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Neutral to overdrive
Roger Glover writes in his first (and hopefully not the last) installment of Road Life notes:
A few years ago, I had descended from my hotel room a trifle early before a concert. I was sitting in the bar having a swift half when someone recognized me. “Aren’t you excited?” he inquired excitedly, quivering with his own. I politely asked him what about. He stared at me incredulously, “Tonight, the concert is tonight.” “Oh that, no, not particularly excited,” I replied, rather too nonchalantly. That’s when it struck me – how accustomed had I become to the world of industrial-strength touring that what to many would be a high point of the week, month or year was to me merely a date on the calendar – another city along the way? There was a time when the thought of getting a gig at a local pub sent me into spasms of exhilaration and the anticipation had my blood thumping. Have I become so inured by the sheer volume of years on the road that I have lost that simple pleasure? What happened to the boy that worked so hard at the paper round, patiently saving his precious cash so that one day, maybe, he’d have enough for a down payment on that red Hofner bass guitar that shined so alluringly through the dirty window of the local music shop?
Read the rest at RogerGlover.com.
Thanks to Andrey Gusenkov for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Okay Roger,
my nearest local pub with a very little stage is the “Takelage” in Bremerhaven – Germany. If you want to get some exactly informations,
please send me an e-mail.
*LLRnR*
-kraatzy-
June 23rd, 2010 at 13:27Oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Let the bashing begin…..
June 23rd, 2010 at 18:59Excellent writing!
June 24th, 2010 at 08:05Therein Lies The Rub. Have the boys lost the passion, fire & desire? Has it become so automatic that it doesn’t even warrant an extra heartbeat? MAYBE if they recorded some really exciting new music and toured the new songs and really had to sell them to the crowds ,it would stir the old juices. Now, it seems the same old set done night after night is not cause for excitement as I interpret Rogers own words. As years go by since “Rapture” it becomes more apparent that DP may morph into one of those 50’s & 60’s bands that live on their past and have no interest in adding to their legacy. Cheers,Drdp
June 24th, 2010 at 09:40Hint of retirement or a need for a new challenge.
June 24th, 2010 at 09:51A New album might help.
Wise words from a wise “man of the earth”:-) I hope they, Deep Purple, know how lucky they are doing what they love to do for a living, meeting lots of people and seeing lots of places along the way.
June 24th, 2010 at 10:11Great post, I am trying to get something published, maybe the confidence Roger has hides the humilty he still maintains.
June 24th, 2010 at 11:41So take a break and get excited again, I guess!
June 24th, 2010 at 14:45Rog stories are allways nice.
June 24th, 2010 at 20:47That is without a doubt the most perfect analogy toward the professional player as it gets. Roger said it all right here. Even though I was just in a Cover’s band “LOzT CAUz”, that played the Pub circuit in South Florida for around 9 years, I can completely empathize with this description of the enthrallment of the gigs and how the feeling evolved throughout. I remember the first year or so being totally consumed in the adrenalin rush hours prior to any gig we played (no matter how large or small). Just as he states here, that rush adds to the overall drain you feel during the gig. Halfway through you find yourself somewhat tired due to already spending so much energy before the opening song being cranked and pumped up. Finally after a couple of years of gigging, you become more accustomed to the event and find yourself more at ease and able to center most of your emotional energy on the gig itself instead of wasting so much hours prior. Nothing is as energizing as the crowds interaction at a gig. It’s almost indescribable. Once you strike the first cord, slam the bass drum or sing the first word, the rush takes over and it’s as though it was the first gig you ever played…..I felt the same rush each and every night we played. From the first till the last.
Thanks Roger for your eloquent description of your present and past relationship with the stage for us….
Cheers
June 24th, 2010 at 21:09I’m Sure you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t get some kind of BUZZ from performing Roger – maybe if the question was posed 90 seconds before Paicey started the first drum roll of the evening, your mindset would be suitably adjusted?
Nothing wrong with having your ‘Butterflies’ in Formation!
Most importantly – Don’t stop!!!!
Keep doing Matey
June 24th, 2010 at 22:35Roger does not just go through the motions. Does great solos too.
June 25th, 2010 at 00:27It’s obvious some of you didn’t read the full story from Roger. It’s linked twice above but here it is again: http://www.rogerglover.com/home/6-messages-from-roger-glover/404-road-life-1.html
June 25th, 2010 at 18:17Oh boy, I wish Ritchie thought the same way. What ever happened to the “old” Ritchie, where is he now?
June 25th, 2010 at 18:47I have now read the “full story” @13. These men are similar to athletes as far as having to peak at the right time. I have seen DP 7 times, and if RG feels the same as I (we) do before the opening chords I can only imagine the rush at every gig. I know it can’t last forever but I hope it lasts as long as it can. Thank You to the worlds greatest band, DP.
June 26th, 2010 at 05:22Cheers
@ Drdp #4
NO! I thought the same, before I read interview with Don, recorded 1 days ago. He says: “We are bursting with ideas. We are going to work on it [new studio album] VERY SOON”!!!
for the last few months I began realizing, that purps had NO MORE ideas left in their mind, or they needed to change some members for a new blood. Thanks god, I was wrong.
Since 1969, they never failed to find new ideas, new blood to make NEW music. Only twice, during recording House Of Blue Light and Abandon it was hard for them to put excitement in the record. But both albums are great anyway.
So, can’t wait for the Deep Purple – 2010 version.
June 26th, 2010 at 08:14# 13
You re right!!!!
But still……
EXITEMENT HAS LEFT THE BUILDING ANYWAY.
June 26th, 2010 at 09:03Roy, i think old Ritchie is off with fairies and goblins and knights and serfs in medieval land making lute music…..but if he is happy, good on him. Like you, i miss the growling lead guitar of one R Blackmore….we have but recordings to remember it by………
June 26th, 2010 at 11:08I was at the same bar that night. Roger put all his drinks on my tab and ran out before I knew what happened.
June 26th, 2010 at 19:56# 13: The excerpt from above can be misunderstood easily. After reading the whole story – thanks for the link by the way – it’s almost the opposite to what I thought about first.
# 16: This is absolutely amazing. Now I’m looking forward again to what’s coming up next on that issue. But I have to say that I’m surprised about that regarding the not to distant past where Gillan sounded much less confident that anything will happen this year due to touring and whatever. Well, let’s see.
June 27th, 2010 at 02:25Hi
I just come back home to Sweden from Irland and a Deep Purple concert.
It´s allways wonderful to se Deep Purple live and I look forward to new music
Keep on rocking Deep Purple
from Bernt-Åke in Sweden
July 6th, 2010 at 16:36