Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore rejoins the band onstage for the first time in 33 years, appearing with current members during a Wednesday performance. The reunion follows decades of lineup changes and Blackmore’s long absence from the stage with the band.
The reports note that Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1966 and later left the group in 1975. Rolling Stone and Consequence frame the moment as an “estranged bandmates” reunion and highlight the significance of the bandmates appearing publicly together after 33 years, while Stereogum adds context about a long-running history of instability within the lineup and recent periods of departure and return involving vocalist Ian Gillan. Stereogum also references past feuding between Blackmore and the then-current lineup. In all accounts, the performance includes “Smoke on the Water,” one of Deep Purple’s best-known songs.
