Photo by: Rogerio Grassia
It was the first Deep Purple concert I ever saw. I confess that the possibility of never seeing them again was a major factor in my decision not to miss the opportunity.
The show started with a bang, the kind of song few bands have to open a show: “Highway Star.” What a song! It was doing things like this that made Deep Purple a rock legend like few others, truly one of the greatest bands in rock history. Without pausing for breath, after the fantastic performance of this classic, they immediately launched into “Pictures of Home,” from the same classic album, Machine Head , from 1972, one of my many favorites.
They say a band is only good if the drummer is good. In that respect, Deep Purple has always been guaranteed, because Ian Paice is among the best in the world, and what this man plays is astonishing. What groove! What drive! A true master!
Again without stopping to talk, they launched into "Bloodsucker," which is a real banger. Following that, once more without stopping for anything, they launched into "Strange Kind Of Woman," another classic Hard Rock song, wonderfully well-executed. After the song ended, I realized that many years ago, the guitarist position was held by the genius Richie Blackmore, of whom I am a big fan, but whom the master Steve Morse certainly didn't miss. Let's face it, there aren't many people on the face of the earth who play as well as Steve Morse, in my opinion, the best in the world. No one better to replace Blackmore.
They seemed like a very happy band, with great energy, which was very much felt by the audience who were completely amazed by the show.
During the first break in the show, they performed "Uncommon Man," from the album NOW WHAT?! , a beautiful tribute to the late Jon Lord, the best keyboardist in the history of Rock.
Don Airey is a virtuoso who has played with Rainbow and Ozzy Osbourne and, in my opinion, has never been properly appreciated. It's great that he's now the keyboardist for Deep Purple, with the blessing of Jon Lord himself, who had left the band a few years before his death. And Don Airey fits perfectly into the band. Of course, he's no Jon Lord. Nobody is. But Deep Purple is doing very well in terms of keyboardists.
What can I say about Roger Glover? The guy is a machine! In a good way, of course. I believe that much of the band's rhythmic solidity comes from him, always discreet, serving the music, without trying to stand out, but always absolutely perfect.
The performance continued with "Lazy," another Machine Head song, one of the grooviest in the band's history. Gillan no longer has the supersonic range of his glory days, but he remains one of the most beautiful voices in rock. There's simply no one who sings even remotely like him. Today, much more mature, he knows how to use his voice very well, leaving no one missing the high notes or the powerful screams that made him famous. Definitely one of the greatest rock vocalists.
The show continued with “Birds Of Prey” from their latest album, Infinity , which didn't have the same brilliance as the classics, but didn't let the ball drop. But it's unfair to place it between “Lazy” and “Knocking On Your Back Door,” which set the stadium ablaze. What a wonderful song! One of my favorites, from Perfect Strangers , which marked Purple's return in 1984 and is among the band's greatest classics. There's no cooler keyboard than that one, and Jon Lord's lines were once again perfectly executed by Don Airey. Besides, not just anyone can replace Jon Lord or Richie Blackmore. Airey and Morse deserve all the praise! Nobody can complain about absolutely anything regarding their performances or any other member of the band. It became very clear why the band is a true rock legend.
After a beautiful keyboard solo, where he played a snippet of "Aquarela do Brasil," Don Airey began the intro to the classic "Perfect Strangers, and then there was no one left sitting in the stadium. Without a doubt, it's a fan favorite. It's no wonder it's one of the band's biggest hits, wonderfully performed.
Again I remembered that Blackmore wasn't there and wasn't missed, with all due respect. Everyone sang along and it was beautiful to see and hear.
They followed with "Space Trucking" and then the one with the most iconic riff in Rock, the first one that 99% of guitarists learn on the guitar, the epic "Smoke On The Water," which made it obvious that it was the audience's favorite. What a song to end the show!
It could have ended there, but there was more. After a short break, they returned for an encore with "Hush" and "Black Night" to conclude what may be the band's last performance in São Paulo.
Deep Purple gave a true lesson in Rock and Roll and showed everyone that they are more than deserving of the title of "Fathers of Hard Rock" in their nearly 50-year career, which unfortunately is nearing its end, but which remains as glorious as ever.
Thank you, Deep Purple! It was an honor!!!
Check out all the photos and the setlist from Deep Purple's show at Solid Rock in São Paulo.
