Ritchie Blackmore opened up about his recent reunion with Deep Purple. On Aug. 12 he joined the band onstage at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, to play “Smoke on the Water.” It was his first time playing with them in over 30 years.
Blackmore told Guitar Player the moment was very moving. He went on quickly and had to play right away, so he couldn’t warm up. He said he wasn’t there to nail every note. He was there to see old friends he hadn’t seen in about 40 years.
He also said the group knew it might be the last time they all met. Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1968, left in 1975 to form Rainbow, returned for a 1984 reunion, and last played with Deep Purple in 1993.
The reunion wasn’t perfect. Blackmore kept things simple and avoided technical parts. He even lost his place once. Still, that wasn’t the point. He said the night felt like old comrades reuniting—no real wounds, just a very emotional moment.
