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Rating: Very well, I am about to review a concert for the first time, and above all, I will do it spontaneously, still fresh from the emotions and disbelief from last night's show.
I wasn't even supposed to be at that concert of the legend Ian Paice and the Italian tribute band to Deep Purple "Forever Deep", but thanks to someone's favor, I managed to snag one of the very last tickets.
After a long and spasmodic wait (I was also quite early), the members of the group are finally introduced, and after the open applause for the entrance of the star of the evening (and what a star, folks), everyone takes their seats to start this great concert.
I don't remember the order of the songs well, but one thing is sure: Forever Deep excellently reprised the same tracklist of the legendary Made in Japan (although the tracklist was not played in the same order), with very appreciated additions of "Stormbringer", "Burn", and "Black Night."
I do recall very well the notes that opened the evening: the light rolls of Paice accompanying the sound curtain consisting of a repeated palm muting riff well supported by the bass and keyboards could only herald the splendid "Highway Star", an excellent start to energize an audience already euphoric for the presence of the only remaining member of the historic English lineup. And it is already from this song that you can notice the extraordinary talent of the various musicians present on stage: the guitar has an incredibly similar sound to the legendary Blackmore, but the one playing it is a true wizard of the six strings, capable of improvising in the style of the famous English guitarist, combining an extraordinary technique with a lethal flair; the bassist handles the tension perfectly by playing with energy and providing a solid foundation to the group's rhythm, but the icing on the cake, in my opinion, is the magnificent work done by the keyboardist, forging not only atmospheres worthy of the famous English quintet but also extraordinary melodies and solos, both in terms of difficulty of execution and taste. Only the singer is somehow lacking, in my opinion the least inspired of the group; he doesn't lack the voice, as he demonstrates in pieces like "Child in Time" and "Burn", but his strongly high-pitched tone understandably suffers during the calmer moments. Less inspired, however, doesn't mean not worthy of taking the stage of the evening: his performance in "Child in Time", where anyone would obviously have expected the ear-splitting screams, remains extraordinary. And in the meantime, Paice continues his stunning work behind the drums, with his legendary rolls and jazz-influenced rhythms with ride and hi-hat.
The evening continues along these lines... next, it's time for pieces like "Space Truckin'", "Lazy", "Strange Kind of Woman", "Burn", "Stormbringer", and obviously "The Mule", which gives way to a solo that would leave even the most insensitive listener moved. During these five minutes, Paice displays all of his class, his technique, and his creativity with inhuman rolls (even performed with one hand), counter-groove that could tangle limbs and breathtaking energetic fills.
The evening concludes with two great pieces, exactly those I expected after such a concert: the splendid "Black Night" and that rock manifesto of "Smoke on the Water", with a slightly extended solo and an ever-dramatic closing. We also remember the entry of the Forever Deep's drummer, who indulges in a challenge with the Supreme and will then play together with him precisely in the last two songs.
What else to say about such a show? I heard very few mistakes, and besides the fact that I care very little about this, knowing they're playing in front of more than 400 people with Mr. Ian Paice behind the drums is more than allowed. I want to reward this group with the highest score because it was truly an outstanding performance, and above all, incredibly thinking about it, Ian Paice NEVER rehearsed any song with them before the concert.
Oh, I'll conclude by leaving space for a small, great satisfaction: thanks to the help of a very dear person, I managed to obtain a memory of this evening much more precious than the flyer distributed during the concert itself... I went home with a photo together with the legendary drummer and with his autograph in the Made in Japan booklet, right there, in his Ludwig drum photo...
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