With
Deep Purple playing Bangkok, only 2 hours
away from Pattaya, how could Pattaya’s
well known Rock ‘n’ Roll fraternity resist?
In short: of course not. Under the guiding
hand of Pattaya’s leading Rock ‘n’ Roll
expert Mr. Rick Bryant, a jolly-up coach
outing to the Impact Stadium was organized.
Through the efforts of Mr. Greg Watkins
and the British Chamber of Commerce one
of the best boxes (how posh) was rented
for the night and a package deal was offered
to friends. Like any good rock event the
tickets were all sold within minutes after
going on sale, snaffled up by an assortment
of Pattaya residents. Scattered amongst
the crowd were Jesters plenty, the whole
of Pattaya’s most popular band Satin Soul,
Managing Directors, Retired Air Force
officers, and some people who weren’t
even born when Deep Purple formed. However,
all had one common interest, having a
good time and listening to some of the
finest Rock ‘n’ Roll ever written.
A bus was rented and at 3.00 p.m. set
off laden down with 32 ‘denim & leather
clad for the day’ occupants with an equal
weight of beer and food to make for a
comfortable journey. Some of the music
on the journey along Thailand’s fine new
highways hadn’t been heard since the early
seventies, Blodwyn Pig indeed!
The Stadium was made with plenty of time
to spare, but finding only Singha available
at the site (a mite too strong that Singha
for some of these elderly frail farang
minds). It was all back to the bus to
diminish further stocks of Heineken. Quite
a picnic ensued in the car park, casting
many minds back to the days of the late
sixties and early seventies.
But by 8.00 p.m. we were all encamped
in our lovely box seats awaiting Deep
Purple
Deep Purple last played in Bangkok in
June of 1991 with a somewhat different
line-up to the band that played under
the Deep Purple banner at the fantastic
Impact Arena. Gone since 1991 are lead
singer Joe Lynn Turner, who, although
a great vocalist and showman, only lasted
one album with Deep Purple as his pop/rock
voice never really settled into the Heavy
Metal style. Original Purple keyboard
wizard and founder of the band Jon Lord,
at 60, had decided that one more jaunt
around the Far East was a call too many
for his road-weary bones, although the
rumour is he will re-join the band for
one more tour of the U.K and a final album.
Lead guitarist Ritchie Blackmore also
left soon after the last Bangkok gig in
the middle of the next tour in one of
his usual sulks. Quite frankly, who cares
as he has been replaced by the amazing
Steve Morse.
In 1991, with only 3 hours sleep after
their flight from Japan (where Blackmore
flew First Class and the rest of the band
Economy), no sound check and an hour and
a half car journey to cover 4 kilometres
to the concert from the hotel, Deep Purple
were blown off stage by the two Thai support
bands (Orion Plain, and the Lam Morrisson
All Stars). They played for only fifty-five
minutes, including encore ‘Smoke On The
Water’, of which Blackmore played the
intro from off-stage and then left the
band to finish the song while he cleared
off in his limo to beat the traffic.
They relied far too much on their recent
album ‘Slaves and Masters’, only playing
a handful of classics to start and finish
the show. As bass player Roger Glover
said after the show, “We’ve played better
and we’ve played worse… I can’t remember
when we’ve played worse though”.
But eleven years later, Deep Purple came
back to Thailand and put the record straight.
Steve Morse was on fire right from the
Get-go and Ian Gillan, the real voice
of Deep Purple, is back front stage. The
long hair of old may be trimmed but the
voice and on-stage banter between songs,
if anything, is better than ever. Don
Airey had been drafted in to fill the
boots of Jon Lord and, on the evidence
of this show, does an admirable job and
would be the obvious choice to take up
the keyboard role should Jon Lord decide
to hang up his keyboards next year. Roger
Glover and Ian Paice, the rhythm section,
are the only remaining members of the
band from last time, but both seemed determined
to make amends, rocking hard all night
long and taking well deserved solo sections
that held the rabid crowd enthralled in
their grip.
Deep Purple have no album to promote at
the moment, the last studio album being
‘Abandon’ from 1998, so there was no mistake
of playing songs nobody recognized. Every
classic Purple song was reeled out to
the jubilation of the enthusiastic and
knowledgeable local crowd. For those of
you who were unfortunate enough to miss
the concert, get a copy of the last Deep
Purple album ‘Totally Abandon Live’ on
CD or DVD and, although nothing can replace
the live experience, it gives you an idea
and will leave you in no mind not to miss
the opportunity again.
After
the now infamous Pattaya chant had been
ringing round the stadium of ‘Play Something
You Know’, the house lights dimmed and,
with a flurry of activity, Deep Purple
rocked onto the stage, blazing straight
into an extended ‘Woman from Tokyo’, where
each member of the band was able to stretch
out, preparing for the two and a half
hours of Rock ‘n’ Roll that was to come.
Both the drums and keyboards were up on
risers at the back of the stage, which
was dominated by a large painting of a
sunset, leaving plenty of room for the
front three to rock-out. Highlights of
the show were the fantastic light and
laser show, especially during ‘Perfect
Strangers’ dedicated to Ian Gillan’s favorite
football club Q.P.R, which got a surprisingly
loud roar of approval. Don Airey’s solo
keyboard introduction to ‘Lazy’; Steve
Morse teasing the audience with snatches
of songs by “The Who”, “Hendrix”, “The
Kinks”, “Led Zeppelin” and many more,
before blazing into ‘Smoke On The Water’;
Ian Gillan pretending to be on an aeroplane
during Aviator; the thud as Rick Bryant’s
jaw hit the ground when he realized they
were going to play the forgotten classic
‘Mary Long’, and best of all, the 3 song
encore of ‘Hush’, the J.D Southerner song
and a hit single for Deep Purple in the
United States of America in 1968, when
only a young Ian Paice was in the band
from the present line-up. Then up-popped
the first international hit single ‘Black
Night’ including a great sing-a-long conducted
by Ian Gillan and Steve Morse. Then to
send everybody home on a rockin high ‘Highway
Star’. Almost every cover band in the
world plays this song, but no one does
it quite like Deep Purple.
Today the roof of the Impact Stadium must
be a least two feet higher as this time
Deep Purple really raised the roof. All
their trespasses are forgiven and all
the time the mantle of Hard Rock is in
the hands of these Road Warriors, it is
safe.
Afterwards it was all back on the bus,
where Pattaya’s ‘Hicks from the Sticks’
endeavored to have a few beers with those
big boys from the city. “Jools” Sukhumvit
Soi 4 was our first port of call. But
after an awesome display of power drinking
from those lovely young girls behind the
bar, discretion was decided the better
part of valour and that famous Monty Python
War Cry was crowed “Runaway” and the Pattaya
Motley Crew went up to the Ministry of
Sound where, with Zimmer frames in front,
most of the crowd took the opportunity
to show off their disco moves from the
60’s and 70’s.
Back on the bus and it was an uneventful
trip back to Pattaya. (The only sound
was that of 32 people all snoring away.)
As everyone departed the bus, it was all
comrades together with calls of “Great
Night” and “Must Do It All Again Soon”
(But not just yet as I have to recover,
pass the pills.)
Thanks Deep Purple, and spread the word
Bangkok is ready for some more Rock ‘n’
Roll.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
