Getting down to Chastain Park that night with a cooler full of beer was a breeze.

Steppenwolf was already playing by the time we found our seats and cracked open some beers, going through the motions really. They croaked their way through “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Born to be Wild”, which got the crowd moving a bit.

Chastain Park Amphitheatre has tables set up on the floor and everyone can bring in food and drink, which is brilliant. It also can lead to some loud, rowdy crowds that sometimes forget that there’s a concert going on… season ticket holders who don’t really care what act is up on stage as long as the wine and cheese are flowing free. Some of the quieter acts have had to compete with the drunken revelry and have been quite put off by the boorish behavior. I suspected that Deep Purple wasn’t going to have a problem with that!

This was the opening night of the U.S. tour, so I was hoping that Big Ian would be in good voice having had a few months of good behavior below his belt. And from the moment they stepped on stage I knew it was going to be a good night, the band was all smiles as they slid into “Pictures of Home”.

I like this stage set up better than the last time we saw them (with Dio and the Scorpions), as Paicey and Don are level with each other, side by side. The sound on our side (left) was pretty good, but Chastain isn’t exactly known for its acoustics… lots of stone, weird angles, open air, and a neighborhood noise rule that keeps the volume down.

Lots of smiles all around on the stage, good energy, everyone seemed to be having a good time. Ian remarked that it was all very civilized, like a tea party. As dusk settled and the candles came out, a nice glow settled over the amphitheatre. Pot smoke drifted about from somewhere up above us. The crowd was a good mix but a bit on the grey hair and bloated side, though they did bring their kids. Guys with white shorts, black socks and sandals belting out the lyrics to “Into the Fire” is a sight to behold, let me tell you.

Steve did a nice version of “Contact Lost” and “A Well Dressed Guitar”, and generally played his ass off all night. Gillan’s voice is still a force, even if it comes across a bit rough at times. “Perfect Strangers” gave me chills just like it had way back in 1985 at the Summit in Houston, though I miss the lasers!

I can’t quibble with the set list this time around, though it was similar to the most recent reviews. Still, I would like to hear “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”, or anything really from Purpendicular!

We did get two encores, “Hush” (which was really quite good), and “Black Night”. I suppose they could have played them back to back without exiting the second time, but what the hell, it made us feel special.

Lots of good noise from the crowd and then we floated out to our car, gruntled as all get out. Oh, and we got T-shirts, and they had copies of Gillan’s new DVD at the merch booth.

Here’s the set list:
1. Pictures of Home
2. Things I Never Said
3. Into the Fire
4. Strange Kind of Woman
5. Rapture of the Deep
6. Fireball (“whew! That was Fireball, barely.”)
7. Steve Morse solo/Contact Lost
8. A Well Dressed Guitar
9. When A Blind Man Cries
10. Don Airey solo
11. Lazy
12. Perfect Strangers
13. Space Truckin’
14. Highway Star
15. Smoke on the Water

1st Encore:
16. Hush

2nd Encore:
17. Black Night

Gregory Saajex

I am afraid I might hurt some people with my review. But, I am going to say what think and what I feel about USA opening show: This is unfortunately the last DP show I am going to attend. IF (and probably it will) everything stays the same with the DP shows.

It’s not fun anymore. DP became “perfect industrial vintage cover band who plays DP songs” and surprisingly it has three original, admired, very creative and nice people from the time when I enjoyed every single bit of their music.

We had a rainy yesterday. Today, it was perfect day. Chestain Park was nicely filled with people. Not overcrowded. Just a nice fill.

Opening act was John Kay and his buddies from the band who calls themselves “Steppenwolf”. I’ve seen them in 2001. And nothing was changed. John needs to do something with that band. They played OK. Just 45 minutes of known songs. The only thing I liked was his Rickenbacker guitar and the sound of it.

DP kicked in around 9.10 PM. First song brought a tear to my eyes – Pictures of home. It’s just personal reason. For the second song, I am not sure. I did not buy ROTD. So it might be one of them. Then followed the earlier posted songlist:

Into The Fire
Strange Kind Of Woman
Rapture Of The Deep (? – something with Middle East sounds)
Fireball
When A Blind Man Cries
Steve Morse’s solo – goes into next one…
Contact Lost
keyboard solo (much more like introduction to next song)
Lazy
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
opening improvisation (seen on latest Montereuouououx DVD with Steve and Roger)
Highway Star
Smoke On The Water

Hush
Drum solo (killer as always)
Black Night

Don goes on my nerves. He is just repeating Jon’s parts. Yes, very close to. But, it’s like the sound of a can opener – you know exactly which sound you are going to hear next moment.

Bass was very low. I could hear the bass just when everyone stops playing except Roger. He needs more those 8x10s.

For diehard DP fans and bass players – Roger plays Rick in SOTW. The rest of the gig he plays on two of those French things.

Paice was in very good mood. He did really great. When they “quit”, after the Hush and all of us were supposed to yell and scream until they come out and do Black Night (can you see here some screenplay?), Ian came out first and supported the crowd to make more noise, while he was climbing to his drums, covered with Union Jack before the encores started.

I could not see if Steve was smiling. But, I think he lost it this time. Something worries him. I don’t know what. It looks like he lost his “vaseline” smile. Why?

I enjoyed Ian Gillan. Great job, creative, yet predactible. But, his voice is getting better and
better. He looks very fresh. I don’t know how far he can go with his voice… Pavarotti needs to do
something. Otherwise… I just love this man.

So, there is a very small difference right now between Model T and DP: DP is PURPLE. DP became musical McDonalds.

I missed Jon Lord. Or, I am just too old and too demanding.

Tvrtko Kulin

For all you Mk3 aficionados, here’s an audience shot of Glenn’s recent performance of Burn at the B.B.King’s in New York. The guitar work is positively different, so those of you who are sensitive to deviations from the classics, might want to abstain from this one:
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The latest (#23) podcast on The Right To Rock features an extended interview with Glenn Hughes that lasts close to 25 minutes. Listen here (MP3).

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

DPAS reports that the long awaited Live in London is due September 3rd on EMI as a double CD set. Recording has been remastered and partially remixed. EMI has dismissed plans of the new version on vinyl, but DPAS is contemplating a limited edition release on another label and ask to drop them a line to do a head count of interested parties.

Thanks to DPAS for the info.

Doogie White in all his glory: grand finale of their last tour of Japan. Tokyo, November 23, 1995: an almost a cappella encore of “Show Me The Way” and “Love Hurts”:
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Whisky & smokes, Elvis, comedy sex events, vox Scotia, bonce orgasm & bondage ritual, BMG & ’93, just when were you born?, ballads or otherwise, soul baby, apathy awash — read all about it in the new issue of Questions & Answers on Caramba!

Thanks to Steve Campbell for the info.

Whenever Jon Lord and Hell are mentioned in the same sentence, you know there’s good stuff coming. The Hell in question is of course the tiny village by that very name just outside Trondheim, Norway. Counting only a handful of houses, it still has its own railway station.

For many years it has also had its own music festival. Starting out as the Hell Blues Festival, organiser Knut-Morten Johansen, who happens to be a big Deep Purple fan, has since widened its scope and now it’s called the Hell Music Festival. The variety of artists is best illustrated by this year’s festival poster which featured Jon Lord alongside Snoop Dogg.

Like four years ago, Jon Lord is again performing at Trondheim’s Nidaros cathedral, but this time the concert features his ‘From Darkness to Light – a Prayer for the Millennium’ in its first professional performance.

This is a tour report from Jon Lord’s weekend in Trondheim, Norway.

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Norwegian TV news showed a brief clip from Jon Lord’s show there on July 1 featuring a snippet of ‘Miles Away’ and a brief interview. Watch the clip.

Thanks to Trond. Pic by Rasmus.

The day before Jon Lord’s show at the Nidaros cathedral in Trondheim Norway, he and singer Jørn Lande gave an interview to Norwegian Monster magazine. They sat together in the hotel bar, where dark wooded paneling and squeaky floor boards offered an ancient feel.

Please read the full interview in Monster magazine, this is just a summary.

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