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UK reviews 2002 (rescheduled)
 

Brilliant

The Plymouth Pavilions is one of the worst concert venues in the UK. If it wasn't for the fact that our very generous boss bought us all tickets I would have gone up to London instead. Last time they played here it was an all standing event and had a great buzz. Tonight it was seating - never a good idea for a kick ass band like Deep Purple.

The support of The Planets - yes they were very good, outstanding but not as support to Deep Purple.

Onto the show proper, and Purple kick in with Fireball, the sound is already pretty band, this is the Pavilions. A few songs in it started to have clarity, though the Hammond was rather overloading the sound. While we're on the point of Don Airey, he's no Jon Lord, but I made a similar comment about Steve Morse vs Blackmore last time. Morse is really in top form tonight, acting the part of a real rock star kicking out great tracks like Lazy and Space Truckin'.

The concert really came into its own when Don did a rather fun keyboard solo that included Star Wars and the Sailors Hornpipe, then a bright flash and on pops Jon Lord and breaks into the opening chords of Perfect Stranger to a standing ovation. This was when me and a few hundred others barged to the front - and what an encore of Hush, Black Night and Highway Star.

It was an amazing gig, Truly Brilliant.

Matthew North (the only Goth there!)

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