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Welcome
to our Looking Back section, where we are following the progress
of the Deep Purple reunion as it happened month by month twenty
years ago.
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| Knebworth
Ticket , 1985 |
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Knebworth
, 1985 ( Alan Perry)
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| In
The Absence Of Pink, live CD |
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The
Deep Purple Appreciation Society was following events at the time,
and with the help of news cuttings, interviews and pictures, we
hope to stir some memories. If you have any recollections to add
for the next issue of Darker Than Blue, do
get in touch.
JUNE
1985: This
was perhaps the climax of the tour, as Deep Purple returned to
Europe for the first time in nearly ten years. The enthusiasm
from fans was tinged by the relative lack of shows. The US tour
had begun in January and ended in April; Europe was to get just
16 shows over four weeks. Even worse, British fans were to get
just one gig. Outdoors. In summer. Clearly money was talking much
louder than rewarding the fans. Twenty years on it still rankles.
And then it rained.
Knebworth
aside (the gig was later issued on CD and album officially), the
shows were varied, with Gillan on top form some nights, struggling
on others. Elsewhere in Europe it was a similar story, although
they did two nights at most of the indoor venues (to which a lot
of British fans traveled) - and four in Sweden. The set remained
the same as it had been in Australia the year before, except for
"Child In Time" which would be left out if Ian wasn't up to it.
On stage the band seemed happy and enjoying themselves still,
Blackmore openly applauding Ian Paice one night after a particularly
steaming drum solo. The guitarist was still having low-key nights,
but would come out of the shadows to knock people dead from time
to time.
German
TV filmed the second night at Paris, a show which a lot of people
have asked to be released on DVD. However, although it was an
amazing gig instrumentally, Ian was struggling, and for this reason
isn't likely to come out any time soon. Yet, despite Ian's troubles,
and Blackmore's reluctance, the sheer spirit of the events carried
them through. The last gig of the month was at a festival in Mannheim,
Germany on June 29th. The following day the band put a football
team together for a charity match against a local radio side.
DTB
Issue 32 carried comprehensive reviews of the European shows.
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