[% META title = 'Tour Reviews' %]
Joe's night out
I got there on time, but even so Dio started early. By the time we'd passed security, I'd missed at least two songs (Egypt and Children Of The Sea). The small demon was full of energy and delivered a good presentation. Simon Wright did a funny drum solo, and is nice to see Jimmy Bain playing along RJD. The guitar player is nothing spectacular (a Malmsteen sort of type), neither is the keyboardist. I can't remember the rest of the set, but it included: Man On The Silver Mountain, Long Live Rock’n’Roll, Heaven And Hell, Stand And Shout, some material I don’t know, Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark. Relying too much on material not of his own. Still his voice and energy are amazing.
The Scorpions surprised me a lot, not only with energy and a good show, but also with a good set, not abusing their late boring ballads. Coming Home and The Zoo were there, and I also remember Teasin' Pleasin', No One Like You, Dynamite, Blackout, and the encore Still Loving You and Rock You Like A Hurricane. Again a drum solo (more extended than the Wright one), and a guitar solo (Mathias Jabbs) in between, both forgettable. I’m not fond of silly drum solos, or guitar ones (if they are too extended and mostly noise). But the feel of the concert, was definitively 80s, so I was glad to be there and remember my time finishing high school and entering college, I felt young again tonight.
Then the main dish, Deep Purple. They burned the place down with Fireball, the lights and show were magnificent, and Don Airey is so energetic that you almost forgive the fact that Jon Lord in no longer there. Then Woman From Tokyo, a small keyboard intro and Lazy rocked the place. A new song, (according to Gillan composed yesterday) was thrown into the arena (all instrumental), but so heavy and fresh, that if it made the album; I'm going for it blindfolded.
Then Ted The Mechanic, Knocking At Your Back Door (Gillan funny as always) and Space Truckin’. A little jam by Morse (with Glover and Paice too), and a cool solo of Airey (with improv and all). And then the surprise of the night, Gillan announces and old friend to get onstage to play along - no less than Joe Satriani. I almost fainted. They played the rest of the concert with both Steve Morse and Joe Satriani, it was so superb, so great, so cool, I haven’t recovered yet. Perfect Strangers, Smoke On The Water, Speed King and the encore of Hush and Highway Star. The Morse-Satriani duo was great, very personal, without betraying the DP spirit; they shared the solos, and gave a lot of juice onstage.
Nothing from Abandon, The Battle Rages On, The House Of Blue Light (or any non-Gillan albums). Also Child In Time, Black Night, Pictures Of Home and Anyone’s Daughter were missing (time constraints I guess). Still the concert felt flawless, Gillan’s voice still potent, but also shows some limitations (or maybe it was the sound?), and the band gave a lesson in how to rock, how to perform and how to be a living legend.
I saw DP on the Purpendicular tour in Costa Rica (still with Lord), and even if that was a great concert, this one was like I had never seen the band live before in my life. This was a night to remember - forever. This concert was worth every single penny I put in it.
For those who left early, I have pity on your worthless souls… losers!