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UK reviews 2002 (rescheduled)
 

Episode Six!

Bradford gets to see a six-strong Purple line-up, with two keyboard wizards for the price of one. The moment when Airey leaves the darkened stage and is replaced by Lord for Perfect Strangers is perfect theatre, perfect rock'n'roll. Welcome Don, goodbye Jon.

Paice was superb, but bore a worrying resemblance to Pope John Paul II, at least from the back of the gallery. Glover was rock solid, but his solo seemed a bit perfunctory. Gillan was, well, Gillan - and you don't get any better than that.

A couple of points about young Steve. Well Dressed Guitar was awesome. Technical wizardry, magnificent invention and flawless execution. Absolutely breathtaking. But the intro to When A Blind Man Cries used 3,429 notes to say what certain other guitarists might have said in 12. As the Emporer said to the composer: "Too many notes, Mr Mozart, too many notes..."

But that's a minor quibble. The show was heartstoppingly good and I was in tears at the end of Perfect Strangers.

Thanks, boys. I look forward to seeing the Famous Five again soon.

Chris Scrivener

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