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DP still want to play in Lebanon
In a statement released to media on Monday, Deep Purple says they intend to honor their commitment to perform at the Baalbeck Music Festival outside Beirut on July 28.
“The band has never cancelled a show and has no intention of doing so,” the statement said. “If the festival promoter decides to cancel the show as a result of the current conflicts, Deep Purple will vow to reschedule in the near future.”
In a news article in the Swedish morning paper Sydsvenskan, there was an article on Monday about a Swedish citizen trapped in Baalbeck. It describes Baalbeck as one of the places worst hit by the ongoing conflict:
“Baalbeck is in eastern Lebanon close to the Syrian border and is regarded as a Hezbollah stronghold. Because of that, the city is under constant fire. According to the BBC, Saturday’s attack against Baalbeck was aimed at local Hezbollah leaders who had gathered in the town.”
(…)
“Mamdoh El-Dakkak tells us that he and his friend are ready to pay big money to get out of Baalbeck.
‘We offered a taxi driver 1000 US dollar to drive us to Beirut, but he didn’t dare to do that. No one dares to drive on the roads here.'”
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
why they dont come to Israel ?
we are waiting for a concert for years now …
IP was in Haifa few times and you have here thousands of fans …
hope for peace and good music.
July 20th, 2006 at 06:21I know and think music should cross ANY border……..
But I find it hard to believe this kind of music is popular and NOT forbidden in countries like that……
Am I far from the truth?
It’s very hot in the Netherlands…….I don’t complain……The war is over there and I hate cold weather……
“High noon, Ohhhhhhhhh….I’d sell my soul for water….” (Stargazer-RAINBOW)
July 21st, 2006 at 10:18Deep Purple has been booked to play this festival in Lebanon for quite some time. I also seem to remember they have played there before. So Deep Purple can’t be forbidden in Lebanon.
July 21st, 2006 at 10:50Lebanon != Afghanistan.
July 21st, 2006 at 11:25[…] The other day, we posted a news report based on Deep Purple’s press release about the band still wanting to go to Lebanon. I added some info from my local Swedish morning paper on the town Baalbeck to the news story to add something that the other reports didn’t have. Mention of the Baalbeck info in the Undercover report about the story made me realise they must have quoted us in their report. Without any credits to us. […]
July 21st, 2006 at 11:47I am proud of being Lebanese. ” Lebanon != Afghanistan.” What kind of logic is this. I am sorry but whoever wrote this is stupid. We are more civilized than you.
“But I find it hard to believe this kind of music is popular and NOT forbidden in countries like that……” Well believe it… Deep Purple are popular and hard rock/heavy metal is indeed popular. You make it sound as if Lebanese people are terrorists and barbaric. Well… I am sad to disappoint you! We are not.
July 22nd, 2006 at 11:42Really appreciate DP statement and support to us: “DP fans in Lebanon”
July 22nd, 2006 at 14:12Hope the situation will get better soon and we can finaly welcome the long waited living legends of ROCK…
Purplepriest, I do not understand why you think that DP music is forbiden in Lebanon! do you think good music can be banned?
Well fyi DP have been twice to lebanon before, and they know very well their fans over here.
Reinder I suggest you inform yourself well about Lebanon before you comment.
As I recall, Episode Six were quite well-known in Lebanon or the surrounding area. I am not surprised that DP would be popular there. Who can forget the popularity of Purple in the former communist bloc? It might seen contradictory sometimes, but music is a common denominator for us all, and Deep Purple fans in particular tend to be a tight lot no matter where they are. Purple fans are very faithful.
One could argue the current conflict any number of ways–one side or the other–but no matter what your stance, there is no question the Lebanese people are caught in the middle. If Purple manages to play there, in some bombed-out venue, it brings echoes of what Sarajevo looked like just a few years after the Olympics. As for “forbidden” music… This is not a case of people being executed by a handful of zealots for watching a football match.
Let’s get this over with so the people caught in the middle–on either side–can at least see a Deep Purple concert in peace.
July 22nd, 2006 at 17:47*sigh*. I’d have thought that most people on the internet were familiar with the meaning of the “!=” symbol. Apparently I was wrong.
“!=” means “is not equal to” and was the shortest way for me to comment on purplepriest1965’s comment that
Which I know is stupid. That was my point!
July 23rd, 2006 at 08:21I am terribly sorry i misunderstood you Reinder. I beg to be forgiven
July 25th, 2006 at 08:27That’s quite all right. I learned a lesson here. I’m sorry for causing the confusion in the first place.
You know, when I first read the blog post, I was tremendously proud of Deep Purple, and very proud to be a fan. Normally, I don’t care that much about fandom for its own sake – I don’t think you get points in life for being a bigger fan than someone else. But now, I felt that pride in the band’s bravery and their faith in the importance of music. I knew that it was never going to work, that at the end of the day they wouldn’t endanger their crew and the audience, but the fact that they wanted to perform, that they thought canceling the show was a big deal, that mattered to me.
Then I followed the link to the news sites referencing the announcement. And on sites that had comments, I read the comments. And among all the other stuff about the music and the decision, there were the Islamophobic remarks, the eliminationist rhetoric aimed at “towelheads”. There was also quite a lot of anti-semitic rhetoric, but about three times as many “kill all muslims”-type comments. And this in reference to a country that I knew was a democracy, a pluralistic, liberal country in which Muslims and Christians lived together, and one that was capable of organising the Baalbeck festival, which is not the sort of event you’d find in Iraq or Afghanistan before the invasions there, or indeed now. Deep Purple are right – it is important that events like the festival take place, simply for what they represent.
After reading those awful comments on the news sites, I wasn’t so proud to be a fan anymore. I know that a lot of the people posting that stuff are 14-year-old kids, but I also know from bitter experience that a lot of them are old enough to know better.
So I got a bit snarky. And that doesn’t help. Even without the misunderstanding, snarky messages would be lost on those who need them the most.
July 25th, 2006 at 21:37eyal .Already deep purple came to israel.Are you awake?
January 13th, 2009 at 07:13But now israel is at war.when you finish the war the concert will begin.
@korhan
Eyals comment is from 2006.
Only because there is war between 2 countries doesnt mean Purple have to pick a side.
January 13th, 2009 at 07:30If I was them I would go to neither. There is no room for religion in Rock Music. Ask Ozzy Osborne
It’s really a good thing that the band wants to deliver good rock music in a country like Lebanon, where they really need it. Rock music is for free souls. But it might not be a good idea, considering their safety. I just cant help being worried, those religous fanatics don’t care where they drop their missiles…
January 14th, 2009 at 10:29I love the band so much…
I can’t believe some posters attitude here!
I bet Lebanon has got all kinds of music, all kinds of people, all kinds of religion, all kinds of food, all kinds of bottled water(!), all kinds of politicians, all kinds of bands, all kinds of political groups…much like the rest of the world!
January 14th, 2009 at 17:12The proof that Deep Purple still miss Ritchie Blackmore.If he was in the band Purple would Never play in a place like this.(In constant state of war alert i mean).Nothing against the lebanese people of course.There’s lots of young beautifull people there who enjoys music.
January 14th, 2009 at 19:51it’s the biggest event ever
January 19th, 2009 at 17:58Deep Purple is the best rock band of all time
althaugh blackmore and lord left but still we can find the best vocalist ever and the best drummer alive and the best bissist of all time …
keep on rockin’
Do yourselves a favour and research some photos over the internet of some previous Baalbek music festival events.Now picture in your mind the greatest rock band still working regularly in the world DEEP PURPLE rockin out kick arse music on a stage infront of the temple of Jupiter under some awsome production.I’m flying out from Australia to Baalbek to see and hear the magic.All respect to Ian,Pacey,Roger,Steve and Don.
April 18th, 2009 at 07:37Haha! Deep Purple already came to lebanon and it was incredible! .. the best thing i’ve ever seen, deep purple fan for life
July 29th, 2009 at 21:29