Old Purple to rock the Shore

By GRAHAM REID

Given their notorious volume and advanced years (singer Ian Gillan is 60 next year) they are taking a chance billing their tour as "Up Close and Personal".

But hard rock heroes Deep Purple have never shied away from being in your face.

They return here with Gillan, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice as the longest-serving members of the line-up, with former Ozzy Osbourne sideman Don Airey on keyboards.

Purple's is a convoluted take of departures, arrivals, reformations and litigation, but hats off to them, they virtually created hard rock.

Smoke on the Water is a classic song (and guitar shop owners' nightmare); albums such as Deep Purple in Rock, and Fireball and Machine Head from the early 70s caused large buildings to tumble; and despite the line-up changes they were always just Deep Purple - even without seminal guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.

Their career started in 1968 but it wasn't until they turned up the volume and left pop behind in a cannon-fire of bass, drums and Blackmore's guitar duelling with the keyboards of founder-member Jon Lord, did they make their name.

And quite a name it has become: they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Their name shall live forever, and the ringing in your ears happens at the North Shore Events Centre on Friday, April 30. Tickets are on sale now.