On September 14, 2002, hard rock
pioneers Deep Purple took the stage for a landmark concert at the NEC in
Birmingham, England to bid farewell to founding member and keyboard legend Jon
Lord.
On August 26, Eagle Rock
Entertainment will deliver this very concert with the release of Live
At The NEC on DVD and Digital formats [MSRP $14.99]. Previously only
available as part of the Around The World Live boxed set, this film is
being made available for the first time as a standalone DVD.
One of the most emotional concerts
in Deep Purple’s long career, Live At The NEC is a unique
experience in that it features both their keyboard players on stage – Jon
Lord and Don Airey. Lord had announced his retirement earlier
that year, and Airey was subsequently brought on board. Airey
serves as the principal keyboardist throughout the show, culminating in a solo
before the lights drop, and Jon Lord appears for a storming version of
“Perfect Strangers.” The two share keyboard duties for the rest of the night,
in a fitting passing-of-the-torch moment.At 109 minutes total, Deep Purple (Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Steve Morse, Ian Paice, Lord and Airey) kick out all the classics: “Smoke On The Water,” “Woman From Tokyo,” “Space Truckin’,” “Highway Star,” “Speed King,” “Lazy,” “Hush,” and more. In addition to this fantastic set, Live At The NEC includes bonus interviews with Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.
