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Reviews, Europe 2003

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Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
November 2, 2003

As Gina, my wife, had some complaints about me going for a third Deep Purple gig this year, and for a 3 hours drive from Bruges to Düsseldorf. So, I had a cunning plan :-): I’ve matched it together with a one week holiday in Holland, next to the German border…

During this holiday, 2 and 3 days earlier than the Deep Purple concert, Blackmore’s Night played in Antwerp and Amsterdam; it seems both gigs were great!

On the way to Düsseldorf, I picked up Johan at the station in Aachen (only 20 km from our holiday-resort) and then another 80 km until we arrived at 18:30 in Düsseldorf. We never had such a good parking place: just 10 meters from the doors. We then had more than plenty of time to grab a drink or two, and a bite.

The choice of T-shirts was not bad, yet expensive. Pity there was only a medium size left of the pretty grey one. I bought the red-ish t-shirt, as a few days earlier; my youngest daughter complained that I am always wearing dark colours, and never flashy stuff, so by this… mission accomplished. (The bright apple-blue-see-green one was yet too flashy for me :-))

Molly Hatchet – I knew them by name – was not bad. A real American band, maybe too American? I’ve seen worse bands supporting Deep Purple; the best was Gotthard (I missed the gigs with Uriah Heep). They even did a one-arm drum solo –hmmm, where have I seen that before? The piano solo was good. They played for an hour, but I could not be tempted to watch them for the full hour, so once in a while we wandered around; could not see anybody I know. Johan spotted Tim, a former German fan club president.

After their part of the show, I took a last piss and rushed to the front, or at least as close as possible. I stranded around the 10th row. Of course, as usual, when the concert began there was a huge guy standing in front of me! (So, I took one step aside). They always do, the big guys, getting in front of the smaller or medium sized ones. The girl who stood next to me, had something in her rug sack on which she could stand.

In my memories the hall was bigger, this was my second gig in the Philipshalle (my first one was in 1995 with Rainbow, the Rockpalast show). One thing I remembered correctly: the hall was hot, very hot!

At 21:30 :

HIGHWAY STAR What an opening song! It made me think of Gillan’s words on the 1972 Scandinavian Nights video: “this will be our opening song for the next year or so.” OR SO?!?! Dressed in a pale blue shirt, he looked very bourgeois in it. I had the feeling that the instrumental part and his singing were not matching. Or was that just an impression? I did notice it a few times during the concert. They still were joking around as we by now are used to see. Pictures of bananas as a backdrop and even 2 side drops. Ian was coughing, and he did it quite a lot during the evening. At the end of the song, while I was looking around to get a view of the audience; I don’t know what happened on stage, but Big Ian joked something about returning to the hotel. Everybody had a laugh and I saw Little Ian returning to his stool. Afterwards Johan told me that the big guy smacked the little one on his behind. I got the impression that Paice was not wearing his glasses during the first song; but I might be wrong.

“This is about my first wife. I got married very young: at 9 year. She was a bit older than me: 43”. STRANGE KIND OF WOMAN. He seemed to having a bit trouble to reach the higher notes this time. Bandana-less Ian played a great drum roll at the end of the song.

“Merci beaucoup, muchos gracias, danke schon. This is an Irish song, about a rock; when you sit on it, you have a wonderful sensation. It is probably the SILVER TONGUE.” The song that reminds me of KOYBD, because of the cunning-linguist part in the latter one :-). After hearing it for the first time on CD, I knew it would be a great live song. I liked the spacey guitar solo Steve did, a bit like the 70’s sound of Tangerine Dream and the likes. I did not bring my camera with me, because I thought that there would be a body search; but lots of people were taking pictures.

Then Ian announced “a similar song with a similar theme KNOCKING ON YOUR BACKDOOR”. See, I was right! Unfortunately, there was no long solo, neither had most of the other songs. That’s the only down part of the ‘newer’ Deep Purple shows. Pity I have never seen them live in the 70’s.

Gillan announced: “here is a tambourine solo!” He did one, for about 3 seconds. “Thaank you”. Switched over to his mouth organ and played a fine solo (which he interrupted at the beginning, to cough). It was a marvellous intro to HOUSE OF PAIN. Also one, when reviewing the CD, that I described as a potential great live song. And great it was, with a too short orchestral solo from Steve. “The Island of Dr Moreau had a house of pain … blah blah…” (Can’t remember all what he said).

Don Airey played a superb – though too short and sometimes real jazzy – solo to LAZY. Gillan changed his sweaty shirt into a vest, the kind he often wears on stage. I did like this version of Lazy a lot. A guy in front of me fainted due to the high temperatures in the hall. 2 others started a fight because one was getting in the way of the other.

“Oh my God! (Cough) Let’s see what’s next. I only had a very poor education. I only can count to 6.” While he was looking at the set list.

A heavy train sound produced by Don Airey, and Steve Morse taking a very 80’s hard rock pose (leaning backwards, holding his guitar up) led us into BANANAS. Well done! I like the orchestral loop (à la Well Dressed Guitar) that Steve putted into some of the songs of Bananas. Although Ian was coughing a lot, his singing voice was not bad.

Ian was sitting on stage telling us “When we were in LA, recording the new record, we were watching the accident with the Columbia Shuttle. We had some friends on board. Steve has written a song. It has no words.” An impressive CONTACT LOST. The one with that Gary Moorish sound. The song morphed smoothly into HAUNTED. Loved this song from the first times I heard it at the 2 Belgian shows earlier this year. Since I heard the CD, I miss the female backing vocals. He produced a great scream after Steve’s solo. “I thank you!” I noticed that Gillan, when a song was finished, or after a guitar solo; always went to Steve to touch him and to tell him something.

Strange kind of stunning solo by Steve, and by the sound of Ian’s high hats, for a moment I thought it was SPACE TRUCKIN’. Then Steve went into more familiar sounds, and yes, it was Space Truckin’! I did like the “new” intro. Again, they played the song a little slower than they used to do. By now things were really steaming, because of the heath and because of the music. Paicey played a very very short though thrilling solo, the purple spots shining on him gave it a bit of magic.

Gillan asked Steve:” how you’re gonna do it now? You throw away all your pricks… By my third marriage when I was 14… I GOT YOUR NUMBER came to my mind.” This one has grown on me, after listening to it several times on CD, the first two times I heard it (Schwung and Nandrin festivals) I was not too fond of it, but now it stood erected. When all the others finished the song, Steve mistakenly played some more notes, which made his friends laugh.

Gillan explained something about pre-birthdays (the twat behind me did not stop shouting, so I could not understand what Ian was saying) THE WELL DRESSED GUITAR that had an ingenious new slow intro; it was like a complete new song, until he came to the real thing. It was jaw-dropping Formidastic; for me it was the highlight of the evening! Even our orchestra man was laughing, while playing his Hammond.

“Steve Morse! And the man from the inside… Don Airey!” Who was by now producing some very heavy church-organ sounds, which altered into Bilitis sounds (anyone, in their forties, out there who does not remember this movie?) Then he played a small jazzy thing. I saw Steve standing next to the mixing desk (or whatever) and watching Don with a smile on his face. Don played a few well-known tunes (ao Maybe Next Time, and some German tunes), loved by the audience. Then sirens… helicopter sounds… Star Wars, interpolating a little folie. This all turned into PERFECT STRANGERS. Lots of spots lit up stage and the first rows. I think they were using a different light man, because the green spots thing which replaced the laser show was not as good as it used to be. The solo by Don in the middle of the song sounded a bit strange to me; did not quite like it.

Next, Steve started a song (sounded like something he normally played for the long intro to Smoke), but then he kind of remembered they would not do that tonight and changed it after 2 seconds (or so) into the real intro of SMOKE ON THE WATER. Of course, the hall went nuts (as always). Again, I got the impression that the song was played somewhat slower than usual. During the chanting Steve played something different as solo, can’t remember if I liked it or not. At 22:55, the first part of my 18th Deep Purple concert was over.

2 minutes later, they were back on stage with HUSH with a supreme instrumental part.

The song stopped abrupt and Roger started his solo, if you listened well enough one could recognize the licks of the intro of BLACK NIGHT; though most part of the crowd did not. Ian started singing HIT THE ROAD JACK, which was quite well known by the greater part of the audience. Only after this part, the real intro started, and the audience sang along. Pity all was finished at 23:13.

Again a great performance, with a nice part of Bananas, by this super group. Pity the solos were too short, we’ll never get the days back of songs lasting half an hour :-(. As usual, I had a great time and after a good cold beer (although I stopped drinking), which I finished in about 2 seconds, we got to my car very fast. And got stuck on the parking lot for almost 1 hour!!

Michel De Pourcq