Detroit Performance

I can say that sometimes I am struck by a lucky lightning. One of those, of course, was seeing my most favourite band - ever, the living legends - Deep Purple, performing live! This happened at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit Michigan. That night the roads were in the worst condition I've ever seen - we were sliding all across the highway driving probably 40 miles/hour! and I thought we wouldn't make it (both: to see the concert or come back home in one piece!). But, lucky again, DP didn't perform until 8:20 PM and we got there just five minutes before the show!

Maybe someone who was there among the audience might have been surprised seeing such a young guy (21 yrs) ignoring the other featured "noisy" bands but dancing and shaking wildely (although I was completely sober - but drunk and high on music and emotions) while the DP were almost blowing out the speakers.

Although a little short (at least for me), the performance was great! DP still showed their fans that they are alive and kicking! Actually, besides the new songs and the new guitar sound, I didn't see any change from their performances back in the 70s. They started with the wolf howling (Hush) and continued with old songs as well as new ones from "Purpendicular".

Jon Lord, aristocratic in his look, was rocking his keyboards in a way that even classic Bach would envy (like he always rocks!). A couple of times I guess he got bored and started discussing with Morse about last Sunday's soccer game - I hope the readers will understand that they were discussing it through their instruments, of course! On the other side, Glover was "pounding" spectacularly his bass. Paice seemed to be bothered not by his long bandana but kept playing his drums like no one else. I've never heard anything from Morse until the Purplendicular (which, as a matter of fact didn't satisfy my expectations) but I think he did a very good job. Although he used quite a few "special effects", I think he was pretty good and fits with the band. And last (but not least at all!), good thing that Palace doesn't have windows - otherwise they would have been broken by Gillan's voice! But it wasn't all "screaming", he performed also the low tones with the professionalism that has characterised him always (the rest of DP as well). Once or twice him and Morse were "competing" but it wasn't like when Gillan used to do that with Blackmore on the live performances of "Strange kind of Woman". During "Rosa'a Cantina" Gillan went nuts on the harmonica!

Also the stage technicians did a pretty good job with the red and green combination of lights.

Unfortunately, when I came in US I noticed that very few people had heard of Deep Purple (especially my age). Back home in Albania they are very popular, even among young people like me - I would be extremely happy (and all Albanian DP fans) if the band will include Albania in their touring list!

However, I've tried to "educate" some people here explaining DP to them. I took my roommate with me at the concert. Although he had never heard anything from Deep Purple before, after the concert he was thanking me continuosly for giving him the chance to experience such a great music!

Greetings to all DP fans worldwide!

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