Tuesday 29th May 2007 - DV Newspaper 

URIAH HEEP STOLE THE SHOW  

Deep Purple & Uriah Heep
Laugardalshöll, Sunday 27th May
Uriah Heep *****
Deep Purple **

 There is no denying that the concert featuring Deep Purple and Uriah Heep last Sunday was a show in two parts. The latter band was much crisper and had the edge on Deep Purple in almost every department.

 When I walked into the hall, Uriah Heep had just started playing their first song. The place was buzzing, and whether it was the drunken old rocker beside me, or the housewife from Gardabćr in front, everyone was in the mood. Bernie Shaw's energy was immediately obvious and pleasantly surprising because I thought he would have lost some of his vocal power. The band's instrumental work was almost perfect, and it was especially enjoyable watching drummer Russell Gilbrook, who recently joined the band after Lee Kerslake was forced to retire for health reasons. Gilbrook's fantastic energy was an almost menacing force on the drums - we were waiting for his seat to break. But his amazing ability was clear to see, and it comes as no surprise that Gilbrook is a highly-respected drummer and a tutor at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music, despite looking more like a debt collector. Mick Box produced some incredible guitar work, and he seemed to be able to conjure up brilliant solos at will.

 Unfortunately, Deep Purple couldn't match any of that. Ian Gillan didn't seem to be up to the job as he once was. He struggled unconvincingly for long periods. Of course, the band's big hits like Smoke on the Water were superb, but that wasn't enough. Half of their numbers included instrumental solos lasting several minutes from guitarist Steve Morse and keyboard player Don Airey, which was tedious, even though they are outstanding musicians.

 Ásegeir Jónsson

Tuesday 29th May 2007  MORGUNBLAĐIĐ Newspaper 

Voices from the past  

MUSIC

Uriah Heep and Deep Purple in Laugardalshöll.
Whit Sunday

Uriah Heep *****
Deep Purple **

WHEN two remarkable and respected bands like Uriah Heep and Deep Purple join forces and play in Laugardalshöll, we can expect fireworks, and that is just what we got in Sunday evening's concert. I didn't arrive in time to hear all of Uriah Heep's performance, much to my regret, but I did hear July Morning and Easy Livin'. The band exuded power and energy that was unbelievable given that its members are well into their prime. Actually, only one of the original members is still active, guitarist Mick Box, but given Sunday's performance, guitar playing must be like good wine – it improves with the years. Trevor Bolder has played bass with Uriah Heep since 1976, and he showed his vast experience with some rock solid playing. Bernie Shaw provided the vocals, but he showed his age with his choice of trousers, although he clearly hasn't lost his hair or his voice. Bass guitarist Bolder managed Easy Livin' with consummate ease, a rendering that gave us goose pimples.

 Unfortunately, the goose pimples faded when Uriah Heep were replaced by Deep Purple, with original members, singer Ian Gillan, bass player Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice, who reminded me of our beloved radio announcer Gudni Már. The band played a two-hour set of around 20 songs, giving us a mixture of their biggest hits and some new material. The only song from their best collection, "In Rock" from 1970, was "Into the Fire". It was too early on the programme, and Gillan had not warmed up sufficiently to give us his best presentation. That was disappointing, because this is a song that really stands out when done well. Gillan's voice improved slightly as the evening wore on. He was fine when he restricted himself to the lower notes. His best patch was when he sung "Strange Kind of Woman", "Perfect Strangers", "Space Truckin'" and "Black Night".

 "Black Night" was the final encore and I felt it was the best of all Deep Purple's songs, enough to bring back those goose pimples. The audience, both young and old, went home humming the song's bass line, and it was obvious that everyone was very happy. This concert was probably a little better than when Deep Purple came over three years ago. The playing was solid, although Ian Paice was rather subdued on the drums compared with how he used to be. It was a fine evening, but I regret missing some of Uriah Heep's early songs, and I hope the band comes back soon to play a concert on their own. I will be on the front row.

 Ragnheidur Eiríksdóttir

FRÉTTABLAĐIĐ Newspaper 29th May 2007

Deep Purple and Uriah Heep
Laugardalshöll 27 May 2007

 Rating ***

Legendary old rockers Deep Purple and Uriah Heep sent a packed house in Laugardalshöll wild on Sunday evening with an exhilarating concert full of energy and nostalgia.

 Everything by the book

 Legendary old rock bands Deep Purple and Uriah Heep on stage in Laugardalshöll. Trausti Júlíusson was in the audience.

 A packed Laugardalshöll welcomed Uriah Heep when they started their set at eight o'clock on Sunday evening. Guitarist Mick Box is the only original member still performing with the band, but all five current members have been together for over 20 years, except for the drummer, who joined them last March when Lee Kerslake was forced to stop playing for health reasons. Uriah Heep looks a little like a group of rock-hobbits; well-presented older men with long grey hair – a nd great energy. Before the concert I was especially excited about seeing bass player Trevor Bolder, who was in Spiders From Mars with David Bowie. He is a wonderful bass guitarist and he played like a true star on the night.  

Uriah Heep had a rapturous reception. They played some of their most well-known songs, including Gipsy, Sunrise , The Wizard and Lady In Black. The concert was organised so that Uriah Heep played for an hour and Deep Purple followed with a two-hour set. It was clear the members of Uriah Heep were very pleased with the reception but disappointed that they only got to perform for one hour. They finished with July Morning, and returned to the stage to play their big hit Easy Livin'. It was the highpoint of their set, although it was not a particularly memorable performance.

 After a short break, Deep Purple took to the stage. The two bands have a lot in common. British rock groups that produced their best work early in the 1970s. They have the same instrumental setup. Singer, guitar, bass, drums and keyboard – the organ plays a big part in both bands. I have to say at this point that Deep Purple reached me more than Uriah Heep's jolly rockers. Better compositions, tighter presentation and more feeling in their performance. The band's current members are singer Ian Gillan, bass guitarist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice, who were all in the band when it made its masterpieces like In Rock and Machine Head, along with guitar hero Steve Morse and keyboards wizard Don Airey.

 The Deep Purple crew were in good form on Sunday evening. They performed a good number of old hits mixed with some new material. The highlights for me were Into the Fire, Fireball, When A Blind Man Cries, Space Truckin' and the fantastic Highway Star. The band succeeded in producing a lively performance, even though they have played most of these songs for decades. The start of Highway Star was tremendous, and they broke the programme up with solos and links. They are all cool guys, although Gillan doesn't seem to have all of his old power. He did a good job, but the star of the evening was guitarist Steve Morse, who showed incredibly dexterity and precision in his solos.

 The band was ready with several encores at the end of the programme: Smoke On The Water (the whole hall sung with gusto), Hush and Black Night, which started with a Roger Glover solo ending with the song's bass line. The audience caught on to the melody immediately and joined in – the atmosphere was fantastic.

 Overall, this was a very entertaining concert. Nostalgia at its best, and everything just as we expected.