Deep Purple, the O2

Though the band's defining moment - that iconic riff that kicks off Smoke on the Water - occurred over forty years hence, Deep Purple are back together for a 2015 date at the O2. 
Though only three-fifths of the original lineup remain, last year Deep Purple recorded their 19th(!!) studio album, NOW What?! - their first in over seven years. It's also their first since the death in 2012 of founding member Jon Lord, to whom two of the album's tracks are dedicated. One of their best since the 70s/80s glory days, NOW What?! garnered praise for recapturing that classic Purple sound – a sound that they seemed in danger of losing after a forgettable Noughties dry spell. It promises a welcome return to form, ahead of their return to London after a somewhat disappointing performance at Camden's Roundhouse last year. 
The band's live shows tend to eschew the pyrotechnic bombast that many veteran acts now employ - in some cases, one suspects, to distract attention from silver hair and weary fingers. Rather, it is still Deep Purple's style to let their wailing, soaring instrumentals steal the limelight, so expect the O₂ to echo with the reverberations of giant riffs and long solos when the legendary rockers return to London next year.