Deep Purple

You look at the poster and, if you live in the Marche region, you can't help but smile somewhere between disbelief and amusement: Deep Purple, a rock band you could count among the greatest in history on one hand, are about to play in a tiny town in the Fermo hinterland, on a stage about as big as half its historic centre. And this is where the jokes from those well-versed in the Marche region could start, a destination very popular among well-off British retirees.

And yet, in Servigliano, at least seven thousand people were willing to defy the stereotype of ruins sought out by people looking for somewhere to spend the winter. Numbers that would be enough to get excited about, both considering the destination isn't exactly well connected by motorway or rail links, and because of the storm that had shifted the date at the last second from a convenient Friday to a risky Monday night.

What to expect from a show like this? The opening one-two punch of "Highway Star" and "Bloodsucker" (from the album, our milestone pick, "In Rock") amid the crowd's uncontainable enthusiasm was easily predictable, with the huge stage lighting up the Parco della Pace, once a grim concentration camp that bore witness to two wars. Equally predictable were Ian Gillan's early struggles, far more dynamic on stage than his ailing vocal cords. But before despair could set in among the crowd, the sprightly frontman starts to warm up and settles — through old-fox tricks and a bit of digital help — into a more than decent level.

That's how we can finally enjoy the show and notice how much Ian Paice has already shaken off the stroke that struck him just a few weeks ago, in this cursed 2016. Perhaps that's why, at the end of the show, he'll be the only one left out of the solo-sharing, an indispensable feature that Deep Purple reserve for the most rock-hungry souls: particularly effective is Don Airey's contribution, which effectively launches an energetic "Perfect Strangers", likely the peak of the show.

There's no shortage of tracks from the latest "Now What?!", which, besides not feeling out of place in the setlist, is probably arranged strategically to let the charismatic frontman catch his breath on peaks far better suited to his current vocal range. Worth noting is the metal moment of "Vincent Price", dark and doomy, set against a backdrop of skulls and purple lights.

Steve Morse in particular is the star of the evening, a true crowd-rouser and tireless guitar hero who sets the crowd ablaze with riff after riff, every bit the adopted leader of the legend. The crowd is only waiting for the big classics, and there are plenty to go around: "Lazy", "Space Truckin'", "Smoke On The Water" and the closer "Black Night" leave everyone present with a goofy grin.

It's the triumph of nostalgia, but did anyone there honestly expect something different? Beyond any other consideration, the night in Servigliano is, for the Marche region, a phenomenon that goes well beyond its musical side: you look around and find people of every kind and every age, from curious kids dragged along by nostalgic parents to those who simply wanted to be part of a historic event for the community; perhaps some of them will walk across that field again only for a Sunday stroll.

In conclusion, Deep Purple's golden years may be long gone, but they can still honour their name, and the locals will remember this night forever. After all, that's the only thing that matters.

Photo contributions courtesy of Angelo D'Aloisio

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