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Lyric Theatre, Star City, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
April 20, 2004

Silver Tongue
Woman From Tokyo
I Got Your Number
Strange Kind Of Woman
Bananas
Knocking At Your Back Door
Contact Lost - Steve Morse solo
The Well Dressed Guitar
Don Airey's solo (including Waltzing Matilda)
Perfect Strangers
Highway Star
Doing It Tonight (Ian's rapping bit was fantastic!!)
Lazy
When A Blind Man Cries (amazing vocals)
Space Truckin'
Smoke On The Water

Hush
Hit The Road Jack - Black Night

Just back from DP in Sydney. Great show and Ian Gillan's singing was amazing. Wow. I had a great time.
Jennifer Stokes

The venue was the Lyric Theatre at Star City Casino. No stupid with a flare gun and the only stars were the five superstars on stage. What a fantastic show and the guys really seemed to enjoy the show. Certainly the two guys in white shirts in row BB really got into the show!
The numbers from the new CD Bananas worked very well live, especially I Got Your Number. I was sceptical about the "potion" verse but the band fired out of that section. If anyone is contemplating seeing Purple on this tour and you haven't already purchased Bananas then I suggest that do so as you will no doubt get more out of the concert.
Steve Morse was really great with Contact Lost going into The Well Dressed Guitar and with solos by Don Airey (into Perfect Strangers and Lazy), Roger Glover (into Black Night) and Ian Paice (in Space Truckin') it was a good balance.
Ian Gillan was shoe-less as usual, dressed in white and in good form.
All in all a good concert and I look forward to the others on this tour.
Graeme Milton

Don was, overall, faithful and respectful of Jon's huge contribution to the music, but took it to some new and very exciting places. In time I think we'll come to see Don's contribution to the band in the same light as Steve's. Just as Steve plays homage to Ritchie every time he plays one of his songs, so too Don draws heavily on Jon's influence and sound (even playing Jon's beloved Hammond). Yet in both cases, they take the music to places it hasn't been before, and I for one find that a very exciting thing!
Paul Hogan - read Paul's full review

Space Trucking - wow! I didn't really expect to see this. It took me back to Randwick 1971 with its ferocity and sheer blast. The crowd were on their feet at the end but that might have been because they sensed Smoke On The Water was next. It deserved an ovation.
Colin Hadden - read Colin's full review

Flew up from Melbourne for the show. Great seats front row right in front of Steve. Only one thing to say - Awesome.
Observation; 12 time Ive seen Purple - with Blackmore, Bolin, Coverdale, Hughes and the current line up. This one works best on stage: they are just having fun and not a rock god wanker in sight.
Thanks guys for a memorable show.
See you in Melbourne.
Greg Atkinson

I noticed Jimmy Barnes standing just to the left of me and he was shaking his head in disbelief at the deft guitar work of Steve Morse. He must be chompping at the bit to get up there and perform with him (and Daisley, Kerslake and Airey) when Living Loud play live at Fox Studios.
Has Ian Gillans vocals ever sounded better? I don't think so. His vocal duel with Steve Morse's guitar is still ringing in my ears.
I liked the Bannanas material better live, especially I Got Your Number. Man, would that have gone down a treat if it was followed by SIFLS.
I don't know where the young ones get their interest in DP, but there they were in the front row and everywhere else scatterred through the theatre, waving their arms in adulation to what can correctly be termed The Greatest Rock Band That has ever graced a stage.
They performed new and old material, mainly from Bananas, Machine Head and Perfect Strangers with consumate professionalism, but yet with humility that only comes when you are a master of your craft.
Loved every second
Charles Hili

What a night. Great venue. Great support act.
You gotta agree with IG that Billy Thorpe can sing. Now there's a compliment. And Thorpey said last night, "It's been a long time since I've been a support act, but man, it's Purple!"
And the main act - wow. Enough said.
Can't really describe how fantastic they were and how we felt being there. Don't rely on these pages to find out how amazing this band can be - go and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Maria Dagnall Curley

Wow - 3rd time seeing DP since 1984 and they get better!
Didn't think they'd pull off the Bananas songs live like on the CD - particularly the title track... But heck! They blew me away! I love the album and think it ranks as one of their best.
Being a muso I was hanging to see how Don Airy fired up. He was far greater than I dared to hope and I feel he's given the Purples a new lease of life (Just like when Steve Morse joined!) (Sorry Jon!)
The rest of the band played fantastic as well! Great choice of songs - how could they play them all?
Overall it was a testament to true musicianship and passion for the music. Wouldn't it be great if any band could perform at such a high level for two hours!
Billy Thorpe was a great choice as openning act - I'm very taken with his new stuff and he really got the crowd going (Encore! Even Gillan was impressed!)
Be sure to check out this tour!
John Mc

Firstly, I'd like to say a thank you to Billy Thorpe and his band for putting on such a great show.
I was disappointed that the Tatts weren't opening every show for Purple's current tour so I was in no rush to get to the show for the 8.00 o'clock start time. I got there around 8.15 and was purchasing the obligatory, t-shirt, tour programme, and DP beanie. It's when I was doing my shopping that I noticed the music coming from the concert area - it was Billy Thorpe - and it was damned good.
I think that this is the first time I've seen Purple and actually enjoyed the support act. Great choice - even Big Ian paid them respect when he hit the stage.
Now onto the show proper.
Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. They quite simply get better every time they come out here. (As you might have already guessed I thoroughly enjoyed last night's performance).
The person who amazed me the most was Ian Gillan. His voice was incredible. The sheer power and range he exhibited throughout the entire performance was astonishing. The scream during the intro to Highway Star had me yelling out 'Gillan is GOD!' My cousin who was next to me nodded her head in agreement.
Ian Paice - the Human Dynamo - was as usual, flawless and just utterly phenomenal. I was hanging for a drum solo (seeing as Don and Steve had their solo spots) but alas, not tonight. However, his performance in Space Truckin' had me screaming my ass off!
Roger Glover - outstanding performance. He looks to be more at ease with him taking the spotlight (thanks to Steve). This is a good thing, because despite Roger's protestations to the contrary, he is an amazing bassist - my favourite. Roger even handed me a bottle of beer and a pick when they returned for the encores. I had no idea we were allowed to get that close to the stage. (A special thank you to the three ladies that showed the initiative and made the initial move). I just wished I was centre stage from the get go.
Don Airey - brilliant. Damn, he's good. I'm familiar with his early work but his playing on Bananas was exemplary. His solo spot was fantastic - every bit as good as the reviews posted on The Highway Star.
Steve Morse - utterly amazing. I know its been said before but we have Steve to thank for the supremely high level of the live shows - so once again Steve - thank you so very much. Contact Lost and the Well Dressed Guitar were fabulous.
If I had to pick out anything that was disappointing it would have to be that I didn't get to hear House of Pain, Sun Goes Down, Haunted, Walk On or Pictures of Innocence.
I'd love to hear Flight of the Rat, Our Lady, Super Trooper, Place in Line, No No No, Under the Gun, Somebody Stole my Guitar, Touch Away, Evil Louie, Purpendicular Waltz and Living Wreck live. One can only live in hope.
And why wont they come to Canberra? I saw them in 1984 when they played at the Basketball Stadium - the place went nuts. It is small enough to be intimate. We also have the National Convention Centre and the Canberra Theatre. I don't mind travelling to see the lads, but it's great if they visit your home town.
My cousin's friend experienced her first ever Purple concert and was totally blown away. A few months ago she saw Metallica - and thought they were unbelievable - but she said Purple were quite simply on another level.
Cheers until next time
Nick Kyrgios

I'd had such a blast last time Deep Purple were in Sydney that there was no way I was gonna miss this. Then more and more new concerts were added, which pensively involved going broke by wanting to go to them all! A ticket front row circle Glover side.
Billy Thorpe and band were great, Ian made a comment on how impressive they were.
It wasn't til at least three songs into the Purple set that an image of five women's tongues gyrating slowly up a banana calmed down.
At first Jon Lord not being in the line-up was a problem, but I read that the new guy had been filling in for his no-shows. Corr, I didn't mind one bit, there was still the budifully played classical stuff.
The set up of the drums and then the keyboards looked cool, monoliths arising up amongst the ever-changing lights, some of which had an opaque effect. Ian with his bare feet, and Morsie-baby with his muscles, and Roger being Roger. The Morsie-Airey interplay, the Morsie-Gillan interludes, and then of course the ever-pounding drums and bass. (A drum set in a sound-proof room would beat a gym membership anyday - pretend to be Paice and let rip!) I felt ridiculous with a smile on my face, but it wasn't gonna go away and I didn't care much.
Of course it was great. Of course. Even if you had to go downstairs to get a non-bottled drink. I found the sports bar and had two cos it had taken so much effort.
I also get a bit cross at the idea of having to behave when you're spending all that money, but heh, who cares, it makes you listen more.
Gillan was right about the Steve Morse song being amazing, and it was an excellent introduction to it. You sound like you all get on really well.
Can't get over Paicie and Roger Glover.
Have a great time in Sydney guys, as well as the rest of this bit of land. Thanks for coming back here...
Ruth G