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Can I take my son to a Deep Purple concert?
Deep Purple live at Westfalenhalle (Dortmund, Germany 2013-11-01)
First of all let me make it clear that I was on the very skeptical side when I read the reviews of the Regensburg gig. Although I’ve always been a big admirer of Mr Gillan, I always hated it when he was struggling and I´ve witnessed that a bit too often recently. So I was very anxious before the Dortmund concert. I took my 13-year old son and would I have to be ashamed? Would I bring him to a bunch of old fellows beyond their prime, led by a frontman who cannot sing anymore and doesn’t communicate with the audience? Well, that wasn’t the case. Far from it. The opposite.
Mr Gillan delivered from A to Z, and boy did he deliver. There was not a single weak note. He was absolutely in command of his voice from the beginning to the end. Also he seemed to have a lot of fun and was very charming and enthusiastic about the audience, smiling a lot, too. He wore his medical boot, but that was hardly noticeable. Funny too, when he came on stage for the encore in a white crooner style dinner jacket and then changed into a shirt which looked like a black dinner jacket! More than a great job – thank you Ian!
The band has been praised more than once recently and very rightly so. Everybody was on top of their game, from Ian Paice’s solo in “The Mule” to Don’s and Steve’s breathtaking and very entertaining playing, to Roger’s cool bass solo during the encore.
The setlist was a dream. I was skeptical about “Apres Vous” as an opener, too, but it worked fabulously. They apparently put a lot of work into this show, for they very cleverly let songs shift into each other in a well rehearsed manner and connected them with little bridges, all very fluent and effortless.
It was a real rock show. Light and sound was flawless and with the LED backdrops the stage looked very professional and at times very dramatic.
Highlights were “Above and beyond” and by far “Perfect Strangers” which they played with a power and grandeur I don’t remember having heard on other tours (and I saw them all since 1985!). But then again, every song seemed to be the highlight. All new songs were great and the audience loved them all.
So, what can I say? Mind you, I’m not so easily impressed and saw them countless times before, but this was one of the best Purple concerts I’ve ever seen. And, phew, yes I definitely could take my son there. He was absolutely overwhelmed. Thanks again, gentlemen, for letting me be proud of you.
(Setlist as the previous gigs, maybe 3000-4000 people in a ¾-filled Dortmund Westfalenhalle.)
review by Joerg
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Thanks, Joerg.
November 2nd, 2013 at 18:56I’ll be sure to watch the clips from Dortmund 2013, via YouTube.
I glad you had a great time at the show but can we stop with the whole Gillan and his voice thing. It’s like people still expect him to be able to sing like he did between 69 & 73. He’s 68 years old. He doesn’t have the vocal chords of a 20 year old. Some nights he’s bang on other nights he struggles. I still only want to see Gillan as singer and know one else. When he walks out on stage after the band does the place erupps with cheers and applause. He is and always will be the voice of Deep Purple. Even if that voice has diminished in power.
I’m a drummer and Ian Paice has been my drumming hero for over 20years. I Still look forward to seeing him play and solo. He’s 65years old. Even though he still is quite fast and has the most killer buzz role of any drummer I’ve seen. I don’t expect him to be able to play like he did on Made In Japan.
In this day and age of so called performers and so called musicians. We still need bands like Purple. Basically to keep real music alive and show these no talent wanna be’s how it’s suppose to be done.
November 2nd, 2013 at 22:44Well put Scott.
November 3rd, 2013 at 00:00With the ammount of touring that the band do, it’s bound to take it’s toll and the odd night off is to be expected, but I’d rather hear a true sound than a dubbed sound like certain (ex DP) singers do.
November 3rd, 2013 at 02:32Big Ian is the voice of DP, on a good day or a bad day. Fortunately the bad days are very, very few and far between.
Hi Scott,
I agree with all that you wrote, why shouldn’t I? I don’t compare Gillan’s singing or anybody’s playing with
1972, nor did I write any such thing. I just felt after all those negative things I read here (stopped singing in mid-song, left the stage, band without a frontman, looked strained etc.), that people who are intending to go to the show could use the information that everybody (including the singer)was in top form.Nothing more, nothing less. So, once again (especially to people in Russia where the tour is going now), no worries: You can look forward to it.
Scott, if you are about to go there: As a drummer I’m sure you will like (apart from the great playing) the
s o u n d of his drums during the solo. The BD is like thunder, the snare crystal clear, so that you can hear all the dynamic little things he does. Just great. The people went crazy. BTW, apart from the solo,”The Mule” is a great
s o n g, too and it was really nice to listen to it after so many years.
Greetings,
November 3rd, 2013 at 11:40Joerg