Month: November 2017

Gig Review: Deep Purple – London O2 [23 Nov 2017]

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig review4 Comments

So finally, I get to see Deep Purple, 45 years after buying the seminal ‘Made in Japan’.  Life got in the way, timings were bad etc. but I’m glad I managed to get to see them – albeit there are some reservations, read on.

Next year it will be 50 years since they started and as of today their average age is 69, combined age 344 (don’t you just love Microsoft Excel) with Glover and Gillan in their early 70’s.  As it happens Ian Paice is the only member who has been in every incarnation of Purple.

So, given their ages, we are treated to songs (lots of classics omitted) that give members their spot in the limelight whilst the others ‘have a rest’ and also nothing too strenuous on Ian Gillan’s vocal chords – he ain’t gonna hit the high notes on ‘Child in Time’ any more for example.  That said his voice is still rather good.  Ian also gave us some small talk in-between songs – nothing too enlightening – Ian joking about the floor seats “I’m sorry they’re not sofas or futons”, which got a bit of a laugh.

The stage itself was a simple affair with a bank of speakers/amps in a straight line with Ian Paice and Don Airey in the middle and loads of room in front.  All that room was a bit too much for Steve Morse as he rarely left his spot with the foot pedals whilst Roger and Ian were a bit more active!  There were two medium sized video screens at either side of the stage and a huge screen backdrop behind the band which showed intermittent live band images, videos e.g. newspaper/TV images of the Montreux fire during ‘Smoke on the Water’ and some rather simple graphics.  In the twilight of their careers Deep Purple have updated their classic Mount Rushmore ‘In Rock’ LP cover with the band members’ faces etched into a giant iceberg (let’s hope it’s not melting!).  Nice – next live LP cover anyone?IMG_4

It might be their ‘Long Goodbye’ tour but it’s also an excuse to plug their new LP ‘inFinite’ quite a lot.  From where I was up in the gods, you could clearly see Ian looking down at the floor when singing the newer numbers (zooming in you could see a bunch of sheets of paper stuck to the floor presumably with the lyrics on them).  He might be getting old but his eyesight is ok!

The core mainstays of Roger (resplendent in his time-honoured bandana), and both Ian’s actually look pretty good for their ages and looked like they were enjoying themselves in front of a 90% full O2 crowd (top tier at the back was curtained off).  This year I also saw Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow, which was pretty crap – see my review, and Purple were infinitely better!

They play together instinctively, tight or loose with clever interplay.  After all these years on the road I wouldn’t expect anything different.  Riff here, riff there on a pretty good mix of new and old classics for the hardcore fans.  Everyone was singing once those famous chords were hit – all together now “we all went out to Montreux…”

Deep Purple – 23 Nov 2017 – LONDON o2
Deep Purple – 23 Nov 2017 – LONDON o2
Deep Purple – 23 Nov 2017 – LONDON o2
Deep Purple – 23 Nov 2017 – LONDON o2
Deep Purple – 23 Nov 2017 – LONDON o2
Deep Purple – 23 Nov 2017 – LONDON o2

Now I know these guys are all virtuoso musicians but in my humble opinion I didn’t need to have a damn extended guitar/keyboard/bass/drum solo quite so frequently. To me it didn’t enhance the show, it was too self-indulgent ‘hey look how good I am’ and in the end got really annoying and boring.  Don Airey was the chief protagonist of this and from where I was sat in Row A of the gods all I could see on the video screens were his stubby arthritic fingers pounding away on the ivory’s. He has no change of ever removing his wedding ring!

If they had just stuck to the songs as per the LP versions, they could have probably included at least another 3 iconic songs on the night.  It was billed as the Long Goodbye tour so I was expecting more of their classics – the songs were good but they were not the songs I wanted to hear!  Don’t get me wrong, they were exceedingly good e.g. ‘Fireball, Space Truckin’, Smoke’ on a number of songs.  When they decided to be clever and jam or solo that’s when it got irritating.

Setlist (click on link to watch the video)

  1. Time for Bedlam – [inFinite, 2017]
  2. Fireball – [Fireball, 1971]
  3. Bloodsucker – [Deep Purple in Rock, 1970]
  4. All I Got Is You – [inFinite, 2017]
  5. Uncommon Man (for Jon Lord) – [Now What?!, 2013]Deep Purple - Long Goodbye Tour 2017
  6. The Surprising – [inFinite, 2017]
  7. Lazy – [Machine Head, 1972]
  8. Birds of Prey – [inFinite, 2017]
  9. Knocking at Your Back Door – [Perfect Strangers, 1984]
    Keyboard Solo
  10. Perfect Strangers – [Perfect Strangers, 1984]
  11. Space Truckin’ – [Machine Head, 1972]
  12. Smoke on the Water – [Machine Head, 1972]*
    Encore:
  13. Peter Gunn (cover)
  14. Hush – [Shades of Deep Purple, 1968]
    Bass Solo
  15. Black Night – [7” Single, 1970]
    Drum Solo

*copyright Maria D’Innocenzo

The demographic of the audience was hard core fans and their offspring.  Call me old fashioned but having seats on the floor is just not R’n’R.  However, most people seemed to be standing throughout, so what’s the point?

It would be less of a long goodbye if they didn’t want to show off!

The support band were Europe, not my bag or other people’s either as they played to a half full crowd doing their best to get them going.  They had a few hard-core fans at the front who cheered and sang along throughout.  The Swedish rockers played a tight set of their well known stuff and newer tracks from their ‘Walk The Earth’ LP and finished with their most iconic track ‘The Final Countdown’.  Alas, the damn song is still imprinted on my brain – will this torment ever stop!

Addendum
Merchandising was hidden away on the first floor.  Funnily enough I saw a picture of the merch stand at the B’ham gig on the internet. One of the many goodies was a limited-edition drum skin autographed by all band members selling at £60.  In London it was priced at £80!. That really is taking the piss guys – not got enough money already?  I bought nothing in silent protest!Deep Purple merch

Marko – 25 Nov 2017

Gig Review – Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express – ULU London, 17 November 2017

On By markosgigarchiveIn gig review2 Comments

Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins

Open Up Your Heart 2017 European Tour

Tonight’s gig was at ULU (University of London Union), basically the student’s union bar for SOAS/Birkbeck/UCL.  Now given the fact that this is generally known as left-wing central the bar prices (£5 pint in a plastic glass) were definitely not Students Union prices.  So a bit of capitalism is OK when profit is concerned eh?  Minor rant over!

I must admit I love Green On Red and have all their LPs, but up to this Saturday night I had no Chuck Prophet stuff at all.  So, this was a gig into the unknown and as it turns out has been writing wonderful songs on his own since 1990 and I’m now a convert! I did some research on his back catalogue which is pretty extensive and it looks like I have hours of listening to look forward to.  And I found a glorious YouTube video of ‘You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)’ and was sold instantly – boy I just love this song!

Tonight’s gig with the “Mission Express” (named after a bus line that runs through Prophet’s neighbourhood in San Francisco) concentrated in his more recent output with nothing prior to 2002.  Obviously, the majority of songs were from his current LP ‘Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins’, of which I bought a copy on the night and Chuck kindly signed for me – so good was the gig.

So, from my position Chuck was going to be an unknown quantity but as it turns out his songs still mix Country with Alt Rock injected with wry lyrics and observations.  He’s probably got an element of evangelism in him given the various songs with Jesus mentioned, even if some of the lyrics are mischievous.

The band

  • Chuck Prophet: (Guitars)
  • Stephanie Finch: (keyboards) and Chuck’s wife!
  • Kevin White: (bass)
  • Vicente Rodriguez: (drums)
  • James DePrato: (guitars)

He started with a foot stomping band intro “It’s great to be back we come in peace” which led into the infectious ‘Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins’ (a bit of internet research turns out that Fuller died mysteriously in his car outside his Hollywood apartment in 1966 – queue conspiracy theory).

Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017
Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017

A ‘Bad Year for Rock and Roll’ mentions Bowie and is his response to all the R’n’R deaths in 2016 – well we did lose rather a lot of irreplaceable artists!  Then a few slower country and acoustic based songs before the standout song of the night an extended version of ‘You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)’. Chuck even gave out a public health warning for all the oldies in the audience “this song could be dangerous to your health” – quite right too given the virtuoso guitar solo – glorious stuff indeed.  Then a mix of new and old classics as the set list below.

Set list (follow links to view my videos from the evening)

  1. Intro
  2. Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins – [Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, 2017]
  3. Fast Kid – [Night Surfer (Ext Ver only), 2014]
  4. Rider or the Train – [Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, 2017]
  5. Bad Year for Rock and Roll – [Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, 2017]
  6. Temple Beautiful – [Temple Beautiful, 2012]
  7. You and Me Baby (Holding on) – [¡Let Freedom Ring!, 2009]
  8. Doubter Out of Jesus (All Over You) – [Soap and Water, 2007]Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017
  9. Jesus Was a Social Drinker – [Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, 2017]
  10. You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp) – [Age of Miracles, 2004]
  11. In the Mausoleum (for Alan Vega) – [Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, 2017]
  12. I Felt Like Jesus – [Temple Beautiful, 2012]
  13. Open Up Your Heart – [Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, 2017]
  14. Summertime Thing – [No Other Love, 2002]
  15. Countrified Inner City Technological Man – [Night Surfer, 2014]
  16. Wish Me Luck – [Night Surfer, 2014]
  17. Willie Mays Is Up at Bat – [Temple Beautiful, 2012]

Encore:

  1. Shake Some Action (Flamin’ Groovies cover 1976)
  2. Mr. Pharmacist (The Other Half cover 1966)

Chuck writes beautifully crafted songs held together with rather impressive, multi-textured guitaring.  He worked the crowd like a seasoned pro and gets the loyal audience singalongs going frequently.  He is after all very much preaching to the converted!

There was humorous banter in-between songs e.g. “loonies in charge of the world, well you started it” (Brexit joke) delivered with the aid of his prompts which were resting on his floor monitor.  He also told a story of when he was a kid going to gigs with the Flamin’ Groovies really impressing him. So much so that 10 years later he’d be in their apartment doing coke with them!

To summarise, Chuck lead his talented band of musos for about 1. 45 hours with them constantly looking at him for interplay leads to where next in the songs.  The pretty much capacity crowd (mixed audience mainly 50+ who looked like they had been on the journey with him from day 1) were highly entertained with his Alt-country rock and roll songs.  He was genuinely smiling from ear to ear through the entire set and looked like he was loving being on stage – it must be a great feeling to bond with an audience like that.  It was like all the audience were old friends whom he hadn’t seen for a few years, but could instantly bond once again.

Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017
Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017
Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017
Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express ULU London, 17 Nov 2017

I’m currently on a real downer watching big bands play big venues where you are miles from the stage up in the gods.  This venue was ideal, smallish and almost full (not excessively loud – well we are all getting a bit deaf as years pass) where you could get right up to the front and literally touch Chuck.  His infectious on-stage presence just adds to the intimacy.

He came across as a really nice genuine guy and luckily I managed a quick chat, photo, signed LP (now on my wall) after the gig.  I broached the subject of ‘Green On Red’ doing some gigs and he mentioned that he was still in touch with Dan Stuart and who knows! My fingers are firmly crossed!!

You simply can’t get better value for £20.  Chuck I’d happily pay double that to see your band again!  To the die-hard fans spread the word and help Chuck make the world a better place.

Marko – 19 Nov 2017

PS – We had great chats with the guys from the support band, the mixing desk and the merchandising stall. As it turns out the merchandising guy was from West Bromwich, so we mulled over the area (I lived in the ‘black country’ for many years) and to make a great night even better Chelsea stuffed W. Brom the following day!