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September 18, 2018

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Glenn Hughes is one of those rare freaks of nature.  The man has been the lead singer of several hard rock/heavy metal bands since the late 1960s.  Over the course of five decades, it would be natural to assume that one's voice could not hold up singing that style of music.

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There are a few exceptions to this rule; Sammy Hagar and Steven Tyler are ones that come to mind right away.  Well, you can add Glenn Hughes' name to the short list of singers who can still bring it vocally after a long career.

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Hughes and his tremendous pipes were on display Sunday evening at the House of Blues.

 

For the first time in his career, Hughes is out playing solo shows that are entirely made up of his Deep Purple material and he sounds exactly as he did in the mid-1970s.  He hit all of the screams, wails and high notes all evening long.

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Opening the show with "Stormbringer," Hughes and his tight three-piece backing band brought the sound of the Deep Purple Mark III lineup to life.

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Other classic Purple tunes included "Sail Away," "You Fool No One" and "Mistreated" which Hughes noted was "the first piece of music that Richie (Blackmore) and I wrote together."

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The only drawback in the show was the extended keyboard, drum and guitar solos.  Not that the musicianship was bad, but I would have much preferred to hear another song or two instead of the solos.

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Hughes was in a great mood and genuinely thanked the audience for attending the show and supporting him throughout his career.  He promised that he will make a return appearance to the North Coast next year.

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Near the end of the set, the band broke out the Mark II era tunes: "Smoke On The Water" and "Highway Star."  Hughes ended the set with a killer version of the Mark III era  classic "Burn."

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Review and photos by Greg Drugan

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