Twelve years after I last saw them, the classic Deep Purple line-up was back and playing at Knewborth. I went with my mate Dave on a trip bus from the town. The line-up for the day was very strong with The Scorpions, Meat Loaf, UFO, Mountain, Blackfoot, Mama’s Boys, and Alaska (can’t remember who they were) but unfortunately the weather was lousy. It rained and rained all day and then it rained more. Dave and I spent much of the day sheltering under a tree. At one point we found our way into an indoor bar which must have been for guests because it was empty (!) and we kept warm and dry in there. The Scorpions went down best of all the support acts, and there was a never ending two hour wait between the end of their set and Purple taking to the stage at around 10pm. 
I can’t remember much about the other bands, but Purple were good despite the rain. As expected they started with Highway Star and played all of the classics, along with quite a few songs from the new album Perfect Strangers. To cap it all our bus got stuck in the mud in the carpark and some of us had to push it out. We didn’t get out of the carpark until early morning and arrived back home at dawn. The things I’ve done for rock n roll…Setlist: Highway Star; Nobody’s Home; Strange Kind of Woman; A Gypsy’s Kiss; Perfect Strangers; Under the Gun; Lazy; Knocking at Your Back Door; Difficult to Cure; Space Truckin’. Encore: Speed King; Black Night; Smoke on the Water. Other memories are of some guys setting fire to the portaloos to keep warm, no screens and an awful view of the stage from the back, pretty cool lasers for Purple, and a massive firework display after Purple’s set. Happy Days.
13 Sep
Deep Purple Knebworth 1985
Posted September 13, 2012 by vintagerock in Blackfoot, Deep Purple, Meat Loaf, Mountain, Scorpions, UFO. Tagged: blues, concert, concerts, folk, gigs, heavy metal, music, pop, prog rock, punk, R&B, rock, rock n roll. 6 Comments
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Posted by Bryan Neighbour on March 8, 2022 at 7:14 pm
Ahhh Knebworth. What a day. I was drenched. And absolutely freezing all day in a denim jacket and tour t shirt. Alaska wasn’t Bernie Masden in that band after whitesnake? Might be making that up. I actually went for the support. Wasn’t into Purple like I now am. Blackfoot were amazing I thought. And UFO. And the Scorpions were on a high at that point and were on fire I thought. The wait for purple to come on stage. Pouring rain etc. Put me off festivals for life. But I can say I saw the classic purple line up eh?
Posted by vintagerock on March 8, 2022 at 9:24 pm
Hi Bryan. Purple were absolutely fantastic that night but the weather was atrocious! UFO have always been a class act. It was a great lineup and a great day, spoilt only by the weather. Happy days Peter
Posted by connor jackson on March 13, 2022 at 7:31 pm
I was at this show with my dad and my uncle, I was 15, I remember walking through the mud and my trainers actually coming off with each step I was taking, it was like being in the trenches, Purple were great mind, only time I ever saw them, DP without Blackmore is a joke, our bus back to the North East got stuck in the mud and had to be pushed out, could we have been on the same bus I wonder? When we finally got home I went straight to bed and woke up feeling like death, delirious, with a high temperature, proper fever, with me mam flanneling me forehead! Still say its the worst flu I ever had, throat was like swallowing a golf ball, but weirdly enough, sitting here now at 52 I’m saying it was worth it!
Posted by vintagerock on March 14, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Sounds like we could have been on the same bus Connor! Of course it was worth it! Happy days Peter
Posted by connor jackson on March 14, 2022 at 10:11 pm
yeah for sure, its one of a few gigs I look back on as something very special, seeing the ‘classic’ Purple line up, and both my dad and uncle George are gone now, but so many great memories of going to see gigs with them when I was a teenager, Pink Floyd at Maine Road was another, U2 at Elland Road, really great memories, and obviously loads at Newcastle city hall!
Posted by vintagerock on March 15, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Sorry to hear about your dad and uncle, Connor. Sounds like you have some great memories of some great gigs with them. Hold on to those memories my friend. Cheers Peter