Deep Purple continues to amaze with incredible musianship
Tuesday night the Portland, Oregon audience was blessed with one of the greatest heavy bands of all time playing at the Keller Auditorium. I am of course talking about Deep Purple: one of the most influential bands for Heavy Metal.
Kicking off the show the band opened with one of their most revered classics: “Highway Star.” It was almost like being back in the 70s, listening to “Made in Japan” as the band rocked the house with an amazing wall of sound. Deep Purple features the Mach II lineup of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice joined by Steve Morse and Don Airey. Ian Gillan has always been one of the most influential singers in Heavy Metal, and he still puts on an amazing performance. Gillan teased the crowd at one point at the end of a song with the line from Jesus Christ Superstar: “I don’t want to taste your poison”, leaving fans hungry for more.
Machine Head featured heavily in the set
Next up, the crowd was delighted by “Pictures of Home” off of the epic Machine Head album. In fact, the band played 5 songs from Machine Head out of 13 total tracks, and rightfully so. “Pictures of Home” has always been a personal favorite, and the band did not disappoint with this incredible performance.
With so much material to possibly pull from, it’s hard to include everyone’s favorite song, but for me the set was a perfect mix of their best work. Guitar virtuoso Steve Morse was fantastic, and on “Sometimes I feel Like Screaming” off of the Perpendicular album he really showed his emotion and brilliant technique.
Don Airey was beyond incredible on the keyboards, doing justice to the legacy of Jon Lord on every song. As one would expect at a Deep Purple concert, there were solo performances. Airey and Morse showed why they are so highly revered in the music world. As a veteran of countless concerts, I have never experienced anything like the amazing skill and showmanship performed by Don Airey during his keyboard solo.
One thing was evident: Deep Purple are as solid as ever
Watching Ian Paice perform on his left handed single bass drum kit was mind boggling. Paice plays with such speed, skill and finesse that it makes one wonder as to why anyone needs a double bass kit. One thing is for sure: Ian Paice certainly does not!
Overall, this was a fantastic show that will stand out as one of the best concerts I have attended. I highly recommend getting tickets directly from the band’s website, and seeing these legends on this “Long Goodbye Tour” while you still can.
Setlist
Highway Star
Pictures of Home
Bloodsucker
Demon’s Eye
Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
Uncommon Man
Lazy
Time for Bedlam
Don Airey Keyboard Solo
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
Smoke on the Water
Hush
Black Night
Refreshing to hear a review from someone who knows what their talking about. Really makes me wish I was there.