A new Deep Purple album has just been recorded and is due for release in April but don't expect the band to perform new material at its Auckland concert next month.
"As much as we would love to perform songs from our new album we won't be,' says lead singer Ian Gillan.
"These days you can't include unreleased material (we always used to), because within the hour of performance, it is going to be uploaded onto YouTube around the world."
"With technology some of it is good and some of it has a not-so-good, knock-on effect.
"So we have learned to take the rough with the smooth."
And while the band will be performing songs from its three classic albums In Rock, Machine Head and Fireball - the albums Deep Purple fans consider seminal recordings featuring famed guitarist Richie Blackmore - Gillan says if Blackmore had not left in 1993, Deep Purple would have died.
"It was a bad time for Deep Purple in the early 90s and reflecting on it now, it's a kind of paradox.
"If Richie had stayed, that would have been the end of Deep Purple forever.
"When he left it stopped raining and the sun came out, that is the best way I can describe it."
Gillan says he remains proud of the way the band picked themselves up.
"After Richie left, I looked around and saw the old characters come alive again.
"Keyboardist Jon Lord (who passed away in July last year), regained his composure and expression in his performance, drummer Ian Paice was telling jokes again, suddenly we all came alive.
"It was a totally inspiring feeling for us all."
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