Deep Purple fan experience
It goes without saying that it was an awesome concert and no one is going to find any better concerts out there.Especially nowdays! Anyhow, When it was over I just felt like this isn't all there is, that something more is going to happen. So, I went up to the Sound Director and asked him where we could get DP's Autograph and he very kindly told me the place and that if I had any problem that I should ask for COLIN HART. I then talked a little with him as well as my brother and mother,whom I was with, and found out interesting things from him about his job. My mother even told him she was watching what he was doing about as much as the concert and he laughed and said "you're supposed to be watching them, not me!" She even got the lighting directors autograph, too, later on.
Well, when asked by the top security guy if we had our backstage stickers I replied that the sound director told me to ask for Colin Hart. That was all it took as we along with a couple of other people were presented with the stickers and were led "backstage" which really was like a break room like you would have at your place of work with a little kitchen in the back. The security guy told us to sit down and make ourselves to home. There were only about 20 people back there at the most. We then awaited for the band to arrive. The first one to come in to the room was STEVE MORSE, surprisingly without alot of fan-fare,meaning that he wasn't announced like the others, he just sort of appeared. Well, people were sort of hogging his attention so my mother just marched right up and asked for his autograph on her program so he did so gladly and then I asked for him to sign mine and as he said yes I handed him my pen and he said he has a marker and drew a little guitar and signed his name on his picture in the program. I then thanked him and we sat down to wait for the rest of the group.
Ian Paice was next to enter the room after he was announced by one of the crew members. What a humble and down to earth guy! I loved the '60's outfit he had on-he is so cool. He made his way over to us and my mother told him how much we love all of them and that she raised her kids on their music and that their really a great band, the best in the world! Well, he was so touched that he said, as she turned to walk away, "COME BACK, COME BACK, COME BACK HERE ANDGIVE US A KISS, SWEETHEART!" and gave her a friendly kiss on the lips! I thought my poor brother was going to pass out! He was already kind of dumbfounded that we were going backstage, but IAN PAICE KISSING HIS MOTHER was just too much for both of us! He then came up to me where I asked for him to sign my program and I told him that this is the best band in the world and he is the best drummer I have ever heard. He said "Wow, really? Thank You!" I was like "yeah!",surprised that he acted so down to earth about how great he is at what he does. He patted me on the side of my arm and thanked me for coming to the show-he's just so sweet! He went over to my brother and talked a little with him and signed his program and patted him on the arm also. At about this time ROGER GLOVER was announced and went around the room shaking hands with everyone and just being an all around gentleman. He came over to us and shook my brothers hand who told him what a great show they did and he thanked him for it and also for coming and then signed his book and then came over to me and shook my hand and I told him what an awesome show they put on which he said "Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the show,thanks for coming" and he signed my book. He then went to my mother who said how great their band is and how the music is so terrible now and he took her like under his neck and said in a low voice "THE ROck and roll world has gone rock & roll ROTTEN!" to which she agreed and he thanked her for coming to the show and for the compliment. Then somebody yelled over to Ian Paice "Do you still ever see or talk to Ritchie?" To which Ian replied " I never see him much anymore, but wherever he is I hope he's happy" which just goes to show the very nice person Ian is.Steve Morse must have had his wife or girlfriend there with his kids as he was over there visiting with them in the room and "little IAN" went over and greeted the lady with a kiss on each cheek and visited with them all.
So they left and said goodbye to all and then we waited for an appearence of JON & "big IAN". Well Jon was out in the stadium part right outside of our room when my brother spotted him. My brother rushed out to meet him and they shook hands and talked about the show and different things andhe signed his book and then my mother started talking to him and as he turned to me and said "You Don't have to hang back ,just walk right up and ask us, don't be shy!" How about this guy ? No ego here! He acted fatherly towards me actually (I'm 29, but look a little younger) and I told him how he's the best keyboardist ever and how great the show was, and as he signed my book he said "Thank you so much, did you enjoy the show then? Wonderful!" SO CLASSY! Now my mother says at this point how she is a Rock& Roll Grandma(my oldest brother has two kids) and how wonderful they are and how us kids grew up listening to thier music. He thanked her and started telling us how he is waiting to be made a GRANDPA and that he has two daughters aged 25 and 15 and he now wants to be a grandpa and is after his daughter to make him one! (HOW ABOUT THAT FOR AN EXCLUSIVE, JOANNA!) Well, when he got done with us we said goodbye and I asked him if there was any sign of IAN coming out and he said "Go right over there outside he's over there signing autographs, just goright over to him!" I told him thanks a lot and did just that with my mom and brother right along behind me(FOR ANYONE WHO's INTERESTED, MY BROTHER ASKED JON WHEN HIS NEW SOLO ALBUM WOULD BE OUT AND HE SAID SOMETIME SOON NEXT YEAR WHICH OF COURSE IS NOW THIS YEAR. ALSO ROGER SAID SOMETIME IN '97 THE NEW PURPLE ALBUM WILL BE OUT) Now, I go out in the freezing cold in a short sleeved jumpsuit with my purse and my mother's purse back in the room left unattended and thanfully no one stole anythingWOULD PURPLE FANS DO SUCH A THING?! Of course, IAN GILLAN's attention is being hogged up by others so my mother who is as short as "little Ian" started to tap him on the back as he was signing these peoples autographs and when he didn't turn as he probably didn't feel anything through his coat she tapped sort of hard and he jumped and said "OH"! and looked around at his level and saw no one and quickly dropped his head down in surprise to see a short little lady standing there, wanting an autograph which he proceeded to do. Well she pushes me right up there behind him but I waited till he got done as I've had a crush on him since forever and was feeling a little shy. He didn't even know I was behind him so he started to walk away and I touched his arm and he looked behind him to see me and I asked him to sign the book which he signed "TO BABE! IAN GILLAN" WEll, that made my year! I told him that they are the best band and that he is the best singer ever, to which he replied "THANKYOU, VERY MUCH!" and smiled-I was thrilled and told him so. He and Jon were in a hurry to get somewhere-I know they were to be playing in York, Pa and another show after that as one of them said (I can't recall which one) said they couldn't wait to go home for the holidays and then there would be more shows after that in SOuth America. So maybe they were headed for a plane to York. The sound man kidded with mom & me as a fan kept saying to me and others"Isn't this GREAT!" over and over again. So, we then collected our things inside and thanked COLIN HART and the head security guy for letting us back there and they said" no problem, glad you enjoyed the show".
I think the funniest part was when we drove home in the van I was asleep in the back seat where I was lying down and Rick had to make a quick stop and I went flying off the seat onto the floor!(CAN YOU BELIEVE I WAS ASLEEP? It was really late though and we didn't even get home till 4:00a.m. and I still had to drive back to my housr 4 miles away.)
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