In the rare video below from 2006, Deep Purple singer Ian Gilland speaks with Eddie Trunk about his Gillan's Inn album.

Gillan's Inn was released in celebration of Ian Gillan' 40 years as a singer. It was released in April 2006  and it featured re-recorded tracks from all eras of Ian Gillan's singing career. The album features some magic performances by Tony Iommi, Steve Morse, Joe  Satriani, Jon Lord, Janick Gers, Joe Elliott, Randy Cook and Michael Lee Jackson (who was also instrumental in the albums genesis and production).

Deep Purple are heading back to the UK next October, with special guests Blue Öyster Cult. Tickets are on sale here. Exclusive meet and greet experiences are available here.

The announcement of the live shows coincides with news on Deep Purple’s social media with Ian Gillan confirming that they have completed the recording of a brand new studio album to be released in 2020, with further details to follow.

Ian Paice said: “As always playing in your home country is special and exciting and touring with the “Cult” ensures it’s going to be a great run of gigs.”

Ian Gillan said: “It is fantastic to be playing some home shows again... the band is cranking and full of it, plus there will be a couple or three new songs, dunno how we’re going to squeeze it all in, but we always manage somehow. Can’t wait to blow your socks off.”

BÖC's Eric Bloom: “I am personally thrilled to be playing with Deep Purple again. As a fan of their music, I’ll be sure to stay and watch their show nightly. Such a deep catalog of great classic songs plus great musicianship and singing. Great guys too. Looking forward to it.”

BӦC’s Buck Dharma said: “BӦC is excited to return to the UK and support Deep Purple, a band we’ve always admired and who has inspired BӦC to rock since the beginning.”

Tour dates:

October
2 - Manchester, England - Manchester Arena
3 - London, England - The O2
5 - Glasgow, Scotland - The SSE Hydro
6 - Leeds, England - First Direct Arena
8 - Birmingham, England - Arena Birmingham

Meanwhile, Ian Gillan has issued the following update:

"It was late March in 2019, when I found myself in Nashville TN, renting an Airbnb delight called ‘Rose River Cottage’, on one bank of the Cumberland River, almost directly opposite the Grand Ole Opry, from where the quaint music would drift across the water into the wee small hours. It was springtime, and - along with the woodchucks - I was emerging from hibernation.

"Across town, other members of Deep Purple were staying in more urbane accommodation. This was a shock, as we are famous for our lack of planning and we all wondered what had drawn us together in this place and time.

"An even greater surprise was to follow; each member (arms and legs I’m talking about) arrived at a rehearsal studio and then a recording studio at roughly the same time on roughly the same day with roughly no idea of what we were doing.

"It was a total coincidence, the like of which has probably never been witnessed since - unbelievably - exactly the same thing happened a few years earlier when we spawned some In-Finite ideas.

"Then - blow me down - Bob Ezrin turned up and said, ‘Let’s have dinner on Monday’. Someone enquired, ‘What’s the big occasion?’ Bob replied, ‘To celebrate the fact that we are all still alive…’ ‘In which case’ continued the world-weary muso, ‘We’d better make it Sunday’

"But we survived the weekend and had dinner on Monday. Tuesday, we made another album and Wednesday we went to the pub….

"Something like that anyway (it was all a blur) and now we gird our lions (yes, I know, but I’m in Africa) for a year of febrile activity into which a rare amount of planning has been invested; obviously not by us.

"I sense the grinding of campaign wheels, the oiling of creaky roadies, rumours of itineraries and ripples of creativity in Hamburg. Quite plainly something is in the air; but I have no idea what it could be.

"Perhaps, after another brief hibernation, all will become clear, in the spring of 2020."