IPSWICH'S Regent Theatre will be much quieter than planned on Saturday night.For the world's loudest rock band have had to postpone their concert.Deep Purple had been due to raise the roof at the theatre, but their remaining concerts have had to be postponed after lead singer Ian Gillan was struck down with a throat infection.

IPSWICH'S Regent Theatre will be much quieter than planned on Saturday night.

For the world's loudest rock band have had to postpone their concert.

Deep Purple had been due to raise the roof at the theatre, but their remaining concerts have had to be postponed after lead singer Ian Gillan was struck down with a throat infection.

They will now take place in September – the exact dates will be published later this week.

The last seven shows of the group's sell-out UK tour have been put off to the autumn – and tickets will be valid for the re-arranged shows.

Deep Purple are one of the world's biggest bands and have been going for 35 years in various forms.

However their visit to Ipswich will be their first under the Deep Purple name – although Gillan's own band played here in the late 1970s.

The current tour has been earning rave reviews from critics and fans – and keen fans will be especially concerned to see whether keyboard wizard Jon Lord is still with the band when it plays Ipswich in September.

He had warned fans that the current UK tour would be his last with the outfit.

The band expressed their dismay at having to postpone their shows, which had been sold out almost as soon as the tickets went on sale.

"The tour has so far been a huge success, with all dates sold out, so it is a great shame that they have had to postpone," said a spokesman for the band.