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The cat in the hat

Deep Purple in 2024; photo courtesy of earMusic, credit: Jim Rakete

A new batch of European tour dates has been announced today. Billed as =1 More Time Tour, it will start on October 17, 2024, in Katowice, and finish on November 10 in Glasgow. Jefferson Starship will provide the support on the continent, while Reef will be supporting in the UK. Tickets go on sale within the next few days, full details in our calendar.

Caveat: some sites list October 20th gig as being in Berlin, which is obviously wrong. The correct venue is Messehalle Erfurt.

DP tour dates Oct-Nov 2024

Thanks to Lutz Reinert for the heads-up.



29 Comments to “The cat in the hat”:

  1. 1
    Uwe Hornung says:

    That’s a very fetching hat and purple jacket you wear there, Roger.

    Simon’s hair style, otoh, has a decidedly ‘Sumatra jungle flair’ to it.

    https://i.imgflip.com/236dyk.jpg?a474576

  2. 2
    Simon Emm says:

    Is it me or has that photo image been digitally edited or changed?

  3. 3
    Chris Stobart says:

    I wonder if =1 More Time is the album title. It would fit with the odd grammar of Now What?! and inFinite.

  4. 4
    Svante Axbacke says:

    @2: It’s not just you. I am sure they couldn’t be bothered to travel to a photo shoot and just cut and pasted together individual photos. The pic of Don Airey looks like one from a couplr of years ago.

  5. 5
    Jet Auto Jerry says:

    @ #2: Well, I do consider them to be Rock Royalty!

  6. 6
    Uwe Hornung says:

    You’re not sayin’, Simon and Svante, do we have a Windsor Castle size scandal at our hands?!

    https://people.com/thmb/tfYcziSVMBsNmpcbLGgWX1GxSDc=/1500×0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(758×304:760×306)/kate-middleton-photo-manipulation-2-031224-bc05d960f3a34502af2a3856f59bf68c.jpg

    I personally believe Roger took some sartorial advice from Snoop Dogg.

    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/33/23/74/3323746900e0853ec4cd6da0114fef01.png

  7. 7
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Fixed link at #6:

    https://images.app.goo.gl/tGvVyXNGUMywo5xk8

  8. 8
    MacGregor says:

    @ 7 – Ha ha ha, that Snoop Dogg photo is a classic. Any colour you like? I like it actually, psychedelia & even avant-garde? I cannot believe I just looked up a rap artist. My computer freaked out big time. Cheers.

  9. 9
    Christof says:

    @#4: In a German forum, a user who is connected to the band says that this photo was lately made in Hamburg by Jim Rakete

  10. 10
    Uwe Hornung says:

    I have it from confidential sources close to the Princess of Wales herself that Don + Big Ian are doing just fine (and better all the time) and that all this irritating peasant conjecture here must stop!!!

    https://media.tatler.com/photos/6141d2fa31c5773d0834d4d9/master/w_1600,c_limit/Bad-Mood-Duchess-5-tatler-17mar17-getty_b.jpg

  11. 11
    Andrew says:

    1 more time on the long goodbye tour? to be followed by the “absolutely the last time around the block” tour?

  12. 12
    Tony says:

    So happy…… thanks to gentlemen of Deep Purple, to do another tour…..and
    so they will probably end where there belong….. not at the festivals but in the
    greatest rock tempels of our planet.

    I will be there…..at the front …..to give them support and to wish them….. ” carry on ” .

    Thanks Deep Purple …..for being the color of my life ( musicaly ).

  13. 13
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Christof, that could very well be, Jim (Nena’s erstwhile manager) has photographed Mk VIII before, inter alia for Now What?! the pics underneath the elevated tram

    https://classicrock.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/DeepPurple_band_7-photocredit-Jim-Rakete.jpg

    and that “Arctic explorers look” shoot for Infinite (which I loved, they looked like the real thing):

    https://www.n-tv.de/leute/musik/Jim-Rakete-setzt-Deep-Purple-in-Szene-article19725025.html

    Rakete’s monochrome pics of Nena (both her and the band) were legendary and a great part of her/their image

    https://img.cdandlp.com/2018/05/imgL/119167748.jpg

    https://vinyl-records.nl/new-wave/neue-deutsche-welle/photo-gallery/nena/feuer/nena-feuer-und-flamme-collection-vinyl-album-photo-940.jpg

    https://images.eil.com/large_image/NENA_FEUER%2BUND%2BFLAMME%2B-%2BSHRINK-811622e.jpg

    He’s probably the closest Germany has to Annie Leibovitz.

  14. 14
    George Martin says:

    Any news on a new album?

  15. 15
    Nick says:

    @9: the picture is indeed credited to Jim Rakete and was commissioned by edel/earmusic. let’s hope it’s part of the promotional campaign for a new album.

  16. 16
    John M. says:

    My guess is that the forthcoming album will be called ‘Equals.’

  17. 17
    Georgivs says:

    I wonder who is in Starship these days.

  18. 18
    Christof says:

    “He’s probably the closest Germany has to Annie Leibovitz.”
    Uwe, I love this phrase :-)!

  19. 19
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Georgivs:

    https://www.pennspeak.com/sites/default/files/events/concerts/featured/Jefferson%20Starship%201120×838.jpg

    “Paul Kantner died in 2016. the current touring Jefferson Starship lineup features founding member David Freiberg on vocals and guitar, along with legendary Jefferson Starship & Starship drummer Donny Baldwin, long time keyboardist Chris Smith, female vocalist Cathy Richardson, and lead guitarist Jude Gold.”

    You will notice the lamentable absence of a bassist (Freiberg, though he has sometimes played bass in the past, plays solely rhythm guitar on stage). I am devastated to divulge that they don’t even have a touring one, but trigger the bass lines from the …

    https://ew.com/thmb/xiCVdLSW6SZhaG7i93xq9JVOM9o=/1500×0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/000136691-790cb75975ee46f591564bf80cca5e0d.jpg

    (cue in tearing shower curtain here)

    … keyboard !!!

    https://31.media.tumblr.com/1226cbaec01ec61093eb6314f1b22c3b/tumblr_mz63kbdMY51t2aywao1_500.gif

    I saw them live with Purple (with Simon) a while ago. They’re tuneful enough and have a lot of hits from all their many eras to please the audience, but I can’t get over the missing bassist. The day DP would do that would be the day I’d stop seeing them live.

    I liked Jefferson Airplane’s 1989 comeback of sorts (short-lived) when at the same time Starship was still co-existing, but had transformed into an utter (Mickey Thomas-fronted) AOR act. (Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, Starship … – the history of these Westcoastlings is as convoluted as Purple’s!)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0gnnVcOLNc

    (Though if you ask me, a video about jets without an Me 262 Schwalbe or a Saab 35 Draken is an opportunity wasted, nuff said.)

    Why didn’t they take the mighty BÖC as openers for Germany I cry?!!! ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES !!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHsetn-lhYo

  20. 20
    richard jones says:

    How odd ‘Big Ian’ not appearing at any of the VIP package meet ‘n’ greet’??

    Hope he shows up on stage??

  21. 21
    Uwe Hornung says:

    The ghost of Janet Leigh has commanded me to put her link @19 right, I herewith deeply apologize:

    “You will notice the lamentable absence of a bassist (Freiberg, though he has sometimes played bass in the past, plays solely rhythm guitar on stage). I am devastated to divulge that they don’t even have a touring one, but trigger the bass lines from the …

    https://ew.com/thmb/gN3iuJZ1u3q5WL4BsbOd5DAss80=/1500×0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/000136691-790cb75975ee46f591564bf80cca5e0d.jpg

    (cue in tearing shower curtain here)

    … keyboard !!!

    https://31.media.tumblr.com/1226cbaec01ec61093eb6314f1b22c3b/tumblr_mz63kbdMY51t2aywao1_500.gif

  22. 22
    Svante Axbacke says:

    @20: He hasn’t participated in meet and greets for years, maybe since they started doing it. He has also not done the friends and family meets after the show. The singer is always the most vulnerable to random fans bringing germs to their hand shakes.

  23. 23
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Hell, that Janet Leigh link is jinxed, three’s the charm:

    https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2018/09/1440/810/Getty_ETHandout_Psycho.jpg?ve=1&tl=1

    Svante’s public health warning about backstage germs reminded me of meeting Steve Howe backstage after an ASIA gig, I was warned beforehand: “He doesn’t shake hands – ever.” and indeed he didn’t (I didn’t attempt to, but someone else was obviously uninstructed)! 😁 Wetton, Downes and Palmer all did though.

  24. 24
    MacGregor says:

    @ 23 – the Steve Howe not shaking hands scenario has to do with personal health on two levels. The hygiene one which is common sense, but also the possibility of physical injury. The risk of having a hand crushed by an overzealous individual. I remember Howe talking about that issue a few times over the years gone by & good on him for highlighting it. I certainly didn’t shake his hand or any of the other band members at our Yes ‘meet & greet’ in 2003 & I warned people with me not to try either. Of course one of my friends tried & Howe just bumped his hand lightly with a closed fist. Howe certainly looked like he didn’t want to be there, his body language was appalling actually, grumpy indeed. The other Yes guys were great though. Some musicians just don’t like the meet & greet thing & that is fair enough. Cheers.

  25. 25
    Reinder Dijkhuis says:

    Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull also never shakes hands and didn’t let anyone handle his instruments except to bring them to the stage before a gig.

  26. 26
    Uwe Hornung says:

    I’m no great friend of meet & greets, to the ASIA backstage area I was dragged by someone who knew John Wetton personally and was even a friend of him. I actually didn’t want to go because I’m always awkward at gatherings like that, but I relented in the end and both John Wetton and (the very talkative!) Carl Palmer were very nice and put me at ease; Geoff Downes was friendly, but made off for the town (Aschaffenburg as it were) quickly.

    I can perfectly understand if someone from the band doesn’t want to participate in promotion like that and I’m fine with shaking anybody’s hand, but not taken aback if someone doesn’t want to.

    Steve Howe looks uncomfortable anywhere – even on stage. He’s the perfect academic curmudgeon and that’s ok with me.

  27. 27
    MacGregor says:

    In regards to Ian Anderson & his flutes, we have often joked about the issue of ‘who gets to clean his flutes after a gig’? Just a humorous thought from certain Tullophiles including myself over the years. Probably a poor roadie or some peasant somewhere perhaps gets that nasty job. Cheers.

  28. 28
    MacGregor says:

    Yes & the ‘meet & greet’ as they are called these days isn’t my cup of tea at all. The Yes book signing was the next day at a book store in the city CBD where we were all meeting up for a lunch (brunch) before we all departed the city & returned to our relative abodes. It is the only one I have ever been to & I would never pay money for something like that. It was enjoyable as there were plenty of other fans there to chat with, so apart from Mr Grumpy it was all good. But a one off indeed. We couldn’t resist meeting Rick Wakeman & Jon Anderson, they are both very easy going & humorous chaps. Chris Squire was very hung over & kept his sun glasses on, even though it was inside, he he he. He apparently had a penchant for late night celebrations after concerts, very late from what I have read. He did sound a little ‘slurred’ in his speech at 11am the next morning. He was cool though. Unfortunately Alan White wasn’t there as he was still sleeping according to Anderson. Trying to wind down after the concert would be difficult no doubt. Drummers eh, a troublesome lot. Cheers.

  29. 29
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Gene Simmons and Rick Wakeman would be under the top ten of my list of fantasy dinner guests! I don’t even like Wakeman’s keyboard style (while I think that Simmons – contrary to public sentiment – is a fine bassist) that much (too ornamental and over-embellished for me), but I think he’s hilarious both off and on stage.

    Much like his band buddy Chris Squire, Wakeman combined great skill with even greater panache and an endearing “devil-may-care”-just-the-right-amount-of-sloppiness.

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