IAN Gillan strolled around the stage barefoot and like a man winding down for a holiday.
But the grand-daddy of rock's distinctive voice remained out of his suitcase and hard at work as Deep Purple brought the first leg of their European tour to a crashing close.
Purple proved at Liverpool's Kings Dock arena last night that they still have what it takes to rock.
Gone are the flowing locks that made Gillan a sex god - replaced with a neatly trimmed barnet flecked with grey that gave him the appearance of a stockbroker rather than a rock star.
But THAT voice, what a voice! Surely only Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has vocals that bear comparison.
From the opening screams of the timeless Highway Star to the head-nodding rhythms of Perfect Stranger the near-capacity crowd lapped up classic after classic. Support act Pierpoint helped by warming up the crowd with an energetic half-hour set.
Although the Nu-Metal group's tunes suffered slightly from repetitiveness, they were well-received by the audience.
But it was Purple everyone had come to see and they didn't disappoint.
Tracks off the new album, Bananas, went down well with the fans, with the catchy I've Got Your Number standing out.
But even the quality of Gillan's vocals could not save bland ballad Haunted from sinking without trace in the Mersey.
However, hearing Smoke on the Water live was worth the admission fee alone as the crowd shook the arena with a show of stamping that would have done a herd of elephants proud.
Even the few fans who refused to stand f or Purple's anthem-to-beat-all-anthems were jolted off their seats.
Lead guitarist Steve Morse provided much of the show's energy with his searing riffs, while legendary bassist Roger Glover was all smiles as he bounced and danced around the stage and kept the mighty Purple machine on course.
Ian Paice didn't put a stick wrong all night and Jon Lord's replacement, Don Airey, slotted in well.
Airey even paid homage to the Beatles with a medley of their hits midway through the set.
Dressed casually in black short-sleeved shirt and white trousers Gillan had the audience in the palm of his hand - and before leaving the stage after a safe 90-minute set he thrilled the crowd by shaking hands with all and sundry.
No posturing or growling from these rock dinosaurs, just a mouthful of monster tunes.
