When you read a show billed as ‘Glenn Hughes performs classic Deep Purple Live in Concert’ preceded by ‘For the first time in 40 years’ you are immediately hit by the sheer history of what the Perth audience witnessed tonight. Glenn Hughes, as an artist at the age of 65 is probably, you could argue, having the time of his life at the moment – a man in constant demand and who over the last few years has released some of his finest work to date via various projects, not least just two days ago the stunning latest installment in the Black Country Communion saga – ‘BCCIV’.
Glenn Hughes was 21 years old when he joined Deep Purple and recorded three wonderful albums with them over the Mark III and Mark IV lineups of the band, first joining them at the peak of their powers when Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left, tempted on the promise that Paul Rodgers (of Free) would also be joining. Rogers of course went on to form Bad Company and instead Hughes was joined by the unknown David Coverdale as joint lead vocalist. The first album release by that new line-up ‘Burn’ saw a change of direction for Purple – adding a Progressive element to their sound as well as more Funk and Blues and that continued for both ‘Stormbringer’ (that heralded Ritchie Blackmore’s departure to create Mark IV Purple) and the extreme Funk of ‘Come Taste the Band’. 5 months later the band played their last show and went their own ways.
Over the years of course Hughes has played many songs from his time in Deep Purple but it’s significant that this is the first time in 41 and a half years (not as catchy as 40 years I know) that he has put together a show solely of Deep Purple material. He told us in a recent interview that this was the first time he’d felt so at peace with himself and the world that he was able to do so. For those that have seen or heard Hughes live over the years then, like me, you’ll know how significant these shows in Australia and New Zealand are. It’s the chance for us to witness something that I for one never thought I ever would – Glenn Hughes playing the music I grew up listening to as a kid. And for those even older than myself it’s a chance to maybe even relive the last time Hughes was in Perth with Deep Purple way back in 1975.
Tonight is a very special night and you can even feel that making your way into Perth Concert Hall. Two days ago Glenn played Sydney the first date on this tour that at the moment only covers Australia and New Zealand, but which later Hughes admits he’d like to take around the world.
There is so much love in the room, even before the band appears on stage it’s palpable. It feels like an event is about to happen not just a concert, it feels special, it feels like, no word of a lie, it feels like the power of music, all it used to be – all its positive energy and its ability to change the world, all those things we’d lost over the last few decades is here again. I don’t think I have ever felt so much latent anticipation before a show in years.
There’s a great Hippy-like backdrop of Glenn spanning across the back of the stage as the lights dim and the murmurs grow, it’s a simple stage with Lachy Doley’s keyboards to the left Glenn’s speakers centre stage and Jeff Kollman, Glenn’s guitarist who we caught up with this morning (interview up soon) just to his right before Pontus Engborg‘s drums.
As the band takes the stage to the strains of a nice improvised California-Jam style intro to ‘Stormbringer’ half the crowd can’t resist getting to their feet in a sort of per-approved standing ovation, unable it seems to contain themselves even before Hughes has hit his first note. It’s quite possibly the only way to open a set like this though some might argue that ‘Burn’ the song that opened each date of the ‘Burn’, ‘Stormbinger’ and ‘Come Taste the Band’ Tours might have been the way to go. And that shall be the last hair we’ll split.
Some are of course still catching their breath as the band launch into ‘Might just take your life’ the second track from the wonderful ‘Burn’ album, its a song that breathes, punctuated by Hughes’ sublime screams and Engborg’s wonderful drums that capture that jazzy touch of Ian Paice but with plenty of menace and power too. And that is all heard wonderfully in the mix alongside Hughes funky Rickenbacker and Jeff Kollman’s vintage Strat that nails Blackmore’s tone even if he can’t use the equipment Ritchie did to take it there (catch our interview later this week).
We stick with the first side of ‘Burn’ for ‘Sail Away’ which sports some wonderful keys from Australia’s own Lachy Doley (who Glenn in our recent interview hailed as the best Rock keyboardist in the World right now) and an expansive treatment before one of Hughes’ signature songs ‘Mistreated’ takes the audience to another level. Hughes, never a man to talk too much on stage, seems compelled to tonight and it seems fitting under the circumstances. Indeed over the evening there’s such a warmth and love resonating from the man and reflected back by the audience that it seems like an almost spiritual reciprocation.
‘Mistreated’ is a song Hughes has never shied away from and last time we saw him in this very hall not six months ago he took up an acoustic and gave us a stunning solo rendition dedicated to the victims of the Manchester bombing attack. That performance during the ‘Music of Cream’ concert was breathtaking and tonight the full blown full band rendition shows an entirely different aspect to the song – it’s immense power. Glenn pats his heart and gestures to stage right at the songs conclusion and I look around and see the packed hall on its collective feet.
From then on in it’s an almost spiritual experience with Glenn’s vocals displaying so much power and equal delicacy, extended solos by Jeff getting us into a real groove and Doley’s keys going off too driven by the power of Engborg’s drums. It’s interesting to watch them all, and whilst Glenn stalks the stage and Kollman throws in some Blackmore-esque shapes, Engborg is sheer power and equal touch whilst an initially quite restrained Doley is now throwing himself around like an ‘over-lubricated’ Joe Cocker and still managing to hit all the notes!
During the show Glenn introduces the band one by one and lets them show off their chops – Doley takes a first solo that is part Carnival, part Mad-Sceintist, part Jon Lord and part sheer speed it’s a wonder to see the band jam around songs like ‘You Fool No One’ (from Side 2 of ‘Burn’) or stepping further into the future ‘This Time Around’ from ‘Come Taste the Band’ which Hughes tells us he wrote with Jon Lord around a piano at 3am. There’s a glorious eastern kick to the breakdown of the former song that underlies the hard driving bass and wailing guitar which mellows as the audience stills and you can still hear Glenn wail ten meters from the microphone before Kollman takes his huge solo from a scream to a slow blues that becomes ‘Holy Man’.
‘Holy Man’ sports all of Hughes condensed power and passion and adds a drum solo and yet another partial standing ovation. It’s a song Hughes tells us he’s not played in many decades. In a night of remembrances Tommy Bolin who died at just 25 years of age is remembered in the funky ‘Gettin’ Tighter’ which sees Glenn take an extended bass solo using notes most bassists have only heard of, it’s so funky you can almost hear vintage ‘Prince’ in the mix before it ends in a giant climax.
In an evening of beautifully shifting dynamics, that’s followed by more gentle fare as we get ‘You Keep on Moving’ a song written with David Coverdale and the final track from ‘Come Taste the band’ which Hughes tells us didn’t make either the ‘Burn’ or ‘Stormbringer’ albums. It’s a great song and I must admit one that I rarely play but tonight its slow atmospherics are captivating as you realise what you are witnessing here – there are so few singers that can captivate you with just a voice.
The set proper closes out with the Deep Purple classic ‘Smoke on the Water’ which of course predates Hughes’ time with Purple, but it only takes that fist line to knock any Ian Gillan take into orbit. As it closes Hughes breaks out into
Into ‘Georgia’ – those vocals should have sung gospel! It’s such a spiritual way to close the set and of course afterwards there’s yet another standing ovation.
We’re not kept too long waiting for the encores and they come in the shape of the muscular ‘Highway Star’ and ‘Burn’ which need no words to describe. The crowd is one their feet as one, the band gets a final introduction and Hughes thanks us for our love. You look around the room and you can feel it in every face.
I’ve not been moved by a concert as much as this is years, it reminds you of the sheer power of music as a positive force and makes you realise that music did once have the power to change the world. On nights like this you just might just let yourself believe that one day it might just do that again.
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