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Reviews, Europe 2003

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Marki Miklos' photos

Arena, Budapest, Hungary
November 11, 2003

Highway Star
Strange Kind of Woman
Silver Tongue
Knocking At Your Back Door
Contact Lost
House Of Pain
Lazy
Bananas
Doing it Tonight
Space Truckin'
Don Airey solo
Perfect Strangers
I've Got Your Number
Steve Morse solo
Well-Dressed Guitar
Smoke On the Water

Hush
Black Night

Wow, what a show...
The concert was held in Budapest Sportshall Arena, a beautiful place. New, clean, with new JBL hanging speakers, absolutely great! At 20:00, a Hungarian group hit the stage. I don't know their name, but the boys played very well, playing some alternative/pop-rock tunes. When they were done, "our" boys hit the stage!
A few lights went off, and then Mr. Paice started thundering into Highway Star, after the bridge, Morse, Gillan and Glover hit the stage, and the crowd went nuts. Throughout the whole show, the band played with such power & force, that many of my friends were surprised. I also like "Contact Lost", a beautiful tune dedicated to the ones who lost their lives on Columbia. Gillan introduced the song from the heart. Remarkable.
Don Airley had a fantastic solo, which ranged from classical piano tunes, to Star Wars theme and some Hungarian folk tunes (which the crowd loved!)
The show was spectacular! I'm obviously still under impression. Heheh
Ivan Ivankovic, Vinkovci, Croatia

Deep Purple haven't been to Hungary since 1998. Now there was full house in the new arena which means 12,500 people. At quarter past nine the lights were off above us. A lot of bananas appeared on the stage. There was no an enigmatic intro, they just walk onto the stage and Highway Star was on, with incredible energy.
Then Gillan's old lover, A Strange Kind Of Woman came. The audience sung together with Ian. Steve's solo is incredible. A new song Silver Tongue rammed us into the ground. Then a nowadays forgotten masterpiece Knocking At Your Back Door.
Lazy and House Of Pain brought some blues taste on the stage. Then other Bananas pieces: I Got Your Number, Doing It Tonight, came. Steve's guitar cried for Columbia's victims in Contact Lost. A 7/4 song, the title track was next.
Steve's guitar is still well dressed. I think, it was his night. He played incredibly. Don's solo included some surprise. He played some Hungarian pieces, for example Liszt's compositions. He didn't forget about Brahms's Hungarian dance. And some “ Be the force with you” as Star Wars title music was sounded. (It was not new to me, because on Purple Smoking Iron bootleg he played it last year.)
Perfect Strangers still astonishes me - it has been for 20 years. Space Truckin' was not so long as it is played on Made in Japan. Smoke On The Water brought a real euphoric feeling into the arena.
In the encore Hush was enlarged with a short Paicey solo, Black Night was introduced with Hit The Road Jack. Show ended at 11pm.
I can still hear them inside. This was my sixth Deep Purple gig, and for me they are the best rock group of the world - and have been for 25 years.
Miki

Another great show!
The crowd seemed as enthusiastic about the Bananas material as the classics and the new material is comfortable for Ian's voice. He sounded strong the entire night through both new and classic Deep Purple.
Another great Well Dressed Guitar, though Steve got cut short of a second solo to precede Strange Kind of Woman, with the crowds anticipating “Oh-oh-oh” that lead into it, too quickly.
Don, ever the clever pianist, incorporated a traditional Hungarian tune into his main solo. The crowd went absolutely nuts! That might be something to do on a regular basis, between he and Steve. Learn a portion of a traditional tune for each of the countries and incorporate it into solos. It provokes an unprecedented response from the locals! [Indeed. This was also a regular treat from Jon... Rasmus]
I am home in the States again, and wish I were still on the road. I am weary of warring governments, that create animosity and or danger for those who wish to roam the world. Travel is an immensely important form of education for all, and I wish it to be that one day we may all travel anywhere in the world, without hesitation or fear. [Aye! Rasmus] As I included in a Q and A to Ian's site regarding future gigs in China (they're now Space Truckin') I believe Deep Purple is special, in that they tour some cities others do not. May all celestial beings watch over them and keep them safe. Rock On!
Alessa Sindoni