Fave heavy metal band?

[John Watt]

For me it would have to be Deep Purple - but the period in which Ian Gillan was lead vocalist rather than David Coverdale. I find that many of these Heavy metal bands are inter-related though.

When Deep Purple first came to North America, when "Deep Purple in Rock" came out, I saw them in Toronto. A local radio DJ was interviewing them, saying they had to go and set up for a rehearsal. The DJ said how about opening up the rehearsal, suggesting $5 to get in. They said okay. Hearing this with friends, we drove over a hundred miles to see them, maybe 200 people there. In a mall, in the hall, on six inch board of education risers. They put on a show, using costumes, using a knife, and "Sweet Child in Time", with Ian Gillan appearing in a spotlight, wearing a white gown with a gold tiara, holding a small gold harp... wow... even now... A year later Ritchie looked sick, the band was messed up. But there they were, Ritchie being the second guitarist to appear onstage with a Stratocaster and Marshall stack, after Jimi Hendrix. There was Jon Lord, not using a synth because there were none, using a Hammond B3, and they made new sounding music, hard rock, like the album cover.

 

[John Watt]

What's heavy metal? People thought the first Black Sabbath album was christian rock.
A local drummer on my newspaper route asked me to play a guitar part he showed me,
so he could play drums, so I can say I played some Ozzie in, oh..... 1965?
I bought a 1964 Fender Stratocaster and a Marshall stack, okay, 50 watts, with effects,
five months before Jimi Hendrix passed away, and I was making all that noise, not heavy mental.
What got demonic, what was modern drugs, were guitars getting that seventh bass string.
Bands really did start sounding demonic, the harmonies from Alice in Chains fitting right in.
I'm not surprised that lead singer died from an overdose, not where my inspiration leads me.
I don't want to be a big rock star in an American band, one that newspapers don't review,
because locals have to pick up the dead bodies they leave behind, the first being The Grateful Dead,
and they're not heavy metal, even if their graphics are big on skulls.
I better stop typing.