Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan recently addressed the band’s on-stage reunion with former guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, sharing his thoughts with Louder Sound. He discussed how the surprise reunion came together, the current state of his relationship with Blackmore, and whether fans might see them share a stage again in the future.
“I wasn’t really surprised it happened,” Gillan said. “I’ve been in touch with Ritchie for quite a long time now, and we’re on very good terms. All the nonsense from the past is now water under the bridge. We’re getting on great. So as we were in the area, I wasn’t that surprised [to see him], but I was very pleased.”
Gillan went on to describe how the two spent time together following the surprise appearance.
“Well, I brought along a bottle of whisky and had a couple of drinks for the first time in years at the venue,” he continued. “We had about half an hour. But we’ve been in touch, as I said earlier, for some time now. Having said that, it was nice doing it face to face. And I’ll probably see Ritchie again next time I’m in the area.”
When asked about the possibility of another reunion, Gillan remained open but uncertain.
“I don’t know [if something similar could ever happen again],” he said. “The reason we did it there was because Ritchie only lives around the corner. So, I don’t know. If we play Jones Beach or New York again, possibly. Ritchie lives on Long Island but he’s always welcome.”
This moment carries significant weight in Deep Purple’s history. Blackmore had not stood alongside his old bandmates in a very long time.
The reunion took place on August 12 at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, during a stop on Deep Purple’s ongoing tour. Blackmore joined the band during the encore to perform “Smoke on the Water,” marking his first live appearance with Deep Purple in 33 years. His previous performance with the group dated back to 1993. This made the Jones Beach cameo a rare and historic moment for both the band and its fans.
Current Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride later revealed just how last-minute the arrangement was. Gillan received an email from Blackmore about a week before the show, with the guitarist requesting to join the band on stage. Gillan then asked the rest of the group if they would be comfortable with the idea. Nobody objected.
“It was all very last-minute,” McBride said. “Gillan got an email from Ritchie about a week before the gig, requesting to get up and play with us. Gillan asked us if we’d mind, and there were no objections from anyone.”
The spontaneous nature of the reunion only added to its impact, transforming what could have been a routine tour stop into a headline-making night for classic rock fans. Gillan has confirmed that he and Blackmore remain in regular contact. This leaves the door open, even if only slightly, for the two to cross paths again the next time Deep Purple finds itself near Long Island.
