Due to my reviewer falling ill, I had to attend the show instead and this was to be my second time seeing Glenn Hughes celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic Deep Purple album ‘Burn’ in less than a week. My first show was at KK’s Steelmill last Saturday. Supported by the fabulous Canadian rockers, The Damn Truth, the whole tour has been a rock ‘n’ roll party and this was the final night. I arrived at the Manchester Academy just in time for The Damn Truth coming on and the venue was already packed.
Tonight was going to be epic!
The Damn Truth played a 45 minute set and they were on fire. I’ve seen this band five times now and they just seem to get better every time. A gorgeous display of guitars were on show tonight, the band all play ‘Bunting’ guitars and Tom had an extra special Gibson Les Paul 1971 Custom; the story of how he acquired it can be heard in my recent interview with the band.
Opening up with ‘This is Who We Are Now’, and featuring staple TDT songs ‘Lonely’, ‘Only Love’ and ‘Look Innocent’, the band thunder through their 45 minute slot. PY does his version of Hendrix, playing bass behind his head, Dave is hammering the kit and the dynamic between husband and wife Lee-La and Tom is electric!
Craig from Rock Today who has very kindly supplied the pictures for this review always says we should ‘check out the support bands when going to gigs…’ The Damn Truth are the very reason why that statement is a mantra to live by. They are absolutely fantastic and their show in Manchester was the best I’ve ever seen them!
After a short break Glenn Hughes and band arrive onstage with the opening chords to Stormbringer. ‘I love being at home’ he declares before launching into the song. What always strikes me about Glenn is the apparent ease at which he is able to hit those high notes, his voice is amazing and even after nearly a year of doing this show, and 50 years of singing these songs, he doesn’t seem to tire! Energy for days!
I have to mention Glenn’s band; drummer Ash Sheehan is outstanding and should a replacement for Ian Paice ever be required, this is your man. His drum solo mid way through the show was awe inspiring and he absolutely thundered through the set. Keys player Bob Fridzena really captured the essence of Jon Lorde and acclaimed guitarist Soren Anderson’s tone was incredible. There’s something special about a strat that you can’t quite put into words, but whatever it is, Soren Anderson has it!
Glenn spends time in between songs chatting to the crowd and recounting stories about recording the album. You get a tiny insight into what it was like back then, recording with Blackmore, being around Jon Lorde, I could listen to him tell these stories for hours. He keeps telling the audience how great it is to be home, despite living in LA now, he is a proud Englishman hailing from Staffordshire and he’s never forgotten where his roots are. He fills the room with love and we in the crowd adore him.
Mistreated came towards the end of the set and is the show highlight for me. Glenn’s voice, the power of the band, wow, it was absolutely phenomenal. Soren’s guitar intro blew my mind and then as the main song kicked in, my god, those screams! Amazing!
Watching this show, even for a second time, I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing. The finale comes around far too quickly, the intro riff to Highway Star kicks in, Glenn’s bass being played by his manager Jimmy which is a rare opportunity for us to see Glenn just being the frontman and he owns the stage! He is well and truly strutting his stuff! Slightly slower and bluesier than the original this is a real crowd pleaser that thunders along!
‘Burn’ follows and again it’s amazing! Possibly Glenn’s signature song, the crowd absolutely LOVED it. Band and audience were having great time. What a celebration of a super era of music. Glenn’s dedication to keeping the legacy of Mk. 3 Purple alive has to be applauded and who knows what the future holds for this material. One thing’s for sure, Glenn Will keep ‘Burning’ the torch for the fans of Mk. 3 for a long time to come!
What a night of rock and roll! This is a show not to be missed and if you have a chance to see it, you really must. Glenn is headlining the Sunday night at Planet Rockstock and if you’ve not seen it on this run, get on down to Trecco Bay, you won’t regret it!
