In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, DARK PURPLE Singer Ian Gillan mentioned the name of the band’s upcoming tour with YES, “=1 More Time”When asked how close the end of the road is – and perhaps DARK VIOLET — feels for him, the singer, who turns 79 next week, replied: “Well, you know what?! I only recently heard someone mention (the name of the tour). I had never heard that before. I’ve never spoken to anyone about it. Nobody asked me. That’s nonsense. (Laughs) That is not the name of the tour. I think the tour is called ‘Unleashed’. Not that it matters; it is a DARK PURPLE Tour and we’re happy and whatever. But to answer your question: it is what it is. As soon as you feel like you’re not able to deliver at that level anymore – of course you adapt, of course you adjust and make the best of it. But when the energy level drops, it’s time to stop because then it gets embarrassing and nobody wants that. But so far everything’s good. I think that’s a much better title than what you just said. (Laughs)”
Last December, DARK PURPLE drummer Ian Paicewho turned 76 in June, was asked by zoom when he and his bandmates will eventually retire from live performances. He replied: “We never planned a date when we would stop working. We Are Realists. The boys are getting older and there will come a point where maybe one or two of us will no longer want not doing it anymore or it’s not physically possible for them to do it. But we don’t think about that. We still have a lot of fun. A lot of people still enjoy what we do and as long as those two things stay in balance, we’ll keep going.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know what the last show is, what the last tour is,” he continued. “I think it’s going to come and just smack us in the face. Unless there’s a concrete plan to do something as a final goodbye, which there isn’t, we’ll just say, ‘Sorry, guys. We’re done. We can’t go on anymore. It’s been wonderful.’ But even then, I think if we stopped touring, there’s no reason we couldn’t make more records. That’s the easiest thing in the world. All You just have to have the ideas. That is the hardest There’s nothing better in the world. But physically recording a record is easy.”
Peace added: “Touring only works if you enjoy it. You can’t just enjoy the two hours a night that you play. You have to deal with the whole thing. You have to deal with a ten-hour flight, a hotel that isn’t perfect, transportation where something goes wrong. You have to deal with all of that. And if you can do that and still enjoy it, why would you stop doing something that you did as a kid because it made you happy? And if it still makes you happy, why would you stop doing it?”
Peace‘S PURPLE Bandmate Roger Glover expressed a similar opinion about the band’s last tour in a June 2023 interview with Rock Hard Greece. The bassist, who turned 78 last November, said: “I don’t like the idea of announcing the last show: ‘And here they are. This is their last show.’ I mean, the stress involved would be ridiculous. Where would it be? When would it be? For me, the ideal ending for PURPLE is we’re just going to keep going until it stops. No announcement. We’re not going to announce, “This is the last time.” People would buy tickets and say, “Oh, this is the last time.” That’s the way to make money. It’s not very good. I’ve never liked it. I’d rather go and play and play and play and play, and if one day something happens and one of us drops dead or gets really sick or whatever, (we’ll say), “Well, that’s it.” And we’ll leave it at that.”
In 2022 DARK PURPLE Keyboarder Don Aireywho turned 76 in June, said Rolling Stone Magazine that there is no concrete plan for him and his DARK PURPLE Bandmates should stop playing live shows.
“We started the farewell tour in 2017. It was supposed to end in 2019,” he noted. “But the thing is, when you’re a musician in a band, you think you’re in control, but you’re not. The business dictates you.”
“Of course, the demand from promoters and agents that the band should continue was so great that we said: ‘Okay, we’ll do another year.'”
If he thinks DARK PURPLE will finally give up, Don said: “The words of TS Eliot (the greatest English-language poet of his generation) springs to mind: “This is how the band ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.” I don’t think we’ll know it’s the last concert. We’ll have no idea it’s the last. This is how it’ll end. There won’t be any big scenario.
“I like what buddy guy he said. He said, “Musicians don’t retire. They stop. You do think about being in the garden with the grandchildren bouncing on your knees, but playing and touring is part of the bloodstream. It’s an addiction. I hope I keep playing for a while.”
In July 2022, guitarist Steve Morse officially leave PURPLE to care for his wife, Janinewho is fighting cancer. He has since been replaced by Simon McBride.
DARK PURPLEthe latest album, “=1”was released on 19 July via Ear music.
Photo credit: Jim Rocket
