Purple prose

The godfathers of heavy metal and modern hard rock are soon to descend on Dubai, but for those of you who were expecting a huge set and massive special effects, you will be disappointed, as Deep Purple are all about the music.

Right now, the band can't even say what they will play when they get on stage - and that spontaneity and improvisation has garnered them fans across the globe.

Lip-synchers they are not. Deep Purple, members all in their late 50s and early 60s, play some of the hardest tours in rock history: last year they played in 48 countries and never once lost their beat.

After forming in 1968, Deep Purple produced such unforgettable hits as Smoke on the Water and Hush and have metamorphosised over the years to their current configuration with Ian Gillan on vocals, Jon Lord at the keyboards, Roger Glover on bass guitar, Steve Morse on guitar and Ian Paice on drums.

This hard touring act will hit Dubai on Friday for one night of rock heaven.

Lead singer and lyricist for the legendary group, Gillan gave tabloid! seven-and-a-half minutes of his time from his hotel in Brazil to discuss the bands' upcoming visit to Dubai:

Is this your first time in Dubai?

I have been in Dubai before a couple of times with the band and am excited for another trip. It is hot, murky and humid here in São Paulo, so I am looking forward to Dubai.

How long will you be here?

We are getting there on the 20th and leaving on the 21st, so we will be there a whole day.

What can we expect from your show?

Most of the show is improvisation, a mixture of songs over the decade and some new stuff. The fabric of the show is held together with improvisation. It is quite chaotic. We decide in the dressing room before we go on what we are going to play. We don't have any kind of set plans.

Do you ever get tired of touring?

We have been in Argentina for a couple of weeks and we played in 48 countries last year. We are looking at about the same number this year. But touring is great.

When we were young, our diaries were empty, but now we never stop and it never gets old or tiring. I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking of going on stage even after all this time.

What keeps your music current and relevant to both your new and old generation of fans?

We play basic honest music. We do not have massive production sets.

We get up and play and people seem to enjoy that the show is intimate and there are no barriers.

What you see is what you get. We are still thrilled by the crowds.

Metallica and Iron Maiden have admitted they have become more zen, have you guys done the same or are you still "hell-raising"?

I thought this was a music interview. Ha! I don't think we have changed our habits at all and would not say we are hell-raisers or ever were.

Metallica and Iron Maiden are a decade younger than us.