Deep Purple still brings the riffs

Deep Purple continues to bring the rock and the riffs, though time has watered down the band’s once-electric sense of spontaneity. Just visit You Tube for proof. “You have to be part of a generation to be able to judge its music,” vocalist Ian Gillan said in interview earlier this month.

This point is debatable, but for a reviewer born nearly 20 years after the group formed, there is still value in seeing these progenitors of heavy metal and hard rock, if only to hear these familiar songs performed live by a group who long ago secured their status as rock legends.

Deep Purple performed to a mostly middle-aged and upward set Friday at TCU Place. For the most part the fans seemed content to gently rock in their seats, with only a faint hint of marijuana in the air. Perhaps the evening could have used a bit more haze.

After all, this is a band with a stable of ’70s jams that includes the ultimate classic Smoke on the Water, a song with a riff that leaves an indelible mark on the mind of any wannabe guitar hero who hears it.

Their current cross-canada “Smoke on the Nation” tour sees a close to Mark II lineup take the stage, with original drummer, bassist Roger Glover and vocalist Gillan, whoever came onto the stage dressed in black pants, white shirt and a cast over one leg. Despite this impediment he was still able to work the stage, impressive voice intact and dancing circles around his bandmates as the group launched into their hit Highway Star.

While Deep Purple began as a jam band, Friday’s show had a definite air of choreography, with each musician getting plenty of spotlight-lit solo time.

Though the setlist was culled mostly from the band’s ’70s material, one of the most impressive and musical moments was guitarist Steve Morse’s performance of Contact Lost, an instrumental ode to the Columbia astronauts, which was released on 2003’s Bananas record.

Morse joined Deep Purple in 1994, and is credited with rejuvenating the band. His expressive technique and big smile were a focal point for much of the night.