Let’s set up a scenario, you are of pensionable age having overcome some near-death experiences and lost most of the Eighties, been part of three seminal classic rock bands Trapeze, Deep Purple and Black Country Communion, what would you choose to do? Maybe sit back in your home in Los Angeles, looking at the ocean and put your feet up? Well, you`re obviously not Cannock rock god Glenn Hughes who has decided to tour the World sharing his Classic Deep Purple live show. The tour kicked off in April and was planned to run at least twelve months but there are already dates pencilled in for the UK again next May.
Tonight it`s Leamington`s turn and it`s as near as a hometown gig for the man known as The Voice of Rock. I`ve been here before when it`s full but my god, tonight it`s rammed.
The driving `Stormbringer` kicks off the set tonight and there`s no let up as `Might Just Take Your Life`, `Sail Away` and` Dance To the Rock & Roll` quickly follow.
Glenn shares with us his introduction to former Purple guitarist Tommy Bolin who replaced Richie Blackmore “ He arrives with hair coloured green, yellow and blue with feathers in it and after playing I said, If you don`t get the gig you`re coming home with me” An emotive Hughes then plays `Gettin’ Tighter`, a song co-written with Bolin, which he performs every night as tribute to his fallen friend. Bolin died at the age of twenty-six from an overdose of heroin and other substances in 1976, a wakeup call for Hughes. Tonight`s set list is mainly culled from the three albums Hughes released with Purple with cuts from Burn, Stormbringer and Come Taste The Band and it`s from the latter of these that we get the cracking `You Keep On Moving` and are encouraged to sing along. The high-octane tracks of `You Fool No One` and `High Ball Shooter` are thumped out before a change of pace and the wonderful bluesy `Mistreated` is aired. The show closes with a familiar guitar riff and it`s into the definitive Purple anthem `Smoke On The Water` The show isn`t quite over as we are taken back in time by an interesting version of `Georgia On My Mind`
It`s not long before the band are applauded back on stage for a two-song encore with the fabulous rock opuses of `Highway Star` and `Burn` Well this was a superb night and nothing less than what was advertised, classic Deep Purple live. A night to wallow in nostalgia.
I have to admit Mr Hughes has still got the chops, his voice is every bit as strong as ever and some of his penetrating screams had my ears ringing. A definitive night of absolute Rock.
