Text by Patricia C. Figueiredo
Glenn Hughes , the legendary bassist and vocalist of Deep Purple , Trapeze , Black Sabbath , and various other projects, and still known as "the voice of rock," performed at Bar Opinião in Porto Alegre this Tuesday, the 7th, with a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of Deep Purple's Burn Stormbringer and Come Taste The Band , which he recorded with the band during the MK II and MK III formations, between 1973 and 1976.
Glenn Hughes and his band took to the stage to the sound of only applause and shouts, greeting the audience. Soon, "Stormbringer" opened the show and hit the fans like a beautiful musical storm, but technical problems appeared within the first few minutes: distorted sound and uncontrolled feedback hurt the eardrums, especially of those closest to the stage. Furthermore, the amplifiers completely blew out the singer's distinctive high notes, causing some discomfort. The musician even discreetly expressed his dissatisfaction on stage, as the problems persisted mainly through the first three songs.
But there's no problem that can hold back a big fan during a show. The audience didn't lose heart and didn't stop cheering for a minute. Between waves and kisses that Glenn Hughes blew from the stage, the long jam of the songs "You Fool No One" and "High Ball Shooter" kept the spirits high, including Ash Shehan , which featured great audience participation.
However, Glenn Hughes' performance seemed a little different up to this point, with few moments of him at the microphone. He then confessed that he had been ill since the previous day and didn't feel completely well enough to sing. Still, he explained that he didn't want to cancel the show and declared: "I love you guys and I'll prove it!"
Soren Andersen played around a bit with some guitar chords that flowed into the introduction of "Mistreated," a classic and dramatic ballad from Glenn Hughes' career. Right from the start, the fans joined in with shouts of "hey! hey! hey!" along with the first beats of the song and didn't miss a word. Despite his health issues, the musician managed to maintain his impeccable vocals until the end of the song, including some great high notes.
By this point, Opinião was more than honoring the album being celebrated that night, not only because of the audience's enthusiasm, but also because the city's climate and the venue's full capacity contributed to the warm atmosphere. Nothing that prevented the fans from enjoying every moment until the end and singing "Keep on Moving" at the top of their lungs. The song was dedicated to his former bandmates, including his Deep Purple vocal partner David Coverdale , to whom Glenn Hughes wished all the best.
Glenn Hughes seemed to have already given his all, and during the encore he left the title track "Burn" to the playback and the fans to handle, barely even approaching the microphone. The bassist continued interacting and energizing the fans without letting them down, but it was clear that he had reached his vocal limit. It was probably because of this that Porto Alegre was left without "Highway Star" on the setlist, but in the end, nobody seemed to care much.
Despite the health issues and technical problems with the show, the experience was still memorable and delighted his biggest fans. With a packed house and the audience in ecstasy, Glenn Hughes repeatedly declared his love for his fans and thanked everyone for their support and understanding. Above all, the musician fulfilled his promise to make this show "on fire.".
