Deep Purple Postpone Two German Shows as Gillan Is Hospitalised
Deep Purple have postponed two German dates on their current tour after singer Ian Gillan, 81, was taken to hospital. The band describe the cause only as a "medical emergency".
Gillan's health in the past year
Last November Gillan said he was losing his eyesight and had only about 30 per cent of his vision left, though he said he had adapted. Retirement, he suggested, was not far off.
Asked about stopping, he said: "I think if I lose my energy I'm going to stop."
The band's statement does not mention his eyesight. No details have been given about the emergency or his condition.
The postponed shows
The shows were the concert at the QI Arena in Leipzig on 31 October and the one at the Sporthalle in Hamburg on 1 November. Both belong to the world tour for the album "Splat!", released in July.
The group announced the postponements on Saturday. They said they could not perform as scheduled and that Gillan was currently in hospital.
The band acknowledged the notice was short and said they understood the disappointment. Replacement dates are being arranged for both concerts, and existing tickets stay valid for them.
Dortmund, Berlin and then Britain
The tour is due to resume at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund on Tuesday, 3 November. Berlin's Uber Arena follows the next evening.
After that it reaches Britain: Newcastle on 18 November, Glasgow on the 19th, Birmingham on the 21st and Manchester on the 22nd.
London gets two nights, on 24 and 25 November. The last is at the Royal Albert Hall, where the band premiered their orchestral piece "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" in 1969.
A reunion earlier in the year
Founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore joined Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice on stage in New York in August, for the first reunion with his former bandmates in 33 years.
Our view
Dortmund on 3 November is the first real test. If Gillan has not left hospital by then, the band will have to say whether that show goes ahead. For now the band have said nothing more about Gillan's condition, so their next announcement will matter.
Source: NME