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Enthusiastic – Auckland
First time I’ve seen the boys outside of England so I wasn’t sure of what the crowd would be like. I’ve got to say that for a band that have been going for nigh on 40 years they’ve got a lot of fans in their 20’s and they absolutely loved them.
Personally, I think this is the best gig I’ve seen the band play since the Purpendicular tour way back in 97 or 98. They all seemed really happy on stage and musically they were faultless, I don’t know what it would have taken to wipe the smile off Steve’s face but it was there most of the night.
Don Airey IS the heir apparent to Jon Lord’s throne not a note out of place all night and the intro to Perfect Strangers was absolutely class.
Mr. Gillan has invented air-keyboard which is really fun to watch as hundreds of fans wiggle their fingers in the air during Don’s solos. Having said that it’s quite difficult to see the stage when everyone around you has their hands in the air and their fingers are wiggling!
Roger and Paicey, what can you say? The rhythm section is as tight as ever and for once they’ve let Roger have a bit of a solo right at the end when he must be knackered.
The new stuff went down quite well considering I haven’t seen a copy of Rapture of the Deep in any record stores in Auckland, (which brings me to a gripe, why is Things I Never Said only available as a bonus track on certain releases?).
It’s the first time I’ve heard Ian describe Lazy and from now on I’ll listen to it in a whole new way!
I probably can’t list all the songs in order or even remember all of them but the show comprised of:
Pictures of Home; Things I Never Said; Wrong Man; Ted the Mechanic; Livin’ Wreck; Before Time Began; Well Dressed Guitar; Lazy; Perfect Stangers; Junkyard Blues; Space Truckin’; Highway Star; Smoke. Encores Hush and Black Night – with contributing solos from the band thrown in along the way for our listening pleasure!
All in all a superb gig, love the new album. Hope it sells millions and the band’s enthusiasm goes on and on, and for those fans yet to see the show may I borrow a phrase from AC/DC “For Those About To Rock, We Salute You”.
Jimmy Stein, the morning after the night before!
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing