New Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride: biography, creative work, personal life

deep purple - a band whose lineup changed many times. However, even such frequent changes did not prevent it from becoming a cult band, because each new member brought its own magic and zest. This also allowed the band to exist right up to the present day, which means that the history "purple." is not yet finished.

It seemed Steve Morse was able to fit into the project and become a worthy replacement for Ritchie Blackmore (now, of course, we are not talking about the fact that he managed to surpass him, but about the fact that he managed to fill the gap in the line-up). But in 2022 the rock world was stunned by the news: Morse leaves the groupto support his wife, who was ill with cancer. At first the departure was described as temporary, but eventually it became known that Morse was leaving Purple for an indefinite period of time...

The remaining DP members faced the question: who now in turn can replace Morse? It was decided that this person would be Simon McBride! But what do we even know about him? He didn't just appear in the rock world out of nowhere, did he? That's right.

Musical history shows that Ireland knows how to flip diamonds. And McBride is a prime example of that. A singer, guitarist and songwriter with a rich track record, he has been able to impress members of Deep Purple, some of whom, it turns out, have crossed paths with him before. Though McBride didn't expect to one day join the band, today he claims that ready for anything! So, meet Simon McBride, a man of great potential and a rich history...

Early Years and Early Achievements

Simon was born on April 9, 1979 in BelfastHe's been playing the guitar since he was 9 years old. And since the age of 9 he hasn't let the guitar out of his hands. He was a great influence on him from his father, who was a veteran musician.

"I grew up under the influence of rock and roll. My father was a big music fan! But he was especially a fan of classic rock bands, like Led Zeppelin and so on. He had a guitar, but usually it was just lying around, because my father couldn't play it: he was injured when he was young...".

However, young Simon quickly found a use for the tool:

"So: I took this guitar and made what I thought was just a terrible noise! It was inspired by AC/DC. Probably the first thing I learned on the guitar was their 'If You Want Blood (You Got It)'. From then on I started playing more and more, and soon I just fell in love with the whole thing..."

At the age of 15, Simon won the competition "Young Guitarist of the Year." Guitarist magazine. A year later he was already playing in Sweet Savage - The metal band that took its place in the annals of rock.

McBride is gaining momentum

In the late '90s, Simon leaves the Sweet Savage to join the Irish singer Andrew Strong. That period opened up new sides of Simon, particularly a talent for R&B and soul. It was a rewarding experience that brought McBride closer to rock and blues artists. So six years flew by before Simon went to solo swimming…

McBride's solo work turned out a number of successful records and a couple of hit tracks, as well as warm reviews from critics. But it was not without drama... Thus, one of his most successful songs, "No Room To Breathe", has documented the most dark episode in the life of a guitarist...

"It happened at night. My future wife and I were already asleep when suddenly I smelled something burning. I opened my eyes and realized that the apartment was shrouded in thick smoke. A fire had started in the house. The last thing I remember was that we were trapped and I lost consciousness. As far as I know, I was resuscitated. We had burns and spent several months in the hospital...".

Fortunately, Simon quickly returned to form. During his solo career, he also performed as a warm-up act, and in 2016 he joined the Snakecharmer - A rock band formed by ex-participants of the Whitesnake. Simon took Micky Moody's place on it, which resulted in a great album. "Second Skin." and a successful tour! But the most interesting thing awaited Simon ahead...

Joining Deep Purple

Joining Deep Purple was big surprise for McBride himself! As it turns out, his paths with the keyboardist Don Airy The two of them had already crossed paths before, so his candidacy was not discussed at length - his talent impressed all DP members, including Morse himself, whose place Simon took. He himself says the following about it:

"If someone had told me that I was going to be part of Deep Purple, I would have said, 'You're crazy! But here I am... I was talking about joining back in 2021 - I met with the rest of the band a few times and we talked about it. But I never really thought about it. I knew it was possible, but I didn't know for sure. But it got to the point where Steve decided he'd had enough, and he needed to take care of his wife, which he does..."

When asked what it's like. Being a Deep Purple guitarist, McBride replies:

"Well, I'm just going to play all their riffs and solos as if it were Richie or Steve. I'm not going to change anything - it's not in my rights, because all those tunes are already iconic, and they're not mine. But at the same time, I see room for improvisation. Like any guitarist, I'm going to play it my own way - we each have our own guitarist handwriting..."

Among other things, Simon McBride is guest lecturer at the BIMM (Brighton Institute of Contemporary Music) School in Dublin. As a big-name musician, he is often asked various questions - for example: if he could play with anyone, who would it be? Here's what Simon's answer is:

"I would call Prince simply because he was a musical genius..."