An Evening With Judas Priest

Last Friday evening, an energized crowd shuffled into the concert pavillion at Pier Six in downtown Baltimore. Consisting largely of middle-aged "metal-heads", the attendees anxiously made their way to their seats. They knew that it was just a matter of time before Judas Priest would be taking the stage and unleashing their rock and roll beast.

When Priest eventually took the stage around 9 pm, the crowd went absolutely nuts. The sight of Rob Halford and the boys taking their familiar positions instantly transported the crowd back to 1983. And although they started with a "non-classic" and lesser-known song off of the new album, the crowd didn't seem to mind at all. But when they followed up with the more widely recognized "Metal Gods" from the British Steel album, a chorus of ear-splitting whistles and cheers filled the pavilion.

Perhaps the most anticipated moment of the evening came a little earlier than expected. There was a brief pause as the band prepared to launch into their fourth song. A moment later, the silence was shattered as the classic dual-guitar intro from "Victim of Changes" echoed across the Inner Harbor. As the band transitioned into the signature power chords of the song, the crowd responded as if it had been hit with a defibrillator. This, of course, paved the way for Halford's powerful vocals. As the Metal God belted out the familiar lyrics, Pier Six was rocking like a hurricane. Seeing Judas Priest perform this song alone was worth the price of admission. The hair on my arms was standing up when they went into the bridge ....

Once she was wonderful
Once she was fine
Once she was beautiful
Once she was mine.......

Wailing like a harmonic banshee, Halford closed down the song like only he could. All I could say was, "Wow!" As I scanned the crowd, everyone else appeared to have the same reaction.

Photo courtesy of John Dixon 

They played a few more songs from the new album and mixed in a few classics. "Beyond The Realms of Death" from the Stained Class album was a pleasant surprise. As they prepared to play the final song of the set, the distinct roar of a Harley Davidson engine blasted through the pavilion. And anyone who's ever been to a Judas Priest show knows what that means. Rob Halford cued up the band by driving his famous motorcycle onto the stage. The twin guitars launched into the beginning riff of "Hell Bent For Leather" and the crowd went crazy. Like the band members themselves, this song never seems to get old.

They followed up with a couple of encores which consisted of "You've Got Another Thing Comin", "Livin' After Midnight" and "Defenders of the Faith".

As satisfied as I was, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed that they didn't do "Green Manalishi" or "Diamonds and Rust". In my opinion, these are two of the best covers ever. Most Priest fans know that "Diamonds and Rust" is an old Joan Baez folk song. Yeah, I know, hard to believe, right? But many fans might not know that "Green Manalishi" was originally done by Fleetwood Mac. OK, that's enough trivia.

I can remember practically wearing the vinyl off of my "Unleashed In The East" album. To me, it was the ultimate live record and I couldn't get enough of it. I saw Judas Priest several times through the years and they have always delivered the goods. Although the core members (Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton and Ian Hill) are all in their mid-60's now, age doesn't really seem to be slowing them down.

To sum it up, Judas Priest still kicks ass and that's exactly what they did on Friday night. I'm not sure how much longer these guys can do it. But as long as they do, there will be no shortage of fans who want to see them.....

kw