First time since California Jam!
My first chance to see Purple in over 20 years (last time was at the California Jam in 1974!) was missed in 1998 when Ian Gillan became ill and had to cancel the concert in Camden, New Jersey so I was eagerly anticipating this show. [I was in Camden that day too - believe me, Ian was in extremely bad shape that day! Rasmus]
I left work early and drove 140 miles from Wilmington, Delaware, and let me tell you it was well worth the drive. Purple should have been the headliner for this one. Their music is so much more sophisticated than either Ted Nugent (opening act) or Lynyrd Skynyrd (headliner). The set list has been reported here ad nauseum so I wont go there.
The band was very tight and much to my surprise Steve Morse was fabulous. His playing style fits the band perfectly. Very melodic riffs and some personal touches like the intro to "Highway Star" were stellar.
Roger Glover and Ian Paice just power every song with grooving rhythms (I wish they had time for solos) and Ian Gillan's voice was spectacular. Indeed, there is no singer in rock'n'roll with a voice like his. Gillan stands alone. And yes he can still scream his ass off! Jon Lord is still the master of the keys in my humble opinion. When you think about it, Jon's signature sound has really been the core of the group over the years.
I look forward to when they tour again as headliners because they definitely deserve more time to showcase their considerable talents. Theses guys were my heros as a teenager and I still love them dearly. "Long Live Purple" Thanks.
Fan for life...
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