Classic Rock
See Ritchie Blackmore playing with Deep Purple after 33 years
After 33 years, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore finally reunited with Deep Purple. He joined them on stage in Wantagh, New York, last Wednesday, August 12, and played “Smoke on the Water.” The 81-year-old musician had revealed the reunion on social media one day earlier, saying that he had reached out to singer Ian Gillan and asked if he could play with them, since the show was close to where he lives on Long Island.
The band is currently promoting their latest album “Splat!”, their 10th, since Ritchie left in 1993. The current line-up has Ian Gillan (Vocals), Ian Paice (Drums), Roger Glover (Bass), Don Airey (Keyboards) and Simon McBride (Guitar).
See Ritchie Blackmore playing with Deep Purple after 33 years
Setlist
- Highway Star
- A Bit on the Side
- Into the Fire
- Guitar Solo
- Arrogant Boy
- Lazy Sod
- Keyboard Solo
- Lazy
- When a Blind Man Cries
- Diablo
- Keyboard Solo (w/ “Toccata & Fugue”, “Mr. Crowley”, “Ode to Joy”, “Weiss Heim”, Solfigietto” & “New York New York”)
- Perfect Strangers
- Space Truckin’
- Smoke on the Water (with Ritchie Blackmore)
- Guinnesis
- Hush (Joe South cover) (with Ian Gillan “Goodnight Irene” vocal segment during goodbyes)
What Ritchie Blackmore previously said about the reunion
Ritchie Blackmore revealed during a live stream that he would play one song with Deep Purple at their show (August 12) in the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York! The last time he played with them was in 1993. He said: “There is something we wanted to mention about tomorrow night. Well, it is a secret and I don’t want anybody to know, but I’m probably get up and do an encore with the band. But you can’t tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret. And will it? I suppose so.”
“I actually called up… I didn’t call him up, I sent my A.I. pigeon to Ian Gillan in Portugal, where he lives at the moment. And I said, ‘How would you feel about if I got up just for an encore? Just one of the songs. I don’t want to intrude.'”
“And I said, ‘No pressure just kind of [for] old times’ sake.’ I’m 81 now. So he seemed to love the idea, put it to the band, got a thumbs up, and it looks like we might be doing that.”
And I said, ‘No pressure just kind of [for] old times’ sake.’ I’m 81 now. So he seemed to love the idea, put it to the band, got a thumbs up, and it looks like we might be doing that.”
“It’ll be good to see the old guys again. I think we’ll all be on crutches and wheelchairs and things, although I think the rest of them are okay. But, yes, it’s kind of frightening. I haven’t played rock in 25 years… I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years, and at first I was very uncomfortable playing it, but I got used to it, and now I’m used to playing the acoustic more so than the electric,” he said.
