Live-Metal.Net - Concert Reports - Judas Priest - British Steel 30th Anniversary Tour

By GREG MAKI

I do not recall a summer in which I attended more big rock concerts than that of 2009. My schedule included Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction, the Stimulate This! Tour with Staind and Shinedown, the Warped Tour and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. But the one that stands out most prominently to me was the last and, interestingly, featured—by far—the oldest band I saw during the season. Judas Priest showed why they have endured for more than 35 years and rightfully earned the moniker “Metal Gods” from their fans.

This was not a typical tour with a band sprinkling a handful of new songs to try to sell a few more copies of their latest album among the old favorites the audience knows and loves. This U.S. jaunt marked the 30th anniversary of Priest’s landmark album, British Steel, the record that established the band as one of the world’s premier metal acts. It was actually released in April 1980, which means the true 30th anniversary is not until 2010.

But let’s not get bogged down by details; I’ll accept almost any excuse to see them play such a classic recording in its entirety. What they lack in math skills, Priest more than made up for in performance. Frontman Rob Halford, with his intimidating biker look, was light years away from the skinny little guy from way back when. His bandmates meanwhile, guitarist Glenn Tipton in particular, look like they were beamed onto the stage straight from the ‘80s. Their songs, however, have stood the test of time and their performance was full of life and vigor.

We all know British Steel classics like “Metal Gods,” “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight,” but what impressed me was how well the other songs held up, especially the full-throttle opener, “Rapid Fire,” and the menacing “Grinder.” The whole album has aged to perfection. The remainder of the set was nearly as solid. “Prophecy,” from 2008’s divisive Nostradamus concept album, slid in nicely among the older tracks, the surprise highlight of the night for me. Halford rode a motorcycle back out on stage for the encore of “Freewheel Burning,” “Diamonds and Rust” and the all-time classic, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.”

JUDAS PRIEST SET LIST:

Rapid Fire
Metal Gods
Breaking the Law
Grinder
United
You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise
Living After Midnight
The Rage, Steeler
The Ripper
Prophecy
Rock Hard Ride Free
Hell Patrol
Victim of Changes

(encore)
Freewheel Burning
Diamonds and Rust
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

I am curious to know how Pop Evil landed on this tour as the opening act. You’d expect the Metal Gods to bring an up-and-coming metal act out on the road with them rather then a radio-friendly, mainstream rock band. I still think Pop Evil’s songs are on the bland side, but they earned some respect from me with their live performance. Led by charismatic frontman Leigh Kakaty, they have the stage presence of seasoned veterans. If they can get some of that onstage personality into their music, they will be on to something.

Whitesnake provided direct support on most of the tour but had to leave before this show due to David Coverdale’s throat problems. The replacement for this show was Maryland’s own Kix. I have been an avid concertgoer in this state for two decades, so I don’t know how I had never seen Kix until this night. (Though they have long since dropped out of the national spotlight, they’ve been played a handful of regional shows in each of the last few years.)

I also had no idea how much their home state is still behind them. From the crowd response, you would have thought Kix was the headliner, with an enthusiastic sing-along on “The Itch” and “Cold Blood” and loud ovations greeting favorites “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “Blow My Fuse.” Seventy minutes usually is a long time to sit through a band you did not come to see, but much to surprise, Kix—with their blues-based hard rock and the showmanship of frontman Steve Whiteman—made it breeze by.

Between Kix and British Steel, the night provided a heavy dose of nostalgia, which felt appropriate nearing the end of the summer concert season. Judging from their blistering performance, however, Judas Priest will remain a vital metal force moving forward.