At the age of sixty-six, Glenn Hughes, paying tribute to his time in Deep Purple, is a revelation. An unstoppable force, Glenn’s recent run of work (including his stunning solo album, resonate; the depressingly short-lived California Breed project and, of course, Black Country Communion) has asserted his status as a living-legend in no uncertain terms, but it is still something special to see Glenn (for the first time ever) performing a set comprised entirely of Deep Purple material. For those who were there the first time round it’s proof of the remarkable fact that Glenn, already dubbed ‘the voice of rock’, has only improved as a vocalist over the years (something Glenn attributes to a life now free of addiction) whilst for those who missed out, it’s an opportunity, at long last, to see Glenn performing a selection of songs in which he originally had a hand writing.
However, before Glenn takes the stage, we have a set from Laurence Jones,an artist whose stage presence and fretwork continues to improve year on year since he first dazzled us whilst supporting Walter trout. Whilst new album The truth is a fine one, there are times when its production failed to match the blistering firepower Laurence can bring to bear on stage but, from the moment he goes into action, all guns blazing, Laurence wows the packed Leamington Spa Assembly. Sounding sublime, with presence and style, he plays like the ghost of Hendrix, evoking the great man directly with a rousing cover of All along the watchtower (cheekily interpolating the Rolling Stones’ Miss You along the way), that would leave most blues’ standard bearers gasping for air. Declaring that we’re here to rock, Laurence gets the audience juiced up with an epic Foolin’ me before closing things with a ferocious take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s evergreen Fortunate son. The applause is spontaneous and sustained and it’s fair to say that Laurence added a large number of the assembled throng to his fan-base.
And so to the main event. In 1973, a flagging Deep Purple (rocked by the loss of Gillan and Glover) set about recruiting Glenn Hughes (who had already made his name with Trapeze), and a relative unknown called David Coverdale to form what would become known as the Mk III line up. A touch uncertain about their future, you can almost feel the tension that led to the band unleashing the storming burn in 1974. It would not be long before Stormbringer would appear (also in 1974), only for Ritchie Blackmore to announce his departure. Hughes and Coverdale were far from done, however, and recruiting a young guitarist named Tommy Bolin, they came surging back with come taste the band. It is from these three albums that the night’s set-list is predominantly drawn… And what a set list! Understandably treading similar ground to Whitesnake’s purple album with mistreated, might just take your life and sail away (reclaimed, in all its funky glory, from the acoustic rendition Whitesnake deployed) all present and correct, Glenn nonetheless offers a few surprises over the course of the lengthy set, and his approach (drawing on live renditions as well as recorded versions) makes for a rousing, energetic show that pays tribute to the spirit of Deep Purple as much as it does to the music.
From the moment he bounds on stage, it is clear that the Glenn Hughes of 2018 is not only at peace with his past, but that he is also deeply in love with the present. The smile on his face as he throws shapes to the crowd is unmistakably genuine and his off-the-cuff stage remarks bear all the hallmarks of a man who is high on life, struggling to believe his good fortune in still being able to bring his music to so passionate a crowd. The interaction is amazing and the love that still remains for these songs palpable, as evidenced by the roof-raising cheer that greets a monstrous Stormbringer. From there it’s just mesmerising. The hard-rocking might just take your life is electrifying, only for the devastating funk of sail away to claim song of the night as Glenn rages away on a bass groove that sinks deep into the soul.
Then there’s the epic centrepiece of the show that sees you fool no one expanded exponentially, with other songs (and even instrumental solos) making their way into the mix before a reprise brings it all home some twenty minutes later. It’s a tour-de-force and Glenn attacks it with everything he’s got, his energy never once flagging despite the light, the heat and the intensity of his performance. This is hard rock delivered with all the passion we’ve come to expect from Glenn and when he asserts that music is a healer, who could possibly disagree? Reaching the end of the set we get the bluesy might of mistreated and, as a finale, a drawn-out smoke on the water (interpolating Georgia on my mind) which, for all its familiarity, still manages to feel fresh and unforced thanks to Glenn’s towering vocal performance.
Of course, an encore was inevitable, but the crowd still go crazy as they ask for one. Glenn does not disappoint. Taking to the stage bass-free, he grabs the mic to give a blistering rendition of Highway star. Once again, we can only marvel at how pristine Glenn’s voice sounds as he belts those impossibly high notes with power and precision. However, it’s the mighty burn that we’re waiting for and the night ends, far, far too soon, with an anthem that was destined to be a classic from the first moment it was pressed to wax. With the entire audience singing along, Glenn leads us through its blazing riffs, smiling hugely as the crowd help him out on vocals before leaving the stage for the final time, the audience awash in that warm glow that only comes from having attended a truly great gig.
Music, at its best, is a great leveller – something to which Glenn alludes throughout the night – and Glenn’s performance at Leamington Spa was one of those rare communal experiences where everyone from the front to the back of the venue felt like they were part of the show. Few artists can draw in their audiences in such a way and Glenn, who truly is on the vocal form of his life, is one of those few. A truly uplifting gig, Glenn’s recently-announced return visit cannot come soon enough.
