RAH Concert - Saturday 25th September
This is my first effort at writing a concert review, but as a lifetime DP fan who was moved by the whole RAH experience I felt I had to put some words down.
I took to the concert my 18 year old son (who is a fan of early Purple, along with Garage, Rap etc!) and my 40+ year old sister who is not a DP follower but appreciates good music.
Other reviewers have written specifically about the music and the play list etc. so I want to try to convey the atmosphere to those who could not attend.
The first thing that struck me was the grand decor that makes up the interior of the RAH, it is the perfect setting for a symphony orchestra, but for DP! Well, strange as it may seem the band seem to fit perfectly with the environment and the fit was equally good musically.
The two very different musical styles seemed to fuse together surprisingly well and the standard of musicianship on both sides was breathtaking.
The second unusual aspect was the mix of people attending and the variation of age groups, there were even parents with young (8/9 year old) kids! This made for a really special atmosphere only spoilt but some ignorant yobs unable to appreciate the quieter moments of the orchestral movements! Jon Lord was clearly upset by this and Gillan came out to put a reassuring arm around his shoulder - nice touch, and shows the friendship and spirit amongst the Group.
I've always been a fan of Gillan but on this occasion he seemed to radiate a relaxed "happy with life" vibe, which was contagious! (Incidentally, am I the only fan who thinks that "Naked Thunder" is a really special album?) The rest of the band also exuded the confidence that comes with experience and the knowledge that you are amongst the best at what you do.
The whole concert served as an example of how good musicians with an open attitude can mix together to their mutual benefit and also that of the audience. I really look forward to listening to the CD in January and would urge others to do the same.
The reaction at the end (and it was obvious that DP were as surprised and relieved as anyone) was unbelievable - the hall sang "Smoke on the Water" as one and the applause was only stopped by Gillan coming back on stage to say "thanks, and I don't know what to say (a first I think!) but the concert has finished".
Both my 18 year old son (he even bought a T Shirt at the end!) was well impressed especially as "Pictures of Home" is his favourite track (as it is mine) and the version with full orchestra was brilliant.
My sister enjoyed the whole experience, although did say that she didn't think she could cope with a fully fledged DP concert! She went on to say that she thought the audience treated Gillan like some sort of God...eat your heart out Eric Clapton!
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