The support came from Queensryche who did a great set with classics like 'Take Hold of the Flame & Eyes of a Stranger'. Geoff Tate holding his own in good voice and now looking like Mr Halford himself with a shaved head. Scott Rockenfield was cool, keeping up the tempo with some great drum fills and those bass drums just hitting you in the chest for every beat.
The 'Priest' opened up without any dramatic entrance from Halford with a simple curtain drop in an all red lit stage. A heavy metal draped stage with chains that would of towed ships no problem, these dressed the stage throughout. The opening track was a well chosing one and from the British Steel album 'Rapid Fire'. This crowd pleaser woke up everyone with a massive applause after going straight into 'Metal Gods'. A great start to a powerful set which kept the old classics coming. The new boy Richie Faulkner was no shy boy tonight he worked the crowd well and pulled off some cracking leads that Mr KK himself would of been proud of. One thing that surprised me was how much the guy looks like Randy. He even sounded like him down to his tone and white Les Paul. If your going to see these, wait for his guitar solo and you'll know what i'm saying.
After a quick change of attire Halford was back, dressed in all manner of studs and chrome PVC/Leather. He changed his stage clothes throughout the gig which is something he never did back in the 80's. Get on with the music and leave your wardrobe back in the dressing room. His voice has been slagged in the press, in the past and he was well in tune tonight with some awesome gut wrenching screams that a horror flick lover would of been proud of.
The highlights of the gig for me came with the old ballad 'Beyond the Realms of Death' being very unplugged with an acoustic feel which was a pleasent change. A pure flash back to seeing Priest in 1981 with the track 'Heading Out to the Highway'. A thunderous 'Judas Rising' which was probably the best of the bunch next to the awesome Metal anthem Painkiller. Scott Travis had those double bass pedals grooving on this one. The old hits are the best but 'Breaking the Law' has been left for the entirity of track to be sung by the crowd on more then one occasion during this UK tour. I don't know if it's out of Halford's range or just part of the show ?. BTL & the set closer 'Living After Midnight' are very much like Sabbath's Paranoid. These tracks havn't left the set since 1980. I would of been happier hearing something else. But old habits die hard and the set proved to be a winner with the majority of the crowd. A Priest show wouldn't be complete without the arrival of Halford on the back of his trusted motorcycle for the old classic 'Hell Bent For Leather'. On Halfords entrance at the Glasgow show he managed to pull down the side curtain and bring it on stage. (check it out at the link below) The songs which would of made the set even better, which left some fans a little disgruntled with no 'Exciter' or 'Free Wheel Burning'. But for me i had a great night and one to remember. I just hope the guys come back with KK and bow out gracefully with just one more tour.
This guy here has some good shot footage of the show from Glasgow 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTg1nN92CHg
Setlist :
Battle Hymn
Rapid Fire
Metal Gods
Heading Out to the Highway
Judas Rising
Starbreaker
Victim of Changes
Never Satisfied
Diamonds & Rust
Dawn of Creation
Prophecy
Night Crawler
Turbo Lover
Beyond the Realms of Death
The Sentinel
Blood Red Skies
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)
Breaking the Law
Drum solo
Painkiller
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Encore
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Encore
Living After Midnight
