For nearly six decades, Deep Purple has remained one of rock music’s most active touring bands. Now, bassist Roger Glover says fans should not expect the group to stage a farewell tour or a final concert filled with celebration and emotion.
Speaking in a new interview with Australia’s Noise11.com, Glover made it clear that the legendary British rock band has no plans to announce a last run of shows, even after spending years touring under the name The Long Goodbye.
“We ain’t gonna stop,” Glover said. “We’re not gonna have a final tour, a final gig and make a hoopla about it. Although that was actually Steve’s [Morse, former Deep Purple guitarist] suggestion years ago, which is why we started calling it ‘The Long Goodbye’ tour. Well, ‘The Long Goodbye’ got longer and longer, and we decided to ditch that in the end.”
Photo by Mariano Regidor/Redferns
The comments come as Deep Purple continues another busy year with the release of its newest studio album, SPLAT!, and an extensive world tour that includes dozens of concerts across Europe and North America.
Instead of planning a goodbye, Glover said the band wants to keep performing for as long as it can.
“I can’t imagine doing a final gig, with all the hoopla involved,” he explained. “The emotion, the place, the fans, the sorrow, et cetera, it would be too much to bear. And I think we all feel the same. We’re just gonna carry on till we can’t. That’s it.”
Deep Purple first formed in London in 1968 and has become one of the defining names in hard rock. The band helped shape the genre with classic albums such as Deep Purple in Rock, Machine Head and songs including “Smoke on the Water.”
Over the decades, the group has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Deep Purple Says Retirement Is Not Part of the Plan
Glover’s latest comments match what frontman Ian Gillan has said in recent interviews about the band’s future.
Last year, Gillan explained to Dubai92 that the members have not spent much time talking about retirement because they still enjoy making music together.
“Well, no one’s really thought it through. We don’t talk about it that much. And as life gets on, the end is nearer than the beginning, that’s for sure. We all know that. But at the moment we’re getting a lot of joy from what we’re doing. I think the band is rejuvenated since Simon joined us. And so we’re looking a long way ahead.”
The addition of guitarist Simon McBride, who officially replaced Steve Morse in 2022 after Morse stepped away to care for his wife, has brought fresh energy to the band’s lineup. McBride first recorded with Deep Purple on 2024’s =1 before returning for the new SPLAT! album.
The guitarist recently described the new record as powerful and said its sound reflects the group’s return to its blues-rock roots while also embracing modern recording technology. Unlike earlier Deep Purple albums, SPLAT! features amp modelers as part of McBride’s guitar setup, marking a notable change in the band’s studio approach.
Even as the members acknowledge the realities of aging, Deep Purple continues to stay active in the studio and on the road.
The band’s new album, SPLAT!, arrived on July 3 through earMUSIC. It marks the group’s sixth straight studio collaboration with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with Deep Purple on every album since Now What?! in 2013.
Supporting the new album, Deep Purple has already launched a major European summer run before taking the SPLAT! World Tour to North America. The band’s current schedule includes 86 performances across 28 countries, continuing a touring tradition that has defined the group for decades.
After beginning its career in 1968 and spending nearly 60 years on stages around the world, Deep Purple appears focused on the present rather than planning a farewell.
As Roger Glover made clear, the band has no interest in turning its final performance into a major event. Instead, the veteran rockers intend to keep making music and playing live for as long as they are able.
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