I think it's referencing Deep Purple, since that's "elpruppeed" backwards... Although, it seems there was at one point a cover band that called itself "elpruP peeD", which is an interesting way to name a band.
don't know if bel was being malicious or just incompetent but this was a bad first lesson despite the result. baal is partly to blame... but really it's the author who didn't want to think too much about how to get to the big scene.
action is still weird with how one bit flows into the next.