Nololob
Long Live Wock 'n' Woll
In my opinion one of the most underrated and aggressive concert in rock history. If you don't know what I mean, watch the last video!
Ritchie is pissed at the camera onstage and freaks out at the end of the show. Great show.
By now, Blackmore's anger had focused itself on the ABC cameras - specially those on stage. ABC were using traditional TV studio sized cameras, and the operator stage right was undoubtedly pushing his luck - taking his lumbering beast right across Blackmore's side of the stage at times and blocking the audience view. Finally, as a fitting climax to a ferocious set, Blackmore sent his Strat soaring towards the heavens, bounced it off the stage floor and began to destroy it. At this was happening he remembered the producer's words of the night before "favour the camera", and took him literally. The operator wondered what had hit him - literally - as a Stratocaster neck came straight into the camera lens, rendering it inoperable. Blackmore then exploded a 450 watt stack (his engineer has suggested they use an empty cab. but Blackmore had insisted on it being complete), almost blowing himself off stage in the process, bringing Purple's set to a suitably impressive visual climax. If Blackmore understands one thing, it's how to make an impression!
"Actually I hadn't planned to go for the camera," Blackmore commented after the show, "I was out to kill this guy who gave me the countdown. I thought he'd be onstage. If he had been, you would've seen more than a smashed camera! I don't like violence but I was raving that night. Anyway, I couldn't stop him so I had a go at the camera."
ABC were of course miffed by the whole turn of events, despite a conciliatory letter from Purple's management offering to pay for "reasonable cost of whatever repairs are necessary" after "the Deep Purple lead guitarist clearly damaged one of your company's television cameras - in the enthusiasm of the moment"!