On a sophisticated evening, Bruce Dickinson celebrates the work of Jon Lord in São Paulo.

Text by Marcelo Gomes

Announced in 2022 and with tickets practically sold out, The Music Of Jon Lord And Deep Purple featuring Bruce Dickinson , legendary vocalist of Iron Maiden , finally arrived in Brazil and had its premiere yesterday (April 15) at Vibra São Paulo.

With a 15-minute delay, at 9:15 PM, Bruce Dickinson takes the stage accompanied by John O'Hara (keyboards), Kaitner Z Doka (guitar), Bernard Welz (drums), Tanya O'Callaghan (bass), Mario Argandonia (percussion), and the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) conducted by Paul Mann to present the famous Concerto For Group And Orchestra by Deep Purple, and other surprises.

Before beginning, Bruce takes the opportunity to explain what the concert will be like, saying that it's not a solo show by him but rather a celebration of Jon Lord's career. He introduces the band and then leaves the stage, handing the stage to the conductor to begin the first of the piece's three movements.

The audience, attentively following the performance of "Primeiro Movimento," could immediately appreciate the good taste of the late Jon Lord, who masterfully composed, brilliantly blending classical and rock music. During the performance, Ritchie Blackmore's original guitar piece, later recorded by Steve Morse, also receives a great version with Kaitner Z Doka.

The “Second Movement,” the longest of them all, has a more dramatic feel and features Bruce's masterful interpretation of Ian Gillan . As if that weren't enough, the vocalist delivered a theatrical performance, lending a dramatic tone to the presentation, almost illustrating the sophisticated melodies of the orchestra, culminating in a drawn-out blues solo, providing the emotional charge the moment demanded. Simply sensational!

To close this part, the "Third Movement," which sounds more like a film soundtrack, captivated everyone with a masterful performance by the orchestra. In this piece, drummer Bernard Welz had the opportunity to put his own spin on the solo originally performed by Ian Paice and won over the audience in the greatest moment of interaction with the crowd so far. After the performance, the applauded orchestra left the stage and someone from the production announced that there would be a 15-minute intermission.

The highly anticipated second part of the show featured songs from Dickinson's solo career and Deep Purple classics, and it took almost 30 minutes to begin. The triumphant return began with the beautiful chords of "Tears Of The Dragon" in its complete version, even with its reggae section, and needless to say, the audience went wild. At the end, the chorus of "olé, olé, olé… Bruce, Bruce" filled the Vibra São Paulo venue. 

The beautiful orchestral arrangements precede another of his solo career hits, “Jerusalem,” from the album The Chemical Wedding (1998). With his legion of fans satisfied, it was time to return to Deep Purple, and what followed were true anthems of the band's career. And it couldn't have been better: the OSESP faithfully reproduced the interlude from the album In Concert With The London Symphony (1999) to begin the unmistakable drum intro of “Pictures Of Home.”

They follow with the wonderful “When A Blind Man Cries,” with a moving performance by Bruce. As everyone knows, the vocalist is a big fan of Ian Gillan and pays homage with a sublime song. The audience goes wild, but it doesn't stop there: they also play “Hush” and say goodbye with the acclaimed “Perfect Strangers.”

Greeted with enthusiastic applause, Bruce returns shouting "Scream for Me São Paulo," a phrase immediately answered in response, preceding one of the most famous riffs of all time. Of course, we're talking about "Smoke On The Water." Midway through the song, conductor Paul Mann passes his baton to Bruce, who leads the chorus along with the fans, who sing passionately. 

If they had stopped there, the night would already have been incredible and worthwhile, but they managed to surprise everyone with "Burn," a classic from the Coverdale/Hughes era that wasn't on the tour's setlist until then. Dickinson's brilliant vocals stand out in yet another breathtaking performance.

It was a golden ending to this magnificent night. The fans, most of whom were there for the Iron Maiden vocalist, were able to witness an important part of the history of world rock. Deep Purple's classic Concerto For Group And Orchestra brings together the sophistication of classical music and the attitude of rock, a combination that has been inspiring bands for over five decades, and featured an impeccable performance by the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and an inspired Bruce Dickinson.

Undoubtedly, on that memorable night, Jon Lord's legacy was honored with dignity and will certainly continue to have an impact on future generations.

See photos from our contributor Leca Suzuki below.

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