Deep Purple at Leeds First Direct Arena review
Two years since they last visited, the veteran band have lost none of their zest for woozy-bluesy solos and progressive time signatures.
Review: “Alright, alright, alright, Leeds,” Ian Gillan pronounces with a short wag of his finger, before the septuagenarian singer waves his arm across the full crowd before him. “It’s great to be back. A few calypso classics to get you in the mood, perhaps?” A steady roll of weathered chuckles and soft titters emerge from out of the darkness, and the frontman rewards them with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge grin.
There is, of course, little in the way of Caribbean vibes when it comes to Deep Purple, unless you count the fronded shirt patterns sported by keyboardist Don Airey. One of the most highly regarded rock bands of the twentieth century, they are considered a key progenitor in the birth of heavy metal by many who followed in their footsteps; a fascinating notion in part when viewed against the prism of the modern-day scene given their lone-guitar approach and woozy-bluesy penchant for progressive time signatures and movements.
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This show at Leeds First Direct Arena comes two years since they last visited, with the rare added boon of featuring the same lineup to boot - Purple were famously known for their revolving door cast across multiple iterations and generations. This Mk. IX incarnation comes touting their first new record to boot, July’s =1 - and while on paper, the decision to cull heavily from its contents appears to suggest indulgent folly, proves more to be a surprisingly effective choice in practice.
Though they may dress as if they have all stumbled into the wrong bar together - bassist Roger Glover appears to have duly escaped from the mid-nineties professional wrestling scene, while drummer Ian Paice looks like Enzo Ferrari caught on a Thai gap year - the five-piece on stage, completed by guitarist and newest face Simon McBride, remain a well-plundered treasure trove for widdly-widdly solos and exquisite organ harmonisation. Their show is one for the musician’s enthusiast, and duly delivers in spades.
Gillan may not possess the voice he once had, and decked out in his cruise-ship lounge outfit, makes frequent trips into a black construction-style canopy at the back of the stage. But even if he cannot get near the notes on a driving Highway Star to open, he settles into the groove as time goes on. Newer material, like Lazy Sod, is built to his current range, and offers a comfort that emboldens him the further on Purple get; when the slow-burn ballad of When a Blind Man Cries arrives, he nails its emotional tenor with an impressive control and depth.
Elsewhere, there’s extended interludes for all, including two for Airey, who manages the party trick of downing a glass of red wine during washes and waves of feedback. The old hits are those that still bring the house down though; Space Truckin’ and Smoke on the Water, duly dropped back-to-back late in the game, prompt some geriatric shuffling in the aisles. “Magnifique!” Gillan cries before they drive into the psych-pop bop of early hit Hush. Remarkably, more than half-a-century on, it still is
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