Deep Purple — Come Hell or High Water
Recorded November 9, 1993
NEC Arena · Birmingham · 
England
Setlist
Wrong timestamp?
“To see the Mark II lineup in Birmingham, eight days before Blackmore's exit as a member.”
Context
On November 9, 1993, Deep Purple's 25th anniversary celebration reaches the NEC in Birmingham with an open wound. Ian Gillan had returned, and the Mark II lineup had gone back into the studio for The Battle Rages On... On stage, though, the reunion already lives alongside Ritchie Blackmore's imminent exit.
Highway Star starts without the guitarist, angry about the cameras on stage. Blackmore comes in for the solo and throws water at a cameraman. The concert moves between recent songs, like Anya and Talk About Love, and pillars like Child in Time. Jon Lord and Ian Paice also get room for their solos.
Eight days later, Helsinki ends Blackmore's time as a member of the band. Joe Satriani takes over guitar for the following dates. The Birmingham night gets a VHS release in 1994 and later a DVD, with interviews with the other four musicians between songs. The film preserves the reunion and the rupture on the same stage.
- Highway Star starts without guitar and turns the clash with the cameras into part of the film.
Lineup at this show
The lineup of this performance — not necessarily the current one.
- Ian GillanVocals
- Ritchie BlackmoreGuitar
- Roger GloverBass
- Jon LordOrgan and keyboards
- Ian PaiceDrums
Trivia
Blackmore plays with an ankle injury.
The interviews intercut with the concert include every member except Blackmore.
The CD of the same name mainly uses recordings from Stuttgart; Anyone's Daughter comes from Birmingham.
You might also like…
More Hard Rock, from around 1993
BroadcastLiving Colour
1993·Pinkpop 1993
Tour of Stain (1993)
BroadcastLenny Kravitz
1993·Pinkpop 1993
Album Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993)
BroadcastThe Black Crowes
1993·Pinkpop 1993
Tour of The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)
BootlegSavatage
1993·Live in Chicago
Tour of Edge of Thorns (1993)
BroadcastSoundgarden
1992·Pinkpop 1992
Tour of Badmotorfinger (1991)
BroadcastKISS
1994·Pacaembu — São Paulo 1994
Era of Revenge (1992)
BroadcastThe Cult
1992·Pinkpop 1992
Tour of Ceremony (1991)
BroadcastGotthard
1994·Live in Munich
Tour of Dial Hard (1994)
Gotthard
1994·Live in Stuttgart
Tour of Dial Hard (1994)
BroadcastAerosmith
1994·Woodstock 1994
Tour of Get a Grip (1993)
BroadcastUrban Dance Squad
1994·Pinkpop 1994
Album Persona Non Grata (1994)
BroadcastHelloween
1992·Live in Cologne
Tour of Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)
BroadcastAngra
1994·Live in São Paulo
Tour of Angels Cry (1993)
BroadcastSepultura
1994·Sonoria Festival 1994
Tour of Chaos A.D. (1993)
BootlegSavatage
1994·Live in Minneapolis
Tour of Handful of Rain (1994)
Official releaseMotörhead
1991·Everything Louder Than Everything Else
Album 1916 (1991)
BroadcastSlash's Snakepit
1995·Pinkpop 1995
Tour of It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (1995)
BroadcastRollins Band
1995·Pinkpop 1995
Album Weight (1994)
BroadcastThe Rolling Stones
1995·Hollywood Rock 1995
Tour of Voodoo Lounge (1994)
BroadcastFaith No More
1995·Pinkpop 1995
Tour of King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime (1995)
