The legendary Judas Priest brought their ‘50 Years of Heavy Metal Tour’ to Boston this past Sunday, October 16th to the brand-spankin’ new MGM Music Hall behind Fenway Park. For this tour, it was not only a celebration of fifty years since their humble beginnings in Birmingham, UK but also the 40th anniversary of their seminal release of Screaming for Vengeance which delivered one of their best-known anthems, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”.
As if that wasn’t enough to celebrate, this tour also marked the healthy return of lead guitarist, Richie Faulkner, post-emergency open-heart surgery that brought the last tour to a screechin’ halt. So, now, for Rob Halford (vocals), Scott Travis (drums), Ian Hill (bass), Andy Sneap (guitar), and the aforementioned, Faulkner – the time had arrived once again to hit the road and rock! The New Wave of British Heavy Metal icons unleashed their unabridged fury upon the venue’s guests with a volatile 17-song set that included hits, set staples, and rarities that had their bedazzled, leather and denim-clad fans fist-pumping, head-banging, and rejoicing together as one throughout the night.
The din inside MGM was a mash-up of Priest’s rabid fans’ energized pre-show conversation and the band’s hype-music blasting through the PA system. The buzz of anticipation was almost palpable when the house lights cut at precisely 9:30, which cued Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”, much to the joy of the metal community that filled the general admission floor and the two tiers of the balcony. The show officially commenced as the fog rolled out from both sides of the stage while a massive, illuminated Judas Priest cross-style sculpture descended upon the center of the stage from the rafters above. White lights, projected from the cross and poured out over the crowd.
Amidst the dimmed lights on stage, Travis, Hill, Sneap, and Faulkner swaggered out from behind the industrial “JP Metalworks” stage sets and greeted the crowd with smiles. As they took their marks, gesturing with their hands and instruments, the “Metal God” Rob Halford was ushered out to the epicenter of the stage by a gaggle of factory-worker minders. The music hall erupted. Halford hypnotized his disciples as he ominously prowled from left to right, waiting for his cue to make his vocal contribution.
For a solid 90 minutes, the band then tore through their unbridled set that had casual fans and purists elated. Early highlights included “Electric Eye”, “Wind”, “Another Thing Comin’”, “Judas Rising” and “Highway”. Faulkner, who has his cagey poses down to a science, still manages to play every lick and riff effortlessly while engaging with the crowd by pointing, smiling, and sneering like a Sith Lord awaiting his next kill. Faulkner’s counterpart Snead, who fits seamlessly within the Priest fold, kept pace on his fretboards just the same. The duo’s harmonized fretwork kept onlookers in awe throughout the set.
Mid-set, fans cajoled over “Steeler”, “Valhalia” and “Vengeance”. Halford never missed a cue and had jaws dropping while showcasing his fiendish ability to sing with his howls and guttural growls. Travis, who is landlocked behind his kit was almost always smiling while pummeling the skins and cymbals before him. He was a machine and looked like he was enjoying every beat. Hill, who clearly chooses to stay put in his happy place on stage, attacks his bass with a fever that matches Travis’ intensity, thus providing a freakishly strong backbone for the band.
The band’s encore delivered. After a minute or two of erratic lighting and chants of “Priest” bellowing from in front of the stage, all eyes were focused on the empty stage that soon found Halford rolling out from behind a curtain, straddling his custom motorcycle. Donning a leather coat, cap, sunglasses, and riding crop clenched between his teeth, he drew cheers as he postured and flashed the infamous “Dio” devil horns from his gloved hand. The rest of the band had already returned to their respective haunts and with one final rev of the engine, they tore into “Leather”. As the song wrapped, Faulkner was seen “questioning” why an industrial cart was left behind him. A dramatic break with intermittent lighting and plumes of fog allowed for the inflation of a huge plastic bull with menacing, glowing red eyes to command most of the stage. The prop set up another classic, “Breaking The Law.” Halford sang most of this fan-favorite from in-between the bull’s front two legs. The finale was provided by the epic “Living After Midnight”. Fans continued to celebrate while the band met at the front of the stage to wave goodbye, and throw guitar picks and drumsticks as the video screen behind them declared that they would be back!
In the end, Judas Priest left no stone unturned and proved yet again why they have been heralded as groundbreaking and anointed as one of the most powerful bands in the industry to reckon with. Though original guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing are sorely missed from the lineup by the die-hards, the chemistry and showmanship between Faulkner and Sneap are most impressive. Hill’s and Travis’ bludgeoning backline never falters and continuously keeps the band’s turbo engines runnin’. Halford’s trademark vocal prowess hasn’t lost any spark and as a whole, the band is at the top of their game, and they don’t look like they’re slowing down any time soon. So, we’ll patiently await their return for another voluntary assault on the senses.
Photos by Marc Lacatell
