purple’s Pompano Beach show Vanilla Fudge and Tommy Bolin Band keyboardist Mark Stein jammed on Smoke on the Water with Don Airey and the band.

Mark kindly sent us these images – click to enlarge:

For more check out Mark Stein’s website.

My wife and I saw Deep Purple at the Mountain Rock Music Festival this past weekend.

This was the first of what is supposed to be an annual event. Four nights of live music with camping. The full package price was a little steep, so we got one night passes for the show and camped about 20 miles north at a state campground. We had the choice of two Michigan dates on this tour. We’d seen the guys in Detroit at DTE a couple times, so this was a nice change. Definitely a more scenic drive.

Deep Purple played at a similar festival called Foxfest two years ago. We had mixed emotions about that show. Foxfest was a free concert. It was nice to save some money and be able to take the kids. On the other hand, free concerts tend to bring in creepy people who wouldn’t have paid to get in. Our boys (who were 9 and 11 at the time) were uncomfortable. Lots of shit being thrown around, fighting, drug use, etc… We decided not to take the kids this time, though we could have, and probably will next year.

After setting up camp we arrived at the festival around 5:00. Parking was overpriced (as expected). Grand Funk Railroad had started their set. We found a good spot on what they call the “mountain”. After Grand Funk came Third Eye Blind. My wife enjoyed them. Then at 11:00 Deep Purple took the stage.

I really cannot complain about their performance at all. In fact it was one of the best Deep Purple shows I can remember. They had a sharp stage set up, good light show, good sound. Ian Gillan was pumped up the whole time. He really is like no other singer out there.

Into the Fire was incredible. Ian Paice and Roger Glover were great. Steve Morse was pretty prominent. Ian introduced him then he went into Contact Lost/ Well Dressed Guitar/Sweet Home Alabama/Frankenstein/Sweet Child of Mine/etc… the crowd loved it.

Don Airey is also very talented. His playing is a bit cold but I think that’s in an effort to keep the sound ‘heavy’. It works.

My one complaint would be about the merchandise. The shirts were generic and crappy.

Overall another great DP show. I think this was the seventh time I’ve seen them. First (and worst) was with Joe Lynn Turner in Detroit. Next was Purpendicular tour in Kalamazoo (awesome). Then was Abandon tour with ELP in Detroit (not bad). Then came show with Dio and Scorpions in Detroit (again not bad). Then with Lynyrd Skynyrd in Detroit (average). Then came Foxfest. Then Mountain Rock (pretty darn good).

Christopher St. Germain

Deep Purple’s managements has contracted Paid Inc. to run an official fan club at a new website, as well as handle online merchandising, sell ‘VIP experience ticket packages’ and ‘develop and direct its official fan community.’

Paid Inc. is currently running Aerosmith’s official fan club among a few other things.

A few days ago Rockit Factory emailed it’s customers that they are closing the store at official band’s web site. They are encouraging anybody who have not received their orders to contact them by email.

From what we understand, Rockit Factory will continue to run deep-purple.com. We wish them and Paid Inc. the best of luck.

The Highway Star will remain the Deep Purple website run by the fans for the fans.

Thanks to Tatti Oscarsson, Daniel Bengtsson and Blabbermouth.net for the info.

Ian Paice will appear at The Drum And Bass Days 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden which is held on September 28 and 29. Ian will probably do his clinic on the 28th since he’s doing the Buddy Rich tribute the 29th.

UPDATE (Aug 23): Promoters of the Drum And Bass Days 2007 regret to inform that Ian’s appearance has been cancelled.

Thanks to Stefan Nielsen and Tatti Oscarsson for the info.