Raptured in Stuttgart
The Schleyerhalle was well filled, newspapers reported 10,000 visitors. The organisation around it was ok, although a handball game took place in the add-on Porsche arena. Entrance was half an hour earlier than announced, which was not wrong due to the already waiting masses.
Gotthard was the perfect opener, totally different to Andrew Paul Woodworth in August. Also the sound was first class, which unfortunately isn’t a matter of course for opening bands. The Swiss boys started punctual at 8 o’clock and heated the crowd up well for 70 minutes.
After half an hour break for rebuilding the stage our boys came in and the hall boiled. All five were in a good mood as usual. However there was no solo from Paicy and no explicit Guitar Parade from Steve. Ian Gillan had some problems during the first verse of Into The Fire finding the right pitch. I recognized the same in August in Ravensburg and Benediktbeuren, maybe this isn’t a problem but on purpose?
The setlist was a great walk through 40 years of Band history, from Shades to Rapture of the Deep almost everything (except the Coverdale era) was present – and therefore absolutely met the 40th Jubilee tour. While many fans in the audience looks interrogative during Wrong Man or Rapture. What didn’t cool down the good vibes.
The setlist in detail:
Pictures of Home
Things I Never Said
Into The Fire
Strange Kind of Woman
Rapture of the Deep
Wrong Man
Contact Lost followed by a solo of Steve
Well Dressed Guitar
Knocking at Your Back Door
Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
Wring That Neck
The Battle Rages on
Don Airey Solo
Perfect Strangers
Space Trucking
Highway Star
Smoke on the Water
Encores:
Lazy
Hush
Roger Glover Solo
Black Night
Playing time appr. 2 hours.
Here some additional information I got from Ian Gillan:
They are thinking (and speaking) about a new DP album (IG: „Shall we make another album?“ – RG: „Yes, why not.“), but there are no concrete plans. In March/April a new Gillan album will be released. But unfortunately there will be no tour as his calendar is full with DP dates – South America and Africa are on the list for beginning of next year. New dates in Germany/Europe are not in sight.
Helge Mayschak
Expect a press release of the new Gillan album in January, and an official release in March. There will be a free online debut airing of it as well. Don’t expect anything from DP in the studio in 2009, as anticipated by all… you will only be disappointed, but hope is always recommended, it just looks grim in that department.
November 15th, 2008 at 21:25I wait for a new Gillan album much more than a new Deep purple album…’one eye on marocco’ could be another ‘music travel’ into new different areas to confirm the genius and the versatility of Gillan…
November 16th, 2008 at 14:01