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Bamberg plagued by poor sound
To start with the positiv things… I had the best view you can imagine for a concert. first row just in front of steve. good venue and a good setlist and the company of a wonderfull woman. everything perfect for a great concert………..
but it wasnt. it was much toooooo loud and my ears are still not ok. the mixing was catastrophic, in parts i have seen ian gillan singing but nothing was to hear only his lips moving, ´cause steves guitar has dominated all, even the drums were not clear to hear. maybe it was ´cause of the place we were standing, i dont know how it was in the back, but anyway there are professionals at the mixing table, they make soundchecks and everything so i dont understand why things like that happen.
steve morse is an excellent player, outstanding for sure. it was great to see him so close, but deep purple is not only him and i would prefer to hear a bit more of the rest of the band. i used to go to many live concerts but this one was really one of the worst in mixing. even during the support of gotthard it was better than for DP.
maybe the band should tour less. ian looked really `kaputt` and so skinny. most active part was steve. more or less i am a bit disappointed about the evening. for 50€ i expect something more than a lot of great songs that came out like mud sometimes.
great musicians with soundmixers that dont understand their job. maybe sometime a bit less could be more in the case of power and to be loud doesnt mean to be good. i have seen purple 1973 for the first time, last time 2006 at arrow rock holland… that was far much better than yesterday. give these boys a rest get and better people behind the mixing desk or what ever was the reason for that sound.
would have prefered to write something more positiv, but i am honest and that only my opinion.
nice day
Thomas
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Pratically every review say thatGillan looks bad…
November 22nd, 2008 at 18:11Why they don’t understand it’s time to stop and recharge…
.. they have Robert, their yearly break is now underway.
November 22nd, 2008 at 19:43But if you ask me he started having problems in OZ 2006 and has had to adjust his voice accordingly since, and he seemed to pull it off more often than not, to my surprise. You have to look at the entire scope of your complaint… this kind of touring could kill a small man, so when you look at it that way, he’s actually mighty.
“Thomas”…..sometimes that is the price you pay for being TOO CLOSE. Great visually, but never is the sound very good up front. Plus, depending on the size of the venue, they have to play louder for large venues so the sound carries fully to the rear. Midway back and in the middle is the best place for sound to be heard with proper mix.
As far as “Gillan” looking tired, I don’t care if he roles out in a wheelchair when I see them, as long as he does what he does best….SING HIS HEART OUT!!!!
Cheers
November 22nd, 2008 at 19:48He’s one of the few who could pull off performing in a wheelchair.
November 22nd, 2008 at 20:00seriously.
I agree Crimson, Gillan has vocals problems from 2006 untill now.It’s time to stop and not only for two or three months….
November 22nd, 2008 at 20:07Well you said it yourself. You stood in the front Right in front of Steve.
November 22nd, 2008 at 21:16You didnt even hear the mix where you were. What you heard is steves Guitarstuff on stage. Guitarists control that themselfs. I was about half back and heard everything. Next time walk around
Hi folks,
November 22nd, 2008 at 23:15The sound in Bamberg was good. Thomas, i think Tracy is right, you were too close. I stood right in the middle between stage and mixing-desk and the sound was not too loud, honestly, i’ve never been to a purple-concert where the sound was so good over the past 20 years.
Compared with the previous tours Don Airey was much more balanced with Steve than in previous concerts i’ve visited since 2001 with Don. Don’s sound was brilliant and it seems that he really plays his heart out. Steve was, as always, in fine form and good mood. Gillan was skinny and i missed a little bit his sheer enthusiasm. But I think he intentionally preserves a little bit his voice, in order to be at 100% at certain points of the songs. His voice and especially his screaming is much better than it has been about 10-15 years ago. Paicey is so good, unbelievable, with this line-up he has again full freedom and confidence. Rog is is Rog and enjoys what Purple’s doing, i think he simply enjoys playing with these fantastic musicians, he plays so relaxed with his numerous instruments. Fine.
The song-selection reminded me very much to the times with Ritchie since the 84-reunion. In the first half of the set a few newer numbers and in the second half the classics. A lot of fans like the newer material (which is fantastic), most of the fans like the classics. It was good to hear “The battle rages on” again, and it’s a really good idea to play short version of “wring that neck”. Maybe it was time to play more classics at the 40th anniversary-tour. I felt the crowd was relaxed too and enjoyed what the band was doing. But now it’s really time for a new studio album.
Cheers !
..but he had problems from time to time in 1999 to 2003 as well, but for most of 2004, 2005 and part of 2006 he was great.
2007 was a technically fine year for him imo, but I think it was from an effort to sing within his current range, which is a by-product of his instrument, and always will be… something he discovered as far back as 1973 when Ritchie started criticizing him for it.(but he’s just catching on when it comes to such adjustments, which shows it’s never too late to get in shape)
Hey Tracy, shoot me an email brother, I lost some infos in translation a while back, I have some very rare Cooper goods for ya, I’d like to send them along.
Cheers
November 23rd, 2008 at 00:59Hey CG. Funny you are requesting this. I had to reformat my computer and lost a bunch of stuff, including my e-mail address book. Glad you requested this. Here is mine……hydeman@hughes.net. E-mail me and I’ll re-enter it in my file…..
Cheers
November 23rd, 2008 at 05:09I saw DP at Karlsruhe and Munich and the sound was spot-on..
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:16But I agree that Ian has lost a bit too much weight which gives the illusion of frailty.
As for the yearly break, that’s not what I heard – DP will be in the UK again in 2009, and there are already 3 dates in the tour-date section of this website for 2009.
C.G
November 23rd, 2008 at 14:05Yes Gillan had always vocals problems each year, but sometimes he was good, sometimes bad, sometimes excellent…In 2008 he has been almost bad or good, never excellent….
what do you think are the best shows ever during the Morse era and considering Gillan vocals?
mine: bucharest ’98, pistoia ’99,obras argentina 2005(a radio recording exist), live france vielles charreus(video exist)or usa 2005 (foxfest,free concert in front of 100.000 people)
November 23rd, 2008 at 14:11A bad soundmix is always terrible
I often try walking around the hall if possible
Just to find the right spot
It s kinda stupid, it should be good everywhere not only around the desk in the middle
During the Lord and Morse years I , and not only I, felt Lord was too low in the mix
It seemed to get better when Airey stepped on board.
But oh the HORROR, mostly hearing Steve, the man who brought with the most UN Purple sound ever since 67
November 23rd, 2008 at 16:46A bad soundmix is always terrible
I often try walking around the hall if possible
Just to find the right spot
It s kinda stupid, it should be good everywhere not only around the desk in the middle
During the Lord and Morse years I , and not only I, felt Lord was too low in the mix
It seemed to get better when Airey stepped on board.
But oh the HORROR, mostly hearing Steve, the man who brought with the most UN Purple sound ever since 67
November 23rd, 2008 at 16:46really visited and still visiting a lot of concerts and normally very near in front. most bands succed to get a good sound for everyone, i rarely had such a bad experience like in bamberg. walking around can help surly, but i want to see the band………………..loud can be ok even to loud can be ok if the mixing is allright and you can seperate the vocals and the instruments. really like purples music but as i wrote before they need better ones at the soundboard. that was to poor for deep purple.
November 24th, 2008 at 09:50Thomas
Standing front of the guitarist, you will hear the guitarist louder than everthing else. It ain’t rocket science…
“It s kinda stupid, it should be good everywhere not only around the desk in the middle”
Ever hear of something called physics? Makes it impssible to get the same mix everywhere. Not stupid, it’s just the way the universe works.
Although having made such a bold claim, one assumes Purplepriest is an expert in mixing and could teach us all a lesson…
November 24th, 2008 at 12:11No one should go to a rock consert without earplugs.. have you ever heard of tinnitus..?
November 24th, 2008 at 14:20You have these earplugs that will sort out the “high” sounds and it sounds much better for it!
An expert on many levels…….and a legend in his own mind…
I remember once or twice in the Blackmore days………..His guitar went low in the mix just after the opening bars of ‘Smoke’……..I then realised the ‘Minstrel’ had walked off in a ‘strop’…….what a wanker
November 25th, 2008 at 09:22well I had the same problem in 2006 Toulouse-FRANCE when i had the time of my life just in front of the guys 2 metres from them BUT only steve in my ears.(read my comment from the concert and the explanation from the soundboard people) and 3/4 months later went to Pau-FRANCE to see the guys again and this time right in the middle at about 12/15 metres from the stage and every thing was fantastic. it’s never too late to learn and to LISTEN (in that case)cheers and long live DP.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:16PS. last time I saw the guys (so it was beginning of 2007 in Pau) I already realise how much Ian was skinny so its not sudden. too much touring and too much exercice hopefully is the reason why!!!
micke!
WHAT?????????SAY AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!If it is too loud……you´re too old!!!!!Joke aside,you´re quite right unfortunately!Personally I have damaged my ears over the years at too many gigs and parties,and paying the price for it now!Since the doctor told me I´ve got about 50% of my hearing left,I started wearing earplugs!
Mind you…..In twenty years from now we´ll have a whole generation of deaf people….the MP3 generation that is! We only have one set of ears,so let´s take care of them!ROCK ON!
November 25th, 2008 at 13:37Whaaatttt???????
Cheers
November 26th, 2008 at 01:46Twenty past nine!!
November 26th, 2008 at 09:19You know this really does my head in……………..”the mix was crap” ” all I heard was guitar” ………….You will never get a true idea of the mix or the full sound. Try something other than the f’n front row.
why do you think the mix desk goes where it go’s? duh……………….
Gert and the rest of us bust our asses, and hey we have done this once or twice befor………….soooo just maybe we have a clue. So kids if you stand right in the front, your only gonna hear what your stood in front of.
November 28th, 2008 at 18:53Kid?
I m 43
Saw your myspace dude
The difference in the pictures is shocking
Well, I m not so sure if the following is positive
November 30th, 2008 at 02:16I did not change much and someone said I reminded her of Dorian Gray