Judas Priest @ ChallengeStadium Perth, 16/9/2008

Fri 19th Sep, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Judas Priest Gallery by TheRoute777

There’s a special feeling of anticipation when a band like Judas Priest play a city like Perth: a look of excitement on faces in the carpark; eager punters chatting with complete strangers at the merch stand; nods and knowing smiles in the crowds at the front of the stage. This is the classic lineup that no one dared dream would get back together again. This is the album that metal fans had been waiting years for. This is the band, not only touring Australia, but playing Perth – the most isolated capital city in the world, or so they would have us believe.

As suspected, the crowd at Challenge Stadium was small, and while the standing area was quite well populated, the seated areas were more empty than full. Sadly, there was no way that Priest would have filled Burswood, the original venue – even Iron Maiden, helped along by the “hipster tshirt” factor and promising to only play songs from their 80’s heydey, couldn’t do that. That’s the problem when these kinds of bands tour – the fan base in Australia will never match the size of that found in Europe. We simply don’t have a proper appreciation of metal pedigree in this country.

After proving their vintage by loudly singing along to War Pigs as sound checks went on behind a large curtain, the crowd were rewarded with a dazzling stage arrangement when said curtain finally fell – no less than three levels, an enormous drum kit centred at the top, with a huge Nostradamus backdrop complete with glowing red eyes. Smoke filled the room and spotlights searched before drummer Scott Travis, bassist Ian Hill, and the twin guitar onslaught of Glen Tipton and K. K. Downing emerged from the smoke. But where was enigmatic frontman Rob Halford?

Spotlights soon revealed a figure hooded in a gold cloak rising up into the top tier of the stage, and an unmistakeable voice rang out – the operatic opening verse of concept album title track Nostradmus before switching into first single Prophecy. The hood was pulled back and yes, it was the Metal God himself. At the end of the opening track Halford descended back into the stage he’d risen from, re-emerging from the glowing red doors at centre stage for the second song of the evening, Metal Gods.

From that point on it was a whirlwind journey through a fifteen-album back catalogue. Eat Me Alive, Between the Hammer and the Anvil, Devil’s Child, and crowd-pleaser Breaking the Law led into Death, the only other song played from Nostradamus, where Halford got to sit down for a breather on a skull-encrusted throne (what else?). Fight for Your Life and down-tempo Angel were followed by Electric Eye, Rock Hard Ride Free, and then Sinner, during which one plucky fan ran on stage, rocked out with K.K. and took a photo centre stage before diving back into the crowd.

Downing and Tipton ruled the front of the stage, encouraging the crowd on their respective stage ends and meeting periodically in the middle for some synchronised axe-wielding. Travis showed flair with drumstick twirling – including some insanely high throws – while Hill was a quiet presence on stage, rarely moving from his back corner position.

Halford, ever the showman, had a wardrobe change between each song – silver cloak giving way to studded leather, to pimpin’ red smoking jacket. Hitting those insanely high notes time and time again, it was hard to believe this man is 57, and although other Australian reviews of this tour seem to have caught him on off-nights, this was certainly not one of them.

The epic thrash-out Painkiller signalled the end of the standard set; but the crowd did not have to chant for long to coax the band back on stage for an encore. The roar of an engine sent the punters wild and Halford emerged from the centre doors on a motorbike: the signature start to Hell Bent For Leather.

Back on stage for the final encore, draped in an Australian flag, Halford thanked the crowd for their enthusiasm and led a bit of a vocal warmup. The end to the evening was the ever-popular You’ve Got Another Thing Coming, where the frontman struggled to be heard above the crowd’s singing – not that he seemed to mind.

This, the final show of the Australian Priest Feast tour, was the one where it all seemed to come together: the sound quality was outstanding, the lighting and set breathtaking, and the band on fire. For the Priest fans present, an experience well worth the long wait.

Judas Priest Gallery by TheRoute777