Fans of Deep Purple might want to get out and see the band sooner than later because frontman Ian Gillan revealed in a recent interview that the legendary rock band’s run is nearing its end.
Gillan, 80, made the revelation in a recent interview with Uncut Magazine.
“It’s one of those things,” he said. “I’ve only got 30 percent vision. That won’t get better. It makes life mysterious. The hardest thing is working on my laptop. I can’t see anything on the screen unless I use my peripheral vision; I pick up a line by looking at it sideways. But you find a way. You adapt. But it’s achingly tiresome. It takes a long time to do the work.”
The band has been around for more than 50 years — Deep Purple first got together back in 1968 — so the fact that the guys are winding down probably shouldn’t surprise anyone. If there’s good news, it’s that Gillan appears to be handling it as well as a person can.
“It’s hilarious this growing old thing,” he said. “It’s a laugh a minute. Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I walk down the road and hear something drop off — clang, there’s something else gone. Nothing’s changed really apart from I can’t pole vault any more. Other than that, things move a little more slowly, but nothing’s changed.”
As far as when the final show might be played, well Blabbermouth.net reported that the band already has more than a dozen shows slated for Europe and Japan in 2026.
“I think if I lose my energy I’m going to stop,” Gillan said. “I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone. We’re not far off that. It creeps up on you – you don’t really notice.”
Deep Purple was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
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