This tour has lasted well over two years but tonight’s show in Middlesbrough’s Town Hall is the penultimate night of the mammoth round the world treck that has seen Glenn Hughes perform a set of classic Deep Purple songs, mainly from his Mark III and IV tenure in the band, but also a couple of earlier songs that just couldn’t be left out.
Although only in Deep Purple for a three-album stint from 1973 to 1976, as bassist and vocalist alongside David Coverdale, those albums have become a cornerstone of Rock history and tonight was the chance to recreate the era of the legendary California Jam.
Stormbringer, by name and by nature, was the perfect bold and powerful opening statement that any Rock show needs. Might Just Take Your Life and the supremely soulful Sail Away gave Hughes an opportunity to show off his incredible voice to full effect, switching from full on Rock roar to R&B Soul with effortless ease. No wonder he was proclaimed by Stevie Wonder himself as the greatest White Soul voice he’d ever heard and was even invited to join Earth Wind and Fire at one point. His range, power and grasp of an emotive melody are unmatched by any of his peers.
The California Jam vibe kicked into gear during the sprawling medley that took in You Fool No One and Highball Shooter, incorporating a slow Blues segment, guitar solo and drum solo along the way. The musicianship was phenomenal from the dextrous flourishes of keyboardist Vince DiCola and the astonishing drum acrobatics of Ash Sheehan, who bantered with the crowd, throughout his spot.
Guitarist Soren Andersen, who has been by Hughes side for nigh on a decade, nailed the original Ritchie Blackmore and Tommy Bolin parts perfectly, whether the deep, bombastic groove of Mistreated or the Funky riff on Getting’ Tighter.
Few bands can boast the back catalogue of gold-plated classics quite like Deep Purple, but closing with arguably the most famous riff of them all, Smoke On The water, followed by encores Burn and Highway Star was a sure-fire way of sending every last person home without a care in the world all aided and abetted by Hughes positive on stage chats with the crowd.
As this particular Deep Purple chapter of Glenn Hughes illustrious career comes to a close, the next, with Rock supergroup, The Dead Daisies, looks enticingly bright.
Review and Photos By Mick Burgess
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