![Front and center: Deep Purple singer knows how to connect with fans]( "Front and center: Deep Purple singer knows how to connect with fans")
Front and center: Deep Purple singer knows how to connect with fans
Asbury Park Press 8/13/04
It's tough when a hero lets you down.
It happened to Ian Gillan once, during his boyhood. But the Deep Purple singer took a lesson from the experience -- one he has applied to his performances throughout his career.
Recalls the England native, 58: "When I was a kid in my formative years dying to be a blues singer and a rock 'n' roll singer in my little garage bands, I used to watch a guy called Cliff Bennett with a band called the Rebel Rousers. He was one of my local heroes.
"I used to stand right at the front of the stage. I wanted to actually climb on the stage and be where he was standing. Not to be the singer in the band, but just to sort of be in the middle of it.
"And Cliff, although he was a great, great vocalist -- still is, in fact -- he was a very poor communicator. And everyone in the audience, we just had this little thing: 'Please, Cliff, just look at me once!' "
Ever since, Gillan has kept audience contact uppermost in mind during shows.
"I think probably from those days," Gillan says with a laugh, "I always realized that it was incumbent upon the front guy, even if nobody else in the band did it, to make sure the audience was actually up there on the stage with the band. That, to me, is more important than anything.
"If you're lucky enough to be working with such amazing musicians and having that incredible vibe, it would be seriously selfish not to share it with everyone, wouldn't it?"
Deep Purple members (from left) Roger Glover, Don Airey, Ian Gillan, Steve Morse and Ian Paice. The band is scheduled to perform at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Wednesday.
Deep Purple formed in 1968; Gillan joined a year later. In 1972, the band recorded its most famous song, "Smoke on the Water." There have been many personnel twists and turns through the years, but Gillan, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice remain from the "Smoke on the Water" days. Guitarist Steve Morse joined about 12 years ago.
Which brings us to the latest member to join the band: keyboardist Don Airey, who replaced founding keyboardist Jon Lord two years ago (though Airey had played on and off with the band prior to that).
With hundreds of shows and a studio album (last year's "Bananas") under his belt, Airey is now a solid member of the band. But Gillan recalls that Lord had to do a bit of soul-searching before calling it quits.
"It was a difficult decision for him to make," the singer says, "because, you know, he's part of the family.
"However, Don had been with us for quite a while, because he'd been stepping in for Jon. For example, when Jon wasn't able to make the European tour, Don did the whole of that tour with us. He'd also done Russia, the Far East. He'd been with the band for quite a while.
"Plus, we'd all known Don for a long time. He was with Rainbow, he was with Ozzy (Osbourne) -- that sort of thing. So we were all very familiar with him."
Adding to Airey's Purple-worthiness is the fact that he is a longtime fan of the band.
"He's obviously very familiar -- as was Steve Morse when he joined the band -- with Purple," Gillan says. "He's grown up knowing what the Purple material is. It's stuck in his mind. So he plays it almost as if it's second nature. The difference (between Airey and Lord), really, is the improvisation."
Finally, there are the simple benefits that come with new blood, Gillan says.
"Like anything -- although it was sad to see Jon go -- there is an element of revitalization when you get somebody new in the family," the singer says.
"It just adds that edge and that element, which is so important to us. For example, the improvisation features and things like that. It's great. When you're working with somebody new, the challenge is fresh.
"So the band is very fresh. We're all very excited."
