INTERVIEW: Samantha Lamb talks to Glenn Hughes ahead of his Classic Deep Purple UK Tour
By Samantha Lamb @samlamb4
06 August 2018
Photo Credit – Eric Duvet @Eric Duvet
Glenn Hughes, the former bassist and singer of Deep Purple, known to millions as the ‘Voice of Rock’, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the current front man for rock super group Black Country Communion, is pleased to announce that he will be performing Deep Purple only material with his “GLENN HUGHES PERFORMS CLASSIC DEEP PURPLE LIVE” for the first time ever in Ireland in September 2018 ahead of his nationwide UK tour in October 2018.
GLENN HUGHES PERFORMS CLASSIC DEEP PURPLE LIVE is the first time Glenn has performed a show solely of Deep Purple material since his last show with Purple at the Liverpool Empire on March 15th 1976. Not one wallow in nostalgia, hence his extensive and varied career post-Purple, Glenn feels the time is right to acknowledge and pay homage to his past, his musical legacy, and, most importantly, to one of rock and roll’s most acclaimed, influential and successful rock bands.
‘’I can still sing the songs, in some ways even better than I did in the 70’s,” says Glenn. I can still perform them with the same energy that was on the stage back then, too. I feel that the time is right. It’s fun to get back into character of my days with Purple. I’m looking back at my life and I want to remember the good stuff. I’m incredibly excited to perform these songs, as they helped define the genre. I can assure you, the new show is going to blow your mind.’’
All of the tour dates are at the bottom of this interview, however it starts on 29th September in Belfast and finishes in London on 15th October. Details of how to buy tickets are also at the end of the interview.
I have to say I was slightly nervous of interviewing such a legend but Glenn Hughes was a really lovely person, generous with his time and made me feel really comfortable. He came across as a really humble and generous man, full of great humour and spirituality.
Hi Glenn, or Mr Hughes which do you prefer?
Call me Glenn, I am not that old!
Sorry I wasn’t meaning to imply that you were that old! Thank you so much for your time in doing this interview.
So how different is it touring Deep Purple tracks now rather than back in the day?
It is something that I dedicate myself to, it is a legacy and I want to transport people back to that time. I feel that I can take people back with my attitude and my vibe to how it used to be. This is not a modern reinterpretation this is a dedication to what was then. I get into the whole vibe and thing it would be arrogant to try and modernise things as the audience want to be transported back.
Fabulous that sounds wonderful, so what is your favourite Deep Purple track to play and why would that be?
It would be Burn, it was written with 5 big men back in 1974 and people need to hear that vibe in a real way, people go mental to hear it and so I need to get my head in the right space to give them what they come to hear.
I have got to this point where I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, I don’t tour because of the money I do it to give back and I get so much joy from that vibe. I know if you were to ask my peers they may not be the same but I do it for the giving back. Parents bring their kids to hear Burn as they have been bought up on it. I want to help people to get back to that time of the 70’s by bringing the vibe along.
What are the differences between when you first started and now?
A lot! There are 2 main differences. The kids today don’t have the opportunities we had to sell loads of records, these days they have to sell a load of t shirts as people don’t buy music in the same way. I got burned by the fire back in the day having made a name for myself in Deep Purple but I came through that, the heart attacks, the drugs, the girls, the surgery but it helped me to learn life’s lessons. The bartender always used to serve me more than he should but I look at my friends Jon Bonham, Lemmy and think I have done OK. I should have been a dead man but I am still here, and I am eternally grateful for this.
Is that the advice you would give to young bands to steer clear of the pitfalls of alcohol and drugs?
Yes, steer clear of it all. There is a band called Stone Broken who I had open for me on a tour and I would come off stage and say to them stay free of drugs, work the audience, be friendly, give love back to the people. It’s all about the love. If you know my life and what I have done you will know I have done it all, but I am still here when I should be dead by now.
Could you ever have imagined your career would have been Trapeze, Hughes / Thrall, Black Country Communion, Deep Purple, did it cross your mind as a young boy?
No, I never imagined it. I was comfortable with Trapeze, we were selling 10,000 tickets a night in the States and had 3 albums under our belt. I was full of gratitude but then with Deep Purple we were filling soccer stadiums and along with that comes the girls and the drink and the drugs and all the lying and cheating. I was really let down and really hurt and I had to learn to listen, speak and act. It has been a life lived! You need to learn how to control your mind, slow it down as it plays tricks on you by telling you things in the morning that impact on your day. I meditate and have learnt how to do it, slowing my mind down and letting the quietness in. I have my place in LA by the ocean but I am still a Brit, I still have a UK passport and I love coming back to the UK.
The Midlands gig for us on this tour is going to be Leamington Assembly, it’s a great venue and will be a good place for people to congregate at our homecoming show.
If the weather was like this every year would you come back and live in Cannock?
No, not Cannock! My wife loves London and we love being over here. I remember 1976 when the weather was off the charts but I think it is hotter here this year. When the weather is like this in the UK there is no more beautiful place in the world. It is perfect.
So, what is there still for Glenn Hughes to achieve, is there anything left?
It is to never stop dreaming, dream as big as you can. You have to dare to dream and then you send your thoughts out into the universe. You have to have really strong dreams but the universe will answer. All of the great thinkers dared to dream big and never stopped doing so. It gives you sweet serenity.
It sounds as though you have a really deep connection to your spirituality, listening to your body, quieting your mind, has that taken a long time to get there?
It has and is still ongoing. If you see any pictures of me there is always an orb in the picture. It started around the time of my Mum passing away, my Dad had already passed. I was her only child, sat by her bedside as she passed and it was very powerful. I do believe that a man doesn’t become a man until he loses his Mum. After she had slipped away I was due to be on stage in Leeds and everyone was thinking I would not show up but there I was on the nail at 9pm and it was one of the best performances in the UK. Everyone was wondering if I would go through with the set but in that moment, I just accepted the love and life. My Mum had told me “Don’t cancel that show” and so I knew I had to do it as I could not let her down.
Is there anything that you miss about the UK?
It would be the old friends that I made when I was at school, they are my real friends as they came before all of the success. It becomes difficult to choose friends once you are successful.
Thank you so much for your time Glenn, you have been very generous with your answers, I hope the rest of your day is really beautiful.
Tickets:
Saturday 29th September – Belfast Waterfront
Sunday 30th September – Dublin Olympia
Tuesday 2nd October – Bristol Academy
Wednesday 3rd October – Leamington Assembly
Friday 5th October – Southampton Engine Rooms
Saturday 6th October – Cardiff Tramshed
Tuesday 9th October – Leeds University Union
Wednesday 10th October – Newcastle 02 Academy
Friday 12th October – Glasgow 02 Academy
Saturday 13th October – Manchester Academy 2
Monday 15th October – London Koko
