[% META title = 'Tour Reviews' %]
Effortless world class technical wizardry
What can I say? The pretenders fall by the wayside, but the real thing will always be here to stay.
Deep Purple tore through an energetic set, beginning with a blistering rendition of one of my favorites, Fireball, and concluded with an encore of two timeless classics, Hush, and Highway Star. In between they delivered a rock and roll show like only this band can offer. Included in the set were Black Night, Speed King, Ted The Mechanic, Perfect Strangers and Lazy, among others.
Ian Gillan's voice was particularly strong, and, as usual, not lacking at all in the higher registers. He is truly a stage presence not to be ignored, good naturedly working the crowd. The quintessential front man.
Steve Morse is a world class player. He is not only a technical wizard, he is also a guitar player who possesses the rare ability to make a listener feel. His lines are extremely powerful, yet beautiful and a true joy to experience. Roger Glover's bass was thunderous, providing a tremendous foundation for the band. In your face and at the same time subtle and tasteful. Roger is a powerhouse, stalking the stage, working the crowd, and definitely displaying the fact that, along with the rest of the band, he honestly enjoys what he does.
And last but not at all least - my favorite personal performance of the evening was that of Ian Paice. The heartbeat of Deep Purple, Ian's playing is the perfect marriage of power, feel and technical ability beyond comparison. Absolutely the most underrated drummer in rock and roll, Ian drives the band, providing strong and steady time, all the while making it appear almost effortless. Although he plays in a band known primarily for a heavier sound, one listen to his chops and I'm sure that you will agree that he is much more versatile and has as much or more to offer as any rock drummer past or present.
A great show by a band whose best days are not behind them by a long shot. Looking forward to possibly catching them later on the current US tour. I would definitely advise any true rock and roll fans to do the same.