I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 6, 2018] Judas Priest

My friend Al told me he was going to this double bill of Deep Purple and Judas Priest.  I had just seen Judas Priest back in March and didn’t really feel like I needed to see them again (there was one song I ‘d wanted to hear which they didn’t play, but otherwise the set was great).

Then my friend Armando clarified something I’d often wondered about PNC.  He said that if you bought lawn tickets to a PNC show, you could get an upgrade to a really good seat for $20.  It didn’t happen for all shows, but any show that hadn’t sold out was fair game.  This seemed like a great opportunity to test this theory.   Then I received an email from Live Nation the next day that gave me $20 off my next concert.  Well, the lawn seats to this show were $20.  So I had to pay the stupid fees.  But that meant I bought my lawn ticket for $8.  A couple days before the show I was able to upgrade my ticket to row K (as in 11 rows from the stage) for $20.  So great seats for $28!

I realized that since both K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton were no longer in the band and since the drummer was a revolving door for most of the band’s history, the only two “original” members were Halford and bassist Ian Hill (and technically Halford isn’t original, but he is the real thing).

Like last time, there was a large red curtain at the front of the stage. This time, I was able to catch footage of it as it was pulled away.

It was hard taking a picture of Halford because he is so pale that the lights kind of whitewashed the screen (no sunglasses for most of the songs).  Meanwhile, Richie Faulkner was quite photogenic from my angle.  We were really close to him, although I was sure he would come down the side wing of the stage and get really close to us (he didn’t).

This being the Firepower tour, of course they opened with “Firepower,” a song I still don’t really know, but it was great seeing him come out with that silver jacket.  I knew that meant that he’d be doing the outfit changes again.  It was crazy hot that day.  It had cooled off by show time, but was still hot.  And he was wearing all of these layers (and gloves!).

The show was less of a production (since they were co-headlining), but they still had video screens, a motorcycle, a great band and Halford’s voice.

I expected a truncated version of the previous show.  But they actually mixed it up quite a bit.  I didn’t expect to hear different songs.   But they played five songs that they didn’t play last time (even though they played 6 fewer songs in total).

The first unexpected song was “Delivering the Goods” the lead off track from Hell Bent for Leather.  It one of the better songs on that disc and was really cool to hear.  Even better to hear was “Sinner.” even though I heard it last time it’s one of my favorite Priest songs and Halford still manages to hit all of those screams.  It’s rather impressive.  Halford sounded really good during this whole show, but man did he look tired and worn out.  I realize that he’s 67 or so–he doesn’t sound it at all–but he certainly moved like a 67 year-old dude.

“Lightning Strike” was a new song that I didn’t know but then I was blown away because they played a riff that I …what…it couldn’t be?  “Desert Plains”?  The last song on the first side of Point of Entry?  The first Priest album I ever bought.  What an insane deep cut and it sounded amazing.  I’d forgotten how much of an effect that album had on me and it was awesome to hear it live.

I had goofed on them playing “Turbo Lover” last time. But apparently Halford loves the song and the crowd does indeed like to sing along (even those like me who think its pretty dumb–but how much more graphic it appears now that I’m grown up).

It was followed by “Rising from Ruins,” another Firepower song. That album is apparently selling very well (although the guy behind me said that Priest can’t sell out a tour headlining by themselves, which I really don’t believe).  During the song, Rob came out on stage wielding what I am fairly certain was a bad guy light saber from the new Star Wars films.  It looked like a cross, kind of, but from up close it really looked more like the light saber–glowing red and everything.

Then came a song that I recognized, kind of and it was sort of familiar to me and yes, I knew it but it was from Defenders of the Faith which was the last album I really listened to by them.  The previous show they’d played “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll,” but this time they played “Freewheel Burning” which opened the disc.  I listened to it today and it totally rocks but I kind of couldn’t get the melody during the show I guess.

A solid version of “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” was followed by the roar of the motorcycle.  Halford claims that it is the same motorcycle all these years (although now it has flames on it) but they had to replace the engine over the years.  He says it’s got like 8 miles on it, even thought it’s 30 years old.  He sang “Hell Bent for Leather” from the bike (while wearing his leather camp and riding crop).

Then the drummer began his introduction of “Painkiller,” but while he was doing his shtick, he was interrupted by Rob telling us it was the drummer’s birthday and we should all sing happy birthday to him.  This is now the fourth or fifth show where I had sung happy birthday to a band member.

Amazingly he sang beginning of “Painkiller” while seated on the bike as well.  I am marveling once again that he can sing with such power and hit such high notes but also that he can do it from this awkward position.  I know for me I can barely catchy a deep breath if I’m hunched over.  How does he do it?

Once again, Painkiller sounded amazing and then it was time for an encore.

There was a dude up front with a sign: “Tyrant please?” They didn’t play “Tyrant” (that would have been cool) and what a kick in the teeth that they played it five nights later at a different PNC center).  I wondered if they’d play the one sing I wanted to hear “Victim of Changes.”  I assumed they never played it anymore, but I see they did play it once in August.   Sadly it was not to be.

But that’s okay.  The encore was remarkably similar to the last time I saw them.  It started with “Metal Gods,” which was very cool.  Last time I felt they dragged the end of the song out too much (it’s not that interesting) but this time they truncated it so they could squeeze in one more song from Firepower, “No Surrender.”

The show ended with “Breaking the Law” (in which Halford let a guy in the front row sing the chorus once) and Living After Midnight.  Glenn Tipton did not appear magically for this show, which is no surprise really.

And that was that.  Being so close was awesome.  Hearing some of those deep cuts was awesome.  Hearing a few new songs was awesome.  But without question, the other show was better (how could it not be if Tipton came out and they played so many great songs?)

But for $28?  Yes. it was pretty great.

The biggest surprise for me is that Deep Purple went on last.  Surely Judas Priest is the bigger draw?

Interestingly Don Jamieson from That Metal Show was there as a fan.  Before the show started, he was hanging out with his lady.  I had no idea it was him, but these two guys came up and were whispering Is that him?  Yes, its got to be.  And they went over and shook his hand and got his picture (he did a good metal pose).  As soon as he talked I recognized his voice his voice.  He introduced Judas Priest in Newark, but I guess he wasn’t invited to do so for this show.

 

 

 

PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, September 6, 2018	Prudential Center, Newark, March 20, 2018
Firepower intro [tape]	War Pigs  (Black Sabbath song) [tape]
Firepower *	Guardians [tape]
Delivering the Goods ∇	Firepower *
Sinner $	Running Wild ∇
Lightning Strike *	Grinder β
Desert Plains Æ	Sinner $
Turbo Lover ⇒	The Ripper ‰
Guardians [tape]	Lightning Strike *
Rising from Ruins *	Bloodstone ¥
Freewheel Burnin’ ∂	Saints in Hell ¢
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ ¥	Turbo Lover ⇒
Hell Bent for Leather ∇	The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover) ∇
Painkiller φ	Evil Never Dies *
encore	Some Heads Are Gonna Roll ∂
Metal Gods β	You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ ¥
No Surrender *	Hell Bent for Leather ∇
Breaking the Law β	The Hellion ¥
Living After Midnight β	Electric Eye ¥
	Painkiller φ
	encore
	Metal Gods (with Glenn Tipton) β
	Breaking the Law (with Glenn Tipton) β
	Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton) β

 

‰ = Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
$ = Sin After Sin (1977)
¢ = Stained Class (1978)
∇ = Hell Bent for Leather/Killing Machine (1978)
β = British Steel (1980)
Æ = Point of Entry (1981)
¥ = Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
∂ = Defenders of the Faith (1984)
⇒ = Turbo (1986)
φ = Painkiller (1990)
* = Firepower (2018)

And the Rob Halford coat collection: