DEEP PURPLE Guitarist STEVE MORSE

DEEP PURPLE Guitarist STEVE MORSE Hangin' With THIN LIZZY And STYX

DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse (THE STEVE MORSE BAND, DIXIE DREGS) has issued the following update:

"A few days ago we traveled from Luxembourg to Finland. It was about 3.5 hours in our chartered turboprop. This plane and crew have made the traveling portion of this tour a pleasure. I got a little seat time in the front office, too, which reminds me of the alternate life that I miss when I travel: the civilian pilot. Today will be our last flight with this charter company, and I'm right now looking out at the carpet of solid clouds just underneath us. It is more interesting to look at than any TV show, and allows my mind to wander and appreciate the freedom of those moments in the sky, even as a passenger. Although, on a commercial flight with somebody telling you to turn off your computer, put your table up, move your seat, fill out this landing card, etc, and no elbow room, you don't quite get the same blissful feeling looking out the window. Our captain, Thomas, prepared a little table of champagne and caviar right in front of the boarding steps as we walked out to the plane. Stuff like this doesn't normally happen, by the way. Champagne? Okay, I'm not flying myself, so I'll have a taste. Caviar? I find one solitary cracker that doesn't have fish eggs on it and quickly devour it. We raise our glasses in a toast to the Captain, take a group picture, then everything is cleared away as we clamber aboard. Everybody loves this guy!

I have to tell you this story, and I'm not sure if I have before, so bear with me. While we were on a chartered jet to a benefit concert some time ago, I was reminded of how different it feels to not get the typical passenger treatment, as our normal airline travel involves. This particular jet was being offered to us at a big discount since we were doing a charity show, so it even came with a flight attendant and some catering. During the flight, Ian Paice (drums) and I had our computers out, with GPS antennas and different software running, both of us amazed at the speed and altitude displays on our computers during this flight. When we started to descend, the flight attendant got on the P.A. and said something like the usual 'please turn off your computers, fasten your seatbelts, etc.' Nobody has to remind me to fasten my seat belt when an aircraft is getting ready to meet the ground, but I have never understood the part about turning off the computers, or restrictions on GPS, etc. The flight attendant collected some coffee cups from the pilots, (who I had chatted with before the flight), and came back in the cabin. She said with a little embarrassment, 'They told me you're a pilot, so you know it doesn't matter if you leave your computers on. I'm supposed to make that announcement every flight, though, sorry!' I guess it makes most travelers feel like they're in the best hands if the smaller jet restricts their activities the same as the scheduled carriers do. Indeed, as a pilot, I have seen laptops on top of avionics stacks, on top of glare-shields in the cockpit, and in every case, the computers are giving the pilots more information and making the flight safer, without any bad effects on the radios. (For the record, I'm aware that any electronic device, especially those with a clocking chip, will emit some RF, it just isn't a problem in any plane fit to fly, IMHO).

Last night was our last gig with THIN LIZZY for a while. They have been so easy to work with. They have all been in so many different bands, tours, etc., that they know exactly what to do, and they do it very well. Actually, we had a similarly good result with having STYX on the tour for the UK portion, also. Everybody is American, (or Canadian) and we could instantly relate, hang out and discuss life at home and on the road with similarly common experiences. Tommy Shaw, from Styx and DAMN YANKEES, sat in on 'Smoke....' and blew everyone away with his relaxed command of the instrument and effortless vocal harmony. I do try to explain some of these great things about the tour in order to give a glimpse of the upside of this career. Of course, there are those interminable days spent in the hotel room (travel day, or day off) that have cropped up on this tour leg that are indescribable in a totally different direction.....for someone who really treasures time at home as well. But when we're working, we're working well, and playing together well, it seems. This, to me, seems like an especially good period for the band. We're able to play as a group without any labor involved, just having fun onstage. That is the real reason I started playing in the first place, and it is still that much fun to go up and play every night. That's why I wish there was a show every day, without those days off to spend wishing you were at home with the family or doing what you've practiced and trained to do. But, that's the reality of the music business, and in fact, any business. Things don't line up perfectly, and you get what you get.

The audiences have been surprisingly good. In fact, we probably had our best ever show in London since I came in the band. I was super glad for my British brethren in the band, to see the group do so well near their hometowns. My first tour of the UK was memorable for a couple instances of disgruntled fans, (have you ever heard of a 'gruntled' fan?). A few rude comments in some quiet moments, and a couple of flying beers.....(at least they weren't cold beers) marked some of the low points of that first tour for me. Over the years, those people stopped buying tickets, and lots more music lovers took their place. Which brings us to a pretty nice place. The audiences range in age from very young, to teenagers, to people our age, (older than teenagers, I guess). Many times during this tour, Ian G and I have looked at each other and agreed that we can't ever remember an audience like that, in (fill in the name of the city), ever. Thanks for making it that way!"

DEEP PURPLE Guitarist Steve Morse Comments On Rumors Of VANILLA FUDGE NYC Reunion Show

DEEP PURPLE Guitarist Steve Morse has issued the following update:

"Yes, it's been a long time since I posted something, and I apologize for that. Time has definitely been accelerating at a frantic pace since this summer began. Anyway, the tour is already been going here in the USA.

It all started in Atlanta, Georgia, which was the home base for the Dregs for many years, and a place where I have friends from way back. A very nice venue, the Chastain Amphitheater, good weather, and an extremely low Decibel limit made it a very strange gig. When I was a kid, I went there to see Cream, and they didn't seem very low volume, but times change. So the big thing was that our sound man couldn't balance everything because the stage volume was still significant. We had turned down the bass control on my amp, unplugged the top guitar cabs, and blanketed the bottom ones to try and give the soundman some room. By the way, if you're ever at a concert and think it's too loud or soft, or too much this or that, try to walk by the soundman's position and have a listen from there... usually sounds very good, since that's where the soundman hears it, of course. I'm still in favor of everybody in the audience having their own iPod size device to make their own mix, though. I got to fly to some gigs in my own machine, since the first gigs were in the neighborhood. Every day we had these lines of thunderstorms to deal with, and to this day, they have not let up for one single day, after a long drought. The grass should look good (6 feet tall) by the time I get to mow it.

One of the big highlights was having my son travel with me for those shows, too. He and his friends have an enthusiasm for music that is incredible, partly because they all play in a band. In Pompano, Kevin came up and joined us for 'Smoke...' along with Mark Stein, the singer/keyboardist from Vanilla Fudge. Kev was playing great, moving around the stage, smiling,, and I had an even better time watching him shred with such energy. My son, the guitarist, won't even let me say one word when he plays me one of his instrumental ideas, so that nobody could say that he got help from me. In fact, he won't let me suggest anything to play in a solo, either. I do get to give him advice on theory, technique, stuff like that, though. Mark Stein was a very nice guy, and the rumor is that he is getting VANILLA FUDGE back together for our NYC show, but you didn't hear that from me. I can't wait to hear him sing again. I have to let people know, also, how incredible Edgar Winter was on those Florida shows. He was absolutely musical, had a great band, and simply loves music. He and his guitarist, Doug, sat in with us in Clearwater and blew us away with an amazing saxophone solo. Edgar is one of those guys that breathes music, and can't help but make anything sound good! Very impressive also, was how Doug could really solo, but layed back and provided musical support during some solo exchanges that were happening, even though he is a very capable player himself. That ability to play what fits is what makes a good player great.

Ted Nugent has been a hero to me for decades upon decades. So, we played an outdoor show in Canada with his group, as well as Honeymoon Suite and Nazareth. All the guys I talked to, including Ted, were very nice and had so much experience between them, it was amazing. I used to listen to Ted play with the Amboy Dukes when I was a kid living in Michigan, where he is from. He always has the most incredible amount of energy for anybody of any age, let alone the fact he's been around for a while. Nice fat tone on that Byrdland guitar, too, same guitar he's always used, I think. While I was talking to him in his dressing room, I realized that my picks that are normally on the pick holder of my guitar had been looted, so he graciously gave me a couple of his. Good way to add to your pick collection, right?

Last night was in the Detroit, Michigan area. Since most of my family originally came from here, (well, lots of places, all the way back to the Mayflower), I got to see many of my relatives and the audience was really ready to rock. Thank you, Motor City!

More Canada tonight, great shows every time, I'll get back with you after I pick up that guitar for a while......"

DEEP PURPLE Guitarist STEVE MORSE Checks In

DEEP PURPLE guitarist Steve Morse (THE STEVE MORSE BAND, DIXIE DREGS) has issued the following update:

"It's getting close to the end of this leg, our US tour. It's been quite a variety of gigs from amphitheaters to smaller venues. It always feels so comfortable to tour in the US for me, anyway. I'm happy to know in advance that I can get something to eat, or my favorite soda, anywhere, anytime. Easy internet, ice machines with lots of ice, t.v. with shows that are in English, 24 hour convenience markets for after the gig..........it's all fine with me. The unspeakable luxury has been this charter plane we've been using. From my decades of touring the States in rental cars, small piston powered plane, commercial coach flights, old trucks, buses, more old trucks, even older station wagons, etc., I am pretty used to basic transport while traveling from one state to another. However, this is the absolute easiest it will ever be. Especially after dealing with the unfathomable TSA rules, the airline restrictions randomly imposed on guitars being carried, lost luggage, smashed guitar cases, and more. We go to the plane in most cases directly from the cars or vans. We get on, we go. No inspections, since we're still not ever in the airlines' quarantined areas, no wondering if the guitar will be confiscated and smashed, no long lines .........Anyway, you'll never catch me complaining about this kind of flying, especially after spending years trying to convince everybody to try flying privately, albeit in much smaller aircraft. Soon enough, we'll be back to reality flying home!

We have had all good bands working with us on this tour. I have to say again how great EDGAR WINTER's group was. Edgar and Doug got up again and sat in with us on sax and guitar. Doug's guitar playing really shows a seasoned master at work. Edgar is simply full of great feeling music. Jeff Watson, my friend and mostly known from his work with NIGHT RANGER, sat in at the San Francisco show and played an immaculate and impressive solo. He uses a metal pick, and always seems to play difficult stuff with more ease than I can muster. Another impressive group that we heard was a trio called SUPERUNLOADER, kind of prog rock without keyboards.

Thanks to all the people who have supported live music in the States. It's still possible to tour here because you leave your homes and turn up at live venues. The old saying, 'Bands make it rock, we make it roll' still goes for our fearless crew. They have all had some difficult juggling to do in order to make every gig work. Well, it's time to put away my computer since the battery is gone. Oddly enough, the plane didn't crash even though my computer was on, and the tray table was down. See you soon."