Photo: Dima Zykov (www.deep-purple.ru)

Joe Lynn Turner continues his tour of Russia. Here’s a brief report and pictures that we received from the Russian DP website:

Last week Joe Lynn Turner was in my city, Ivanovo. Backing band was Moscow’s group called “Green Town”. Absolutely amazing performance. Joe’s form impressed me much – fantastic voice condition, great set-list and storming audience. Surprisingly perfect show. One day before I met him on press promo event – very polite and open guy with great sense of humor.

Set list, Ivanovo, Russia, Feb 14 2007:

Street Of Dreams
Stone Cold
Death Alley Driver
Spotlight Kid
Jealous Lover
Can’t Happen Here
King Of Dreams
Power
Can’t Let You Go
Fire In The Basement
Unfinished Business
Jack Knife
I Surrender
All Night Long
Long Live Rock’n’ Roll
Burn
Highway Star
Smoke On The Water
Arianna

Pictures from press conference and the show on www.deep-purple.ru.

Pictures from February 10 show in Moscow: www.sbelyakov.ru.

Thanks to Dima Zykov for the info.

A brand new audio interview with Glenn Hughes, conducted recently by the Coast To Coast webzine, has been made available for download here (MP3, 23 MB). Glenn offers the latest on tentative live dates in the USA, the status of Hughes/Thrall 2, a possible Mk. III reunion, a new DVD and reuniting with a blast from the past. In addition, the podcast includes the third rendition of Coast To Coast’s exclusive feature, “Setting the Record Straight”, conducted by Glenn’s manager Carl Swann.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

Deep Purple have been confirmed to perform at the Rock Fest 2007 in Cadott, Wisconsin on Thursday, July 19. Could it be the first sign that the long overdue North American tourdates are shaping up?

The festival lineup so far looks like this:

Thursday, July 19
4:30 Dennis DeYoung
6:30 The Mick Fleetwood Band
8:45 Deep Purple
11:00 Boston

Friday, July 20
2:15 TBA
4:15 Uncle Kracker
6:30 Grand Funk Railroad
8:45 TBA
11:00 Godsmack

Saturday, July 21
2:15 Cross Canadian Ragweed
4:15 Tragically Hip
6:30 Collective Soul
8:45 Chicago
11:00 TBA

Sunday, July 22
1:45 Corey Stevens
3:45 TBA
6:00 TBA
8:15 TBA
10:30 3 Doors Down

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

British newspaper The Sun features Deep Purple on their “Something For The Weekend” page today, February 16. Ian Gillan and Ian Paice were both interviewed for the article.

Read the full article in The Sun’s online edition and some outtakes posted on Caramba.

Thanks to Steve Campbell (Caramba!) for the info.

Ian Paice is doing a rare one off UK drum clinic on Friday March 2, 2007 at Tom’s Music Venue, Treforest, Wales, UK, in support of the University of Glamorgan’s new Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries – dubbed the Atrium. Also on the bill will be former Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable, Mick Chiplin from the Lost Prophets and Bob Richards of Man for a ‘percussion workshop’. In addition this unique event will see a preview screening of Ian Gillan: Highway Star – A Journey In Rock.

Tom’s music venue is hallowed ground in the Welsh music business as it’s the club where Tom Jones was first discovered. For tickets call either 07817 055 625 (24 hr) or 01443 654189 or email: lgeorge@glam.ac.uk Tickets are also available direct to callers at Tom’s live music venue, 71 Wood Rd, Treforest, Pontypridd, Wales, UK. Venue opens at 7.00pm Tuesday – Sunday.

Thanks to DPAS for the info.

Joe Lynn Turner’s next solo disc, titled SECOND HAND LIFE, is being mixed in February and March and will be out in early spring in Japan and Europe. There are 11 tracks on each of the album versions. Each one has a unique bonus track. The CD is scheduled for an April 4 release in Japan and at a date to be announced in Europe on Frontiers. There is also a possibility of a USA release. The major players on the album are: JLT, Karl Cochran (Guitars), Bob Held and Karl Cochran (Bass), Michael Cartellone (Drums) and Gary Corbett (Keyboards). Watch JLT’s official website: www.joelynnturner.com for a future studio report and more news as it happens.

In other news, the setlist for JLT show in Moscow on February 10 was:

1. Death Alley Driver
2. Cant Happen Here
3. I Surrender
4. Stone Cold
5. Power
6. Cant Let You Go
7. Unfinished Bizness
8. Street Of Dreams
9. Jacknife
10. Long Live Rock And Roll (including Black Night + Lazy)
11. All Night Long (including Guitar Solo)
12. Spotlight Kid

Encores:

13. Highway Star
14. Smoke on the Water
15. Burn

Thanks to Mike Garrett and Lorna for the info.

The Harrod Rocks event which we reported earilier has been cancelled.

Parody circulated on the Internet: faces of some Russian politicians plastered over an imaginary LP cover.

Apparently Deep Purple plays an important role in the bizzare world of Russian politics. President Vladimir Putin is supposed to step down after his second term expires in 2008. It was reported earlier that the two presidential hopefuls in the elections, current first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and minister of defence Sergei Ivanov were spotted in the audience and mingling backstage at the DP show in Moscow in October 2006.

Now an English language newspaper St.Petersburg Times reports

Vladislav Surkov, the deputy head of presidential administration and and the Kremlin’s ideologist, and Dmitry Medvedev, the first deputy prime minister often seen as President Vladimir Putin’s preyemnik, or successor, revealed they are both fans of Deep Purple, according to Vedomosti newspaper.

Meeting around 20 activists from pro-Kremlin youth organizations such as Nashi and Rossiya Molodaya late last month, Surkov was reported as saying about Medvedev and himself: “We are think alike on most subjects, the only difference in terms… We both like Deep Purple, but he likes ‘Kentucky Woman’ better while I like ‘Lazy.’”

It remains to be seen whether the next Russian president will indeed be a Deep Purple fan or the candidates are just trying to score some points with the electorate due to the legendary status that the band enjoys in Russia.

A new hall in Serbian city of Dimitrovgrad will be called the Glenn Hughes Music Hall. Glenn will inaugurate the hall with a concert he’ll play there on may 9th.

We congratulate Glenn and Dimitrovgrad’s officials for their commendable taste in music. However Joanna, sitting next to me, couldn’t help herself but to quote Spinal Tap appearing on The Simpsons:

“Yeah, and we’re really big now in Bulgaria, and that other “aria.”
“Hungaria.”
“Right, Hungaria.”

Thanks to GHPG.net and Daniel Begtsson for the info.

British newspaper Express & Star have published an interview with Ian Gillan in it’s online edition. Among other things, Ian said that the band is heading off to the studio by the end of this year.

Read the full interview here.