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![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/gillan2.jpg)
AMAZING SHOW IN BRIDGEPORT, CT
Deep Purple live at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater (Bridgeport, USA 2024-09-03)
AMAZING SHOW IN BRIDGEPORT, CT
Deep Purple Live at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, September 3, 2024
Having seen the guys two days prior at Jones Beach, NY, where they delivered an excellent, high-energy show, I went to the Bridgeport, CT, show on September 3 hoping they would maintain the same standard. Not only did they maintain it; they exceeded it. It was the best show that I can remember, at least in the last 10 years. The band was tight and they sounded great, especially Big Ian.
The day off between the September 1 show at Jones Beach, NY, and the September 3 show in Bridgeport, CT, served the band well. The guys seemed rested and full of energy. Gillan sounded outstanding; perhaps the best I have heard him sound live in a long time. Has Gillan succeeded where Ponce de Leon failed, and found the Fountain of Youth? Kidding aside, he was on fire.
The Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT, used to be a Minor League Baseball stadium and was converted to its present format in 2022. It is a state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of roughly 7,000 seats. The venue attracts nice acts. It was pretty much sold out on September 3 and the crowd was enthusiastic, giving Purple a wonderful reception. The band seemed to enjoy playing there and seemed appreciative of the warm reception.
Having seen Purple just a couple of days prior, I was curious if they would play slightly different, especially Don and Simon. And, to my enjoyment, it felt like they improvised and played with some variation compared to two days prior. The September 3 setlist (see below) was pretty much the same from September 1, except for one change. At the end of the September 1 show at Jones Beach, NY, my friend stated that he wished they would have played a ballad, like When a Blind Cries, for instance. Well, he got his wish on September 3. WABMC was played instead of Show Me. Gillan shone.
Getting to see my all-time favorite band twice in three days was a special treat. I hope they go on for a while longer, but if September 3 turns out to be the last gig, in my book they would have ridden into the sunset on a huge high and in style. After the show, while the five of us were waiting for Uber to arrive, one of my friends looked up the rest of the DP tour schedule on his phone and asked: The O2 Arena, London, November 6? My response: Man, don’t tempt me!
Thank you, Deep Purple, for yet another memorable experience. We love you!
SETLIST (Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, CT, September 3, 2024)
Highway Star
A Bit on the Side
Hard Lovin’ Man
Into the Fire
Guitar Solo
Uncommon Man
Lazy Sod
Keyboard Solo
Lazy
When A Blind Man Cries
Portable Door
Anya
Bleeding Obvious
Space Truckin’
Smoke on the Water
Encore:
Green Onions
Hush
Black Night
review by Albania
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I wish they could remove those Encore songs like Hush and Green Onions nonsense for more “real songs” instead of those silly nuggets. Maybe for Strange Kind of Woman? just saying
September 5th, 2024 at 14:14Do we know if Gillan puts the texts on the floor or…..
Did this strong man, heavily having damaged his braincells with tons of tobacco and oceans of alcohol really have that extra braincells of which some think we can fell back on after misusing ones tools?
September 6th, 2024 at 21:30Which singer performs without a teleprompter these days? Stevie Wonder, perhaps.
September 12th, 2024 at 19:19Younger singers surely wouldn’t naturally need any prompting these days or on any days we would hope. It is an age related scenario, again the body slows in many ways. The longer a singers career lasts the more lyrics they have to remember, especially if also performing older material. Uwe’s comment @ 3, that isn’t humour at all my friend. Cheers.
September 13th, 2024 at 07:35