For a band that so proudly proclaims their British roots, there is a case that Judas Priest have simply not toured their home country enough. In the eighties they largely neglected it for the USA with the result that I did not see them until 1988, some years after first getting into the band.

More recently, and through no fault of their own, they were locked in (pun intended) to the constantly postponed Ozzy Osbourne tour. So when that tour was finally cancelled to the surprise of no one, a first proper UK tour since 2015 was swiftly announced. Even better, two of their fellow British rock institutions (seen touring together in 2022) were along for the ride.

Uriah Heep opened with an interestingly put together 35 minute set, geared at persuading what might have been a tough audience quite how heavy the current incarnation of the band is. They opened with songs from their last two albums in ‘Save Me Tonight’ and ‘Grazed by Heaven’, then the heavy and oh so seventies organ of Phil Lanzon driving ‘Rainbow Demon’.

A further new song in the fast and furious ‘Hurricane’ seemed heavier than the studio version: indeed singer Bernie Shaw confessed that while they were not metal, they had dabbled in it in the seventies, allowing the ageless Mick Box (who shouted ‘from Walthamstow to Wembley’ with his trademark grin) to crank out the classic machine gun riff that introduces ‘Free’n’Easy’.

They ended with a couple of classics, Phil rocking back and forth during the Hammond intro to ‘Gypsy’ and a short and sweet ‘Easy Livin’. Leaving the stage to ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, they hopefully won a few new recruits for the upcoming tour Bernie hinted at from the stage.

While there always something reassuringly familiar about Saxon, this was my first sighting of them since the major line up change of Paul Quinn retiring from the road and being replaced by Brian Tatler. The Diamond Head man’s influence was already apparent on the riffs of ‘Hell Fire and Damnation’, opening the show as the title track of their new album and with some stage effects to match, not to mention a classic Brian Blessed intro.

Oldie ‘Motorcycle Man’ was fast and furious- indeed the sound became very distorted at one stage- as was ‘Sacrifice’, showing Saxon now as heavy as in their history. They also gave the new album a decent airing, including ‘There’s Something in Roswell’, though I find that rather repetitive, before more oldies in ‘And the Bands Played On’ with Brian playing that lead break and the fine riffing of ‘Power And The Glory’.

Biff Byford told us the astonishing fact that this was the very first time they played Wembley, and I had to chuckle when he said it was a bill he would be prepared to pay for ‘and I don’t pay for many- I’m a Yorkshireman!’

A menacing bass intro from Nibbs Carter led into a beguiling ‘Madame Guillotine’, one of their best recent songs, but from there on it was the old stuff we know and love all the way beginning with ‘Heavy Metal Thunder’. Indeed the fact Biff offered people a fielder’s choice of ‘Dallas 1pm ‘(which won out), ‘Crusader’ or ‘Strong Arm Of the Law’ proved how many classics they had to leave out.

But the crowd- most of whom, like me, grew up on this stuff- got steadily more raucous to ‘747 (Strangers In the Night)’, and the NWOBHM oral history ‘Denim and Leather’ and by the time of ‘Wheels Of Steel’ Biff managed to cajole even those in the tiered seats to their feet.

The two guitarists worked well as a team but it was noticeable that with Brian still bedding in, Doug Scarratt emerged as the senior partner, taking the majority of the solos including those formerly Paul Quinn’s domain.

It increased the trend for a more aggressive and contemporary guitar style, and the intro to ‘Princess of the Night’ was the one song where he didn’t quite find the right nuances, but it was still a fitting end to a splendid if truncated set. The open secret that they will be headlining Stonedead was revealed during the night and that is something I am now looking forward to even more.

An intro tape of ‘War Pigs’ by fellow Brummie titans Black Sabbath heralded a perfect backdrop for the arrival of Judas Priest who brought a bigger sized stage show. Unfortunately having chosen to be on the floor on the basis this was a show to be standing up for and people there were more likely to do than in the balconies, even at six foot I could see frustratingly little of it with the Arena’s poor sightlines and Rob Halford disappeared from view every time he put his head down and bent forward.

Having just released new album ‘Invincible Shield’ to critical acclaim and high chart positions it was appropriate that a new cut, indeed one of the more brutal one in ‘Panic Attack’ opened the night but there was then a surprise as ‘You Got Another Thing Coming’ was moved forward from its traditional encore position and stripped of the audience call and response. It warmed people up nicely followed by another stone cold classic in ‘Breaking the Law’.

However this was the most obvious example of where Rob would sing every other line and leave the audience to the rest. It was a rather annoying trait but I suppose it was one way to preserve his voice, which it has to be said had weathered impressively with some of his trademark screams. ‘Rapid Fire’ did what it said on the tin musically and its references to hammering anvils and forging furnaces were a reminder that Sabbath did not have a monopoly on the sounds inspired by the post-war industrial West Midlands.

To the band’s credit they mixed up the set even from night to night to play a variety of deeper cuts, but I was very disappointed that we at Wembley got neither of my two favourite epics ‘Victim of Changes’ and ‘Beyond the Realms of Death’. Instead we got ‘Sword Of Damocles’, impressive enough yet fulfilling neither category of new song nor beloved oldie, and puzzlingly ‘Love Bites’ which was always one of their weaker songs and I cannot believe the public was clamouring for it.

The bludgeon of ‘Saints in Hell’ was another unexpected cut. In the circumstances I found myself enjoying a ‘Turbo Lover’, usually too much of a cheese fest for me, simply as something to sing along to. These were interspersed with a couple of new album cuts in ‘Crown Of Horns’, preceded by some arpeggios from Richie Faulkner, confirming its recorded status as one of my favourite songs on the album, and the title track.

Things picked up with ‘Sinner’, with some Halford screams and fiery playing from Ritchie who has become an even more dominant force in the band (though Andy Sneap, his previously short hair spectacularly grown out, did an exemplary job as second guitarist). Rob’s ‘yeah yeah yeah’ call and response led into a fun ‘The Green Manalishi’ and when drummer Scott Travis was given a turn at the mic, that could only mean ‘Painkiller’, Rob hitting notes no normal 72 year old could reach.

There was still plenty of time for more Priest classics for the encores, beginning with ‘Electric Eye’ then the overly familiar yet ever amusing sight of Rob riding his Harley on stage to ‘Hell Bent for Leather’.

There was one more surprise to come – I knew Glenn Tipton had made an appearance at the Birmingham show but assumed that was a one off in his hometown. So it was with a huge cheer and great warmth that he was welcomed onstage for a final pair of ‘Metal Gods and a rollicking ‘Living After Midnight’, where hearteningly he played the solo. He did look rather gaunt however and seeing our ailing musical heroes now making token appearances is a sad fact of life these days.

I think I actually just preferred Saxon to the headliners on this night- as well as their set being more concise, they somehow seemed more down to earth and fun. But it was still great to see Priest rattle out those classics of the metal pantheon after nine long years- hopefully not for the last time.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)