Live Review: Deep Purple - BP Pulse Live, Birmingham
Support: Reef
4th November 2024
Words: Matt Noble
Photos: Tim Finch
BP Pulse Live hosted legendary heavy rockers Deep Purple in early November, touring the '=1' album. With a busy venue shortly after doors, the question was, have Deep Purple still got it in 2024? And would it be the final chance to see them? They'd go on to answer at least one of those in the hour and forty five minutes (or so) spent onstage.
Only the groovy, Stonesy 'Refugee' is played from Reef's most recent full-length 'Shoot Me Your Ace', with a catchy hook and an air of confidence to it that lets it stand as tall as the classic tracks that dominate the setlist. The bluesier rockers seem to translate more boldly on the big stage tonight, though the lighter and more summery numbers give the overall performance welcome breathing room. Reef put on a fun rock show that doesn't suffer from needless over polish or over seriousness, ideal as a warm up act for a show as big as this. Put your hands up.
It's not long before the lights finally go dark and Deep Purple's spacey intro tape plays, setting the tone before a big, fat G chord rings out and the drums pound into 'Highway Star's thrashy intro riff. It's our first taste of what's to come, with Gillan's charm and presence on the mic still very much present. Simon McBride is a revelation on the guitar, ripping through the iconic solo seemingly at complete ease, and Don Airey is masterful on the keys, adding real sonic depth and finesse. Ian Paice gets his first chance to show off a few tasty drumming chops during new track 'A Bit On The Side', played second, while Roger Glover is the understated kingpin, holding everything together on the bass guitar without ego or flashiness.
There's plenty of room for solo showboating. McBride shows astonishing versatility during his solo spot, capable with blues, heavy metal, eastern psychedelia and neoclassical shred. Meanwhile, Airey's keys solo segment quotes Mr Crowley, Für Elise, Iron Man and all sorts more, showcasing a wide range of tones and styles in a dazzling moment in the spotlight. However, Deep Purple are a unit in the true sense of the word. Each member makes the next sound better, with an end result that isn't just impressive for a band with 80% of its members in the latter half of their 70s, it's just genuinely bloody impressive. The overall sound is huge, the overall show is entertaining, and the overall musicianship is mindblowing.
Gillan hasn't quite got the same vocal acrobatics as half a century ago; 'Highway Star' is an ambitious set opener to warm up his pipes with, and there's a couple of conspicuous setlist omissions from the band's classic days. What this does allow, though, is the excellent '=1' album, released earlier this year, to stand front and centre. Around half the new record - the band's 23rd in total - is performed live tonight. Proggy, groovy, and with McBride injecting fresh blood into the songwriting mix on his first with the band, Deep Purple have plenty of new, exciting ideas. On these songs, Gillan's voice seems to have aged like a fine wine. It seems obvious, but Deep Purple in 2024 sound most comfortable and assured doing Deep Purple in 2024. The band behind him are locked in perfectly, navigating each change in key, rhythm and feel as a precise, well-oiled machine. Between songs, Gillan chats to the thousands inside with wit, a true wordsmith with playful anecdotes that win plenty of laughs. And god knows he can still belt out a long note.
But it's inevitably the classics that have drawn so many tonight. 'When A Blind Man Cries' is delivered with real soul. Gillan's brilliant harmonica solo during 'Lazy' gains a huge cheer. The psychedelic, funky 'Into the Fire' gets heads nodding all over. By the end of the main setlist, Ian Gillan has already conducted the entire room into singing the iconic chorus to 'Smoke on the Water' unaccompanied. Deep Purple still deliver each one with a conviction that no tribute band could match, and technical prowess that never loses its grip on musicality. McBride puts his own spin on the classic guitar solos to make them his own, while still staying true to the spirit of the originals, and there's a gentle tribute to the late, great Jon Lord early on. 'Hush' and the swinging 'Black Night' finally round out the encore in style, earning more singalong moments and rapturous closing applause. With the current tour titled '1 More Time', you wonder how many more there will be, 56 years after the band formed in London. Regardless, tonight proves there's plenty of life still shining in Deep Purple.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
