Posted on 07/18/2006 2:36:33 PM PDT by Shermy
WESTPORT, CN, USA -- Despite the fighting in Lebanon, English rock band Deep Purple says that it plans to perform at the Baalbek Music Festival outside of Beirut later this year.
A press release from the band confirmed that Deep Purple would indeed honor its July 28 performance near the war-torn city, also promising an immediate makeup date should the festival's promoter choose to cancel the show.
Deep Purple is currently one-quarter of the way through a planned two-year world tour and to date has not canceled a single show, a trend that it hopes to continue.
Ian Gillan, lead singer of the legendary band, said that the band's commitment is driven by the idea that music is the universal language of the world and through its hopes to honor the loyalty of its fans through performing.
"There is a moment that begins on stage, when there are no managers, no journalists, no outside distractions - just the band and the audience," Gillan said in the release. "This is the time when there is an unspoken exchange of energy between the fans and us that words can not describe. That makes all the other parts of the job worth it."
Can't do it, when I have headphones in on my motorbike, I just can't do it!
I love Deep Purple.. anyone that only knows them because of Smoke on the Water is missing a trick.
But I wish Blackmore was still with them. Steve Morse is a fantastic guitar player but doesn't have the chemistry with DP that Ritchie had.
Richie Blackmore - when he wasn't acting like a prick
"smoke on the water, fire in the sky"
How is that possible?
"some stupid with a flare gun"
Stupid what?
"pulling kids out the ground"
Huh?
"Swiss time was running out"
As opposed to Austrian time, or Zimbabwean time?
"But with the Rolling Truck Stones thing"
WHAT?
I saw them in 85 at Merriweather, touring for that album. Great show..
He's always been quite the narcissist. I think he's back with Ronnie James Dio in yet another version of "Rainbow".
It's been a few years, though.
"Lazy" is one of my Favorite Deep Purple tunes.
IN ROCk..Great album..I doubt they will do the show..No electricity for one.
Hadn't thought of that possibility. Good one.
Richie's scalloped fretboard.
Back with Rainbow?
Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio has to be one of my top 3 Rock bands of all time.
I hope you are right, then that must mean that DP is without Blackmore.
*************
It's just a little bit of the old poetic licence, my friend.
We used to drive around and listen to Made In Japan all the time. Use to love Child in Time, Strange Kind of Woman, Lazy...They have a couple of good videos of the group from the Gillan/Blackmore era on YouTube.com.
I saw that tour too and also one more time at Radio City Music Hall with Ritchie Blackmore in the early 90s. But they are really the last dinosaurs I like.
Everything they did after "Burn" was bubble-gum music to me, but I live for killer guitar chops.
Come Taste The Band is one of my favorite albums!
Jon Lord and the production dominated all their albums after the first "reunion". Great stuff.
Freakin great riff on Perfect Strangers. How do you say, yeah it was perfect.
Not this year. Blackmore quit Purple for something like the 682nd time a few years back and now concentrates on his Renaissance themed Blackmore's Night
He has replaced his Stratocaster with a lute.
Purple's current axe-slinger is the incredibly talented Steve Morse.
No...he formed his own band known as 'Blackmore's Night' with vocalist/wife Candace Night a few years back...the music is a far cry from Raibow and Deep Purple, although they do perform variations of some DP/Rainbow songs.
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