Deep Purple: Live At The AO Arena, Manchester Gig Review
English folk are a stickler for going abroad and comparing it to everything in our country. Whether it’s the food, the weather, the customer service, or the way the cookie crumbles, you would think if our country was a cobbler, it would be incapable of tying its own shoelaces, let alone replacing the soles. Yet, if we put our positive specs on, the rest of the world has plenty to thank us for.
No more so than the jaw-dropping, ridiculous abundance of classic rock greatness we’ve given to the masses. Names like Free, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Humble Pie, all just casually roll off the tongue. It’s an embarrassment of riches that any nation would would give their left-handed guitar for.
An obvious omission from my gung-ho list is Deep Purple. A band that has had more line-up changes than The AA has attended broken down vehicles, but 56 years on from their debut album, the musicianship shows no signs of ageing. For the record, we are now on to their MK IX line-up, following the recruitment of Northern Irish blues-rocker Simon McBride.
Much of their new set at the AO Arena, Manchester comes from their latest album =1, and it’s a winning formula, still bringing vivid shades of vintage Deep Purple, while presenting Ian Gillan’s distinct voice and the band’s joyful and revitalised organ and guitar-driven sound. Obviously, Gillan doesn’t sound like he did at his peak, but you’ve still got to give the 79-year-old a huge pat on the back for refusing to shy away from the pure adrenaline of “Highway Star”, which gets the gig out of first gear from the off.
Fresh tracks like “Lazy Sod” and “Portable Door” prove you should never underestimate old rockers. Gillan jokingly quips the former was “written about Dolly Parton,” and to be fair, she only works 9-5, unlike Purple, who crack in the overtime, giving the very respectful crowd and several McBride fanatics over an hour and 45 of electrified melodies, rolling riffs, and a certain charm. There’s copious anecdotes and Grandad one-liners too (courtesy of Gillan), which was always going to be “Bleeding Obvious”, but I’m here for it.
Like a fine wine, the older it gets the sweeter it becomes. This old adage becomes even more pertinent when keyboard virtuoso Don Airey chugs a glass of the good stuff during a bout of keyboard soloing, and even manages to humorously squeeze in the Match Of The Day theme tune.
The floral-shirted ivory tinkler then powers into the intro of “Lazy” from their classic Machine Head LP. It’s a glorious thing, with its mix of jazz, blues, swing, and boogie giving every member a chance to flex their musical chops.
One of the biggest surprises of the night is the touching and tender ballad “When A Blind Man Cries.” Recorded during the Machine Head sessions, it was criminally missed off the album. It’s a song that’s so mournful, it rips through your soul, with Gillan’s vocal delivery impeccable. In my humble opinion, no guitarist can match the hauntingly beautiful guitar solo Richie Blackmore delivered all those years ago, but McBride is still able to capture the emotion and story in his own distinctive style.
Machine Head gets another airing as we are taken “Space Truckin”, with Ian Paice’s thunderous mix of drumming skills and Roger Glover’s thick and chunky bass providing a watertight backdrop. After that ball on Mars, we’re back to planet earth with a song that every man and his dog knows, but every guitar shop owner loathes. But there was never any chance of the AO Arena banning the iconic riffery of “Smoke On The Water”, as everyone in their seats rises to the feet and sing the chorus back, giving Gillan some welcome respite in the process.
I notice some of the audience leaving as this immortal banger fizzles out rather magnificently, but Deep Purple have always had much more in their locker than the song inspired by a fire in the Casino at Montreux, Switzerland.
Like “Highway Star”, the uber-catchy ‘Na nana na na na nananana’ of Hush” has always been a fantastic driving number, with Airey’s incredible organ work and McBride’s fuzzed out guitar adding to its anthemic quality.
Concluding the night with the irresistible rhythm of “Black Night”, the band light up the AO one last time with their tried and tested bombast and swagger. I get to my feet knowing we might never hear the announcement of a Deep Purple tour again, but there’s no doubt the new kid on the block (McBride) has had a rejuvenating influence.
Deep Purple will always be one of the all-time giants of rock music, and despite all the line-up changes and slowing down a bit (who can blame them), they deserve enormous credit for retaining the trademark Purple sound. These guys know what they’re doing, so go catch them while you can.
