A time and place for everything. It was their time and it's
hard to make a call when I wasn't there and have really nothing
to go on but word of mouth..

One thought in relation it inspired was Deep Purple.

I grew up with a band of brothers that stood by you. If somethiing
went down they stood beside you and then found out what it was
all about.
Things have a way of going down fast and one doesn't always have
time to analyze it...you just stand with your bros and stand your ground.


So for example...Deep Purple...the little I know was from the DVD -
Richie was obviously pissed at a camara man and to the point where
he wasn't going to take anymore sh!t from him....and the rest of the
members left him hangin' and put him down for standing up. Personally I would have
stood with Ritchie and quickly solved the camara man issue and then
found out what it was about later...rain or shine. But that's me. I'll stand by my friends
and family through thick and thin and others can think, analyze and
do whatever the hell they want.

So if I were a Hatfield....yep I would've got me McCoy arse. (based on what I was told
happened)

I think both those old guys were nuts-as they were portrade but I admire their blood for
standing their ground/beliefs.

And in my opinion Ritchie made a great move. I wouldn't play with
guys that wouldn't stand by me when the chips were down...never, ever.

I would much rather have seen the whole band stop playing, drop their instruments
and got some camara man arse and then get back to rockin'...but that's me.

I know the incident you're talking about Michael. Can't agree with your take on it though. Ritchie was being a d***, and let his band members, and the audience down. The cameraman was doing his job, Purple were being filmed. To have the band beat up a cameraman wouldn't really be setting a great example to the audience, and may well have lead to worse. Blackmore was well reknowned for being a sulky prima donna, the slightest thing was likely to set him off in those days.

It's a dilemma for me that one, whether to stick by my buddy or the equally compelling principle of the show must go on.

I'd have probably just got drunk and passed out instead.

jamesg1213


I know the incident you're talking about Michael. Can't agree with your take on it though. Ritchie was being a d***, and let his band members, and the audience down. The cameraman was doing his job, Purple were being filmed. To have the band beat up a cameraman wouldn't really be setting a great example to the audience, and may well have lead to worse. Blackmore was well reknowned for being a sulky prima donna, the slightest thing was likely to set him off in those days.

?
 
 
That's why there were Hatfields and McCoys and still.
 
As far as I know- I've never seen it published of exactly what went down BUT
it doesn't change the fact that he stood alone....for whatever reason.
IF he had the sulky prima donna issue then they should have resolved it long
before the incident of which we are referring.
He wasn't pissed like somebody had eaten his Butterfinger....he was mad over something
serious. That's what I think...and will until I know for a fact what happened.
 
Hell if he was a sick SOB that just went off on people then it seems like the only reason
they tolerated it was for money. Something I wouldn't be proud to admit to.
 
Of course -should I have been him or one of the other members it would have been
resolved much earlier if indeed what you say is fact. I know of no other blow-ups on
or off the stage.
 
Without doubt if my bros don't stand by me one time when the chips are down...it's the last time.
 
No doubt one can do things that make one question if it's really safe to go fishing with them.
( something in the movie I don't want to spoil )
 
Different strokes for different folks.
 
 
 
 
 
 

What I've read happened, is that Blackmore took exception to a cameraman being on his side of the stage, as simple as that. He refused to come onstage and went back and sat in the dressing room, leaving the band playing the intro to Highway Star.

IMO, that shows very little respect for the thousands of people that paid money and travelled to see DP play that night. Seems like the rest of the band did their best to diffuse that ugly scenario by carrying on playing until he gracelessly appeared.

More or less the same thing happened at the 'California Jam' in '74, except that time Blackmore smashed the camera with his guitar.

I think it's also well documented that Blackmore and the rest of DP were far from 'bros', especially he and Ian Gillan.

Edited for clarity.

I've played gigs and told band members about some simple requirements
and also the party signing the contracts.

If Ritchie didn't want a camera in his face then it should not have been there.
He obviously had issues with them being in his face IF what you say is true..and I
have no reason to doubt you.
With the idea that it is true then WTF! Isn't anybody listening or even caring about
what Ritchie had asked? 

Talk about respect...geeze where was respect for him about the only thing that seemed
to be the problem?

"Blackmore and the rest of DP were far from 'bros', especially Ian Gillan."  Now there's
the problem.
They obviously didn't respect Ritchie. To bad he didn't get the camera man too in '74.
I would imagine that camera man knew Ritchie didn't want him in his face.

I've never cared for camera's. A band I was in knew that but they thought filming a gig
would be a good thing. I stood by them. One condition, only one...let me know before
the gig. ( I didn't know who they would hire and didn't care and didn't care about details)
I showed up at a gig and there was a crew to film- all set-up. I wasn't told ahead of time. 
I played the gig. It was the last gig with them. And these were with bros ....until that gig. They understood.

That was over thirty years ago and a few years ago I was visiting the bass player...
he had the film which I've never seen ( and he a bassist that I never played with again)and he always asked when I visit if I wanted to see it. The only thing he has ever said about it is, "you never looked at the camera". I was so let down I don't think I even raised my head that night.

I'm with ya Ritchie!
 
Thought I'd add....Blackmore's Nights DVD is a fantastic viewing not to mention the music..I wonder
why he didn't smash any cameras for that. ?  I can assume they respected his requests.