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Fila Forum, Milano, Italy
May 31, 2003

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Highway Star
Mary Long
I'm Alone
Pictures of Home
Haunted (new song)
Speed King
Lazy
I've Got Your Number (new song)
Keyboard Solo (including Turkish Rondo by Mozarz)
Perfect strangers
Guitar Parade (including Sweet Home Alabama)
Smoke on the Water
Space Truckin'
Hush
Black Night

First Purple gig, I was very excited to see the band and hear their amazing wall of sound.
The Pretenders came on stage at 21.40 and playing something like 10 12 songs I think. Great sounds, great show. Chrissie Hynde was simply amazing with a great voice and an astoning physical performance as leader of the band. I didn't know them, I'm gonna buy some records for sure.
The Purples came on stage nearly 22.10 and starts with a really groovy Highway Star. I noticed some volume problems with the guitar. Only the solo was really clear. Then it was simply 1h 30m of legendary song such as Smoke, Black Night (sung through the hole FilaForum, very exciting), Pictures Of Home, Hush, Perfect Stranges, Mary Long and many others.
They performes new songs from the new album. Great songs! Expecially I've Got Your Number: a great combination of prog, Dregs style and Purple style, I really appreciate this song!
One word: outstanding. It was a big night for me and such an honor see this beautiful band! I'm very looking forward to see them again!
Simone Gaiano

First of all - the concert confirmed everything that is good and bad about Deep Purple nowadays. A great joy to hear "Highway Star" as the opening number (after 10 years or so!), then "Mary Long", then SURPRISE! in the shape of "I'm Alone" - marvellously relaxed and played with a great feeling. I thought - "it can't be better"... And damn right I was.
Ian Gillan (who was in an extraordinary good vocal condition) introduced the first new number from the new album. "Haunted" was the title and - unfortunately - it did not make me haunted. "Haunted - it's not what you wanted" went the words (AFAIR) and they were right...
Afterwards the band proceeded to "golden oldies", played in short (not to say curtailed) versions, with no solos, no improvisations. "Pictures Of Home", "Lazy", "Speed King" turned out quite disappointing. Played with a great energy as they were, did not bring anything new or exciting to the whole show. The same can be said about the second new song "I Got Your Number" (not the cover of the old Hughes/Thrall chestnut ;-)! ). I may be mistaken, but judging by the words it can be a remake of the "Up The Wall" number (which I don't remember too well). The song might even have some hook inside, but it sticks too much to the well known "Any Fule/Ted/Almost Human/Watching the Sky/Evil Louie" pattern, so don't expect anything special :-( [Opinions will differ here... Rasmus]
And the moment of real fun - when it came to Don Airey's solo, Messrs. Glover, Gillan and Paice stood by the drum stand in the poses of experts evaluating Don's playing, looked at him and nodding their heads with (apparently) some respect.
Another sad reflection - looking at the set list I was wondering: "Hell, do they want to tell us (or admit) that since 1984 they did not record ANYTHING worth playing live?" New numbers came out very pale in comparison with the oldies, so actually the whole show was a big Ritchie Blackmore era tribute.
Hush and Black Night for the encore and that was it. 85 minutes.
You may consider me grumbling too much - but were it not Deep Purple who during last 35 years set their standards so high and taught us to expect the best?
Gillan was absolutely incredible (how does he do it being almost 60?) and the band played with lot of energy, spontaneity and joy.
Tomasz Szmajter, Poland

Il concerto è stato ottimo, tanta grinta e voglia di suonare, un pubblico eterogeneo, un grande Airey, l'unico neo della serata il mancato assolo di Paice.
Sono ancora grandi nonostante l'eta e forse vorrei aggiungere senza togliere niente al grande MORSE che ogni tanto manca lo scorbutico Blackmore. Molto belli anche i nuovi pezzi del prossimo album.
Saluti dal Canton Ticino Ascona Svizzera - Francesco e Paolo (40 anni ca.)

Grandissimo Concerto! peccato solo che sia durato solamente un'ora e mezzo... vabbè me lo sono goduto lo stesso al massimo!!!
Dopo quasi 6 ore dia ttesa finalmente aprono i cancelli e dopo uno scatto da centometrista ci mettiamo in prima fila sulla sinistra dalle parti di Roger.
Iniziano i Pretenders!! Molto bravi, bel concerto, grande voce della cantante"peccato solo che alcuni cretini, per non dire altro, abbiano cominciato a insultare pesantemente la cantante e per poco il loro concerto non è stato interrotto...
Ma poi finalmente inizia il vero concerto per cui mi sono fatto tutte quelle ore di attesa!!!
Subito un'intro molto heavy: HIGHWAY STAR Finalmente sono riuscito a vedermi un concerto dei Purple con il vero pezzo di apertura...
Segue un classico: MARY LONG. Molto apprezzata dal pubblico presente, con il primo solo di Don che mi vedo dal vivo!!
Prosguiamo con I'M ALONE. Bellissima canzone eseguita Live per la prima volta...
quest'ultima seguita da un classico del 1972 PICTURES OF HOME. peccato che non abbiano suoanto tutta la parte "tranquilla" che generalmente improvvisavano in ogni concerto
Cominciamo con le "New Songs": HAUNTED è introdotta come una ballad del nuovo album e devo dire che è molto, molto bella!!
Il concerto prosegue con due classici: SPEED KING (senza Drums Solo, Bass Solo, ma con duello Airey-Morse..), e LAZY in una classica versione Live.
Continuiamo con le nuove canzon: è la volta di I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER. più heavy dell'altra, con i coretti di Steve, Roger e Don
Un piccolo KEYBOARD SOLO, nel quale si sente la Marcia Turca di Mozart, ci introduce a un classico degli anni 80. PERFECT STRANGERS.
una piccola GUITAR PARADE, incluso il riff di Sweet Home Halabama, da il via a SMOKE ON THE WATER che manda ancora piu in delirio la folla che canta ogni singloa parola del testo
Conclude il concerto SPACE TRUCKIN', il quale fnale ricorda quello suonato negli anni 80 ai tempi della reunion.
I due bis sono stati HUSH e BLACK NIGHT dove tutto il pubblico cantava a squarciagola!!
per risssumere è stato uno dei piu bei concerti dei Purple ai quali ho mai assistito, seppure sia durato solo un'oretta e mezzo. E in pu ho ricevuto anche il plettro di Roger, la piccola armonica di Ian e... l'asciugamano di DON!!!!
Continuate cosi!!!!
I Love You
Luca Bariffi

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