Judas Priest

I would say that Lone Wolf sounds like a Load/ Reload song to me. And I mean it in the best possible way.
 
My uni city! What a happy coincidence. With the Civic Hall being closed until 2020, it's much needed!

Also, it's capacity is 4,000, so it's much bigger! Fingers crossed for some big bands like Ghost or Sabaton on their next tours!
 
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Concert was interesting. I had the same reaction as LC to a lot of things. Frankly the entire experience made me even more impressed at what Maiden has been doing lately.

Staging did look cheap. It wasn’t bad and the video screens helped (although some of the videos used didn’t fit the music at all) but it seemed pretty low effort overall.

Rob sounded OK but he looked awful. He looked exhausted, moved even slower than usual, and spent a lot of time backstage. He didn’t talk to the audience much and it looked like basic stage moves were taking a toll on him. I admire his willingness to continue performing at his age but I left the concert with genuine concern for his health. I hope he can make it through the whole tour.

It’s obvious that Richie is carrying the band at this point. Last time I saw them was the Epitaph tour and he had great stage presence then too but never got in the way of Rob and Glenn. This time around he was in some ways the frontman. Now he’s taking the majority of the solos and roaming the entire stage. He had some awesome moments and was really the MVP of the night. I don’t have anything bad to say about him.

Sneap, on the other hand, was clearly a producer filling in on guitar. He stayed out of the spotlight, didn’t really interact with the audience or the rest of the band, and was clearly just there to fill a visual void on stage left. I don’t really fault him, but I missed Glenn more than anything.

To that end, I wondered if it would still feel like Judas Priest with both guitarists absent and the answer is..... kinda? There were times when it felt like Halford and a backing band. There were times when it felt like a Priest tribute band (especially during
Saints in Hell and Running Wild, the more obscure stuff
. I recognize that Ian Hill and even Scott Travis are just as integral to the band, but they aren’t at the forefront on stage or even musically most of the time.

The setlist was awesome though. It gave me the final push to buy tickets and I don’t regret going for that.
Perfect amount of deep cuts and more than enough variation from the last time I saw them live. Some songs, especially Sinner, were songs I wanted to hear back on the Epitaph tour. It definitely checked off most of my Priest bucket list.

With all that being said, it was a fun night and I went with the caveat that this would be the last time I see Priest whether this is the last tour or not. I think they’ve definitely missed the chance to quit while they were ahead and in some ways KK was right. Epitaph tour with KK would’ve been an idea end imo. I’ll echo a sentiment posted earlier in the thread: I really hope Maiden call it quits before they are in this condition.

On the other side of things, Saxon were so awesome. Setlist was perfect blend of old and new and they had a great on stage energy. I thought Biff had a ton of energy and was having a great time on stage. His voice was also in really good shape. For those who enjoy Firepower and are craving that classic Metal sound, I can’t reccomend Thunderbolt enough. It’s better than Firepower.
 
Not sure what to think of this review. I've seen them a few years back (not as long ago as you did).

Basically, everything you said was already known. With the only difference: no Glenn. But last time he also was a shadow of himself.
And to be honest Rob sang quite good! This year, I think the setlist is much more interesting.

So despite the negativity, I can't imagine the gig will be a worse experience. Perhaps I'm being a stubborn ass here, and I'll find out in 4 months.
 
Don’t get me wrong, it was still an enjoyable show and maybe I’m just getting caught up in the negatives. I skipped the Redeemer of Souls tour and never looked at any live footage. The stops I saw on the Epitaph tour were both great but I thought the performance that was captured on DVD looked really tired. If they (I.e. Rob) is already at that point this early in the tour I can’t imagine what it’ll be like in Europe.

Singing was pretty good all things considered. Setlist was friendly to his voice and it was only toward the end of the main set and encore that he started to really break down.

I think most people know what they’re getting into with this tour so I can’t really imagine it being a disappointment for anyone.
 
my main impression about Firepower: it may not contain super hits, but on this album band sounds great. Not old and TIRED, like they sounded on Angel of Retribution and Redeemer. Say what you want, but good production is a must.
 
Oh yeah, I like Firepower a lot, and when I saw Rob he wasn't too bad. So maybe this was an off night for him, but based on reviews, he is having as many off night as on nights.

Can't agree more about Saxon. I was thoroughly impressed and had a great time. Thunderbolt has become one of my favourite albums of 2018 so far.
 
These reviews are making me glad I skipped seeing this tour. As it would be my only experience with them, and I'm barely a quarter of the way through their discography, I'd hate for it to be my only memory of seeing them live. Better to leave it as a mystery.
 
The screen said “Priest will be back” at the end so it’s possible. Can’t imagine what that would look like though.
 
Well ladies and gents, I got an encore featuring none other than Mr. Glen Tipton.
No hints or drama. The lights came up for the encore and he was just there.
Looked frail and I can’t say he nailed his solos, but he got through them.

Enjoyed the show.
Like Richie, but I think he is too close to prime KK in his stage presence for my liking.
It was also weird seeing Sneap (whose presence was low-key) and Faulkner trading off classic solos, sometimes in the wrong order - sometimes just like the album, sometimes not, but never with that special touch.

It gave the show a hint of Vegas. Actually, now that I think about it, the presentation was Vegas as well.

Not getting the Rob criticism; he looked healthy and involved to me. His lack of interaction was noticeable though.
And he sounded magnificent. Much more consistent that the past couple shows I’d seen.

Crushed painkiller, and late in the set!

Liked the set, judicious deep cuts and different treatment of some old stalwarts.

My favourite was when they spun out Freewheel Burning! I have been avoiding spoilers, but my buddy said they had not been playing it earlier in the tour.

Saxon was loud and enjoyable. Wouldn’t have been my Setlist, but I did love
Dallas 1 pm

Black Star Riders were good. Got up front with them.
Said hi to Ricky and had a brief exchange with Scott Gorham. A real gentleman.
 
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/de...est-announce-north-american-co-headline-tour/

Judas Priest to tour North America with Deep Purple in August/September.

Aug. 21 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 22 - Chicago, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Aug. 24 - Detroit, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Aug. 25 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort*
Aug. 27 - Hamilton, ON - FirstOntario Centre
Aug. 29 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
Aug. 30 - Quebec City, QC - Centre Videotron
Sep. 01 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sep. 02 - Bethel Woods, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Sep. 05 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sep. 06 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
Sep. 08 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sep. 09 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
Sep. 11 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
Sep. 12 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
Sep. 14 - Atlanta, GA - Verizon Amphitheatre
Sep. 16 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sep. 18 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
Sep. 20 - Welch, MN - Treasure Island Casino*
Sep. 21 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's Council Bluffs*
Sep. 23 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Sep. 26 - San Diego, CA - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
Sep. 27 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre
Sep. 29 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sep. 30 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre
 
Huh. Well, I guess they're gonna keep going (at least through this year). Glad I skipped the last show as I can probably get $15 lawn tickets to this gig in "Chicago".
 
That's too bad that Sneap stays in the background so much. Maybe being a producer and not having been in bands, he's just not used to being on stage. That is really strange to hear that Rob doesn't do any crowd interaction though. As far as me seeing them again, I think I'll keep my memories of their amazing 2004 show and getting all material up to Painkiller. Also, a lot of people are saying that Deep Purple has no energy left in them and are quite boring to watch so don't expect too much out of their performance.
 
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