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UK reviews 2002 (rescheduled)
 

Defining moment in life

The long wait before the band came out on stage was hot and extremely irritating. But as soon as Paice started blasting out the opening fill for Fireball, all anger and frustration was quickly forgotten.

Being towards the right side, in front of Morse's end of the stage, I was exposed to the full brunt of the amp-stacks anger, and I can honestly say, it was the best experience of a lifetime. The band continued on through the set-list, topping off the previous song with the next. With special notice of the great sound crew and perfectly timed lighting, the whole set was made unbelievable.

A little bit of comic relief was offered when Airey and Morse battled it out in solos, and more astonishment in Paice's drum solo part. Well Dressed Guitar was a very nice treat, and Airey blessed the audience with a little doodle, encompassing a piece by Bach, and my personal favourite, the Star Wars theme, to name a few.

Speed King became a 10-minute song, with Morse's incredibly God-like guitar playing. From the solo in Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven to the opening riff in Dire Strait's Money For Nothing, Morse easily re-defined what guitar playing is all about. I spent the majority of my time staring in awe at his guitar playing, or banging my head to the beautiful music till I felt my neck muscles were about to tear.

As I left the stadium, my Iron Maiden shirt felt as though it were 20 pounds heavier from all the sweat, it was the most draining experience I've ever encountered, and with my Morse custom pick in my pocket, and my Morse cup of tonic water in my hand, I still couldn't grasp the greatness of the show; it is easily one of the defining moments in my life.

Thank you so much Deep Purple, for the great timeless music! Please come back soon!

Farah J. Tamer

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