Ritchie Blackmore surprised fans by joining Deep Purple onstage at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. Toward the end of the set, Blackmore—who hadn’t played with Deep Purple since 1993—came out to play “Smoke on the Water.” Fan-shot video shows him starting the song with that famous riff.
After the performance, singer Ian Gillan told the crowd that Blackmore had messaged that he lived nearby and wanted to jam. Gillan called him “founder member” and “the great legend,” and joked he’ll “see you in the bar.” Fans chanted “Ritchie” as he left the stage.
Deep Purple shared photos of the moment on Instagram and called it a big moment in rock history. The band is touring behind their new album SPLAT!. Their next show is Thursday in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Full tour dates are at DeepPurple.com.
