DP rock Detroit
Dream Theater opened early, so they were already playing when we got there at 7:00. The mix was not the best, with the bass overpowering much of the rest of the band. I can't believe I said that. The audience seemed appreciative of their music. DT did a quick 45 minute set, then left without an encore.
ELP came on next and played for about an hour. Higlights of the show were C'est La Vie with an accordion feature and the encore, where the band let loose. Palmer did a brilliant drum solo, but we've had enough arguments on the ng for that subject.
Deep Purple's set used a large backdrop taken from the current album cover. As the night went on and it got darker, the effect of the different colors on the "sky" was impressive. The band was set up (from the audience's view) with Ian's drums left and Jon's keys right. In front of them, Roger was far left, Ian's congas in the center (no, I didn't see the cheat sheets) and Steve at far right.
The audience was a good mix of ages. I sat on the hill next to a family of six; three adults in their thirties, and three children aged about 8-14. Most everyone was polite and sat or stood as the occasion warranted.
The band opened with Hush, then went into Bludsuker before saying hello. Ian's voice was a little hoarse, and later in the show when a girl gave him flowers he apologised for having a bit of a cold. Although he stayed away from some of the high screams, it stayed strong for the rest of the night.
The set then followed: SKOW, Almost Human, PoH, WFT, and Watching the Sky. Steve did a medium length solo, then launched into SOTW. I was disappointed to see some fans starting to leave as soon as this song finished. Following this song, Jon took a solo, starting with a reprise of the Smoke riff, and eventually going into the intro for Lazy. The band came out for Lazy, PS, and SK.
Steve and Ian did a duel/duet during SK. Steve led first, with the usual "I don't do chords" response from Ian. Steve had some fun with Ian's sore throat, and we laughed when Ian took the lead and good-naturedly flipped off Steve, challenging him to follow.
Throughout the concert, Steve's leads on old songs seemed closer to the original than the last time I saw them. He tore up on new stuff though, as if to show that he could do more with the new music.
During Speed King, a fan got up on the stage and paid homage to Ian Paice, bowing down in front of his drum set repeatedly. When the lights shifted, a roadie came over and encouraged him to leave the stage. He hopped back into the audience and security grabbed him. Big Ian came over during the "scuffle" and rapped one of the guards on the head lightly with his microphone. We could hear the bap-bap-bap over the PA. I'm not sure if the guy got to stay, but it looked like he did. After the song, Ian told the crowd to be cool, that we were just here for the music.
They came out for an encore of AFKT, then HS. Another Steve/Ian duet, and the show was over. As we walked off the hill, the PA played Pat Boone's rendition of SOTW, for a humorous touch.
[ reviews | the highway star ]