Concert review: Judas Priest, Wolverhampton Civic Hall

Judas Priest

Wolverhampton Civic Hall

Concert review by Ian Harvey

Wolverhampton was treated to a mini rock festival of its own as Black Country heavy metal legends Judas Priest headed a three-band bill at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

All three of the bands on the bill – Priest, Queensryche and Rival Sons – are appearing at London's High Voltage rock festival on Saturday, so this was a chance for Midlands fans to get a taster just days ahead of that.

Click on the image on the right to start the picture gallery.

Californian-based Rival Sons opened with a short but well-received set full of blues rock muscle.

Queensryche have enjoyed a mixed press of late with their brand of prog metal - some critics bemoaning a lack of direction - but Geoff Tate led his troops with conviction through a set which wisely concentrated on the classics.

For Judas Priest fans it was a rare chance to see the "Metal Gods" in a more intimate venue than the arenas and festivals they normally play.

Priest's Epitaph tour is not quite a farewell jaunt after four decades of metal mania but it is intended as the last major world tour the veteran rockers will undertake.

With the full Priest set crammed on to the Civic stage and lead singer Rob Halford prowling around in a bewildering number of metallic costumes, Judas Priest showed they are as brutal, melodic and inventive as ever.

Guitarists Glenn Tipton and new boy Richie Faulkner have clearly bedded in well as a unit, Faulkner acquitting himself well as a hasty replacement for the recently-departed KK Downing.

From Turbo Lover to Blood Red Skies, Hell Bent For Leather and Living After Midnight, this was a set that covered all bases, even stretching back to Never Satisfied from their debut album, Rocka-Rolla, which Halford joked they had recorded in 1823.

We got smoke, pyrotechnics, lasers and a huge, shiny motorbike and in Rob Halford's amazing voice something of a miracle. In once, crazy, sustained, squeal during the mighty Victim Of Changes he seemingly defied the laws of nature.

Judas Priest playing back in the home of metal - a night to remember.

Music photography by Ian Harvey / RocktasticPix