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Las Vegas To Concord – Last 3 US Shows
Following Deep Purple On Their Last 3 US Shows On “The Songs That Built Rock Tour” 2011
Deep Purple Live At The Palms, Las Vegas, NV June 23, 2011
Deep Purple missed the Northwestern United States again this tour. Living in Seattle, WA means if you want to see a show, you will have to travel. After learning what lucky cities were chosen, and reading snips of a possible last US Tour, my wife and I decided to hit the last 3 shows(only ones west of the Mississippi River). Show # 1 for us, Las Vegas, NV at the Palms Casino. Temp outside 108 degrees, very hot. Doors opened at 7:00pm, My wife and I, the first ones in line and first in, rushing towards the souvenir stand first to buy one of every tour T-shirt and a ball cap. Several autographed drum heads at a very reasonable price of $75.00, passed on those because had several items autographed by the band, back on the 2004 Bananas Tour, 9-10-2004 in Auburn, WA when my wife and I and friend Michael Wolfe were backstage with the whole band by ourselves for 45 min to an hour (that’s another story).
We were center stage, 13 rows back and the sound was perfect. Venue was about 2500. Pacey and Don were not elevated, stage cramped with orchestra behind. Ernie and The Automatics were the opening act which lasted about 40 minutes.
Lights dim, Orchestra starts (including Smoke On The Water riff), Pacey, Don, Roger, and Steve come out on stage and begin Highway Star and Big Ian comes out on stage on cue, “Nobody’s gonna take my car….”.
Set List: Orchestra Intro, Highway Star, Hard Lovin’ Man, Maybe I’m A Leo, Strange Kind Of A Woman, Rapture Of The Deep, Woman From Tokyo, Contact Lost, Steve Morse Solo, When A Blind Man Cries, The Well Dressed Guitar, Knocking At Your Back Door, Lazy (with Conductor Steve Violin solo), No One Came, Don Airey Solo, Perfect Strangers, Space Truckin’, Smoke On The Water, encore: Hush (with Going Down intro), Black Night. Roger and Pacey had brief solos during the encore.
Sound was great, show lasted a total of 111 minutes.
On our way to Los Angeles…..I will review that show too.
Deep Purple Live At The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA June 24, 2011
Still in awe from last night’s Las Vegas, NV show, the 4 hour plus drive to Los Angeles (2 Soundboard Series shows worth), went by in no time. Our hotel was just a couple miles from the venue, the famous Greek Theatre in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, California. This was an outside venue (first time outside since we saw Deep Purple at Arrowhead Stadium on the Burn Tour 1974). The weather was perfect, mild 70’s and cooled off at sunset. This was also a special night because my wife and I were meeting up with friend, Michael Wolfe, wife Jennifer and daughter Destiny from Great Falls, MT. All 5 of us sat together just center left, 1 section back. Ernie and The Automatics were the opening act. Just after sunset, the lights dim and the Orchestra starts out with several snip its of songs including Smoke On The Water.
Set list: Orchestra Intro, Highway Star, Hard Lovin’ Man, Maybe I’m A Leo, Strange Kind Of Woman, Rapture Of The Deep, Woman From Tokyo, Happy Birthday To You (for Steve the Conductor), Contact Lost, Steve Morse Solo, When A Blind Man Cries, The Well-Dressed Guitar, Knocking At Your Back Door, Lazy (including Conductor Steve violin solo), No One Came, Don Airey Solo, Perfect Strangers, Space Truckin’, Smoke On The Water, encore: Hush, Black Night with short Pacey and Roger Solo.
Venue was larger than Las Vegas and the crowd seemed to be more into it. Ian’s vocals again right on 2 nights in a row. Sound and mix was great. This was to be the last show on “The Song’s That Built Rock” Tour using the Orchestra. I failed to mention in my Las Vegas review, the mixture of the band with the orchestra was right on. Show lasted 112 minutes. Two nights in a row, we were living the dream, with one more to go! On our way to Concord, CA in the SF Bay Area.
Deep Purple Live At The Sleep Train Pavilion, Concord, CA June 24, 2011
Tired from the 6 plus hour drive from Los Angeles to Concord, CA and no sleep from the night before, reality hitting today, our last show. Will it be Deep Purple’s last US show? Tour? With that in mind the drive didn’t seem to take that long. Only bad thing, the new camera purchased for just taking pictures of these shows, quit working. We arrived early, as usual. Weather was perfect as this was another outside venue, The Concord Sleep Train Pavilion which was just a little smaller than the Greek Theatre. The venue was packed even with people sitting on the lawn. Ernie And The Automatics were the opening act. Joe Satriani was the middle act, by the way, got the people awake and on their feet the entire time. This was a prelude for things to come. This was really special because we were 7 rows back in front of Steve and Ian. Joe played for almost an hour. Again, after sunset, Deep Purple arrive on stage. What is different between this show and last nights show was the was no orchestra. The crowd were on there feet from the start of the show until it ended. This was a Deep Purple show, Hard Rock! They played a lot harder than with the orchestra.
Set list: Highway Star, Hard Lovin’ Man, Maybe I’m A Leo, Strange Kind Of Woman, Rapture Of The Deep, Woman From Tokyo, Contact Lost, Steve Morse Solo, When A Blind Man Cries, The Well-Dressed Guitar, Knocking At Your Back Door, Lazy, No One Came, Don Airey Solo, Perfect Strangers, Space Truckin’, Smoke On The Water w/ Joe Satriani, encore: Hush, Black Night with brief Roger and Paicey Solos. What a special treat with Joe on stage with Steve on Smoke. I’ve seen Joe several times but to see him play with Deep Purple (because he replaced Richie Blackmore in 1993 when he quit in the middle of the tour) was the icing on the cake! Once again, Ian’s vocals were on fire, hitting all the high notes and so was the mix. The band, once again, 3 nights in a row from this reviewer, sounded great. Disappointed now that I have to fly back to Seattle and come back to reality. I recorded all 3 shows with my Tascam DR-07 Digital stereo recorder, and after listening to them, confirms my 3 reviews. As mentioned before, sorry no pictures like last night. The ones submitted taken with my iPhone. Also, photo submitted, never before published, is Deep Purple, my wife Rita, and I taken in 2004.
Review by: Harry Heathman III
Photos by: Rita Heathman, Deep Purple Photo w/Harry & Rita by: Unknown
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Enjoyed the review, I will need to wait until 26th November to see them in Glasgow, however I am waiting in eagar anticipation for the day to arrive. I seen them at the Royal albert hall with the orchestra and they ere superb.
July 8th, 2011 at 16:48Nice. They have only been to El Paso, TX three times (1976,1995 which I missed I was a little kid)and(2003 with Dio and Scorpions, I didnt miss).
July 8th, 2011 at 18:01Most of the concerts I’ve attended have been outdoors. I like it when Deep Purple tour the states because It’s an excuse for me to go on Vacation, just like I did when I saw them two weeks ago at the Greek Theatre. I agree with you sound was great and vocals were great too, glad I caught the last orchestra concert.
I saw them in CT and NYC…Awesome shows…. Just blew me away… I’d love to get a copy of the shows you were at… Any chance? I’d be happy to pay for shipping etc… Thanks… Long Live the Morse Era!!
July 9th, 2011 at 03:33The fact that the last show on the American tour did not included an orchestra is a bit telling. This made the event a little bit of a “special” occasion and as noted, the band played harder. This may very well have been the last U.S. performance for the band, especially given the length of time since the last U.S. tour. Anyone who saw the last show–or any of the tour for that matter–should consider themselves fortunate. Harry may have recorded a historically important boot.
July 9th, 2011 at 17:31Great review!
July 10th, 2011 at 05:55I think we meet in line at the Vegas Concert. You showed me some photos of you with Deep Purple. You meet them after a show which I think you mention it had rained during the concert. Enjoyed talking with you, as well as other fellow fans. Nice to talk to west coast fans who had seen some great shows on that coast. All of mine until Vega$ have been on the East coast The only other people standing near were a couple from Salt lake city. Their seats were two rows behind me. You guys grab some T-shirts and I did not see you again. Enjoyed reading your review. Very good. Glad you enjoyed the shows.
July 10th, 2011 at 15:47Thank-you so much to Harry Heathman III
July 10th, 2011 at 22:02I have my tickets for the O2 in London this November and cannot wait.
Great to see Knocking At Your Back Door in the set list
Saw the last show from the second row. KILLER!!!
July 11th, 2011 at 03:08Thanks Deep Purple.
Strat”T”Kat:….(kind of like this don’t you??),
I see it different. I see it as though they chose to do the Orchestra thing for a little change in their long careers and extensive touring, they had the need to do what they do best at the end…..ROCK THE HOUSE. I think they felt the restrain of the Orchestra after a while and had to “Loosen their strings”. This to me is actually a good sign and one that shows they are still Purple at heart, and the possibility of a Real US Tour in promotion of what probably will be the Last Purple Album by this line-up next year. They will tour it like hell on wheels for as long as they wish. Hell, they put in 6-7 years of touring in since their last record “Rapture of the Deep”. They will soak this next one out as long as they can. That’s why they should put some serious effort into doing a special album this go-round. Maybe a double album. This would help fill the huge gap since the last album ROTD back in 2005. Maybe a 3rd disk of all the tunes they have sitting around that didn’t make the cut on the last 4 albums. Surely there are some studio recordings of some songs that weren’t included. Basically a bonus ‘Non-LP/Outtake song disk’. I’d say it would be good way to go out and give the fans a nice tip of the hat.
Cheers
July 15th, 2011 at 15:37@ 9
Surely…….?
Surely you are dreaming.
Dream on my friend : )
July 16th, 2011 at 11:56@10 again…
I hope you can dig up the cash and are able to see Purple on this tour. Sitting on the sidelines and bashing what you haven’t seen is a pathetic way to view the world. I’m not dreaming. Just expressing what would like to see them do and also expressing my views of their attitude based on My observation first hand and through communicating with Glover and Airey after the show. They seemed to have quite a positive attitude towards their US gigs, unlike your constant “Bad Attitude”. Yeah, I know they will not put forth what I wrote above regarding a 3 disk or even a 2 disk release, but again, that’s why the House of Payne needs to go. A management team that is more progressive and willing to push the band toward a more commercial approach would be nice for a change. Not selling out musically in the commercial department, but in the promotion area.
Cheers
July 17th, 2011 at 04:02“I hope you can dig up the cash and are able to see Purple on this tour.”
Not interested. Hardly in a bootleg as well. Sorry Steve. : )
“Yeah, I know they will not put forth what I wrote above regarding a 3 disk or even a 2 disk release, but again, that’s why the House of Payne needs to go. A management team that is more progressive”
1
I wrote several times that they should have made a triple disc of live NON LIVE IN JAPAN performances by the Lord/Morse airey to make that a nice closure.
Many on here never reacted to it as well.
It seemed that I was more interested than them.
2
What I d like to know is if you had a talk with Bruce about this.
More intersting the camaredrie talks between you and the others IMO.
3 What do you expect from a change at this moment. THEY ARE OLD.
“through communicating with Glover and Airey”
First see then believe.
July 18th, 2011 at 14:21” Maybe a 3rd disk of all the tunes they have sitting around that didn’t make the cut on the last 4 albums. Surely there are some studio recordings of some songs that weren’t included. ”
They had The Stallion but did not use it after trying it again.
If they have good studio recordings they are stupid not to have used them before.
July 18th, 2011 at 14:25Could easily have been released after 2005.
Chair:
As I stated in prior posts, I spoke once to Bruce Payne after a show in Pompano Beach, Florida early on in the MK7 period. I begged him to promote this great band like ‘Never Before’. I praised how good they were sounding with Purpendicular and how this should be perfect for a fresh push and that the Band deserved to be promoted better than in the past. He actually agreed with my comments and the rest is history. Business as usual.
It’s never too late for Proper Promotion. Ozzy and Alice Cooper are just as old and from the same era. Yet they are being promoted proper and get plenty of exposure. Both of which are now recognized in the R&R Hall of Fame. Won’t happen to Purple anytime soon either. Lousy promotion and exposure over the years.
What is ‘The Stallion’? Never heard of it.
Cheers
July 23rd, 2011 at 23:481-8 Thank you for your kind words. #6 Rick- Are you the one who is involved with Deeppurplehub.com? Did you tell me about Ian Gillan acquiring diabetes on this tour and that is why he is not doing meet and greats and resting between and during songs. Also about Paicey having a bad back? I would like to add to my Las Vegas review. We sat next to a nice couple from Colorado. He saw Tommy Bolin play with Purple in 1975. #10- I agree with you, #9 is dreaming. #3- maybe we could work something out by sending at least a 4 gig memory stick. Do you have any boots for trade? Again, thanks for your kind comments. Harry
July 24th, 2011 at 04:03The Greek theatre was a brilliant show! Had great seats about 15 rows back right in front of Don and Steve. The perfect place for me! Bravo guys!
August 9th, 2011 at 04:09