What a great show tonight!

All three bands were on top form. This was my 17th Purple concert and what a great set. The right combination of old and new.

The songs from Rapture are the best ever and are brought to life when played live. Probably the best version of Highway Star I have heard in a long while.

Steve Morse playing The Battle Rages On summed up everything he has brought to Deep Purple in the last nearly 15 years. Blackmore never sounded that hard and Steve obviously enjoys the people he plays with and the whole live environment.

It is brilliant seeing everyone enjoying themselves on and offstage.

This was my 13 year old son’s first Purple concert and he hasn’t shut up since!

The MEN isnt the greatest venue in the world but tonight it played host to the greatest band in the world. I loved every second of it, long may it continue!

Thanks.

Andy Bramah

Great to be in Newcastle – friendly people and cheap drinks!

Missed Thin Lizzy unfortunately but will catch them in Sheffield and the NEC.

Styx were a band I had absolutely no knowledge of prior to this gig, but after the initial shock of seeing every pose in the air guitar book in the first five minutes, I realised I was enjoying the show! They seem to like epic endings to their songs – good fun.

My girlfriend also fancied the keyboard player for some unfathomable reason.

Deep Purple – well I am firmly in the school wanting to hear more recent stuff – i.e. after 1971-material. I was even looking forward to The Battle Rages On, but they didn’t do it.

I remember the Bananas tour when they played loads of that album and it was great. Oh well, I know the reasoning but all of Machine Head from start to finish in a shortish set?

I love these guys but left thinking one gig on this tour would have been enough.

Voice, playing etc all present and correct.

Thomas Fox

For the second gig of Deep Purple in Sicily (the first in their long history has been in Palermo, the day before) Palasport of Acireale is completely sold out: over 6000 persons are present; among them a lot of fifty-year-old men, some babies carried from parents, other fans intermediate aged and several defenders.

The expectation is huge from months, in fact lots of people bought tickets long time ago, to be sure to be present at this legendary concert. The queue to the gates comes long, but ordered, already in the first hours of the afternoon. We await opening under a driving rain, whipping Sicily for three days, really fool (how could she stop true defenders?).

At 20.30 the opening group, Volver from Catania, come on stage: a valid pop-rock on the instrumental side, but absolutely out-of-place on the hard rock one. Volver play for half of an hour: six Italian songs, full of computer effects and disco rhythms, even if here and there wha-wha or solos peep: these elements make the sound tolerable. We can remember, in particular, the funky single “Parlami”, the catchy “Ossessione” and other pieces near to Festival di Sanremo style. A commercial product, in conclusion, very distant from musical optics of the defenders, but also of the rockers ones!

Deep Purple appear at 21.30, beginning with historic “Pictures of Home”, in medley with the new song “Things I Never Said”, flowing fast with typical instruments challenges, between which Ian Gillan’s tambourine, that will be used by the singer in other pieces, too.

“The Battle Rages On” follows, taken from the last album seeing Blackmore’s presence; Losing the Man in Black remains a severe loss, but Steve Morse makes it tolerable, playing the song as a rare pearl, thanks to a dark riff.

Naturally, Purple know as burning the pit: “Strange Kind of Woman” is overwhelming, with some voice-guitar duets, different from the seventies ones, however full of passion, for public delirium. At the end, Ian Gillan screams we are “fantastic”, “superb”, “unbelievable”: it’s natural, after forty years waiting!

The climat becomes calmer with the new, arab-like “Rapture of the Deep”, giving the title to new album: a refined song, with several rhythm changes. The public starts burning again with the mythical “Fireball”: only thinking that piece is dated 1971, but it sounds near heavy metal, clearly shows the innovation Deep Purple brought to rock scene and the debt that all defenders have towards the band; in fact, at the end of the song, some presents rise to clap Masters.

It is continued with the new “Wrong Man”, heavy, but rich of effects, including a Grand Finale, followed by Steve Morse’s solo exhibition: the instrumental “The Well Dressed Guitar” is magnificent and Gillan, too, invites all to clap him.

Moving is the execution of “When a Blind Man Cries”, slow blues from 1972, real artistic piece. It is continued with “Lazy”, from the same year, pungent, opened by Don Airey’s keyboards, Jon Lord’s worthy substitute, and with the new “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”, very energetic.

Another solo space is for Don Airey, beginning the performance by a hammond sound, going on with piano and honky pieces, with the popular song “Ciuri Ciuri” and, at the end, with spatial effects.

All this is the original intro for “Perfect Strangers”, the only song played coming from eighties production: it advances majestic, with fabulous light effects; at the end, Gillan screams we are “lovely”. “You are my friends” phrase provokes thrills, because the band is in front of a public in love, faithful, which, likely, they don’t meet very often, not even in their fatherland.

It is followed by “Space Truckin’”, slower than original version, but equally pursuing, enriched by a Ian Paice’s immense performance, followed by the long-awaited “Highway Star”, with a blues intro, longer than usual, concluding with a standing ovation.

The same tribute happens with a particular “Smoke on the Water” version, opened by Morse with the famous Boston song “More Than a Feeling”: fans are involved and rise again for a long applause.

After a short pause, Deep Purple come back on stage, devastating Palasport with a long, spectacular “Hush” version and above by “Black Night”: grandiose in her simplicity, with a fulminating bass solo by Roger Glover and with Steve Morse prolonging the song’s duration, making heavy metal what heavy metal has never been, playing with the public, creating some voice-guitar duets, very successful, to our opinion.

The conclusion is at 23.30, after two hours of great hard rock: about the band we don’t add much, except remember they are professional and excellent instrumentalists.

We thank Barley Arts and Giuseppe Rapisarda Management for optimal organization (opening group excluded, though technically valid) and State Police and Fire Brigade for efficient work: we also hope to see again Deep Purple very soon in Sicily.

Giuliano Latina
Siracusa, Italy

Photos by Apa Palermo:

We waited several hours in front of the Rhénus Hall (to get a better place at the show), and finally enjoyed the explosion of Deep Purple (the best group) which, far from undergoing the devastations of the years, offers an uninterrupted spectacle.

They gave us immortalised songs and new compositions with a scientist’s proportion of control and madness. No more “Knocking At your back door” or especially “Speed King” on the program. But never mind.

The mischievousness, the happiness and so many songs impossible to ignore made this evening a delight.

We left with many trophies (a stick from Ian Paice, picks from Steeve Morse and Roger Glover, two autographs of him, some photographs and emotions to fill our heads and the hearts. There is only one group like Deep Purple.

Please enjoy my photos.

Fanny and Jean-Richard

The nine classic Rainbow albums from 1975-86 will be repackaged into a “deluxe” box set due for release on May 23 in Japan via Universal International. Each disc comes with a paper sleeve replicating original vinyl packaging. The box includes:

• Ritchie Blackmores Rainbow (1975)
• Rainbow Rising (1976)
• On Stage (1977)
• Long Live Rock N Roll (1978)
• Down To Earth (1979)
• Difficult To Cure (1981)
• Straight Between The Eyes (1982)
• Bent Out Of Shape (1983)
• Finyl Vinyl (1986)

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

Ian Paice, dubbed by Sir Paul McCartney as the worlds best (welcome to the club, Sir Paul!), will be appearing on the John Holmes afternoon show tomorrow (April 24) on BBC Radio Nottingham from 2pm. The interview will be approximately half an hour long and will feature informal conversation with the legendary drummer along with clips of his music. Ian who was born in Nottingham will be warming up for Deep Purple gig where they will be supported by Thin Lizzy and Styx; with a rare radio interview that should make for fascinating listening.

You can listhen to BBC Radio Nottingham online here.

Thanks to Mike Garrett and Richard Gillitt for the info.

On April 21 Deep Purple have performed in Newcastle and, as previously announced for this tour, incorporated Machine Head in it’s entirety in the later part or the set. The gig got mixed reviews from the die-hard fan crown. According to the early reports, the next day in Manchester band decided to revert to the “traditional” set list (similar to what they played recently in France). Despite the fact that all Machine Head tracks except Maybe I’m a Leo and Never Before are regulars in the set anyway, this undoubtedly disappointed some punters who came for the performance of this album.

We’ll see how the events unfold in the future shows. One thing for certain, one can not please all the people all the time. But they’re trying hard…

Check the review and reader’s comments from Manchester Evening News.

For nearly 40 years London, England was rightfully considered the rock music capital of the world. It’s now been challenged by Kansas City. Where the world record attempt on Smoke on the Water has failed in London, it may as well succeed in KC.

On June 3, in an event organised by local radio station 99.7 KY at a baseball stadium, they will attempt to break a world record for the most guitarists playing simultaneously the same song. The song, of course, will be Smoke on the Water. Current standing record of 1322 was set in 1994 in Vancouver. They hope to attract 2000 participants this time. Representatives of the Guinness world book of records are promised on hand to do the head count. More details at KYYS.com.

Thanks to Blabbermouth.net for the info.

Joe Lynn Turner will appear on the Classic Metal Show on Saturday, April 28th promoting his latest solo album “Second Hand Life”. Visit their page to listen to the show and for (re)broadcast times and locations.

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

New issue of “Dear Friends” on Caramba! Extra credit to everybody who manages to get through this one: Darwin, Dawkins, Delusions & for good measure, Infinity.

Thanks to Steve Campbell for the info.