Let me preface this review by saying that I love this band. I have been a Gillan fan since I can remember and enjoyed Gillan’s Inn in the last week (thanks Amazon).

I finished work on Friday and made my way down the highway to lovely wollongong. Some Thai food, a flirt with the lady at the next table and off to the concert. Not much of a Status Quo fan so I wasn’t that
keen to have to sit through their final 30 minutes.

OK, lights go down but amazingly the crowd doesn’t seem that into it. I flash back to my last few years of living in the U.S and watching the crowd go crazy when the main band hits the stage. This is freakin’
Deep Purple people!

The band flies into Pictures of Home and I am impressed. Mmmmm, Ian’s voice sounds great tonight. From there it didnt seem so good. It was a flat performance and the band lacked energy. I know this sounds bad and I want you all to know that I love this band. I guess an off night happens to the best of them and I often have off days at work.

To the band, I thank you for still being relevant. To Ian Gillan, the new album is wonderful. To Don Airey, sorry, but we are going to smash England in the ashes this year (hee hee). To Steve Morse, loved Contact Lost.

Everyone, get behind this band. They might just become something! (As Ian Paice said in the ‘Come Hell or
High Water’ DVD: What have we got to compete with these days… Nothing!)

Darren Nicholls

Didn’t bother to see Swanee. They were never a band I listened to anyway.

I preferred to down a few beers across the road trying to keep my heart palpitations down to a reasonable level before I entered the Pavillion to listen to Quo and DP.

Quo used to be one of my fave bands but I grew out of them 20 years ago, and I know why. One song sounds just like the second and then the third and so on to monotony. Yes I should have stayed at the bar across the road for a few more beers. For a support band they went on far too long and I almost gave up and throttled some Quo die hard in front of me who rebuked my brother for yelling out what we all wanted to say “Bring on Purple!”

Quo They finally got off stage and took their ridiculously tight black jeans and skinny legs with them.

The Purple road crew are so professional I blinked and the next thing they were on stage belting out Pictures of Home. Was that Ian Gillan or was I seeing things. His personal trainer must have worked wonders because he looked and sounded like a 20 year old but then again I was sitting somewhere down the back. I think for a DP concert that’s not the place to be as the acoustics weren’t the best and I didn’t have the feel of previous concerts. I couldn’t believe that for a ROTD tour they didn’t play Rapture which is clearly the classic on the album.

They didn’t play SIFLS either or anything from Bananas or Purpindicular which was a bit disappointing.

Too me the whole affair seemed a bit rushed, maybe because that other band stayed on stage too long boring the crap out of me, or maybe because they wanted to start the post-concert party early.

No Steve Morse solo – very disappointing. Yeah sure he did a nice lead into “Well Dressed Guitar” after a very short version of “Contact Lost” but where was he all night?

No, this was not an atypical performance from what I consider is the best band of all time. Maybe I and many like me have been spoilt by the consistently high level of live performances by these guys. Maybe they have too much good material and they find it hard to fit in to a one and a half hour concert (way too short) by the way.

I seriously think DP don’t need a support band. They are supposed to whet the appetite for the main performance but I prefer to listen to DP for a couple of hours than allow a bunch of has-beens like Quo to drag on into the night.

Anyway, in summary, it was a professional performance from DP but not one that will win them new fans for sure. The Jimmy Barnes touch on Smoke was great and Don Airey showed why he was the only man that could fill the shoes of Jon Lord. Paicey was a bit lazy at the back and Glover was in his usual perky mood. Morse has held this band together since 96 but I think he went walkabout here. A bit too rushed and not long enough summarises this concert, but I will be there again when they return for sure.

Charles Hili

OK, let me preface the review with this – Deep Purple were and just as importantly ARE the greatest band living or dead in history – period. Also let me say, this is as much about questions as it is about a review.

BUT – This night was the least impressive of the four times I have seen them. 1999, 2001, 2004 (best EVER!) and now 2006. Why was it less impressive? I should have known it would be right from the moment my tickets arrived in the mail. Firstly, it was a double header bill co-featuring Status Quo.

There’s only so much Status Quo I can take in one sitting and I found out 75 minutes is too much. My friend commented that they are the most perfectly named band in history – enough said. The second problem was that the promoters were exactly the kind of radio station that Gillan bemoans in the song MTV – a ‘classic rock radio’ station.

The beauty of the 2004 tour was that it was primarily a ‘Bananas’ tour (six new songs) with the classics thrown in for good measure, displaying the band at their living breathing CURRENT best. The 2006 tour felt like a greatest hits package with TWO songs off the new album, plus ‘Things I Never Said’ which is a below par song anyway.

I don’t want to see Purple going through the motions which is what they were forced to do in this tour. Cramped into a 75 minute set (90 minute inc encores) is simply not enough time for a DP concert to melt into your mouth. There was very little talking between songs, no percussion for Gillan, no drum solo (save for a brief interlude in the encores).

To be honest the entire night seemed like someone in a suit was standing in the wings tapping their watch with furrowed brow.

Song of the night was clearly ‘Perfect Strangers’ coming out of the keyboard solo. Don Airey has now officially gone from the second best rock keyboard player on earth to Sir to Jon Lord’s spiritual brother! I love this man! Perfect Strangers has become a modern masterpiece and is one of my 10 favourite songs EVER. Whenever I see them live and Gillan sings that great line of the second verse (‘a thousand warriors I have known’) and the lights come up I get shivers. It’s that good!

From the greatest high of the night to the greatest low – the ABSENCE of the title track of the new album! The song ‘Rapture of the Deep’ is an absolute masterpiece itself, an instant classic. How could this song be left off the set list on a ROTD tour and comparatively irrelevant songs like Things I Never Said and Living Wreck be played?

I have almost worn out my copy of ROTD and that song (indeed the whole album) is proof that Gillan has become a brilliant and insightful (some may say inciteful and some may say that would please him!) modern day wordsmith. Quite simply, the band is at its peak and I love the band. I understand they have to play certain songs every time (SOTW, HS, BN) but everything else can surely be worked around those. To NOT play ROTD on the ROTD tour is VERY disappointing. I felt like the whole night was off and that summed it up for me.

If anyone knows of the reasons – I suspect political reasons – why this gig felt rushed and ROTD wasn’t played, please let me know. Because as much as I love this band and enjoyed this concert, I know I ‘felt’ flaws that DP just don’t have!

To let you all know I haven’t gone crazy and jumped off the bandwagon, this Purple line-up are absolute guns and play together brilliantly – I love love love them!

P.S. Gillan looks more like Cary Grant every year!

Pictures Of Home / Things I Never Said / Wrong Man / Ted The Mechanic / Living Wreck / Before Time Began / Space Trucking / Contact Lost / Well Dressed Guitar / Perfect Strangers / Highway Star / Smoke On The Water / encores: Hush / Black Night

Anthony Emery

Never did I think I had to write this. Since 1968 in my youth days, I have been a fan of DP. We are all around the 60 years of age, and I have been to every concert after that here in Australia.

However, after the concert in Melbourne with Status Quo, I have to call for Ian to hang up his microphone. Totally out of tune for the first three numbers, and not really good enough for the rest of the concert! I ought to get my ticket money back for such a dismal concert.

Thankfully, Steve and Don saved the night! The best band in the world in my books for such many years, but the time has come for Ian to bow out gracefully before being thrown out.

And somebody ought to set up the other Ian’s drums a little better for the rest of the tour. Terrible sound, not what one has been used to over the years. Ian P. is one of the best, and still is, but the actual drum sound was dreadful.

I write this as some constructive criticism and hope next time down here all will be corrected.

Tony Lindhard

I took my family to the May 3rd concert in Perth. Now I sort of wish I hadn’t.

Status Quo were really good and kept the crowd going, DP started well with a song from Machine Head and it went downhill for the next four-five songs, all newer stuff (Ted the fitter, Bloke in prison, etc).

People were getting up and walking out. (They would have got their $80 parking tickets sooner.)

From Steve’s solo it got a lot better with a lot of older stuff, the crowd started enjoying themselves, my kids enjoyed themselves, I enjoyed myself.

This was my third DP concert over 30 years and will be my last if they don’t improve. Can you pass it on to somebody that might care, thanks.

Rodger

I took my 18 year old daughter to see my favorite band of all times last night, and I was totally blown away!

They keep getting better and better. This was the third time that I saw them live but what a concert! They are really true legends.

Thank you for a fantastic evening of great music!

Etienne Lejeune

I just went to the Sydney Deep Purple double trouble show with Status Quo and support act Swanne.

It was unreal! I was front row against the stage barricade. I caught a pick off Roger Glover and a pick off Steve Morse. I got both signed after the show.

I was filming Steve Morse in solo in Highway Star with the camera on my phone; and Ian Gillan was on my left swinging his mic stand around like he does. The mic stand came loose flew across the stage and hit me! It didnt even bruise me, but Ian came over really concerned asking if I was okay. He said sorry again after the song.

After the show we waited backstage for autographs. Chatted with the whole band. They apologized for hitting me. Ian explained his personal mic stand had been stolen and the new one wasn’t any good. They gave me and my two mates free tickets to the show the next night! It was so awsome!

Both shows totally rocked! The first show Jimmy Barnes guest appeared in Smoke On The Water. He’s a well known famous Aussie rock legend from Cold Chisel.

I can scan in all the stuff I got autographed, pics, album covers and tickets if you’d like to see them 🙂

Woo!

Deep Phantom

Just want to let you know that I went to the Deep Purple/Status Quo concert last night (10th May) and I have to say that the whole experience was totally awesome.

When Roger Glover personally bent over, looked at me and threw me his pick, I could of died of heart palpitations right then and there, and when Ian Gillan and I had a blow kissy moment at one another, well… you can’t imagine my total rapture!

I have loved these guys since 1970 when I bought my first Deep Purple album and when I saw them in Sydney at the end of 1984 I was awestruck. They have always been and will always be the very best band in the world to me.

Thank you guys for a superb, brilliant performance as usual. I love you all and truly hope to see you again as soon as I can!

Bye for now and keep up the brilliant work

Your devoted fan for ever!

Lorraine Ebdale

Thanks to Deep Purple for a great show at the Hordern Pavilion on the 9th May in Sydney.

The Hordern has the worst acoustics in Sydney. It also has 1970’s style lighting and seating. But, in spite of the venue, Deep Purple rocked big time.

I went to the gig as I’m a big fan of Steve Morse. I’m now also a big fan of Deep Purple.

Ian Gillan’s vocals were outstanding. An absolute joy to listen to. I liked his intros and the tribute our trapped miners was appreciated.

Roger Glover’s bass line was aggressive and passionate. Ian Paice is one hell of a drummer.
Unfortunatly, much of Don Airey’s playing was lost in the poor Hordern acoustics. It was only in the solo that I was able to hear what a great player he is.

As for my reason for being at the show, Steve Morse, he is a genius.

Thanks again,
Your new fan,

Malcolm Clark

A cold Wednesday evening in Sydney, light drizzle but Purple were red hot.

Set list
1. Pictures of Home
2. Things I Never Said
3. Wrong Man
4. Strange Kind of Woman
5. Rapture of the Deep
6. Fireball
7. Contact Lost
8. Well Dressed Guitar
9. Lazy
10. Perfect Strangers
11. Space Truckin’
12. Highway Star
13. Smoke on the Water
14. Hush
15. Black Night

Set-list and content variety. It was different to last night (better). The encore of Hush and Black Night were as good as I have ever heard. Paicey’s single handed drum solo was a highlight.

Had front row in the “mosh pit” and this time the lights seemed a little brighter (in the eyes) and the stage sound was louder, especially from Fireball onwards.

Bring on the Wollongong, Newcastle and Canberra road trip. Too much Purple is NEVER enough!

Graeme Milton