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#ClassicRock #deeppurple #livemusic #rocknroll
What happiness looks like
Armenian agency Mediamax shares an account of two Ian Gillan’s charity performances in Armenia in 2010:
Fifteen years ago, on March 26 and 27, 2010, I was the happiest person in the world. If you were present at Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan’s charity concerts with the Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra on those days, you will understand exactly what I mean.
Thanks to Mediamax for the reminder.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
My favorite Purple tune. Loved Ritchie, Jon and Roger’s solos on the studio version. The orchestra did good here.
March 27th, 2025 at 02:28Pictures of home
March 27th, 2025 at 07:09This is indeed what happiness looks like
A video of vocalist IG nearly without any vocals by IG…
Anyway, a lot of happy people! 
March 27th, 2025 at 07:47It’s so beautiful and touching of the time, considering the people of Armenia were going through at the time
March 27th, 2025 at 12:25Sheer joy,
March 27th, 2025 at 12:51From the Audience. In the performance of the orchestra.Written all over Ian Gillan’s face.
His personal assistant, Sally Long, née Day, should have picked him out a proper collared shirt for the occasion. He looked like a road crew member!
Aber es war alles für einen guten Zweck, let’s not fuss.
March 27th, 2025 at 17:50masterful execution, apart from bigIan without voice and with his terrible outfit!
March 27th, 2025 at 22:18@6
Uwe, I’ve noticed several times how you comment on the outfits our troubadour is wearing, and not often are you satisfied with his clothing!
I find it so amusing because does it really matter?
Ian is a rock’n’roller and actually what comes out of his mouth is way more interesting than if he is colour coordinated
But maybe that’s just me….
I would hate it if Ian was so busy planning his wardrobe that he put his singing on the second place!
And to be completely honest, I never think his clothing is out of order
Have a lovely day everybody! It’s springtime in my minuscule country, the blackbirds are back and wake me up way too soon every morning, but it’s LOVELY
(even Ian can’t produce singing so beautiful as the blackbirds or the wrens can 
)
March 28th, 2025 at 06:40Big Ian has many qualities, great choice of wardrobe has never been a prominent one among them. (Or as Roger once said: “If you tell Ian to dress better for stage, all he does is dress even worse next time, so it’s better to just not say anything and endure it.”) He should actually listen to Roger more who is never under- or overdressed, but just right. He’s also pretty much the only one with current Purple, well, Simon, takes some sartorial care and Ian is ok’ish (allowances for his occupation as a drummer must be made), but Don is (and has always been) hopeless …
It has nothing to do with wanting to project a rock’n’roll or rebellious image, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Johnny Rotten, Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain and thousands of others all did that without looking carelessly dressed. Even Neil Young is better than Ian Gillan because he at least has a wardrobe image with the flannel shirts and all.
Ritchie was always a sharp, even vain dresser, DC cared how he looked to the point of vanity as well (you might not like his style, but there is thought in it), GH did too, but had wardrobe accidents occasionally from trying too hard, Tommy Bolin was a great, flamboyant & androgynous dresser with real chic
https://youtu.be/skAZz__Mtjc
(That red feathered shoulders jacket at 01:24 is worth the price of admission alone.)
https://youtu.be/M71wcOdpB2c
and Jon always took care to be just a notch more elegant than the others. Steve, of course, bought all his T-shirts at his favorite Florida gas station where he also fueled up his tractor after bringing in the hay harvest. It had a corner with an in-shop sign reading:
“PRINTED TEES, HUNDREDS OF MOTIFS, NATIVE AMERICAN ART + CRITTERS, WE CUT OFF SLEEVES WHILE-U-WAIT!!!
BUY TWO, GET ONE FREE + BONUS POINTS WITH EVERY GAS FILLING !!!”
With a fashion source like that, nothing could ever possibly go wrong of course.
Das Auge isst mit.
March 28th, 2025 at 11:47“And to be completely honest, I never think his clothing is out of order.”
Yes, but amongst other things, St Karin, complete honesty can be way off the mark too.
Of course you wouldn’t, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and anybody blind with adulation “knoweth no darkness ever”.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODQzMjZlMTEtOTJiMi00ODAzLWFmZmQtMjBkMzljNGRkNDRjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX1640_.jpg
(From “Don’t Look Now”, great movie.)
Big Ian, the fashionista and impeccable stylist, has an immaculate penchant for outdoor chic …
https://i0.wp.com/losmejoresrock.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ian-gillan-nude-desnudo-deep-purple.jpg?resize=360%2C200&ssl=1
Nothing cries “ROCK!” more than a potato sack really …
https://whoshaq.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/sabbath-1983.jpg
Or why would you, when performing with a band as floral as Black Sabbath, wear anything else but a Hawaii shirt?
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQyU6GXMXXxEJlXAgWnb8cylsZsBM0DSDBBtQ&s
And, I’m sure you agree with me, while once grown men are past the age of 30 and not on a soccer field, short pants should be relegated to bed room or at least home use, Ian is an exception, he can (not) wear anything!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZHIJzfaWJ0
Finally, if your decade-long band buddy dies of cancer and you appear at a tribute to him at the RAH with an orchestra, what could be a more fitting wear than this tasteful T-shirt (also: what a courageous anti-culture statement to make against establishment in 2014!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS3GPUA_m5I
Let’s not even talk about a classic taste in footwear: In 1981, glossy white zipped men’s ankle boots with high heels (for a man standing 1,88 m tall in slippers) like these here
https://cdn-images.dzcdn.net/images/cover/e6adb091e7c3f788874677be56c5e3ae/1900×1900-000000-80-0-0.jpg
had only gone out of style for, say, more than half a decade or so (if you are being nice about it). I winced and sighed every time I saw them on him. (I was wearing Buffalo moccasin heel suede wrap boots from Buffalo at the time, that is how fashion-conscious I was!
)
March 28th, 2025 at 16:39@9
Uwe, Uwe, Uwe
Come on!
Ian is a natural charming man! He sings like no one else, has always done! When he is performing I really never look twice at his clothing.
I take pride in being dressed tastefully, it’s not that I’m a slob
But I really do find Ian – and the rest of Purple – to be well dressed, when they are performing on a stage.
And re Steve Morse: any man with those arms would actually be proud showing them off in sleeveless T-shirts
Are you a little snobbish? (Thinking of your rant against Steve’s t-shirt salesman
)
March 28th, 2025 at 18:44John Entwistle was impeccably dressed on stage and no doubt most of the other times in his adult life……..He was also quite well behaved on stage too………..I suppose someone had to be in that band……….Daltrey was ok too. Vanity eh? At least Entwistle hands were busy on stage and that is the most important thing. Angus Young was probably the most ‘inept’ in his dress code……….especially as he grew up…………Not to worry, it is all the glitter and shine that gets through isn’t it? It doesn’t matter to me either really, I get amusement from it all in some sense. As long as people are dressed I mean…………….and not showing too much skin! Alert for Uwe to insert a dress code rating here, especially for my sanity at least……..Cheers.
March 28th, 2025 at 20:46@ 8 – I don’t believe my eyes or ears, Karin admitting someone or something had a more beautiful voice than the intrepid Mr Gillan. I am shocked but also pleasantly surprised. Good to see those ‘pesky’ blackbirds are back in your neck of the woods Karin. I would gladly export a few over to you as we have far too many, especially males. And you know how pesky males can be in this world, he he he. All the younger new males are turning darker in colour each day as their confidence is growing. Strutting around the place as if they already own it. The resident males are not happy and attempting to fight back…………………ho hum, why does this scenario sound so familiar in this world…..At least it is better being woken up each day with natural bird song than hearing Ian Gillan going falsetto…………..We have the same or similar songbirds here thankfully. Best to keep Ian Gillan in a cage or something, much more controllable that way. That way we can turn him on or off when it pleases us and when our poor ears can at least put up with him. Cheers.
March 28th, 2025 at 21:04@9 I will take Steve’s T-shirts over ANYTHING the late Tommy Bolin wore! You rip on his SM’s attire every chance you get but it is a matter of his personal taste (I don’t even know what “androgynous” means…don’t care either). You’ll never change my opinion even with all of your superior intellect.
March 28th, 2025 at 21:09All I can say is AWESOME!
March 28th, 2025 at 22:50@9 Who said lawyers aren’t funny?
All those old men’s arms coming out of flower print vests, sleeveless jeans jackets or native indian motive shirts are a main reason the girl stays away from watching DP on the screen. She says. Could be the music as well…
March 29th, 2025 at 07:11@10
“And, I’m sure you agree with me, while once grown men are past the age of 30 and not on a soccer field, short pants should be relegated to bed room or at least home use, Ian is an exception, he can (not) wear anything!”
NO! I do not agree!
According to René men can wear short pants when it is sufficiently hot outside, in Denmark this means in the summertime that go on for about 4 to 5 days every year
And I do not agree that Ian can not wear anything!
In my book the great man himself can wear exactly what he prefers!
And that goes for all men and women! As long as it is agreeable and are not making people around them blush and try to look everywhere else than on that person!
An example:
I wear swimwear at the beach, but I wouldn’t dream of inviting guests for a nice meal and then embarrass everyone, including myself, by receiving guests in that highly inappropriate costume!
But what Ian goes, he is such a remarkable man, he can do exactly what he likes! And Uwe, I do have a feeling that he does! I really don’t think he takes fashion advices from anyone, not even you!
I do have a rather personal question for you:
A very clever man suggested that you would implode FB, should you ever enter there, because of the trillions of links you would produce on a daily basis to prove your points!
) to prove your points?
March 29th, 2025 at 18:44So my question is:
How many people do you have employed to find pictures, videos, gifs (etc etc and etc
I am so very much impressed by the vast amount of links I have to go through every time I read your posts in here, so maybe I could get some people too, to help me out a bit
@16
I think I once said they weren’t!
March 29th, 2025 at 18:46But Max, that was until I met Uwe in here
@13
“I don’t believe my eyes or ears, Karin admitting someone or something had a more beautiful voice than the intrepid Mr Gillan. I am shocked but also pleasantly surprised.“
Dear MacGregor, I stand with my word here!
You know how much I adore Ian’s voice, but yes, I love the birdies.
Maybe if Ian would wake me up every morning, being in our garden and singing I would reconsider, but I have a feeling I will never experience that, so yes, I am grateful for the blackbirds and the wrens
And yes, it is so wonderful the birds are back
March 29th, 2025 at 18:58@14
“what “androgynous” means“
Stoffer I guess Uwe is way better than explaining this than I am, but as far as I know, androgynous means that a man has several very feminine traits, and somehow puts light on them
Or as Google explains:
The term androgynous is an adjective and is used to describe someone who is “neither specifically feminine nor masculine” and has “characteristics or nature of both male and female.”
You know Boy George (Culture Club) he was once said to have these feminine traits, and he did a lot to improve them by wearing makeup and have some feminine moves.
If you’re not aware of who he is, let me show you this:
https://youtu.be/JmcA9LIIXWw?si=M5qumah51Q2yKGZ_
He has a wonderful voice, and is really charming
the music Culture Club produced was really good and well thought through.
March 29th, 2025 at 19:14@13
“Best to keep Ian Gillan in a cage or something, much more controllable that way. That way we can turn him on or off when it pleases us and when our poor ears can at least put up with him.”
Sorry MacGregor, I fainted after reading this, so when I answered you I had completely blocked this out.
Now, after coming to my senses, drinking some buckets of coffee and resting under a blanket, I am finally equipped to give some kind of an answer……..
Ian in a cage?!
Turn him off when it pleases us?!
Dear sweet MacGregor, I do believe you’re writing such to make a joke, and yes ha ha ha
it was funny, but please never do that again!
he even suggested that Ozzy (what ever his surname is) would be a better match singing (or what ever it is he is trying to do) Highway Star than Ian! Ohhhh man, I am still too much in shock to keep a steady hand writing this 🫣
My poor heart will not survive another attack like that!
(And please consider how much I have to endure reading what Uwe is writing in here to taunt me
I have been mistreated!
I am downtrodden!
It’s like buying a record, where the cover says it is Purple and Made in Japan, but when you come home and will listen to the beautiful music, the sales person has made a big (and unforgivable mistake) and put some album with DC in that precious cover!
March 29th, 2025 at 19:32It is all coming back to me now…
@ 21- Karin, I thought you would be wondering about Uwe’s O$$y vocal approach to the song Highway Star. Regarding keeping Ian Gillan in a cage etc. I do think it is much more easier to do that at times, with any vocalist. Switch them on and off when it pleases. I actually think that with any music at different times. However, in regards to Gillan waking you in the wee small hours with his ‘singing’ of a quaint lullaby or something similar, be carful what you wish for. You don’t want a rather loud version of the song ‘Disturbing the Priest’ for a wake up call, surely not. Or do you, he he he. Cheers.
March 29th, 2025 at 23:00Karin, I have altered the lyrics (with permission) to the song Disturbing the Priest that I mentioned from the Black Sabbath featuring Ian Gillan album Born Again. The song that you may get woken up with very early one morning. The Blackbirds and Wrens will most probably flee in terror.
Chorus:
Am I disturbing Karin’s sleep, won’t you come to our breakfast feast
Do we mind disturbing Karin’s sleep? Karin’s reply “not at all, not at all, not in the least”
Ahhhh, Do we mind disturbing Karin’s sleep
Karin’s reply in desperation “not at all, not at all, not in the least…………..”
Not too bad don’t you think. I hope you are familiar with this song Karin. if not take a listen. Side one and track two is a short instrumental to get everyone in the mood for track three and both tracks are to be played really loudly (well perhaps not, depending on the situation). And a very important request has been submitted to Ian Gillan that the breakfast feast must definitely have very good quality coffee available at ALL times. Cheers.
March 30th, 2025 at 00:42@9
Nothing wrong with sleeveless tee shirts… I happen to own lots of ’em and I’m competent enough to cut the sleeves off all by myself. http://middleearthminerals.com/html/images/Japan/Nara/Nara_139_deer_biscuits.jpg
March 30th, 2025 at 07:58@17
RE: “…I am so very much impressed by the vast amount of links I have to go through every time I read your posts in here, so maybe I could get some people too, to help me out a bit”
Maybe you can talk him into sending a few my way as well Karin… I could use a little help too.
March 30th, 2025 at 08:03@22 & 23
Thanks so much MacGregor, I needed to smile a bit
)
I am not particularly fond of Disturbing the Priest! It’s to heavy for me.
But I thought about another song: (excuse me for ruining the fab lyrics, but I had to make it fit
Lazy Sod
You know a new day’s beginning
And she can’t get her arse out of bed
New day’s dawning
There is sunshine all around my head
Whom was she thinking about when she crashed last night
The coffee is brewing
I hope she has milk to add in that
And some bread to be chewing
Wonder will she get up before the coffee gets flat
(Sorry, have never been a poet, so this was unfortunately the best I could do🫣)
If Ian was to sing this, I would definitely get up in a hurry, and not thinking twice about the lovely birds anymore
Oh yes, MacGregor, I will always have plenty of fresh brewed coffee, should any of you ever drop by
March 30th, 2025 at 15:42@25
To be completely honest Russ, I do believe you’ll have a better shot of getting any kind of help from Uwe, if you ask him yourself
(Somehow he seems mad at me for suggesting that he find Ozzy O to be a better vocalist than Ian!)
March 30th, 2025 at 15:46There is a time and a place for sleeveless tees for men: construction sites/Village People
https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Village-People-David-Hodo-and-Victor-Willis-feud-over-gay-anthem-description-of-YMCA.jpg
and – I’m being gracious here and also Russ is such a nice guy – rare mineral mining. Notice how I did not mention: Deep Purple stages.
My favorite birds in our garden are the crows (they rule above all), the Eurasian jays/Eichelhäher and the magpies (smart as hell + elegant flyers). You will notice that they are – like ravens (I only ever saw one once in our garden, very rare, but impressive) – all members of the crow family, Corvidae, I’ve always liked those the most.
Androgynous? Marc Bolan, Mick Jagger and David Bowie all were, but so were are Patti Smith, Joan Jett or Tilda Swinton. Quite a few people in the arts are. Tommy was too – and that was new to DP and very much in contrast to the dark outlaw image Ritchie had always cultivated. When Tommy pranced/danced/skipped across the stage – he wasn’t really into throwing manly heavy metal shapes – I believe that rubbed quite a few Purple fans the wrong way. I’m not aware that Tommy was gay or bi (the latter wouldn’t surprise me though, he liked to experiment and, hey, it was the decadend mid 70s), but he had something womanly to him, the way he spoke, sang, moved, dressed, his gestures and facial expressions. Even his guitar playing (especially his sense of rhythm) wasn’t really manly, certainly not for a boys’ band like Purple.
It’s funny, I hear that a lot, that I must have a secret vault of things I can link too in my postings. The answer is: I don’t (nor a bunch of minions helping me!
). But I have a near photographic memory (often for the most trivial stuff!) and – though far from being a digital native – am pretty good with search engines.
The fact that my postings are littered with quotes, references, memes etc is most likely down to a “professional deformation”. Litigation briefs in Germany are written in a way that you state your assertions (factual or legal) and then back them up with evidence links, legal commentaries and case law, you try to get your point across and in the best of cases form or sway the opinion of the judge. From the way I grew up (reading SPIEGEL, STERN, FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU & VORWÄRTS from an early age – poor Max will no doubt despair …), I was also heavily influenced by investigative journalism.
Admittedly, I sometimes get carried away, so thanks for bearing with me!
March 30th, 2025 at 16:27@28
“but he had something womanly to him,”
)
March 30th, 2025 at 19:19Uwe, I’ve noticed older people who get overweight, overweight men get very feminine traits.
I guess it’s because the female hormones are cultivated in the fat tissue.
(Maybe I didn’t put it right, but it is true
@28
“poor Max will no doubt despair”
Why?
Behave Uwe
A lot of us read papers, now online, more than real papers made of trees!
In Denmark Jyllandsposten is a very decent paper.
(And btw: apparently someone in USA are seriously thinking about bombing Denmark, because of some beautiful island
)
March 30th, 2025 at 19:24“Somehow he seems mad at me for suggesting that he finds Ozzy O to be a better vocalist than Ian!”
No, sigh, you have by now convinced me, Ozzy IS the better singer, I must have said that. I can’t wait for an AI version of him doing Child In Time or Ted the Mechanic, he’s such a naturally gifted rhythmic singer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5fSeBPlC8
Who’s this Ian Gillan anyway?!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybQDFgXsjpg
March 30th, 2025 at 19:49@ 26 – nice one Karin, it is always enjoyable to add or change a few lyrics just for the heck of it. I agree with you regarding Disturbing the Priest. Although it is a good shock value song if you want to annoy pesky neighbours early in the morning after they have kept you awake half the night partying. Their sore heads really early in thet morning could do without that song blaring from speakers set up at the open window, he he he. To be truthful I tried to play it yesterday while I was waffling on about it and I had to stop hearing it as I just wasn’t in the mood for it. Funny that isn’t it. It hasn’t aged well that Born Again album, in more ways than one to my ears. The title song is the best one. Maybe I am becoming a ‘grumpy older man’. We have to also think about our friendly birdlife as I am sure they don’t want to hear that noise at any time of the day. Cheers.
March 30th, 2025 at 23:03Steve Vai comes across a little ‘androgynous’ at times on stage. His moves and even some of his clothing. He starts to move a little that way (but not too much) on the recent Beat band concert. Steady on Steve I think, this is King Crimson music, he he he. Regarding Tommy Bolin I always think about that Glenn Hughes comment ‘even if you do not end up in this band, you are coming home with me”, classic. Cheers.
March 30th, 2025 at 23:12Well I still read SPIEGEL, FR and stern, Uwe. I even read JUSO Schülerexpress back in the day – but I grew out of it as most of us do.
March 31st, 2025 at 04:49@31
“Staying alive” – this song is very very good in the rythm when you are trying to give a person help who has suffered from cardio arrest!
You press on to the heart in the rythm. Very effective actually
Re ‘Rock’n’roll doctor’ – in Ian’s world famous autobiography he mention when he was a child, his sister tried to play ‘hospital’ and she wanted Ian to be Doctor Gillan
“No, sigh, you have by now convinced me, Ozzy IS the better singer, I must have said that. I can’t wait for an AI version of him doing Child In Time or Ted the Mechanic, he’s such a naturally gifted rhythmic singer.
”
March 31st, 2025 at 05:27Uwe! I simply answered to your very disturbed opinions, suggesting that mr O would do a blistering ‘whatever’ to Highway Star!
You don’t have to add further shame to this by suggesting an AI version
@28
Sorry, I like my sleeveless tees. I’ve never been one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT2JFtspcNU
@29
“…overweight men get very feminine traits.” I assume you mean man-boobs? Not all men do… I’ve been heavy a couple of times in my life but never exhibited any trace of them.
March 31st, 2025 at 06:24Karin wrote:
QUOTE
“poor Max will no doubt despair”
Why?
UNQUOTE
Because the four German magazines/newspapers I mentioned are all telltale left-of-center media typical for a sozialdemokratisches Elternhaus and Max will shake his head and mutter: “No wonder he became like that …”.
These days I balance things, I still read DER SPIEGEL and lefty-liberal stalwart The Guardian, but my daily dose for gathering arch-conservative intelligence “about the other side” is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ, Germany’s largest and most professionally run non-tabloid conservative newspaper.
But even they aren’t quite as righty as Jyllands-Posten! You should read more POLITIKEN to balance things out, Karin!
March 31st, 2025 at 08:17