Deep Purple / Mathews Southern Comfort / Chilliwack / Sundance / Steel River

Bill Mair Nov 29, 2024

July 7, 1971. Review as written by Jim Smith from The Hamilton Spectator.
"Any musician who can excite a crowd in a sauna bath must be doing something right. Last evening Deep Purple got the best response any legitimate rock act has ever received in Hamilton outside of McMaster. The English quintet had the audience screaming for more. And they did it for a sweltering crowd at the Forum. Rock music, as too many bands have been proving recently, can be a stultifying experience for an audience. To the rock musicians, the joy of music has been replaced by an intellectual exercise which may excite the musicians, who are always free to entertain themselves, but generally bores the audience. Deep Purple worked in its intellectual content. This is no bush-league act - its credentials include concerts with symphony orchestras - so its interests run a little farther afield than most rock groups.
So, in an 85-minute set the group dealt with only five numbers, which became themes on which elaborate structures were built. The musicians were able to play their own little solos. But there was always a sense of purpose to which the solos were constantly subject. And the purpose was strengthening the rock theme. That is the key; the group never forgot that it is a rock group. The focal point of the show was guitarist Ritchie Blackmore as he flailed about with his instrument. Blackmore threw his guitar between his legs, over his shoulder, and at one point even had it lying on the floor as he used his feet for picks. It was one of rock's epic phallic displays. By the end, strobe lights were accenting Blackmore's heroics and a Peter Townsend [sic] finale with a smashed guitar seemed inevitable. The destruction never came, though, for Blackmore had lost three guitars in transit to America and couldn't afford to lose another. The music came between Blackmore's gymnastics.
Deep Purple has mastered the art of building a song before dropping the volume in a crashing sweep - to a whisper. Time changes and interplay of riffs punctuate the basic theme. At one point, in one of the year's major understatements, singer Ian Gillan described Child In Time as 'Our slowest song. It's also our fastest song. We have a lot of speed changes in this.' Gillan proved to be an intriguing vocalist. Any singer who can imitate a siren going from its lowest to highest pitch must be given credit, at least for control. Perhaps that isn't great singing, but it is great showmanship. And in rock, singing takes a back seat to showmanship every time.
But the most impressive aspect of the Deep Purple performance was an apparent concern for the audience. Gillan asked several times for the audience indulgence while equipment was repaired. Every song was introduced and its meaning discussed. Gillan made the audience feel that it was as important to the show as was the group. The show was a collection of the best aspects of English rock. Someone said that The Who and Jimi Hendrix have done it better. Perhaps - but the difference is marginal and important only to the purists. Rock needs more acts like Deep Purple that are not afraid to borrow ideas from other performers. Of course, the Forum, which is rapidly becoming a favorite with local promoters, was close to unbearable. The heat and humidity were reminiscent of last summer's highlight, the Sly concert. There are 15 tiny windows in the Forum and not one had a breath of air. The promoters, Cymba of Toronto, had tried to tame the Forum's undesirable features. At least, and this is the first time for a local rock concert this year, there was a good sound system. The Forum proved to have too little power to run all the amplifiers Deep Purple wanted and there was only room for one spotlight, but that is an institutional problem that goes with the building. As a surprise gesture, the organizers even had chairs for the audience. All the city needs now is air-conditioning for its shows and some of those snide remarks about Hamilton concerts might end. But we won't find air-conditioning in the Forum." Jim Smith from The Hamilton Spectator