the priest

[opprobrium_9]

i want to sweat my arse off in the mosh pit

Moshing to Priest?  Tisk, Tisk!  Not to be heard of!  Moshing to Priest is like headbanging to Madonna  :shock:

Hell no!

Hell no to moshing to Priest? or Hell no to Headbanging to Madonna?  Its lose lose either way i tell you!  :P

[AndyR]

Well, that track sounds better than the last album to me... It'll probably be utter tosh, but I'll be getting it!

I know I come across as a blueser on here, but...

I was a big, BIG Judas Priest fan years back. Second gig I ever went to, Bristol, on the British Steel tour (with Iron Maiden supporting - I thought they were a pile of...! But the Priest was AMAZING). I was right at Glenn Tipton's feet, he gave me one of his white "Glenn Tipton, Judas Priest" plectrums, sigh, the memories...

When the reunion was brewing a few years back, I got very excited for a middle-aged bloke. I was even on the Judas Priest forum (that was a scary place!!) waiting for it all to happen.... Album came out - it was OK. Missus's favourite track... Loch Ness!! (she does like listening to the Les Miserables cast recording, though!)

Then came the gig, dragged the Missus to it, to share my lost youth with her. Me going out is a big thing nowadays - we've been to three gigs in the last 4-5 years, Priest, Motorhead (YEAH!), and Ocean Colour Scene(ditto). But the one I was most excited about, the one I was most longing for... the Priest... I was SO disappointed    (It was one of the nights at Hammersmith, rumour has it that the other was better). A friend of mine saw them in Birmingham and left halfway through, similarly depressed.

But on the Priest forum, a load of aggro broke out - several of us reported our disappointment, and evryone else jumped on us... (including people who were at the same gig and declared it "awesome") I never went back to the forum after that. In hindsight, I think it was that us oldies, still lovingly polishing our "Sad Wings", "Killing Machine", and "Unleashed" albums, kind of missed the band we remembered... everyone gets older etc etc

But I thought the Scorpions absolutely blew them away (I'd never seen them before) - and they can't be that much younger!  

Still... I'll be getting this Nostradamus malarky, I have to get it!

Seeing them live again though - I'm not sure I can be arsed... gwEm, somebody - help me out, did I see a bad night?  :roll:

[Philly Q]

I don't know whether I was at the same night as you or not, but I thought it was a good gig - and I'm another middle-aged, one or two gigs a year type.

I preferred the Scorpions set too, but they're one of my absolute favourite bands so that was to be expected (incidentally, Scorpions' average age must be less than Priest's, but Tipton's the only JP member older than Schenker or Meine!  :lol: )

I did find Judas Priest excruciatingly loud though, my ears were ringing for over 24 hours.  Now I take ear protection to gigs - "too loud, too old" be damned.

[AndyR]

I do remember them being loud that night - but a very "clear loud", I was amazed at how clearly I could hear both guitars all the time (and, er, not much in the way of vocals)(or drums a few times!)

Apart from the volume, the Priest set seemed a little bit lacklustre and "going through the motions". I almost felt like they were expecting me to do the work... Whereas, same night, it felt like the Scorpions were expecting a good time to be had whether we were there or not, but if we wanted to join in, that would make it even better.

We also came away with the impression that Mr Halford might not be a well man, and might be undertaking some kind of marathon "farewell" tour... (obviously not in hindsight, cos that was, what, 3 years ago?) It might have been those daft boots and 3 or four layers of leather coats he was wearing... I do remember he could hardly get up those steps at one point!

And Mr Tipton!! You're a very a proficient technical guitarist, sir - but what is that 3 minute (and, er, 3 note) solo spot all about??!

It was a very strange evening for us, we spent all the journey home conducting a "post mortem" on the gig and trying to convince ourselves we'd enjoyed it after I'd been looking forward to it so much. It wasn't until a day or two later we remembered what a thoroughly good time we'd been having until my heroes came on - and that the Scorpions had been utterly superb entertainment!

But anyway... ROLL ON JUNE the something!!! (16th?) I want me a new Priest album...

BTW... sshh, don't tell the Priest this (or Motorhead for that matter), loud as they were - it was only the OCS gig that left us deaf afterwards, that gig was seriously loud!!

[FELINEGUITARS]

But the one I was most excited about, the one I was most longing for... the Priest... I was SO disappointed    (It was one of the nights at Hammersmith, rumour has it that the other was better). A friend of mine saw them in Birmingham and left halfway through, similarly depressed.

But I thought the Scorpions absolutely blew them away (I'd never seen them before) - and they can't be that much younger!  

I saw both nights at Hammersmith

On the first night the Scorpions absolutely killed - it was all fast heavy stuff and they were just brilliant. No Wind of Change - just great anthemic rockers - only ballad was Still loving you.
Priest were kind of OK but after the Scorps had a hard time finding their way IMO.

On the second night the Scorps weren't quite as good but Priest were fantastic - I enjoyed them a lot more that night - again it may ave just been that I was more in the mood for them and wasn't as blown away by the Scorps but I suspect that they had found their stride by the second night.

I also thought that Rob Halford looked unwell and wondered if they had done the reunion before any condition he had got too advanced.
He seemed to hide behind his sunglasses all night and was clutching to the railings like he might collapse otherwise.

Did wonder if after "coming out" (like ot was really a secret to any of us) that he couldnt look all the fans in the eye anymore.

Glad they are touring again - hope Rob's health isnt at risk

[gwEm]

i saw the second night at hammersmith, and i saw them again at the royal albert hall.

agree with feline's comments about the second hammersmith night.

at the royal albert hall the scorpions absolutely rocked it. priest then proceeded to follow suit, but lost energy half way through their set. and didn't play 'painkiller'. was dissapointed after the hammersmith triumph, but of course it was a great evening.