Circumstances. You can’t smell them, touch or see them, but we all have them. We sink or swim with them. Mine have been rather chaotic of late; the recent Deep Purple Mediterranean Tour not-so-neatly coincided with family commitments and I found myself in somewhat of a quandary – should I stay or should I go? My girlfriend Myriam was about to give birth to our second child and I needed to be there.
I am deeply shocked and saddened about Gary’s passing. He was truly one of the great guitarists, had a huge talent, and was a musical force beyond par. I am a fan.
My heartfelt condolences go to his family, friends, and fans all over the world.
RG
Yet another story about the road, I hear you say. Is this guy obsessed or what? I suppose I am. The thing is, there will always be road stories because the road goes on forever. It’s not a place – it’s a way of life. It’s not a destination – it’s a journey, an odyssey, a means of discovery. You don’t ever really want to reach the end of it because then it’s all over.
One of the things that intrigues me about rock concerts – everyone afterwards has a different story to tell. Did the band suck? Weren’t they fantastic? They didn’t play the favourite song, the bass player’s cute, the sound was awful, the drummer rocked, they’re not as good as they used to be… the best band in the world!
Every single person in the room, be it a club or an arena, has had an adventure just getting there; the missed train, the last minute babysitter, meeting old friends, the weather, the broken-down car, the lucky parking, the lousy meal, the great seats, who’s got the tickets?
Tony was the driving force of Deep Purple’s management in the early days. My first impressions of him when I joined the band in July 1969 – a man of ideas, an intellect, a man of taste, a man of action. I remember him rubbing his hands together with enthusiasm and saying, “Now what can we achieve today?” He was the kind of man who could think of something and then turn it into reality with his drive and passion.