Deep Purple live at Sao Paulo March 19
After the frustration of not being able to see Deep Purple live when they came to Brazil in 97, I finally managed to attend the first show of the South American tour on March 19. And I have to say that all my expectations were fulfilled. The band gave a really tight performance.
The venue was Via Funchal, a nice place crowded with almost 5000 people, probably more than 50% of which were teenagers. The show began at 10 o'clock sharp, as promised, and when the band came in I was surprised to see a short-haired Ian Gillan in a bright white suit, which he took off right after the first song. But more than his visual changes, which really impressed me was his voice. I cannot possibly understand how a guy in his fifties, after 30 years of singing and screaming, manages to give such a brilliant performance in a almost non-stop two-hour show. In fact, the whole band were in a inspired night. The setlist was (not in order)
Ted the Mechanic
Strange Kind of Woman
Bludsucker
Almost Human
Pictures of Home
Woman from Tokyo
Watching the Sky
Fireball
Smoke on the Water
Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
Perfect Strangers
Lazy
Any Fule Know That
Speed King
Black Night
Highway Star
After playing a very jammy Speed King, where everyone got a solo and with incredible Lord/Morse and Gillan/Morse interplay, the band left and the whole audience began singing the Black Night riff. Of course the guys returned and played not only that song but also Highway Star in the encore. Really good time.
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