Two great legends come together for an evening of classic
hard rock. Judas Priest and Uriah Heep
pair up in this one of a kind tour, and simply deliver the goods to an ecstatic
audience. It certainly was a special
night for variety of reasons.
Uriah Heep opened the show, and got things going
instantly. The band looked and felt very
fresh, and their approach was very energetic.
The group is very active on the touring circuit, and an excellent live
band to begin with. Guitarist, Mick Box,
was in great shape and mood. His
signature riffing and moves energized the audience. Singer, Bernie Shaw, worked the crowd, and
sang beautifully delivering note after note.
Keyboard player, Phil Lanzon, was adding color to the music, and often set
the mood to the tracks. His role was
extremely important as many Heep classics are based around the keyboards. The rhythm section was incredible. Drummer, Russell Gilbrook, and bassist, Davey
Rimmer, were super tight taking each song to the limit, and beyond. It was very joyous to watch this outfit on
stage.
Uriah Heep had an enormous task ahead of them. How do you narrow down so much great music
into an hour-long set? They played many
of their classic tracks from the golden age, and those went down like a storm. No one could argue with the greatness of
those tracks and their immense impact on the rock music. Uriah Heep still do these songs with great
detail and fury. Gypsy, Look At
Yourself, Stealin’, and Easy Livin’ were just exactly the songs the audience came
to hear, and the band gave it to them.
In addition to the classic Heep, the band played some new music from
their newly released Living The Dream.
It’s a superb record, and the new songs simply rock. Grazed By Heaven which opened their set went
down like a storm, as did Knocking At My Door.
Uriah Heep delivered a very solid set. They seemed very happy with how the audience
was responding. The only problem with
their performance is that it was too short.
Once the audience got the groove of Uriah Heep it quickly came to an end. It certainly left many longing for
more as many Uriah Heep t-shirts were spotted in the audience. Uriah Heep did an outstanding job!
Prior to Judas Priest taking the stage, the band warmed up
the audience to another band from Birmingham.
A few minutes of War Pigs filled the room, and the audience quickly
joined in singing along. It was
certainly a classic moment to experience.
Few minutes later it was Judas Priest with Necromancer, and the then we
were Heading Out to The Highway, a first big surprise of the evening. Prior to this tour Judas Priest promised to
really shake things up in their set list.
Rob Halford added the drama to the spectacle with his
various costumes and one ear piercing voice.
He sounded great, and seemed to be completely concentrated on his
delivery. Then another surprise,
Sentinel, and the crowd was going berserk!
Judas Priest was mixing the new tracks from their Firepower album, with
older classic tunes. And as promised,
they really looked deep into their catalog. (Take These) Chains was probably a
highlight for this writer, and it was absolutely an awesome track to hear on
stage. There were few rarities which
really elevated this show above anything the band’s done recently. The tracks in question include: Out in The Cold, Starbreaker, Steeler,
Tyrant, and All Guns Blazing. As a
center piece, the band brought back Victim Of Changes, and that was a definite
highlight. New songs rocked hard too
showing that Priest is far from finished when it comes to writing and releasing
new music. Spectre, Traitors Gate, and
No Surrender were just perfect song to prove Priest’s vitality.
Guitarist, Richie Faulkner, was on fire! Not only was he nailing every riff and every
lead, but he’s developed into a great showman.
He clearly understands what Judas Priest is all about. Great effort from Faulkner. Andy Sneap was the other guitar player in the
band. Sneap is a temporary replacement for
Glenn Tipton who is dealing with serious health issues. Sneap did a very solid job. His harmonizing with Faulkner was very
effective. Sneap’s stage manner was not
as flashy, but his playing was great. He
was having fun, and you could clearly see that.
Drummer, Scott Travis, is just so incredible to watch. His playing is so powerful yet it does not
appear like he’s putting much effort into it.
A fact that makes him one of the best drummers out there. Bassist, Ian Hill, may not like to take the
center stage, but his presence is really what drives this group. His sense of rhythm and Travis’s powerful
drumming make up one winning formula.
They are the secret weapon to Judas Priest’s success.
Judas Priest were incredible! Rob Halford was in great form, and his voice
was shattering! This show was much more
enjoyable than the last few, mostly due to an exciting set list. The band really took some great chances and
it paid off in a big way. One can only
hope they will continue re-visit their catalog and bring back some great
tracks, and there is plenty available!
They dropped some of the obvious songs people were used to, but this
exchange was great. After the show there
were many fans raving about the material they did play. It worked, people loved it, keep it going!
Mark Kadzielawa
Gallery:
URIAH HEEP
JUDAS PRIEST
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