Review: Deep Purple - Live In London 2002 (2021)

Definitely an important concert for Deep Purple, recorded at The Hammersmith Apollo, which is next to where I was living a couple of years ago. Not sure if you need this information but we can keep going talking about this release, recorded when I wasn't even in London yet (again, sorry).

As I was writing on the very first line, Live In London 2002 was a special show (previously unreleased) for Deep Purple: It was the very last full concert with Jon Lord on Keyboards before Don Airey joined the band. Apart from the mentioned drummer, the band is formed by Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Ian Paice and Ian Gillan. This live album celebrates the Mark VII line-up with an impressive setlist featuring worldwide hits, not-so-famous songs and improvisations. The audio of the full show was restored only recently, in April 2021, to make us live again that show.

Gillan was not in great shape because of a virus making round through the band and that night was his turn and you notice immediately with the opener Woman from Tokyo. We were talking about Jon Lord: the intro for Lazy is totally his trademark and the song is always a pleasure to listen to with a spectacular Steve Morse (who will have "his moments" on The well-dressed guitar and with Steve Morse's riff parade, later on, including riffs from American Woman, We won't get fooled again, Sweet home Alabama, Vodoo Chile, Here comes the sun and solo from Stairway to Heaven as well accompanied by the band). The band extended the instrumental moments to help Ian Gillan with the performance. Very interesting in this sense is the beginning of Black night, one of the band's classics.

Speaking of classics, you can find them at bottom of the setlist: Perfect strangers, Smoke on the water, a 15 minute long Speed king and the closing Hush, that Gillan presented like a song they recorded 100 years ago.

A live album maybe released for fans only but Deep Purple is always a pleasure for anyone.

Tracklist:
Woman from Tokyo
Ted the mechanic
Mary Long
Lazy
No one came
The aviator
The well-dressed guitar
Up the wall
Black night
Fools
Jon lord’s key solo
Perfect strangers
Steve Morse’s riff parade
Smoke on the water
Speed king
Hush