Ian Gillan announces ‘Talking Gib'rish’ UK spoken-word tour

Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan has revealed the inspiration behind the name of his upcoming 2027 United Kingdom spoken-word tour, titled ‘Talking Gib'rish’. In an interview with The Strange Brew podcast, Gillan explained that the name stems from a songwriting technique he developed to manage the rhythm and meter of tracks.

Because the band often composes music before he writes the lyrics, Gillan would use nonsense words—or gibberish—to establish the correct phrasing and timing before finalizing the actual lyrics. This method allowed him to keep pace with musical changes or scrapped compositions.

The tour, scheduled for the spring of 2027, will consist of approximately 25 shows. Gillan intends to share personal stories from his life and career, spanning from his childhood in Hounslow to the global success of Deep Purple.