What If.....Deep Purple Held a 50th Anniversary Concert? Chapter 4: "The Day Before The Show"

The day before the concert, the remaining band members of Deep Purple were busy making their final preparations. Despite the excitement and anticipation, tensions were running high within the band.

Ritchie Blackmore was in a particularly introspective mood, pacing backstage and muttering to himself about the setlist. "I don't know if I'm happy with the order of the songs," he said to Steve Morse. "I think we should be starting with 'Burn' instead of 'Highway Star'."

Morse tried to calm him down, explaining that the setlist had been carefully crafted to showcase the band's diverse range of songs. "Ritchie, we've talked about this. We've got a great setlist, and I think it flows really well. Let's just focus on the show and make it happen."

But Blackmore was unconvinced. "I don't know, Steve. I just feel like we're playing it too safe. We need to take some risks and push the boundaries."

Meanwhile, Ian Gillan was having a disagreement with David Coverdale about the encore. "I think we should do 'Smoke on the Water'," Gillan said. "It's a classic, and the crowd will love it."

Coverdale shook his head. "I don't know, Ian. I think we should do something a bit more unexpected. How about 'Mistreated'?"

Gillan scoffed. "That's not going to get the crowd going. We need something with more energy and excitement."

The two vocalists continued to bicker backstage, each trying to convince the other of their point of view.

Roger Glover, the bassist, was trying to mediate the dispute. "Guys, let's not forget what this is all about. We're celebrating 50 years of Deep Purple, and we want to make it a special night for the fans. Let's just focus on the music and make it happen."

But despite Glover's best efforts, the tensions continued to simmer. Glenn Hughes, the iconic bassist and vocalist, was having a heated discussion with Ian Paice, the drummer, about the tempo of "Burn". "Ian, you're rushing the tempo," Hughes said. "We need to keep it steady and controlled."

Paice shook his head. "Glenn, I'm playing it exactly as it's written. You're just not feeling it."

The argument continued, with neither side willing to give in.

Don Airey, the keyboardist, was watching the drama unfold with a mixture of amusement and concern. "It's just nerves," he said to Morse. "Everyone's feeling the pressure, but we'll get through it. We've got a great show to put on, and the fans are going to love it."

As the day drew to a close, the band members began to take their final preparations. They did a few sound checks, made sure their gear was in working order, and got into their costumes for the show.

Despite the tensions, there was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. The band was ready to take the stage and celebrate 50 years of Deep Purple, and the fans were going to be a part of it.

"I'm feeling good," Blackmore said, as he put on his jacket. "Let's go out there and give them a show they'll never forget."

The other band members nodded in agreement, and with a final check of their gear, they were ready to take the stage.

The crowd was already gathering outside Wembley Stadium, eager to get a glimpse of the legendary band. The excitement was building, and the anticipation was palpable.

As the band members took their final positions backstage, they knew that this was going to be a night to remember. They were ready to give it their all, to put on a show that would be worthy of Deep Purple's legacy.

The lights were going to go down soon, and the music was going to begin. The crowd was going to roar, and the band was going to take the stage.

It was going to be a wild ride.