Simon McBride (Deep Purple)

Described by Guitarist magazine as "Among the best blues-rock players anywhere in the world,"  Northern Irish singer and guitarist Simon McBride is the current guitarist in Deep Purple and for Don Airey (Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Rainbow etc).

Simon has not only toured but recorded three live albums with Deep Purple iconic singer Ian Gillan, but he has also toured with Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Grammy nominee Derek Trucks and, for 6 years, with Andrew Strong, who made his name in the 1991 cult film The Commitments.

His guitar skills made him a go-to guitarist on the blues rock scene, admired among professionals and endorsed by some of the biggest brands like PRS Guitars.

Former Young Guitarist of The Year and now fully-fledged blues-rock virtuoso,  Simon was recruited by the Belfast-based pioneering metal band Sweet Savage, who reformed in 1994 without their founding guitarist, Vivian Campbell (Dio, Def Leppard), who Simon replaced.

He was announced as Deep Purple’s permanent replacement for their longest serving guitarist, Steve Morse, in 2022 after covering for him in concerts.