Rock legends Deep Purple perform ‘1 More Time’ with Yes at Montage Mountain in Scranton on Sept. 8
From a press release:
Today, Deep Purple – one of Britain’s most influential bands – announced their =1 More Time Tour of the United States, which includes a stop at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Celebrating over 50 years of “Smoke on the Water,” they will be shaking the walls of U.S. amphitheaters this summer with an explosive lineup of unforgettable hits taken from their repertoire of rock that spans half a century. Joining Deep Purple on this tour is another legendary band, Yes, making each stop on the tour an unmissable event for classic rock fans everywhere.
Fronted by the legendary Ian Gillan, whose vocals have defined generations – and accompanied by the masterful bassist Roger Glover, the powerhouse drummer Ian Paice, the maestro on keyboards Don Airey, and the sensational guitarist Simon McBride – Deep Purple guarantees a musical journey like no other. Since joining the band in 2022, McBride has already played to Deep Purple audiences totaling more than half a million people.
Selling over 100 million records and laying the ground for hard rock and metal, the group continues to tour arenas the world over and release hit albums. Their last studio album, 2020’s “Whoosh,” was their highest-charting in 46 years, reaching No. 4 on the U.K. Album charts.
Combining their previous albums “Now What?!” (2013) and “Infinite” (2017) with “Whoosh,” DP returned as one of the bestselling hard rock bands around, with sales exceeding one million copies.
They have been touring the globe consistently since forming in 1968, traveling through different rock genres and lineups to become a British institution. A measure of their influence can be seen in their fans, who count Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and Metallica among their most ardent numbers.
Hit songs “Hush,” “Black Night,” “Speed King,” “Fireball,” and “Smoke on the Water” helped define heavy rock, riffs and all. They remain true to the band’s origins and their ever-forging future.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. via livenation.com. The venue pre-sale begins Thursday, April 11 at 10 a.m. using the code RIFF.
There simply aren’t enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contributions Deep Purple has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there’s little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the “fifth most influential band ever.” The group was also presented the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. They are truly rock royalty.
With a body of work spanning seven decades, Deep Purple has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band’s inception. The celebrated MKII lineup of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, and Ritchie Blackmore was responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early 1970s, including “Made in Japan,” universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.
Known as one of the hardest working bands ever, DP has continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest. In 2007 (almost 40 years after being formed), the band performed 40 dates in France to an award-winning audience, and they continue to spend much of their year on the road selling out arenas across the globe.
Deep Purple has stayed true to its musical roots, taking from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today but has, in turn, created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. They have written and produced so many classic, well-known songs that their audiences range widely in age and background – something the band has readily embraced.
Their last studio album, “Whoosh,” follows their worldwide chart-topping albums “Now What?!” and “Infinite.” For the third time, Deep Purple joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, and Alice Cooper. In “Whoosh,” the band and Ezrin created the most versatile album in the history of their collaboration.
Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin in 2021 and during the pandemic, the group recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, but revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio), creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music in the shape of “Turning to Crime.”
In 2022 came the sad news of longtime guitarist Steve Morse’s departure due to personal circumstances, but Deep Purple, never a band to let a setback throw them off course, sought out the masterful skills of Simon McBride and played the year out in style, exciting crowds with a new energy and excitement.
Gillan, Glover, Paice, Airey, and McBride embark on the year 2024 with renewed vitality, continuing to push the boundaries of hard rock to audiences around the globe, proving that Deep Purple is very much here to stay.
Pioneers of progressive rock, Yes has achieved worldwide success with a history spanning nearly 50 years and 21 studio albums. The band is known for its expansive songs, esoteric lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets.
Their current lineup consists of singer Jon Davison, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Jay Schellen, keyboardist Geoff Downes, and bassist Billy Sherwood. Yes alumni include Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Alan White, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford, Trevor Horn, Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye, Peter Banks, Patrick Moraz, Benoit David, Oliver Wakeman, Igor Khoroshev, and Tom Brislin.
