By: Sean Sauder
 |
|
Judas Priest - Promo Photo from judaspriest.com
|
Legendary British heavy metal pioneers, Judas Priest, tore up the stage at Myth on Saturday night. The band performed at the nightclub in Maplewood on a day off from the Metal Masters Tour, which also features Heaven and Hell, Testament and Motorhead. That tour is not coming to the Twin Cities, but all of the bands on the tour have played their own headlining shows here in the recent past, or are coming here soon: Heaven and Hell played Target Center last year, Testament played a blistering set at Epic in Minneapolis earlier this week, and Motorhead will perform at Myth on September 12.
Having last seen Judas Priest live on the Painkiller Tour in 1990, not paying much attention to the two studio albums the band made while Rob Halford was out of the band, and missing Halford’s first tour back with the band in support of 2005’s Angel Of Retribution album, I’ve been looking forward to seeing this show for some time. I was especially excited to see them in a large club setting instead of the usual arena concert that they normally play.
Currently on tour in support of the recently released 23-song concept double album, Nostradamus, Judas Priest did not disappoint Minnesota’s heavy metal horde. The whole arena stage set was set up, with Scott Travis’ drum riser so high his sticks were bouncing off the lighting trusses when he tossed them in the air. Bassist, Ian Hill assumed his usual position of feet firmly planted to the floor for the entire show while continually swaying back and forth to the music. Front man Rob Halford had the crowd eating out of his hand, and the twin axe attack of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton ripped it up all night long.
The band did a pretty good job of including a few newer songs in the setlist, but also of delving into their very early material with “Dissident Aggressor” and “Sinner,” both off 1977’s, Sin After Sin. Three of the band’s best albums, Screaming For Vengeance (1982), Defenders Of the Faith(1984) and Painkiller (1990) were heavily represented, and most of those songs were high points of the evening for me: “The Hellion/Electric Eye,” “Devil’s Child,” “Rock Hard Ride Free” and “Painkiller.” I would have liked to have heard something off Point Of Entry (“Heading Out To The Highway” or “Hot Rockin’”), and maybe “The Ripper” from Sad Wings Of Destiny, or any other songs from Screaming For Vengeance or Defenders Of the Faith, but overall, I was very happy with the song selection.
The encore songs were especially good, with Halford revving up his motorcycle and riding it out from under the drum riser to the front of the stage as the rest of the band kicked into the thunderous intro for “Hell Bent for Leather”. From there it was in to the old favorite, “The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown),” and the band’s most well known song, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” to end the show.
I swear, under the stage lights, that Ian Hill, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton looked nearly as they did when their posters hung on my bedroom wall 25 years ago. Rob Halford looks a little different than he did then, with his head being shaved now and being a little heavier, but he still sounds great. He may have lost a little bit on some of the high notes, but that’s to be expected after this many years in the game. These did not look like nearly 60-year-old men, nor did they play like it. Judas Priest still sound better and put on a better show than 99% of bands that are half their age.
On a personal note, this show was really special for me. As a 12-year-old kid, I was already very into music, and had discovered KISS way back in first grade, but hearing Judas Priest’s Screaming For Vengeance in sixth grade totally changed my life. It was then that I immediately discovered how much music, and heavy metal in particular, meant to me. My only goal in life was to be in a band and spend all the rest of my time going to concerts and listening to music, which is pretty much what I’ve done ever since then. Now 26 years later, to still be able to see one of the bands who were such a major influence on me, and to be so close to the stage, was truly an amazing feeling. Judas Priest’s first album came out 34 years ago and they still have all the same band members (with the exception of current drummer, Scott Travis, who has been with the band for 19 years). I banged my head for two hours straight last night, and though I can barely move my neck today, it’s never felt better. Thank you Judas Priest! Rock hard, ride free!
Set list:
Intro - Dawn of Creation
Prophecy
Metal Gods
Eat Me Alive
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Devil’s Child
Breaking the Law
Hell Patrol
Death
Dissident Aggressor
Angel
The Hellion / Electric Eye
Rock Hard Ride Free
Sinner
Painkiller
Hell Bent for Leather
The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Location Info:
Myth Nightclub
Artist Info: Judas Priest
Share this story:
Article comments powered by Disqus