New York City was rocked hard and heavy on Leap Day by none other than the infamous Deep Purple at the Beacon Theater on Sunday, February 29, 2004. The audience was up on their feet for the entire performance, which kicked off with "Silver Tongue", a thrusting rocker off the new album.

     Deep Purple founders vocalist Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, and drummer Ian Pace produced the band's signature sound with keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Steve Morse on tour to support their 2003 release Bananas and commemorate the band's 25th anniversary.

     "I Got Your Number", a humorous new rocker, was one of four the band delivered in concert. Gillan and Morse traded vocal lyrics and guitar licks during a tough run through "Strange Kind Of Woman". Gillan hollered, "Hello, don't jump!" , as a comical greeting to the D.P. fans upstairs in the balcony section.

     Deep Purple hammered out "Knocking At Your Backdoor". With a thumping intro, the song featured the band's recognizable full-impact sound. Gillan provided an introduction for "Contact Lost", an instrumental inspired by the tragic loss of the Columbia Shuttle in 2003. Airey's subtle synthesizer supported Morse's soaring lead guitar work, which segued into a galloping tempo.

     Another instrumental, "The Well Dressed Guitar", highlighted Morse's stunning guitar style. Next, the group departed stage, allowing Airey to shine during his solo moment on "Keys", a selection of keyboard pieces. "Perfect Stranger" was a monstrous rocker aided by strobe lighting and spotlights.

     Video projected images accompanied "Highway Star" with a collage of photographs identifying the years 1972 through 2004. Glover and Morse swung their instruments in unison and strutted on stage together in time, inciting audience response.

NYC setlist: Silver Tongue * Woman From Tokyo * I Got Your Number * Strange Kind Of Woman * Bananas * Knocking At Your Backdoor * Contact Lost * The Well Dressed Guitar * Keys * Perfect Stranger * Highway Star * Maybe I'm A Leo * Picture Of Home * Never Before * When A Blind Man Cries * Space Truckin¹ * Lazy * Smoke On The Water * Encore: Speed King * Hush

RockonTour   Issue #30
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Leap Day with Deep Purple
Celebrating a Quarter Century of Rock'n Roll excess

by Timothy Tilghman