![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/morse10.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/mcbride2.jpg)
Vigo/Spain 2.7.2026
Location: Auditorium de Castrelos, Vigo, Spain. A fantastic location in the style of an amphitheater in Vigo’s largest park.
Conditions: a hot summer evening/night – still around 29 degrees Celsius when the concert began (22:00)
Entrance fee: 15€ price sponsored by the City of Vigo, as they do it every year for a series of summer concerts (Vigo en Festas). Outside the fenced auditorium, you could even listen and at least partly watch the show for free; the park doesn’t get closed during the concert.
Sound: crisp and powerful, pleasant mix. General impression: everything is played with a little more punch and edges; you can simply call it heavier.
Light and visuals: solid and tasteful, no gimmicks or technical overkill. IMHO, better than the =1 show I saw (Gröna Lund, Stockholm, Sweden)
The band: playing energetically and with passion, they gave the impression of really enjoying the gig.
Ian Gillan: unbelievable that he can still provide singing like this. Ian Paice/Roger Glover: powerful and precise, a clockwork powerhouse. Simon McBride is besides Ian Gillan the „star“ of the concert, maybe because he gives the people (at least here in Spain) what they want – a little bit of guitar hero.
Setlist: Unchanged to the concerts in June – just a couple of hours before the release of SPLAT! no „new entry“ made it to the setlist.
The crowd: cheerful and enthusiastic
Playing time: 96 minutes – with just a very short interruption between regular set and encore.
Some personal thoughts: I really enjoyed this concert; it felt like being at an annual summer party with good friends. However I can understand the criticism regarding the setlist – but let’s be honest, the majority came out to Castrelos (and probably not only there) to hear and celebrate Highway Star, Lazy, Space Truckin’, Smoke on the water and Black Night. Actually, I still like Highway Star as an opener and to be honest this time I also had fun with Space Truckin’ (didn’t feel played to death this time). I always had a soft spot for Blind Man, so I am always pleased when they play it. Rapture is a nice addition, I will always prefer it over e.g. Anya (even if the latter is not a bad song).
The two songs from =1 (Lazy Sod and A Bit on the Side) fit in nicely into the set. Regarding the two songs from SPLAT! Diablo and Arrogant Boy – Diablo convinced me a lot more in this live setting, whereas Arrogant Boy was probably the weakest spot of the whole evening; thank god it’s short…
The encore (Hush and Black Night) Guinnesis actually only serves as an intro to the mentioned classic tracks made the crowed sing and shout. A fitting conclusion for a great concert evening.
Francesco
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Thank you very much for the report Francesco! I’m glad you enjoyed the show. Keep them coming in, People. Let’s seę if / how things develop from there!
July 6th, 2026 at 09:21An incredible concert, worthy of the greatest band of all time. Fans from all over, with diverse tastes and different favorite “Marks”—everyone reached the same conclusion: “Wow, this is on another level.” They are amazing, even after all these years of carrying the mantle of the greatest rock band. The mastery of these virtuosos keeps the magic alive for that giant known as DEEP PURPLE. From the hearts of all the followers and fans—and especially from the “HUSH” Deep Purple addicts club in Vigo—thank you, thank you, and long live PURPLE
July 6th, 2026 at 11:14