DEEP PURPLE LIVE IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA,23/4/99

Greeting from Oz!
Friday night in Brisbane saw what must have been one of the "Classic" nights of the tour.
Nothing new as far as the song list go's so I won't bore you with the details.
This was the bands first time in Australia since 1984. I saw that tour as well and I have to say last night was just as good, if not better.
The band absolutly kicked serious ass and as I closed my eyes during "Lazy" it could have easily have been 1972. I'm not gonna say "Ritchie who?" because I love his licks, which after all are Deep Purple, but I will say Steve Morse has the abillity to wipe Blackmore from my memory banks! He was steaming and made the old and new material sound so vital and fresh.
I have got to say JON LORD made the night. The sound engineer had him way up front in the mix and man did he play well. I have read in other reviews from Europe where people have said he seemed tired or disinterested, but not tonight. He was on the boil and his duel with Morse was a hilight.
GILLAN, that old warhorse,I swear is just getting better. I saw him in 1981 as the Gillan Band, 1984 w/- DP, 1992 on the Toolbox tour and last night was by far the best performance I have seen. He did not hit one bum note and after seeing DP live on TV last week, where again he sung just note perfect, all I can assume is that he is making a concerted effort, in the interest of longativity, to sing clearer and more economically. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying he doesn't put 100% into every gig, just that last night he was soooo damn good!!!!
Lets face it, at 53 he should not be able to sing "Bloodsucker" as well as he does. It just underlies his brilliance and talent.
Ian Paice and Roger Glover would have to be the best rythmn section on this planet. I know they have been doing this for a long time, but they really held the whole thing together when all hell was breaking loose, especially in "Highway Star".
I'm proud to be a Purple fan and would like to say how much the world rock press really sucks for not reporting on this current tour. People are really missing out on rock history in the making. This band is just awsome and the scary thing is they are getting better. Ozz Fest, Sabs reunion....get lost.......Purple started it and no doubt Purple will finish it!
As one great composer once said, "Long Live Rock n' Roll".
Regards,
Pete Schuptar

[ reviews | the highway star ]