Irish Teenagers To Play DEEP PURPLE's 'Smoke' For New World Record

June 21, 2007

Brian Jaffray of Independent.ie reports:

Where there is smoke there's fire and on Saturday night a group of Irish teenagers plan to blaze a trail into the Guinness Book of World records.

The Offaly rockers will be joined by in excess of 2,000 heavy metal fans from all over Europe when they try to break the world record for the largest group performance of an entire song.

Their rendition of DEEP PURPLE's iconic rock anthem "Smoke on the Water" before 20,000 fans at a rock festival in Stuttgart is being relayed live throughout Europe with an estimated television audience of millions around the continent.

Earlier this month the record was set in the American city of Kansas when 1,680 guitarists joined forces to play the song simultaneously, breaking the previous record sent by 1,323 rock fans in Vancouver, Canada in 1994.

"The Americans have put it up to us but the German organisers are doubling their efforts to get as many people to Stuttgart for Saturday night's record attempt.

"It's a great honour for the Tullamore School of Rock to be asked to represent Ireland at this prestigious festival," said the man behind the midlands rock school Brendan Keeley.

"Here we have Irish kids aged between 14 and 18 years of age playing their guitars to millions of people across Europe. It will be a brilliant buzz for them.

"The riff on 'Smoke on the Water' is one of the first things kids learn when they take up the guitar and to get the chance to make it into the Guinness Book of Records is something special for them," added Keeley.

DEEP PURPLE's co-founder John Lord will join the gathering and the event will be conducted by Germany's father of choirs Gotthilf Fischer who had the distinction of performing at last year's World Cup opening ceremony.

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