Jon Lord and Pete York are playing together at the Boogie Woogie Blues Festival in Kitzbühel on Saturday Jul 15, 2006. Tickets go on sale Mar 6, and apparently can be ordered via an email to christoph.steinbach@chello.at

Thanks go to Gerhard Jahnel for this information.

Pictures Of Home / Things I Never Said / Wrong Man / Ted The Mechanic / Living Wreck / Rapture Of The Deep / Before Time Began / Mary Long / Contact Lost / Well Dressed Guitar / Perfect Strangers / Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye / Space Truckin´ / Highway Star / Smoke On The Water / Hush / Black Night

A decent and proper only, surely not their best concert of Rapture Tour.

Set list same as in whole February. But they cut out Junkyard Blues, put some guitar tunes instead and show they play and get a pay for almost two hours (a week or two earlier they played both Junkyard and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye as a pair).

Good opening and powerful playing, but the band seemed to be tired of this leg of the tour. Maybe there was some lack of excitment. Most of the songs were not played with much enthusiasm (or maybe I overdosed Astoria and other shows tapes?).

Very nice guitar part somewhere in the middle of Living Wreck (again reminds us how DP would play in the early seventies).

So-so Before Time Began, even Mary Long did not surprise, I guess. Nice Space Truckin’, excellent Highway Star again with the intro in style of the seventies, Smoke on the Water (with Steve singing support/backing vocals !). The encore still the same.

Absolutely the best of musicians was Don Airey – 200% of himself, did his best, no doubt. His sound, reaching the best Hammond tradition, exceeds any expectations now.

However, I must say the audience was pleased with the performance. No madness here, but real joy.

Dominik Bednarski

You can find my review of DP’s gig in Linz on my weblog. It’s the second entry on the February page.

Stefan Baumgartner

Audence: 14.000 people

Here’s the set list:

1. Pictures Of Home
2. Things I Never Said*
3. Wrong Man*
4. Vavoom:Ted The Mechanic
5. Living Wreck
6. Rapture Of The Deep*
7. Before Time Begin*
8. Mary Long
9. Contact Lost
10. Steve Morse Solo
11. Well Dressed Guitar
12. Lazy
13. Don Airey Solo
14. Perfect Strangers
15. Junkyard Blues*
16. Space Truckin
17. Highway Star
18. Smoke On The Water
* * * *
19. Hush
20. Roger Glover solo
21. Black Night

Ondok Patrik

To live in Poland and to miss a Deep Purple gig in Katowice is like to be in Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower:). Spodek is still exciting and so are DP gigs there.

The show started with one of our best progressive rock group. I always liked SBB, so I was happy to see the band live. Their first song were fragments of “Memento with a banal tryptych”. This time it was dedicated to the victims of the recent tragedy in Katowice. It’s a pity only the musicians were almost invisible because of numerous cameramen. They still look and play cool. I liked all songs they played that night.

Deep Purple were very punctual. Unfortunately, there was something wrong with their equipment. The speakers were droning a little. Also I wish the band played “Junkyard Blues”. Why did they take it out from the setlist?

Ian Gillan’s voice was great. “Before Time Began” was very well sung. Yes, sung, not spoken. It sounded so nice, I was surprised. But I wish he thanked us in Polish, too. We aren’t worse than German or French people. I know he can speak “Dzieki” because I heard it many years ago.

“Things I Never Said” came out beautifully as well. I hope the band will never take it out. It’s a very tuneful song.

Also Deep Purple dedicated a song to the people lost in Katowice. I knew the band would do it because I read on Ian Gillan’s website they will, but many people didn’t know about it. Steve Morse played “Contact Lost” unusually beautifully. We all were moved.

As for another piece for Poles, Don Airey played one of Chopin’s mazurkas which I like very much. I think he still likes Chopin.

Nice gig again. The show was cool though too short as usual. Too short for fans, of course:). I even think Deep Purple played better than in Berlin. I enjoyed so much that I’m thinking of going to Rostock in June…

Joanna Ostrowiecka

That was my 3rd DP gig. I saw them in 2003 in the same venue, and then half a year later in Warsaw. It’s hard to tell which gig was the best. All of them were absolutely amazing.

“Spodek” (“Saucer” – named after it’s UFO-like shape) was (almost) full this friday. Hardly any seat empty and the standing area was also full with people. I came a little bit late (during the 3rd song of the support band) and therefore couldn’t get to the very first row, but anyway I managed to stand about 2-3 metres behind the first row, to the left of the stage (from the audience’s point of view) so Roger was the guy who was performing amost right in front of me.

SBB (polish progressive rock band known all over the world among the older fans of such music) was the support band. Although many younger fans surely didn’t know much about them (hell.. i am 23 myself, but i’m a strange case and i prefer bands from 70’s 😉 ) they went through their set with energy, feel and they got a lot of aplause from us.

Then the lights went out and we could see the video on both screens (well, actually it was hard to see it clearly for us right in front of the stage, because those screens were almost in the same line as we were, but still, it was possible to see something). I knew the most probable setlist before so it was of no surprise to me that they started off with “Pictures of Home’. IMO it’s a great opener, maybe even better than HS. As usual on this tour, the first part of the gig was put together of new tracks and some oldies that were not played for some time before. The link between Pictures of Home and Things I Never Said was great. I thought they were playing some extended outro to Pictures and it turned out a second later that it is already the next track. The song itself is a good one, but as i have heard it for the first time, i don’t remember much of it at the moment (i will have to get some bootleg’s to get to know it better).

Some new and some rare tracks followed (wrong man, living wreck, ted the mechanic, mary long) and then we reached the first highlight of the gig – Rapture Of The Deep! This song is absolutely fantastic. I think that this song will soon get a status similar to Pictures Of Home or Sometimes I Feel Like Screamin’, that is a classic Purple song. Before time began is also great but i’m not sure if it’s good live song. At least for a hard rock gig. But it was received great anyway.

Then the second important moment of the evening. I was waiting for it, i must admit. ‘Contact Lost’ is my favourite track song from ‘bananas’ and it almost makes my eyes wet everytime i hear it live. This friday was no exception. ian dedicated it to those who died in an accident in Katowice a couple of weeks ago when a roof collapsed straight into a big hall killing over 60 people attending some kind of a pigeon exposition. CL was connected with Steve’s cosmic solo and then it turned into “Well-dressed guitar” – my another favourite from the bananas era (although not released).

Lazy was a bit short, but we can’t expect them to go back to 70’s and play 20 minutes of solos. Don reinvented his organ solo a little bit for this tour, although he played again some excerpts from Chopin, Star Wars and Polish National Anthem. But the ‘adventurous, cosmic’ part was something new and it went great. Perfect Strangers for me the biggest highlight of the gig. I absolutely love this track and everytime i see the band, they play a breathtaking version of it.

Then for a while, we came back to the latest album. Instead of Junkyard blues, which was played during some recent gigs, we had to Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 😉 It’s not one of my favourite racks from ROTD, but it’s definitely not bad and was played with a lot of energy. And them the hit-parade began. Space Truckin’ – Highway Star – Smoke On The Water with some fragments of Stairway To Heaven (i was not surprised but some people were completely astonished haha) and one more track (possibly one of ac/dc’s songs but don’t remember right now)… SOTW was (as always) sang… ekhm.. SCREAMED! by the whole audience (c. 9500 people IMO)… then the band disappeared, but of course they returned and played Hush and Black Night. BN was played without a Rn’R medley before but this may be because people were singin’ the melody from black night already and so no medley appeared. It was the same situation as 2 years ago in Katowice. Steve was playing with the audience and i can tell you all that we were bloody loud 😉 Then they said their farewells and left the stage going straight into that box again 😉

+ Great form of all 5 of them.

+ New songs played with a lot of energy and received very well by the audience

+ Some old classics played in a slightly refreshed way – new intro to HS, Stairway To Heaven before ‘Smoke’, Pictures of home linked with Things I Never Said etc

+ Great visualisations; puttin’ 2 screens was a great idea and some close-ups were brilliant, also some great images during contact lost or smoke on the water.

+ Great atmosphere – many teenagers, but also some rock veterans in their 50’s or even 60’s 😉 maybe the singin’ was not as loud as it usually is in Poland, because the older guys are not always eager to sing with us, but on the other hand, i don’t have to worry that i might get squeezed to death my some stupid people in my age that have way too much energy. With the average of age going up, it’s much safer in front of the stage 😉

– the only thing that i can put here is the setlist.. it’s not that it’s bad, but it would be nice to hear sometimes i feel like screaming, anya, tha battle rages on or when a blindman cries instead of e.g ted the mechanic or hush (which is a great song but i already heard that a couple of times)… also ‘clearly quite absurd’ or ‘money talks’ instead of ‘kiss tomorrow goodbye’ and ‘before time began’ could be nice… and i don’t even dream of hearing some mk3 of mk4 stuff (my fav. DP period)… well actually I think it’s a good idea not to perform those… with all respect to Ian – i can’t image myself him singing Burn or Stormbringer 😉 I’m gonna have to see Whitesnake or Glenn solo to hear those 🙂

But don’t get me wrong. The gig was amazing anyway even with this setlist, it’s just that every person attending a gig has always their favourite setlist somewhere in their head and that one was not any near my favourite one 😉 but that’s the only thing i could think of that could have been better. I hope it was not their last gig in Poland. I’m sure that they will come to us should there be another european tour, but they are not 20 anymore and we never know which tour could be their last. well.. i hope this one isn’t 🙂

a big eeeeaaaaaaaaaaoooouuuu to all people that were in Katowice on Friday. They rocked and we did as well 😉

Jakub “Bizon” Michalski

Andi Thul’s excellent shots of Alice C. and the Purple boys.

Ian Gillan’s concert from Edinburgh 1980 with his band “Gillan” will be released on DVD March 13. The DVD feature…
1. Unchain Your Brain
2. Trouble
3. If You Believe Me
4. Mutually Assured Destruction
5. No Easy Way

Bonus Archive Footage
6. Vengeance
7. Smoke On The Water
8. Sleeping On The Job

Bonus Features
1. "Cannonball"-G.M.T.-Bernie Torme, John McCoy and Robin Guynew track from ex Gillan members
2. In depth interviews with John MCcoy, Bernie Torme, Colin Towns and Mick Underwood
3. History of GILLAN by Joe Geesin
4. Photo Gallery

You can preorder the DVD in our shop.
Thanks toAngel Air for the information.

On Saturday (at 18.00, local time), the Czech radiostation, “Radio Hey”, will broadcast interviews with Don Airey and Ian Gillan, done in Brno, Czech recently. For more info, check here.
Thanks to Sebastian Adam for the information.

After the Rocky Alice Cooper Horror Show we had to wait a little while. The tension was high.

And then… They started and the sold out Olympiahalle exploded. A few bars of Pictures of Home and we were immediately in. You could see them, hear them,feel their music: THE GODFATHERS OF ROCK.

Imagine: There is every week a young band, which tries to top them. Thirtyeight years now and no one ever could reach them. There were Glam Rock and Disco, Heavy Metal, Dark and Gothic, all the shit of Rave, Acid, House, Techno, Kozmic, all the Hip Hop and the Rap-nothing will remain, but the DP’s are immortal like Bach or Beethoven.

The program was quite similar to Berlin or Stuttgart; Ted the Mechanic and Wrong Man were brillant and powerful rock at its best, Living Wreck so straight that you got to know where the origins of AC/DC were, Rapture of the Deep and Before Time Began were not from this world.

All was perfect: An incredible light show in a new dimension, the sound clear, strong and loud-the bass went to the stomach, the Olympiahalle was vibrating… Motion pictures, to see every solo and great-inspired pictures to the songs: Marilyn, the man from the new cover, the third stone from the sun, fire and water… wonderful.

Mary Long, Perfect Strangers, Contact Lost, Lazy, Space Truckin’. All brillant – Steve and Don went to a big form, Paicey’s question and answer play was too complicated for the stupid Munich audience. Highway Star was better as the MADE IN Japan recording, I didn’t believe that I ever could hear this in my whole life. Thank you Steve. Smoke started with a gag: Alice Cooper played this best-known, eternal riff.

Roger Glovers solo – he well humoured like ever – led to the final pieces: Hush and the song about the lost socks: Black Night. A perfect show.

Ahh… did I forget someone? Ian Gillan. Ian Gillan, barefoot like Joss Stone, is the heart of Deep Purple. We are not in ’72, but he is the best living rock singer. His voice is better as ten or twentyfive years before. They all do a hard job. They do a great job. With every single note you can feel the joy of these gentlemen to make such good music. The harmony is perfect. There was magic in the hall that night and you got more for your money than you could expect.

Today it isn’t often so at rock concerts.. and otherwhere. After the show, inhaling the cold air of that February night I was sure, it was a great, an amazing evening.

Thank you Deep Purple.

W. Zacherl