What a line up – Judas Priest, Saxon, Uriah Heep – and what a great night of heavy metal and rock by three bands at the top of their game.  I’m just going to leave this statistic here for you, Rob Halford is 72, Biff Byford is 73 and Mick Box is 76.  Get out and see these bands before it’s too late!!!

It’s been 9 years since they last hit our shores and yes they are here to showcase their new LP ‘Invincible Shield’ but tonight the Priest set consisted 70% of 70s and 80s output, 20% from the latest LP and a couple of songs 1990 and 2014.  A career spanning best of that tells you something about the strength of their early output compared to the latter years.  

Original Judas Priest members, in order of longevity, Ian Hill, Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton (who appeared for the last 2 songs having been forced off the road with Parkinson’s disease), were supplemented by long standing regulars Scott Travis and Richie Faulkner and touring member Andy Sneap.  All resplendent in black leather and studs with Rob going off stage after each song (for oxygen I guess given he’s a sprightly 72 😊) and changing his leather top every few songs – he must have worked up a sweat as he constantly wore 2 leather jackets.  The final change for the encore was to a floor length sleeveless denim coat emblazoned with band patches – reminded me of 70s Quo fans style (that said I’ve never seen so many patched denim since the early 70s at the show tonight – old rockers never die!!)

To be fair all 3 singers on tonight’s bill have still got outstanding vocal dexterity.  They all have outstanding dynamic ranges which given their ages is surprising.  The band are tight and don’t put a foot wrong throughout a night of heavy metal anthems.  You know it’s going to be good from the start when they launch into the blistering ‘Panic Attack’ followed by a salvo of ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ and ‘Breaking the Law’ when Ritchie, Rob and Andy do a little shimmy move during the guitar solo – great stuff (watch the video via the link further down this blog).  Loads of archetypal metal axeman posturing from Ritchie, Ian doing the usual bassist thing but Rob still gets the audience gaze, striking as he is with tattooed bald head, nose ring, long white beard and leather clad head down singing into the mic.

Judas Priest Set List (9:20 – 22:55) (click on link to watch video)

1. Panic Attack (Invincible Shield, 2024)
2. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ (Screaming for Vengeance, 1982)
3. Breaking the Law (British Steel, 1980)
4. Rapid Fire (British Steel, 1980)
5. Sword of Damocles (Redeemer of Souls, 2014)
6. Love Bites (Defenders of the Faith, 1984)
7. Saints in Hell (Stained Class, 1978)
8. Crown of Horns (Invincible Shield, 2024)
9. Turbo Lover (Turbo, 1986)
10. Invincible Shield (Invincible Shield, 2024)
11. Sinner (Sin After Sin, 1977)
12. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) – (Killing Machine, 1978)
13. Painkiller (Painkiller, 1990)

Encore:

1. Electric Eye (Screaming for Vengeance, 1982)
2. Hell Bent for Leather (Killing Machine, 1978)
3. Metal Gods (British Steel, 1980)
4. Living After Midnight (British Steel, 1980)

Priest’s stage set is excellent – great lighting, a large 3 pronged backdrop playing videos or showing the band members in full swing and a invincible shield trident lowering occasionally centre stage for further effect.  There is the occasional between songs banter, Rob introduces Ian “Ian, say hello, how you doing tonight?  Ian has been here as long as I have, we’ve been playing heavy metal for over 50 years, that’s a long time”.  Then the band launch into ‘Invincible Shield’.  And Drummer Scott Travis launches into a prologue about the tour then in as a typical American he says “but we knew the last show in the UK had to be in London, England (like we don’t know where it is 😊) and it’s been the best audience we have had so far…” before giving the drums a damn good clattering as he launched into ‘Painkiller’.

For the encore ‘Electric Eye’ the sound of engines ignites and Rob emerges in a plume of smoke on his Harley motorcycle clad in leather, chains and muir cap – Hell Bent for Leather indeed!!!  The special guest Glen Tipton comes on for the last 2 songs to massive audience approval and the bad finish triumphantly with the sing along ‘Living After Midnight’ – a perfect end to a great night.  Rob is indeed a metal god!

SAXON

The Band are “Biff” Byford (vocals), Brian Tatler (ex Diamond Head) and Doug Scarratt (guitars), Nibbs Carter (bass) & Nigel Glockler (drums).  They are here to promote their new LP ‘Hell, Fire and Damnation’ however 70% of the songs tonight are from their NWOBHM 80s heyday.  That said the 3 songs they did play sounded great especially ‘There`s Something In Roswell’ and ‘Madame Guillotine’.  Biff Byford was in his element, exciting the audience in his thick Yorkshire accent, to have a fucking great time. A classic line from him was “The bill tonight is fucking great, even I’d buy a ticket and I’m from Yorkshire”.

Saxon – Set List (click on link to watch video)

1. Hell, Fire and Damnation (Hell, Fire and Damnation, 2024)
2. Motorcycle Man (Wheels of Steel, 1980)
3. Sacrifice (Sacrifice, 2018)
4. There’s Something in Roswell (Hell, Fire and Damnation, 2024)
5. And the Bands Played On (Denim and Leather, 1981)
6. Power and the Glory (Power & the Glory, 1983)
7. Madame Guillotine (Hell, Fire and Damnation, 2024)
8. Heavy Metal Thunder (Strong Arm of the Law, 1980)
9. Dallas 1 PM (Strong Arm of the Law, 1980)
10. 747 (Strangers in the Night) –  (Wheels of Steel, 1980)
11. Denim and Leather (Denim and Leather, 1981)
12. Wheels of Steel (Wheels of Steel, 1980)
13. Princess of the Night (Denim and Leather, 1981)

All the classics are played during their 60 mins: ‘And the Bands Played On’, ‘747 Strangers in the Night’, ‘Wheels of Steel’ and the crowd choice of ‘Dallas 1 pm’ based on the noise level when Biff gave us 3 songs to choose from.  Saxon were actually really very good and engaging. Loads of top riffs, blistering solos and Biff with a powerful commanding front man display.

URIAH HEEP

Mick Box is such a good guitarist, which I don’t think he gets enough credit for.  Heep are a great live band and they started with a couple of lively newer songs ‘Save Me Tonight’ and ‘Grazed By Heaven’ which got the set off to a blinder.  Bernie Shaw`s voice is very powerful and compliments the thumping Hammond organ driven songs well.

Although coming on at 18:30 and only given 35 minutes Heep delivered a mix of epic old prog classics and crowd pleasers ‘Gipsy’, ‘Rainbow Deamon’ and ‘Easy Livin’ which sat neatly with quality dynamic new songs that show they still have got it.

Uriah Heep – Set List (click on link to watch video)

1. Save Me Tonight
2. Grazed by Heaven
3. Rainbow Demon
4. Hurricane
5. Free ‘n’ Easy
6. Gypsy
7. Easy Livin’

Bernie Shaw (vocals), Mick Box (guitar), Phil Lanzon (keyboards), Dave Rimmer (bass),  Russell Gilbrook (drums) are a well oiled machine on top form tonight.  Bernie said “There’s around 150 years of music in here tonight” and he was not wrong!

Marko [23 March 2024]