By Wayne Baggs
There are some bands you go see because you want to hear the songs you grew up with. Then there are bands like Deep Purple, where you go because you want to see if they can still deliver them live. On August 18 at Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre, the answer was a pretty definite yes.
The night started with Jefferson Starship and then Kansas, who brought their own piece of classic rock history to the stage. With songs like “Point of Know Return” and “Carry On Wayward Son,” they had the crowd singing along and were a solid fit for a night built around legendary bands. Then came Deep Purple.
Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover have been doing this for decades, but there was no sense that they were simply going through the motions. Paice remains an absolute powerhouse behind the kit, Glover held everything together, and Simon McBride added plenty of energy on guitar. Don Airey was also a highlight, bringing plenty of Jon Lord’s spirit to the keyboards without trying to simply copy him.
The big songs were there, of course. “Highway Star,” “Perfect Strangers,” “Space Truckin’” and, eventually, “Smoke on the Water” all got huge reactions. But what made the night work was the feeling that this was still a real band playing together rather than a nostalgia act checking off a list.
For a band that has been around since 1968, Deep Purple still sounds remarkably alive. Toronto got a good reminder that some of rock’s old guard still has plenty left in the tank. This wasn’t some band going through the motions because they have a bunch of old songs to play. Deep Purple still sounded like a band having a good time playing rock and roll.
And honestly, that’s pretty much all you can ask for.
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