English rock band Deep Purple first got together in Hertford in 1968. Consisting of Ian Paice, Roger Glover, Ian Gillan, Steve Morse and Don Airey they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music in the seventies.

Together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath they have been referred to as the ‘Unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal’. Deep Purple were ranked number 22 on VH1’s ‘Greatest Artists of Hard Rock’ and they received the Legend Award at the 2008 World Music Awards.