Judas Priest in the HAMMER

Concert review by Metalhead Marv

Last date on their North American tour.

Couldn’t believe after 35 years of listening to Judas Priest I’ve never seen them in concert before. My reasoning was oh I’ll go see them next time they come to town.

Well after 50 years and thousands of concerts, the days of seeing Judas Priest live are dwindling.

First off I was born in Hamilton. Lived there most of my life. Now I reside on the outskirts of Toronto.

So I started driving to Hamilton and reflecting back on my life, my home city, the smokestacks and my love for Heavy Metal.

I’m sure the scene driving into Hamilton is similar as to the one Rob Halford and the boys had in Birmingham, England where the band is from.

The rain was pouring as I pulled into the city and parked my car. So off I went not knowing what to expect. About 15 minutes before the show I was in the lineup with hundreds of metalheads, all of us excited to see one of our favourite metal bands.

I couldn’t believe I got a photo pass to shoot the band from in front of the stage. I suffer from anxiety so just the thought of me doing this was nervous as hell. Surprisingly it wasn’t bad at the moment.

So here I am waiting anxiously when the guide directed us to the front of the stage. It felt surreal. Here I am, a fan of not only Judas Priest but Queensrÿche actually taking photos of them.

And now Queensrÿche takes the stage and breaks into Queen of the Reich as I’m snapping away, taking as many pictures as I can.

What can I say Queensrÿche was amazing and Todd La Torre’s voice was incredible.

Set List:

• Queen of the Reich
• Warning
• En Force
• NM 156
• Empire
• Walk in the Shadows
• The Whisper
• Operation: Mindcrime
• The Needle Lies
• Take Hold of the Flame
• Screaming in Digital
• Eyes of a Stranger

After the set I went and bought a Judas Priest face cover. Now standing around waiting for Priest to start I glanced around and notice some high school friends there.

Now it was Priest’s turn to hit the stage. I was right in front of the stage and the ground starting shaking and the sound was super loud but I was loving it.

The band started off with One Shot at Glory and continued with Lightning Strike and You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.

Rob’s voice did seem off a few times but heck the man is 70 years old and still has an incredible voice so who cares right?

The band didn’t slow down continuing the show with Freewheel Burning, Turbo Lover and Hell Patrol.

Though a little disappointed they didn’t play some of my favourite songs, it was one hell of a show and a night I’ll never forget.

With a repertoire of over 200 songs to choose from I can’t complain as the songs they did play were amazing!!

As I got back to my seat the fan in front of me was standing up blocking my view. The guy beside me was complaining about it but I’m like dude it’s a metal show, we’re suppose to stand and raise our fists in the air!!

The smell of weed filled the air as the band continued with The Sentinel and A Touch of Evil.

I had given up drinking and doing weed for awhile so it was weird going to the concert completely sober.

The night ended with Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight. If this is indeed the end of Judas Priest and them touring it’s been one incredible ride.

Thanks for 50 years of memories and let’s hope this band gets into the Rock & Roll of Fame this year where they belong!!

Set list:

• One Shot at Glory
• Lightning Strike
• You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
• Freewheel Burning
• Turbo Lover
• Hell Patrol
• The Sentinel
• A Touch of Evil
• Rocka Rolla
• Victim of Changes
• Desert Plains
• Blood Red Skies
• The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
• Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
• Painkiller

Encores:

• The Hellion
• Electric Eye
• Hell Bent for Leather
• Breaking the Law
• Living After Midnight

The concert was phenomenal and truly a highlight of my life. 9/10

YESTERDAY, TODAY, EVERYDAY HEAVY METAL!! 🤘🏻👍👊

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