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Editorials

Deep Purple, US Tour 2001

This is a summary of the responses I've made to the kind of mail I've been getting recently from many people who are hearing about Purple for the first time in a long time because of their current tie-up with Lynyrd Skynyrd for a Summer tour. By all means print it out and give it to your undereducated friends and indoctrinate them in the Purple way.

So here we go:

Who is in the band right now?

Funny you should ask this, because it goes to show how stupidly low Purple's profile has been in the States in the last few years. It's hard to believe but this is the longest surviving single lineup of Deep Purple to date, getting on for 7 years. So, for your listening pleasure we have:

• On the organ, Mr Jon Lord
• On the drums, Mr Ian Paice
• On the banjo, Mr Steve Morse
• On the bass banjo, Mr Roger Glover
• On the bongos, harp and vocals section, Mr Ian Gillan

If you see Rod, let him know we want a chat.

So where's Ritchie? I want my money back!

Ritchie's doing what he loves, his Renaissance thing. Get over it.

Why isn't the new album out?

Ok, it's slipped a year. But what a year. The year of Albert. Dragging orchestras round (in)continents. If you haven't heard Concerto 30, do it now!

The new one should be out at the end of this year. Ish. If you're good. A couple of new grooves have been aired but might not find their way onto Purple's Sgt. Pepper that's long overdue.

Who the hell is this Morse guy?

Steve Morse should need no introduction really. He's the guitarist's guitarist, winner of a plethora of awards, the kind of guy who slips off to his room after a two hour gig to practice, who knocks out a solo album in his kitchen when he's got a weekend off. Between working with his other three bands. Or flying his plane.

You'd most likely know Steve from his work with Kansas, the Dixie Dregs or his own Steve Morse band. We love him. He smiles a lot. He's getting the hang of the blues.

What are Purple doing supporting Skynyrd? or NUGENT!

They're not. It's a co-headlining tour. Who gets to go on last? As far as we know so far, they throw a roadie from each band into a pit and the last one standing gets to close the show.

I'm not going if we only get half a set.

The latest is that Purple and Skynyrd get 75 minutes each. Make a day of it. Take a picnic.

Plus you can always drop by The Highway Star Winnebago and say hi.

My radio station ZGBD 99 1/2 FM (hyuck) hasn't got a clue

Well don't just sit there. Call 'em up. Tell 'em they suck, in the nicest possible way. Put them right. Get them to play something _other_ than Hush or Smoke on the Water. Buy them a copy of Purpendicular and Abandon and make them play it! There's usually one DJ on every station who is a former or current Purplehead. Find them, hunt them down, get Purple on the playlist.

We're maintaining a database of radio stations local to the venues, and what their Purple Factor is. Let them know they're on it and they're being judged. Mail me and I'll put'em on the hit list.

Why won't they play my pissant little town?

Money. Logistics. The great touring dartboard. If you have money to put up, talk to the booking agent and bid for the next tour. It worked for Australia, it could work for Baltimore.

And I went from London to Tokyo to see the perfect concerto, most of you people don't even have passports, dammit, stop whining!

Where do I send my reviews?

Same place you do every time, Pinky: Reviews!