OFF: Deep Purple in concert

[K Henderson]

Nick said...

>Saw Deep Purple -- with Scorpions and Dio -- in Pittsburgh on Saturday
night.  >Awesome show, with the exception of Scorpions. . . but that's just
my taste.

I wuz there too....thought the Scorpions set was actually the best of the
three, but for the huge rainstorm that managed to infiltrate under the roof
a good ways, at least far enough to drench us momentarily.  Well, actually,
that was kinda cool itself (seemed to energize the audience in a weird way),
esp. since we didn't get completely soaked through like the poor bastards on
the lawn.

But having seen Deep Purple about six previous times since the c. 1984
reunion, and Dio and the Scorpions only once each (Holy Diver tour, and
1995-Buffalo, following the Hawkwind show in Toronto, respectively), seeing
DP again was a little less novel.  And frankly, they've been better in the
past IMHO.  Reports I'd read of other shows had them being thoroughly
out-performed by the Scorps, even from DP fans themselves.  I didn't really
see it this way myself - I thought DP's set was fine, if a tad predictable
and routine.  I had read they were doing "Mary Long" in the set, and that's
among my favorite tunes, but alas, they dropped it.  Gillan sang ok, could
still produce the high notes, but not really with any power.  (But then,
compared to Ozzy...)

>Scorpions were probably good if you like them.  I personally don't.  I had
two >or three of their albums in the early '80s, but got over them quickly.
A lot of >"guitarist jumps up on drum riser and places guitar between legs"
schtick.

Not to get into another 'dumb vs. smart' music debate, but the Scorps are
among my favorite 'dumb' bands, post-Roth that is.  Everything up to
Lovedrive was pretty intelligent I think, esp. Roth's unique style and
inspired soloing.  (Let's forget his "singing" for the moment, shall we?
And we can ignore Rarebell's infantile lyrics too, but then Meine's accent
makes them unintelligible anyway, so...)  And they did both 'We'll Burn the
Sky' and 'Coast to Coast' which was quite cool.  Nobody in the USA prolly
ever knew they existed before Animal Magnetism and "The Zoo."  (Well, that
album was my first taste of them too.)

>Deep Purple really kicked ass.  Ian Gillan was pretty energetic and, as
always, >funny.  When introducing "Knocking at Your Back Door", he informed
us he >couldn't tell us what the song was about, because it's very naughty.
. . but he >added that it's something that "sometimes makes your eyes water."

There's somebody that *didn't* know what that song was about?  :)

>John Lord broke into the "Star Wars" theme during his solo, which was kinda
>bizarre, but a lot of people were jazzed.

Um, I think you mean Don Airey.  Jon "the Refrigerator" Lord retired this
year.  And you didn't point out the bit of Gary Glitter they covered...."Hey!"

Dinosaur Rock Lives!

Grakkl (FAA), who tries not to let the embarassment of subsidizing this sort
of thing to sink in...

P.S.  My brother tells me he heard on the radio Ronnie James claiming to
have "invented" the Devil-horn sign (which is quite absurd), and then
lamenting that "the kids" these days just don't understand its significance
when they use it as a simple greeting gesture in passing.  :)  Aw, what's
happened with today's devil-worshipping youth?!  Everything's going to hell
nowadays.  :)

P.P.S.  On Meine's accent...was it just me, or did it seem like he was
saying "Hello, Pittsburgh, Pasadena!" all the time?  :)

P.P.P.S.  Why did Dio's (short opening) set include a drum solo?  What a
waste of time.  Ian Paice did not do a solo at some other gigs (according to
reports), but sadly did one in Pgh, making it a 'three drum-solo night.'
What misery!

P.P.P.P.S.  Dio (US), Deep Purple (England), Scorpions (Germany) - should
perhaps call it World Cup Tour 2002!  Any Senegalese rock bands out there?