The second show at the Chicago House of Blues that was scheduled on Monday July 23, is now cancelled, apparently due to low ticket sales. This being an all standing venue with general admission only, tickets will be honoured for the Sunday July 22 performance (or refund issued at the point of purchase). As a side effect of this, the Sunday show is now poised to sell out quickly. So grab them while they last.

Thanks to BONZO49875 for the info.

A brand new interview with Ian Gillan has been posted online at The Musician’s Voice. The interview is about 12 minutes long and you can listen to it here (MP3, 6.9MB).

Thanks to Daniel Bengtsson for the info.

I saw all the reviews from Atlanta 7.12.7 and House of BluesOrlando 7.13.7 and Clearwater 7.15.7 but I saw Deep Purple Saturday night at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre 07/14/2007. It was the first time I have seen DP since 1974 when I saw them with Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Tommy Bolin, Glen Hughes and David Coverdale. That was the eighth time I had seen them. The previous seven times was with the In Rock line-up from 1971 – 1974. This review may not be as articulate as these other wonderful reviews but I have a story to tell . . . .

If you are in South Florida and have a chance to see a show at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre please treat yourself. Over the past ten years I have attended shows at the smallish 4000 seater and seen a couple of rock acts I had thought were long gone. Having seen DP at the Orange Bowl in the 70’s and at many other large venues back then, I rushed to get a ticket as soon as they were available. I got there hours early and heard the sound check. The Pompano Beach Amphitheatre is an open-air stadium set-up in the middle of a residential neighborhood with a baseball diamond and tennis courts near by. It looked like the storm clouds would pass and the crowd arrived as the sun set.

Edgar winter opened the show and the crowd settled in. I have seen EW many times but years ago. The crowd recognized every song. He with his band, showed-off a lot during Tobacco Road. The set ended with Frankenstein. His band was very young and sounded great. The volume level does not crank like the old days at Pompano Beach Amphitheatre because of the neighbors but there was no complaint that it was too low.

It has been 33 years since I saw them last and DP hit the stage. The set list posted in other reviews is what they did at Pompano Beach Amphitheatre 07/14/2007. Here is what I remember with two differences from the other shows. Strange Kind of Woman, Into the Fire, Lazy, Space Truckin’, Smoke on the Water, and Hush. Steve Morse did an original and his guitar sounded great. He also jammed a little Sweet Home Alabama and that works down here in South Florida. I am a Ritchie Blackmore fan but I have to say although Steve Morse has an American style he uses many of the original Blackmore melody’s in the solos. He also has a great sound on his guitar which is a 20th Anniversary Steve Morris Music Man model. He uses Engl amplifiers. Steve got what I call the Deep Purple guitar sound. Well he has been their guitarist for a long time now but he gets that Classical Gothic Strat through an old Marshall ‘sound’ on the In Rock album.

The keyboard player used a Hammond B3 and a synth or two. He also had to black Leslie speaker cabinets, probably to get the Deep Purple organ sound. Then during Smoke on the Water, a guest guitarist and Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge and Tommy Bolin fame jammed out next to Airey on the B3.

Roger Glover was really into it and used a Rickenbacker bass during Smoke on the Water. Ian Paice sounds and looks young through a head of grey. Although Ian Gillan cannot belt out the four-bar banshee screams like he used to. Many years of singing with the loudest band can strain a voice but Mr. Gillan has faired better than most early rockers. He and the crowd bounded all night.

I ran up to the front during Smoke on the Water and Hush/Black Night encore. For a moment during Hush, Ian didn’t look so old, the music got louder and when I turned around the whole audience was throwing their fists forward to the beat of the music. And for that moment I was back where I belong, in the 70’s.

Jay Martin

Mark Stein kindly sent us these images – click to enlarge:

For more check out Mark Stein’s website.

Edgar Winter started the night with a fine set, playing his big hits such as “Free Ride”, “Tobacco Road”, and “Frankenstein” to name a few. But I was there to see Deep Purple so away we go.

I was lucky to find myself in the 10th row of the amphitheater and as soon as the lights went down my wife and I, along with a good portion of the crowd rushed the stage, since there was a 10 foot area between the barricades and the first row seats.

I couldn’t believe I was front row for the great Deep Purple. As soon as they hit the stage with “Pictures Of Home” it was as if I had time machined back to a Deep Purple show sometime in the 70’s, which I unfortunately was too young to ever attend. I faced Steve Morse dead on and he was as excited and as happy as can be performing for the Deep Purple hard-core fans.

The whole place was on its feet and everyone around me was like a kid at their first rock concert. It was beautiful to see so many young faces in the crowd, and I do mean young, some in their teens!

The second song in was “Things I Never Said” from the new album and it went over great. Now, I want to make a point here, I know that this band’s biggest records came out in the 70’s and Perfect Strangers in the 80’s, but I love to hear their new stuff. Some people might say, why? and my answer is, “because it’s good”! These guys are musicians, not some pop band that had a couple of hits back in the day, and that’s why I appreciate their new stuff.

Unfortunately due to lack of time, they would only get to play three new songs, the title track, “Rapture Of The Deep” and Steve’s guitar instrumental, “The Well Dressed Guitar” along with “Things I Never Said” . I would have loved hear “Money Talks” and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” which are amazing songs off the new album.

“Into The Fire” came third and blew the doors off the joint. My god what a heavy sound these guys deliver, and this was an outdoor venue.

“Strange Kind Of Woman”, “Rapture…” and “Fireball” kept the crowd wanting more, and like I said before, “Rapture…” went down great, that song could have been recorded on any of the Deep Purple classic albums, I mean that!

Steve’s solo kicked ass and showed why he replaced the legendary Blackmore, while “When A Blind Man Cries”, an obscure but wondrous song subdued the audience with Mr. Gillan’s magical voice.

Don Airy took things from there, intro-ing “Lazy” and “Perfect Strangers”. Man that song still has some of the most haunting organ parts ever played. You could really start to see something quite genuine up on that stage throughout the night, and that was the sheer happiness and enjoyment that these five guys are having doing this. This is the reason that they are such road warriors, it’s simply to much fun, so why let up!

“Space Truckin'” and “Highway Star” continued the night’s activities, which led way to a special rendition of “Smoke On The Water”. The band was joined by Steve Morse’ son on guitar as well as a keyboard player that I did not get the name of [Mark Stein from Vanilla Fudge and Tommy Bolin’s band – see photos and report. /Rasmus]. It’s great to see them have so much with one of the most recognizable songs in the history of music.

This was followed by the encore songs which were “Hush” and “Black Night”. I have to tell you, “Black Night’ might have never been a big hit in the United States, but when Roger and Ian Paice teased the crowd with the opening riffs everyone hummed along with delight as if it were just as big a hit as “Smoke…”.

Overall a great night indeed, the mighty Deep Purple machine never seem to let me down, and once again I am rewarded with a fabulous show by five of the most fantastic musicians to ever play together. “The Battle Rages On”…

Ralph Paz

Others have covered the set list, the weather, the vibe, etc., so let me agree with those comments. I’m a huge fan of both Deep Purple and the opening band, Steppenwolf and was very excited to get a chance to see them both again.

John Kay/Steppenwolf played a tight, short set that had a little something for everybody. The ‘Wolf sounded great and is still as vital today as ever. I wished they had played a little longer but the set was still smokin’!

Purple hit the stage at dusk and opened with a killer rendition of “Pictures of Home”. The band was in fine form and this tune, as did many others, sounded just like the album – it was spot-on perfect and exciting to hear!

The stage background was nice and clean, no gimmicks, a big purple carpet for Ian Gillan to stroll about while delivering a stellar performance. The band was insanely tight! Every stop, every harmonized lead was absolutely perfect. This version/lineup of the band seems to be the tightest of all and the song selections touched every era of the band’s career. The Atlanta Chastain Park crowd certainly got their money’s worth!

One of the mid-set songs, the title cut of the new album “Rapture of the Deep”, was extremely impressive. This song seems to be the best blend to date of the original Purple style of songwriting and the guitar playing of Steve Morse. His influence is all over that song and the song really burned!

Don Airey’s intro to “Lazy” was killer and contained some really quick snippets of some old ELP tunes that he integrated into his solo –very cool! He played great and does a wonderful job of covering Jon Lord’s parts. Roger Glover played his ass off as did Ian Paice both of whom seem to get even better with age!

Ian Gillan was the consummate entertainer. He deftly interacted with the crowd while keeping the show moving at a fast pace. His voice sounded incredible and he nailed his vocal parts all evening long.

Chastain Park in Atlanta is noted for having sound level restrictions at the venue because it is located in a neighborhood and is surrounded by nearby houses. Those of us who go to shows at Chastain are used to this aspect affecting the mixes we hear at Chastain.

Having said that however, I was a little confused by Purple’s “Mains” (out front PA) mix. The organ and vocals were disproportionately loud! Steve Morse was mixed so low that he could barely be heard when the band was in full swing. As a professional musician myself who has mixed sound in larger venues like Chastain, I have to admit that I was a little pissed at the soundman for Deep Purple.

Even with noise restrictions to work within, the mix was illogical to me and did not at all feature one of the main strengths of this band – GUITAR! Perhaps this being the very first gig of this tour is to blame but they need to get the mix figured out! More Guitar Please!

Being a longtime fan of Deep Purple and of course, the original lineup with Blackmore, I was skeptical about the guitar slot being occupied by anyone other than Ritchie. After seeing this show I have to say that Steve Morse is making strong contributions to the legacy of Deep Purple far beyond what I expected! He seems to not only replicate the required classic parts exactly but finds new ground in the appropriate spots and really rocks! With all due respect to Blackmore fans (I’m one!), take my suggestion and give a listen (especially live) to this version of the Purple lineup with Steve Morse – I was very pleasantly surprised!

Purple has been through a lot of changes over the years and I must say that they’ve still “got it” – this latest incarnation proves to be as exciting as ever! Based on the song material and the overall show I saw, I would highly recommend to anyone who’s a Deep Purple fan to go see this tour – these guys are spectacular !!

Marlin Richards

The Palace night club in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia has been burned down. Deep Purple played a concert there on April 27, 1999, writes George Fotis who was at the show then and saw the fire last Wednesday.

‘I happened to be in the area and saw a lot of smoke in the air. It’s next to the beach so Smoke On The Water came to my mind naturally.’

The fire was deliberately lit and the venue is now being demolished.

‘I never managed to get any photos of the place but I wish I had now, as I had some memories of a fantastic concert. I was in the front as it was first-in first-served so I jumped at the chance. The concert was so great the band were at their peak. I expected it to only be an acoustic type show because it was a small venue, but the band came out loud as. It’s a sad day for the people who saw concerts at that venue. Nirvana played there as well,’ writes George Fotis.

In 2006 Purple played another two concerts at the Palace Theatre next to the night club.

Photo is copyright onlymelbourne.com.au – click for story and full gallery. Thanks to George Fotis.

Friendly frill-free adrenalin

A mostly graying haired sold out crowd of 40 yr old and 50 something fans gathered one night for an attempt to touch those late 70’s good time roots with the rock icons of the time.

The current Deep Purple fan is more likely to be making corporate business deals on his cell phone than a dope deal in the concert restroom. Tickets were $35-$77 and a spare ticket commanded $100+ at show time.

The set list remained virtually the same as the previous Orlando show with opening act Edgar Winter known for the classic “Frankenstein” (on sax) jamming with DP on Smoke On The Water

Fairly strong out the gate with Pictures of Home, DP members Gillian [That’s Gillan – just one ‘i’. I only mention it because you’re not the only one calling him a girl’s name. /Rasmus], Paice, Glover, Morse and Airy, have an onstage aura about them, and it’s not the swelled head “rockstar” either. I think these guys are friends who love to play music. Period.

Strange Kind of Woman shot some adrenalin in the fans. They left out When a Blind Man Cries probably to keep the tempo flowing.

The Players: Steve Morse is letter perfect as always happy onstage as well. Steve has a knack for fitting in wherever he is placed but I couldn’t shed the feeling I was at a Steve Morse Band show with DP members and DP set list.

Keyboard players generally aren’t flamboyant personalities and Don Airey fit’s the bill although His musicianship is rock solid. Roger Glover looks great and apparently is enjoying the long awaited US tour.

Ian Gillan embraces his craft as master of the mic and meshes with his band mates playfully throughout the show. Lefty drummer, Ian Paice is well….Ian Paice perfect. Still (in my opinion) the best hi-hat man in the business.

Space Truckin’ energized the audience again and held their attention throughout the remainder of the show including the lone encore of Hush and Black Night.

Sound quality was tight, but a little light on Steve’s guitar at the mix board. Lighting was moody, energetic and frill free.

Older bands need to learn there is a reason fresher acts rarely incorporate extended solos into the show…..they don’t work these days! Lines grew at the restrooms during Don Airey’s keyboard solo, and I thought old people loved organ music (LoL). All in all a good show with a strong fourth quarter in a nice relaxed venue.

My girl and I have decided this is probably the last old guy band show we will pay to attend. We paid to see George Clinton a couple months back and left disappointed. Possibly he’s too old to spark that explosive entertainment value he once possessed.

Aside from maybe Aerosmith or the Stones, the over 50 rockers are better billed at smaller venues and the “A” circuit bar scene. I long for those loud, in your face rock shows of yesteryear where the fans aren’t afraid to sweat and the band has a bottle of Jack atop the Marshall amp.

Fortunately this show was at a terrific venue with comfortable seating, mix drinks and cold bottled beer available for less than $5. The place is full of very kind and helpful employees, older folks that are stationed at every door and corner of the building. They weren’t “stuffy” and they allowed some aisle standing close to the stage and (unlike gustapo city/ USF Sundome) they weren’t ordering fans to move and sit with a poke on the gut, which I find commendable.

Flash photography was permitted (also commendable). DP Shirts $30+, DP Hats and beanies $25, other stuff available too.

Evan McBeth

I have been a fan since In Rock, but this was my first opportunity to see the band live. I was sitting at a table right in front of the stage so I can give you a very up close account, will not include the set list as others have done that.

I am also a drummer and looked at the concert from a mostly musical perspective. The show was fantastic though not perfect. You could tell the fellows had taken a break from the European tour.

Gillan said that he was forgetting words to songs, went backstage to remember lyrics, couldn’t hit some high parts of songs (let’s face it, even at 62, he can sing rings around most of the ‘great’ singers that are out now) and Glover made a mistake on one song, Space Truckin’, other than that, just smoking.

Paice was flawless, as were Morse and Airey, although I agree with a previous reviewer, he sort of just played Lord’s stuff without adding much of his own groove to it (Airey was awesome with Rainbow in the early 1980’s).

I have loved this band for almost 40 years and it was a show that I will never forget, I took my brother and sons and it will be one of the highlights of my concert attendances in my life.

ROCK ON GUYS AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

Doug Frierson

First let me say how cool it was to see Deep Purple again. The last time was St. Petersburg, Fl in 1971 or so. I was impressed how accessible the band was to the crowd – lots of smiles & personal contact.

The sound was awful – we were 15 rows up from the orchestra seats off to the side by the doors. Everything was muddy there resulting in too much bottom end & not enough highs to balance it out.

You can see from the pictures how close we were. Edgar Winter sounded the same but with less presence. When The Purple started it was of course twice as loud & the distortion severely magnified.

I’m sorry my memory of the show is negative but like I said, I got off on the personal demeanor of the band members & that will have to hold me over.

The $45.00 T-Shirts were a surprise too. Keep rockin’ boys!

Mike Pruett

This was the first time I’ve seen DP with Steve Morse… and he truly is a very fine guitarist.

The show was a very good one (although I had wished they would have played “Child In Time”)… but the DP attitude was missing… That attitude of course is Ritchie Blackmore… and to me that’s what made Purple great.

No offense to Morse, who like I said, is an excellent guitarist… but he’s not Blackmore (but then who is?). [Indeed. Not even Blackmore seems to be himself these days. /Rasmus]

Still all in all a very enjoyable evening of great music.

Russell Yodice