Well, we didn't really go to see Thin Lizzy, we got there as they were on their last two or three songs. I am not a a fan of them at all and neither is Manders. We suffered through two songs and the inevitable "The Boys Are Back in Town." Thankfully they were done and w began the short wait for Black Label.
Black Label Society is a band I know little of, like two songs is all I really know. They played a really long set, due mostly to the 15 minute guitar solo by Zack Wylde. It was probably the longest guitar solo we both have ever sat through. The only complaint I have about their set was that the mics/vocals were bad. You couldn't hear a damn thing he was singing, like fish bowl helmet sound. The music sounded awesome. And the songs I knew were still recognizable. Plus he opened the set wearing a big Chief Wig-Wam headdress!
Then we waited for Judas Priest. Between sets there was a female DJ spinning heavy metal tracks to stage right. Her name was DJ Starlight or was it DJ sprinkles/sparkles/ or sunbeam.....we don't remember. She took herself very seriously. She tried to rock out to every song she spun. She did play pretty much every known metal song from the This is Metal 6 CD, or the Stronger Longer Heavy Metal Mix Cd. The only saving grace was that she slipped in Reigning Blood by Slayer which I never expected.
Priest came on and started their set and Mr. Halford started their set that he would be playing for about 2 1/2 hours. Manders and myself scoffed at this thinking it would be the typical hour to hour and 1/2 concert. What we got instead was a historical tour through the back log of Judas Priest albums. That lasted roughly 2 1/2 hours! I was pretty damn phenomenal. I'm pretty sure they played at least one song from every album it not two at times. That was pretty awesome since once again I don't really know their back log of music. It was like a big rob Halford mix tape of awesome.
This was a old school metal concert awesome. By that I mean pyros, flame pots, lasers, copious amounts of smoke. And various wardrobe changes......and a motor cycle ON STAGE. Near the end we were nervous because we were yet to see what we think of as Trade mark Judas Priest which is leather captains hat and riding crop during or before Hell Bent For Leather.
Speaking of songs....he saved the songs everybody knows: Breaking the Law, Hell Bent For Leather, You Got Another Thing Coming, After Midnight, for the encore. We though that was pretty cool since every song prior was known to the hard cores and not to us, so it really capped the evening to hear the "classics".
It was a really good show and it was a chance to see a band on my list of: Bands I Will Never See. Judas Priests now joins the ranks with Alice Cooper, Motorhead, and regrettably Iron Maiden (Damn You Bastards, you broke my heart!) A 2 1/2 hour show that was not only a show but a semi-history lesson of pretty cool music. He still has an amazing set of pipes on him for a little old man.
We had only a few issues, and they were so tiny, was he had the crowd sang the majority of Breaking The Law. That was a bit disheartening since we both wanted to hear him sing it not a bunch of drunken A-Holes on the floor. Secondly was the fact beside the family with the change of life baby, we were probably the youngest people in our section. Which isn't bad but we sit thru the entire show since everyone around us was stilling too due to the fact that they were all in there 40's or 50's. Lastly, this was not really an issue because it was comical, but a few of Mr. Halford outfits made him look like a leather clad Professor Farnsworth. Which was both silly and awesome to think of the lovable Futurama character to be singing Judas Priest songs.
It was pretty awesome night, and a great show. Topped off with milkshakes from Steak-n-Shake (which had the worst drive thru service in the entirety of human existence...but we got free fries and Manders got a free shake.)
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