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pre-summer 2005 shows
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Caprices Festival, Crans Montana, Switzerland
March 3, 2005

Silver Tongue
Strange Kind Of Woman
I Got Your Number
Demon's Eye
Bananas
Contact Lost
Well Dressed Guitar
Don Airey's solo
Perfect Strangers
Highway Star
Space Truckin'
Smoke On The Water

Speed King
Hush
Black Nights

Photo: Luca Bariffi

We drove 1.500 km from Vienna to see the boys at their first show this year.
We had the opportunity to watch the soundcheck - and then, the first surprise. Ian Gillan looks like a young(er) man - slim, long haired and a great voice. The rest of the boys, also had much fun and making jokes.
Then the show. Maybe 3.000 people making a very big noise. From the beginning of Silver Tongue the audience was unbelieveable.
The sound was pretty good and it was a great gig. The band played with a lot of fun, and in one of their best forms. When the played Highway Star and Smoke On The Water, the crowd looked like it was out of control. They trampled on the wooden floor, like a stampede.
After 95 min. of Purple power, everybody was enthusiastic and a huge show was over. Maybe 95 min. was too short, but every song came with such power, fun, and joy - so it doesn't matter.
By the way, we were told that DP will go into the studio in two weeks, to record their new albuim - to be released maybe in November.
Regards
Chris Schoen

Photo: Luca Bariffi

That Grand Scene turned out to be a tent. All places standing, but it was warm there. We managed to stand near the stage. We were lucky indeed.
The show started with Magma. Unbelievable. It's a very good French group, extremely original. They played two pieces only, but one of them lasted 15 minutes, another one 45 minutes.
I couldn't wait for our band. Deep Purple made us wait too long. When they entered the stage at last, they started with Silver Tongue, of course.
The setlist didn't change at all, and I think it became a little dull. I'd like to hear Ramshackle Man or Bad Attitude. What do you say to that, Mr Gillan?
At the very beginning, something disturbed me. Wow! What's going on? Why did the band play so horribly out of tune? Even Steve Morse played a few riffs off key. The band must have been in poor form.
But Contact Lost came out very well. Steve is always affected a lot by this tune... Ian sat on the floor before he started playing it. He looked very dignified there, dressed in black, fair haired, in a dim light.
Perfect Strangers. Hmmm. Well, Ian didn't do his homework again, and what's more, Steve killed that famous beautiful riff. Aaaah! What a dissonance.
During Smoke On The Water the whole audience was singing. Sometimes better than the band.
I thought the audience would demolish the tent if Deep Purple didn't play encores. But they played three: Highway Star, Hush and Black Night, as usual. I admit that I'm fed up with those tracks. What about Maybe I'm a Leo, Rat Bat Blue or Mandrake Root for example?
At some point, my husband started to laugh because Roger Glover recognized us. Then Ian Gillan looked at us in a strange way, as if he wanted to shout "Wow! Where did you come from?" I haven't had such a good laugh for a long time.
In any case, the gig was quite nice though not as good as the Wembley one. It was an excellent idea to go to Crans, especially as it was the only DP concert scheduled for this year. [Says who?! Rasmus] Thanks!
Joanna Ostrowiecka

Photo: Luca Bariffi