Our DPAS person on the spot Vince Chong has been sending us his thoughts and photos from the Canadian tour, starting with this nice shot of the band in Kingston; you can see that Ian Gillan has his right foot still strapped up. Great show according to Vince!
Ian Gillan to the audience at the Moncton show on 4th February – “Do you like my boot? Have you seen my boot? I have another one back in my room…if you wear ‘em both at the same time it looks really stupid. I’ll try it tomorrow.”
Deep Purple, Kingston, Canada 2012. Photo © Vince Chong
Toronto, 12 February 2012
“Deep Purple’s return to Massey Hall was certainly more boisterous than the 2004 Machine Head gig. There were a few characters in attendance but their dancing and gyrations were frowned upon by security , you could see big Ian just shaking his head in frustration . The crowd was definitely in a party mode and this did indeed spur the band on. Smoke On The Water possibly had the best sing along on Canadian soil . Superb solo spots by everyone but Roger blew me away with his heaviest solo ever , there’s something about Massey Hall and Roger!”
Deep Purple, Toronto, Canada 2012. Photo © Vince Chong
Hamilton, 13 February 21012
“Hamilton Place is a fabulous spot. It is built for music and the boast of not having a bad seat in the house is justified. The crowd in Hamilton chose to sit but that is ok if everyone is of the same mind. It was this atmosphere that inspired close attention to the music and I couldn’t help noticing how progressive most of the show was. The spirit of 60s/70s Purple quite evident here and I have to give Steve and Don a lot of credit for that.
Don’s solo and contributions tonight was the best one of the three I saw, Paicey’s enjoyable solo I think is the longest one I have heard since the 90s. Steve has really blown my mind, scorching work in Hard Lovin’ Man and his solo spot were worth the trip itself. I do like this set list for the jamming that seems natural and the inclusion of The Mule this tour has my eternal gratitude. It is my hope that Cascades and Bananas will make it back someday but I think my fear of a greatest hits set list was largely unfounded this time as the gig was importantly not approached like a cookie cutter, far from it. This is the type of performance that will keep me coming back for more.”
- Deep Purple, Hamilton, Canada 2012. Photo © Vince Chong
For more coverage of Deep Purple’s Canadian tour, see the www.deep-purple.net Canadian tour noticeboard
Tags: canada, deep purple
February 19, 2012 at 1:30 am |
Big Ian if not strong vocally was consistent all three gigs. I did see six possibly more fans at the side stage, Rogers end. Good idea as it offers fans with deeper pockets the front row seat and stage experience. At least the money goes to the band and not touts. The merchandise was reasonably priced, $30 for a t shirt. U2 and Tool were charging $45.
February 20, 2012 at 9:33 am |
I’m shocked. Words fail me. You went to see U2?
February 20, 2012 at 11:42 pm
It was the bombastic 360 tour thing. I promised my Irish friend I’d accompany him. I remember the touts had stacks of tickets but we got fleeced before we realized. Probably the only U2 gig I will ever attend. What did U2 have to say about Purple anyway ?
February 17, 2012 at 4:54 am |
First of all, excellent photos! They’d make great posters (hint).
Secondly, maybe Ian needs to wear the boot because he put his sock somewhere else (like in Australia ’84).
February 20, 2012 at 9:36 am |
I’m not sure what resolution the original photographs are Jeff, so while they look fine at this size they may not work once enlarged. Unlike Ian’s sock.
February 24, 2012 at 1:55 am
Thank you Jeff. My camera is a fairly cheap, one grade higher than a point and shoot, 12 MP – so not the greatest. The 8×10 (prints) are usually decent but anything larger might not be great. Re: Ian’s sock I never made it backstage to see if he was wearing one again.
February 14, 2012 at 4:39 pm |
He must have twisted it or something. His mobility was quite good and you don’t really notice it unless up close.
February 14, 2012 at 4:43 am |
I noticed that tonight at Hamilton Place in Hamilton that IG’s foot was in a cast or something. What did he do to it?
February 14, 2012 at 6:08 pm |
Nobody seems to know for sure yet – current speculation is kicking DP’s manager up the backside!
February 15, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Ha, ha..
February 13, 2012 at 6:51 pm |
Vince took a good pic. Purple in Canada! What shows. Ian Gillan’s voice is awesome! Then, there`s Roger Glover and Ian Paice…Airey & Morse are also great.