Then the lights kick in and the noise from the band almost knocks me backwards. The other photographers start running round like kids on acid while I'm lost in the moment and start singing and rocking along like a Beavis and Butthead clone. Bass player Roger Glover clocks me and throws me a knowing wink. My cover as a bitter and twisted music journalist has been blown. Damn!

Time definitely hasn’t subdued these boys. OK there’s probably less jumping around than we’d have seen 30 years ago, no groupies back stage (I looked everywhere!), but the music still rocks hard and loud. The band go through a number of their classics, ‘Strange Kind Of Woman’, ‘Highway Star’, ‘Demons Eye’ and ‘Woman From Tokyo’.

Frontman Ian Gillian looks completely at home on stage, barefoot and wearing what can only be described as a pair of white PJs. He’s either playing air guitar to the 4000+ fans or sitting on the floor between songs, talking to the crowd. We get a quick sordid tale about the most perfect female arse he had even seen, which is a strangely uncomfortable moment, one which I can only liken to having one of your parents describe the first time they had sex. Euuhh, it just sounds so wrong!

They dedicate guitarist Steve Morse’s new instrumental number, to the late former England Captain Emlyn Hughes (a former Sheffield resident). Straight after, keyboard player Don Airey breaks into his own indulgent solo spot, which ends as a real spectacle. We're treated to some crazy old sci-fi sounds, a quick rendition of Mozart’s Piano Sonata No11  (‘Alla Turca’) and the Star Wars theme. It's like watching a mad scientist at work in this lab. The crowd don’t know how to react, some moments receive rapturous applause, others a confused awkward silence.

Ending with the monstrous classic ‘Smoke On The Water’ (the only universally known guitar riff), the entire arena joins in the sing along with a rapturous atmosphere to boot.

So, it’s clear from tonight’s performance than Peep Durple (as I prefer to call them) still have the licks to put on an awesome show full of energy and passion. There’s no reason why one of the most important bands who have lent their creativity towards rock music cannot be given a new lease of life. Justin Hawkins, you’ve still got a lot of work to do.
(4/5)

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Photos: Ryan Lee