DEEP PURPLE – Oslo – Oslo Spektrum

Respect is given where respect is due and Deep Purple deserves that and much more. The now legendary british group should not need any form of introduction if you frequently visit this webzine.
Ian Gillan & Co are now all pushing way beyond 60 but goddamn they still know how to rock! From the getgo the energy was present all over the stage and the setting for the evening was set. Bassist Roger Glover was on fire, handling his instrument with ferocity and skill as he and guitarist Steve Morse led the nearly sold out Oslo Spektrum thru an evening with both new and classic material.

To keep them all in tune where legendary drummer Ian Paice, who still hammers his set like a 20 years old. The way he plays drums is written in countless books and me for one where promptly impressed by his performance this february evening.

The keyboard/organ is handled by Don Airey (after Lord´s departure some 20 years ago) and those who claim that keyboards does not belong in heavy metal should just give DP a new listen. The musical flow that man creates is just awesome combinded with especially Morse´s guitar playing. (One of the songs from their newest opus was aslo dedicated to mr Lord who died soon to be a year ago).

The band as mentionend served us both new and older material and to be honest I have not been following DP that close the last few years. My favorite music from the band is from the Mk 2 period, but when hearing new material from their latest album "Now What?!" (witch is the album the band is touring), I must say that they still posess the skill to write (and perform) catchy hard rock like the early days.

Especially the song Vincent Price, with it´s quite heavy riff and overall sound really took me by surprise. I will for sure give newer DP albums a listen.

Given the age of the musicians on stage the almost two hour long set was for reasons more than fair interrrupted by solo performances by a single member while the others took a well deserved breather. This could be in other settings both dull and annoying but when both musicians and the material is of this high standard it worked out just fine. Both the drum and keyboard interludes where quite entertaining and added someting special the the overall feeling of the evening.

Deep Purple whent thru the two hour set with such grace and dignity all we humble underlings can and should do is take off our hat and bow to the grandfathers of this form of music we aptly named hard rock.

Without them it just would not have been the same..