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Anniversary with attention to detail

made in japan 50th anniversary tribute show announcement

We have announced the 50th anniversary of Made in Japan and associated commemorative events taking place in the country. Our Japanese correspondent went to one of those and reports.


Legend of Rock – Deep Purple Mark 2 50th anniversary of Made in Japan

Date: November 5, 2022
Venue: EX Theater Roppongi (Tokyo)
Performer: Deep Purple Mark 2 tribute band
Vocals: Ray (Blindman)
Lead guitar: Norifumi Shima (Concerto Moon)
Bass guitar: Leo Kiyoshi Utsunomiya (Oil/Jesus/Cloud Forest)
Keyboard: Jill Okagaki (Terra Rosa/Aphrodite)
Drums: Hirotsugu Honma (Naked Machine, Flatbacker, Ezo)

I thoroughly enjoyed the commemoration event of Deep Purple’s 50th anniversary of Made in Japan this past weekend in Tokyo. The band was specially put together from musicians who have performed in various bands for a long time in the hard rock scene in Japan. So this was not a band that performs regularly as a Deep Purple tribute band. The musicians performed with great respect, energy, and precision, all the way from the guitar, keyboard, drum solos to the MC and great vocals of Ian Gillan.

The songs were played as performed in the Budokan on August 17, 1972. Here is the setlist:

Highway Star
Smoke on the Water
Child in Time
The Mule
Strange Kind of Woman
Lazy
Space Truckin’
(encore)
Black Night
Speed King

Before the concert started, the theater manager, who is also a great Deep Purple fan, revealed some interesting facts about the 1972 Japan tour.

Apparently, the tour was originally scheduled for May 1972, but was delayed to August due to Ritchie’s health situation. The manager showed the original ticket from the show. I was too far to observe the detail, but he explained that the ticket had the original May date, which was struck out with a black pen and the August date was printed later.

The manager also explained that for the 2022 show, they tried as much as possible to get equipment from the original era. They also tried to recreate the original atmosphere with a replica of the 1972 Deep Purple logo on the backdrop, the sign in front of the stage, as well as the flag of Japan, which hung on the ceiling of the theater. (The Budokan was originally built as a martial arts stadium and always has the flag of Japan hung from the ceiling.) The vocalist also explained during the show that some of the equipment was provided by the fans. For example, the microphone he was using was the same model that was used by Ian Gillan. A fan acquired the microphone from some auction site. And two microphones were used, bound by a tape. The bass guitar was also the same model as the Rickenbacker that Roger used during the original show.

made in japan 50th anniversary tribute

My husband’s friend was there for the 1972 show, and is always bragging that he is in the picture of the record jacket. My husband was invited to go together, but did not go, and regrets it to this very day. I also did not have the luck to be there in 1972, but I am very happy I went to the 2022 show.

review by Akemi Ono



13 Comments to “Anniversary with attention to detail”:

  1. 1
    Adel Faragalla says:

    Being of an Egyptian origin, I will follow the foot steps of my Pharos and have this CD in my burial chamber along with my other favourite stuff.
    I just hope I will a good looking Mummy.
    Peace ✌️

  2. 2
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Any audio recordings or vids from it?

  3. 3
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Holy Anubis, I have no doubts, Adel!

    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/34/b4/30/34b4303589d925881a1d7e0cb597e46e.gif

    Alas, it is good German tradition though that I will eventually lead an expedition to dig your burial chamber up, break in and take your remains and your burial gifts with me to some Berlin museum. No offense meant, we’ll take good care, alles ordentlich.

    https://www.hna.de/bilder/2009/12/22/567181/420339712-nofretete-angela-merkel-1VUsZ3wSoec.jpg

  4. 4
    Adel Faragalla says:

    Uwe @3
    Love it 👍😂

    Oh no, Plz don’t take my favourite burial items when I wake up in my after life there will be no laughing in heaven 😂

  5. 5
    Uwe Hornung says:

    On second thought and fitting the subject …

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UlxB3hShSI

    LOL, Doro is a genuinely nice person and I wish her well. She loves her fans and is totally sincere. But a strong, much less versatile singer she is not.

  6. 6
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Ok, Adel, I’ll leave those bottled intestines. Among friends.

    My favorite Dio solo track actually.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp_TxpDAQOw

  7. 7
    Adel Faragalla says:

    Uwe @6
    You are getting some of the hidden treasures out.
    I love this track as well, if fact all Dio catalogue will be in my burial chamber.
    All I need is a little dragon to spit fire 🔥 as I won’t afford heating in my chamber with the rising cost of living 🤣
    Peace ✌️

  8. 8
    Mark says:

    When I retired from full time work I didn’t expect to be spending most of my superannuation on DP and DP related products. I seem to be buying remasters of stuff that was remastered the last time.
    Anyway I started to dig this DP hole I’m in some 50 plus years ago so there’s no getting out of it now!

  9. 9
    Adel Faragalla says:

    Mark @8
    I know the feeling very well. Welcome to DP quicksand pit.
    There no way out 😂
    Peace ✌️

  10. 10
    Uwe Hornung says:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaDJn4RBuVs

  11. 11
    MacGregor says:

    Just wondering while Uwe is plundering Adel’s tomb for antiquities etc, that he could place all those BN cd’s back in there so Adel can take them into the next life & of course eternally forever after. Ha ha ha, oh sorry Adel, just joking, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. Well there are a few I would do that to but not anyone here at THS. Cheers.

  12. 12
    francis says:

    poor mac gregor….

  13. 13
    Adel Faragalla says:

    MacGregor @11
    I feel safe now and free from the ghost of a rose 🌹 cheers 👍
    Peace ✌️

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