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Queen – Mary Long – Beach 9/11/26
Having worked in the World Trade Center, this day has been miserable for 24 years. Finally, the day provided some joy.
In the shadow of the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Deep Purple completed their return to California. It’s been seven years since they’ve been here. Another installment in the summer of the Deep Purple unimaginable! For the four of us, it is our sixth decade of seeing Deep Purple live. And as we have for the last ten years, we treat every show we attend like it could be the last.
We muscled up and went VIP / Meet the band – finally. And it was better than expected. Every member approachable, engaging and friendly. Those tickets got us dead center front row and the show (again) exceeded expectations. Seeing the energy and musicianship they brought, we left the show thinking maybe this won’t be their last tour of the US. It rests solely on Big Ian’s voice. Ian P, Roger, Don and Simon were fantastic and seemingly effortless in their delivery. In outdoor 80° heat, they hardly broke a sweat!
As for the show, two members of Kansas joined for Perfect Strangers and the result was fantastic. Lazy was, as usual, another highlight. Simon, fully settled in, performed flawlessly. The new album fit well in the set.
Two of us will be headed to the Royal Albert Hall in November. When we bought the tickets, we figured this would be historic, and potentially, a final show at this hallowed venue. After last night, maybe not! Here’s to hoping the Boys will not SPLAT! any time soon!
Martin Paretti
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Vielen Dank, Martin, as a token of my support (and you can wear it always!), carry on my wayward
sonperfect stranger …https://youtu.be/aQHf0Peu4lM
https://youtu.be/aj7vRWTTe4Y
https://youtu.be/SMge-IqrBiU
September 14th, 2026 at 18:45Great job, Martin!
Tell us a bit about meeting the band, come on!
September 14th, 2026 at 20:00GREAT to finally see them back in Southern California! Another highlight: Toward the end, Simon walked out and gave one of his guitars to a guy in the audience! That showed a lot more class than smashing them into TV cameras like one of the full-of-himself previous members did…
September 15th, 2026 at 02:25It was a confusing post at girst.
Then I started looking for a PERFECT STRANGERS version done with KANSAS sounds, but only found 1 with bad recording.
I noticed Don played an expected version and a synth solo as on the album whereas I had gotten used to that HAMMONDsolo.
Yes, indeed, they could ve taken the opportunity to play MARY LONG.
September 15th, 2026 at 14:04I was not able to pony up and get the VIP/M&G, too rich for my blood I’m afraid, but I was there in the center Bleacher Seats (Row 13, not bad really compared to some places and seats). I must say that they were SMOKIN’ HOT. Much better than the 2017 show and the wife really enjoyed this one (She would have liked something from Whoosh though)! Simon appears to have made everyone else up their Live Game a bit IMO. As of yesterday there was 1 video of the complete show on You Tube that is pretty good, but the sound starts to give way towards the end. I don’t know how or why somebody would want to spend the entire show recording it, but I am glad that they did! I though that the last time I saw them on that Theatre Tour was going to be the last time and would have been OK with that since that was a really cool show in a small venue, but if this really is going to be the last time then it is a fine way to go out. Come Taste the Band Indeed!
And on a side note, I think that it was really cool that in the video opening they appear to acknowledge every Studio Album in one way or another. Never thought that I would see a Gillan fronted Purple allow that (But never thought I would see Ritchie on stage with them again either)
September 15th, 2026 at 20:44@ 3- try telling that to all the music followers at the Cal Jam. Plus the tv audiences who also enjoy an outdoor performance, especially from back when it all counted. It’s all a gimmick though, the smashing of instruments, a rock ‘n roll rebellious sort of thing. Even the drummer Ian Paice smashed or trashed a few drum kits back in the day, didn’t he? At least Ritchie ‘allegedly’ smashed factory rejects. Unlike Townshend and possibly Hendrix too. I wonder if that guy Simon gave the guitar to had any problems exiting the venue, he he he. Cheers.
September 16th, 2026 at 00:28I sometimes consider Ritchie and the recording/broadcastcompany had an agreement to do this,
It made never ending ripples in the worlds water.
No such thing as bad publicity?
Btw, I wrote a typo regarding Dons prelude into the usual HAMMOND intro.
September 16th, 2026 at 15:55It surprised me.
@1 Uwe, wear it always I will!!!
@2 Fla76 – we went in to this “meet & greet” figuring it would be assembly line and rushed. I mean, how many times have they done this? But it was totally the opposite. We were stationed and the Band came to us. Each taking their time, chatting, signing more than advertised. I don’t want to spoil it for others, but being the largest group, 4 of us, we opted to go last. The band hung out and took as many photos as we wanted. It did help that I had the moment Don holds up the wine glass during the show silk screened on my shirt. The tour manager made sure to get a few photos of that! Additionally, we had Don pose with us to recrete a photo we took with him when we ran in to him at the casino bar after the final show of the the 2015 US Tour. And though Ian G does not participate in the “meet & greet”, he along with all the other band members did sign a tour poster for all VIPs. It was a welcomed surprise! If you find me on Facebook, you’ll see a couple VIP photos there.
@4 Rock, I was playing with punctuation on the post title. Could have easily just been Queen Mary, Long Beach. Just figured to Purple it up a bit!
September 16th, 2026 at 20:48Dutch mismanagement vs Deutsche Grundlichkeit.
In Amsterdam @De Oude Rai they had a very bad organisation, even worse hospitality when band entered.
A total trainwreck of a night, 10 days later in Nurnberg this happened
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhrQfD22iA4
September 16th, 2026 at 22:07I’ve thought about that too, RV, and wouldn’t be surprised if it came out one day. Anything for a good shot and of course the CalJam orgy of destruction was iconic ensuring some extra viewers.
September 16th, 2026 at 22:38We’ve had very similar experiences. I got to see DP in Highland, CA on Sept 6, I also did the VIP meet & greet in Chicago for the Infinite tour. I had previously had fhe fortune of front row seats in South Bend in 2008 and caught one of Ian Paice’s drum sticks at the end of the show. Since we were allowed to bring something for the band to sign, I brought the stick. Paice must have seen me holding it because he came straight to me at the beginning of the meet and greet. I told him the story and he signed it. Then when it was my turn to meet the other band members then were nice enough to try and sign it. When I compare the signatures to the poster that they gave us, only Paice’s signature on the stick looked like his normal signature. So I must not have been the first to ask him to sign one. The other were gracious but hadn’t had much practice.
September 17th, 2026 at 05:15Little Ian has the best glasses too – unfair!
September 17th, 2026 at 18:36Uwe
I agree
Like BOSTON 73.
Still cannot understand why many things happened to this band the way they did.
September 17th, 2026 at 19:34Uwe
I first misread what you answered. You meant my idea RB and the alleged hurt party designed it for maximum PR.
The 1973 tour , I still find shows unknown to me.
Pity conney doesnt provide more details here.
One sounds like for real fans only , an other sounds immediately awesome but Highway Star does miss the start.
Ow man, that drumsound.
Its everything we desired when they reunited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGSFCDDd1Fs
September 20th, 2026 at 14:55