Deep Purple in Lebanon - Live Review

Yesterday, the 8th of July was a HISTORICAL Day , Deep Purple played Beirut for the first time!

I, a long time Deep Purple fanatic, took three days OFF from my work, which I qualified as a Deep Purple Holiday !

I wanted to welcome the Band at the airport, but I couldn't find which flight they were on ! (Maybe next time !?) A night before, the band gave a Press Conference, held at the Sponsor Fast-food Restaurant ( I still can't understand why ! ), plenty of teenagers were present not knowing anything about the band ( Oh yes, when Ian was asked which songs they will be playing, 90% shouted "Soldier of Fortune" Ignorant !!!!!!!!!! ).

Even the media present to cover this event, lacked the material and the knowledge to fill the time given for them to address the band their questions ! So, I took the microphone to ask Ian Gillan and Roger Glover if they have any memories of Lebanon when they were playing, as part of Episode Six, in the Casino 30 years ago. I was really moved to hear from Gillan/Glover some wonderful things about my country ( You Are Really Professional, :-| as opposed to the Promoters ... :-| ) One last thing before the Show Review, the venue, Mont La Salle Arena was not plenty the way I expected it to be or SHOULD BE ! ( I don't care, since I was there and in the first row ! It's not Quantity but Quality that Counts !) Whose the fault was it ? The promoters , preview of the California Jam was broadcasted on TV as an advertisement for the show ! Also the lack of musical knowledge the Lebanese youth was part of that !

So - Jon Lord , Ian Gillan , Roger Glover , Ian Paice , Steve Morse - if you read this, on behalf of the true and faithful fans, I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS !!!!!!!! OK NOW THE SHOW!

(Maybe the song are not in the exact order but it is almost !) The set started with ...HUSH, Powerful version, Roger was unbelievably in shape despite the hot weather, Ian was holding his hair but what a Giant ! That was a real surprise, since I was expecting the next one to be the opening song ...FIREBALL, Who is better than Paicey to start that song with his famous rolls ! First time I hear/see it Live, that was really something ! INTO THE FIRE, Not Comment! Fabulous! TED THE MECHANIC, first song from the new album, Steve looked more comfortable, even though he delivered a great show ! Then Ian announced the next song to be taken out of "Fireball" !! PICTURES OF HOME, great song Live, after the song he rectified his erroneous announcement. BLOODSUCKER, Gillan introduced it as a song called BLOOD, and then gave Jon Lord the mic to finish the Title !!!!! On this particular one Ian showed what a GIANT Singer he is ! BLACK NIGHT followed with a short audience singing and ended with Paicey delivering a short but astonishing solo ! He is the greatest. ROSA'S CANTINA, great live ! CASCADES, Steve played a beautiful intro along with the elegant Jon Lord ! This song ended with Steve's Solo. WOMAN FROM TOKYO, well it's woman from tokyo with Ian Gillan on Vocals ! NO ONE CAME, I must admit this song was not one of my favorites on the Deep Purple Albums, but seeing it Live, I had to change my mind ! Gillan let Steve Introduce the next song, a short solo, and there we have SMOKE ON THE WATER, with a very distorted guitar sound, very interesting, Steve Morse knew the way to play it, without falling into copying my HERO ! he played it his way and that was great ! ( Congratulations Mr. Morse ! ) For the first time on that show, That was where I Thought of BLACKMORE, But...
Jon Lord gave us his Solo, short organ-powerful and short piano-classical passages, Well Lord is lord !

Then came the Highlight of the show !!!! WHEN A BLINDMAN CRIES. Listening to Ian singing that particular song with his touching soul put tears in my eyes ! This wonderful man never saved a single high note, singing with his whole heart and soul. We love You Gillan ! Then Ian introduced the next song to be a ballad that he sings to babies before they go to sleep ! SPEED KING, with great guitar-organ duet !

For Encores, we had PERFECT STRANGERS and HIGHWAY STAR !!! The band saluted the audience, Roger even noticed me standing right in front of him, stage right, and threw me his bass guitar plectrum !

Hoping [deepPur.ple) will come to play again for us, all I have now is my three DP concert tickets ( 85 - 91 - 97 ), The Perfect Stranger Tour Book , with the band's autographs and that plectrum !

My God How I Love This Band !

Ghassan BARBOUR

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