Travelling to another country for a gig may seem like a very expensive idea in this day and age but with four of my best buddies and three days of Guinness and craic on offer how could we refuse? The first night in Dublin (on St Patrick's Day weekend no less), was the realm of the extreme with Cattle Decap et al but Friday night, well Friday night has always been about the classics and this was a line up Tommy Vance would have approved of.
Three of the UK's longest serving rock/metal exports in one place, playing venues across the UK and Ireland, to packed out rooms. Nostalgia is a big thing in the music world, just listen to any Planet Rock supported band but the trio of bands here are all in the best form of their careers, each having recently released brilliant new music, the headliners especially gaining a #2 in the UK album chart, higher than anything they achieved in the 80's heyday.
First though it was the oldest band on the bill, Uriah Heep (8) have been doing this for more than 50 years and the current incarnation of the band with Phil Lanzon on keys and Bernie Shaw on vocals since 1984, Russell Gilbrook on drums since 2007, Dave Rimmer on bass since 2013 and guitarist Mick Box being there from the beginning, all click together well, providing organ heavy hard rock, with progressive/folk flourishes.
Compared to Deep Purple for a large part of their career they have forged their own path and are making some of their best albums this long into their existence. Playing tracks from their newest album, packed into 35 minutes, a run time bemoaned by Shaw, they of course leaned more on the classics such as Gypsy, Free N Easy and Easy Livin' at the end. Class acts through and through, let's hope a headline tour isn't too far away as the world needs more Heep.
Fires lit, engines running and were were ready to go on with the show and we were brought through Hell, Fire And Damnation with another UK metal stalwart The Mighty Saxon (9), their first tour with Flying V wielding Diamond Head founder Brian Tatler on guitar as a full time member, Saxon never give a bad show, their new songs such as There's Something In Roswell or Madam Guillotine where Biff Byford can bring theatricality to his always perfect vocal performance.
I'm glad Sacrifice has become a staple of the set but the Dublin hordes were there in force for the older material such as Motorcycle Man, And The Bands Played On and weirdly Crusader, which won the fan vote between three songs but being up in the seats and hearing the crowd reaction I'd say there was some staging going on as the cheer was louder for the other two choices.
After that though we got Strong Arm Of The Law, then the closing quartet of 747, Wheels Of Steel, Princess Of The Night and Denim And Leather to close out another, well oiled, immaculately performed Saxon set. There are thousands of young bands that should watch Saxon perform as they'll see what playing a metal gig is all about.
Fever pitch now as the stage was set for the headliners, shows we should have seen a few years ago but unfortunately they got caught up in the Ozzy debacle, however now with a stunning new album called Invincible Shield, released just a week ago it was the Metal Gods themselves Judas Priest (10) that would finish off this heavy metal odyssey to the Emerald Isle. War Pigs from Sabbath, boomed through the P.A and the crowd sang along, The Invincible Shield banner dropped as the intro to Panic Attack was played the band all huddled together on the drum riser steps, the song kicking off properly and it was all systems go for the best metal band in the UK.
The new songs fit perfectly into the set, Panic Attack setting the pace for the show, showing that even after so many years they can still play faster than a lot of bands. It was the ebb and flow that kept the show moving though, the harder songs usually proceeded by slower easier songs, keeping Rob Halford's vocals strong throughout. Squeezed in between Panic Attack and Sword Of Damocles from the Redeemer Of Souls album made its live debut were one from Screaming For Vengeance in the anthemic You've Got Another Thing Coming and two from British Steel in Breaking The Law and Rapid Fire. One of the few deep cuts that were brought back into the set including You Don't Have To Old To Be Wise and Sinner.
Halford was on fire, vocally stunning and how he can still do those huge falsetto screams are anyone's guess. He prowls the stage, slipping out to change costumes/outfits to fit the song. Visually the focus is on Richie Faulkner, he flexes around the stage throwing shapes while peeling off those leads and solos that are so memorable. The man never stops moving, employing yoga techniques as he mugs to the crowd, playing a riff with his teeth at one point just for the hell of it. The trio of Love Bites, Saints In Hell and Crown Of Horns was inspired adding some mid set atmosphere and drama, as Halford prowled Andy Sneap and Ian Hill keeping the rhythms coming on the big sing along of Turbo Lover and Invincible Shield which though new still managed to illicit crowd interaction.
Towards the end of the main set Andy got a chance to fire off some leads on the evergreen cover of Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) while Scott Travis continued to show what an absolute beast he is behind the kit on every single song but in particular the main closer Painkiller, which is really his showcase. Breath taken, minds blown and we await the inevitable encore and it comes to the sounds of The Hellion announcing Electric Eye. To this day my favourite Priest tune, the final moments of that drowned out by the grunt of a Harley and we're Hell Bent For Leather before the closing statement of Living After Midnight is the fitting climax to the whole show.
With the legend "The Priest Will Return" it seems they are making up for lost time and being in contract limbo for a while. Until then though seeing three of the best veteran bands on the circuit in one place is a treat that must be treated as special. The Metal Masters Tour was exactly that, 3 masters of heavy metal flexing their muscles in front of near sell out crowds. No talk of retirement or slowing down, metal will never really die, so long as these bands still carry the flame!
Three of the UK's longest serving rock/metal exports in one place, playing venues across the UK and Ireland, to packed out rooms. Nostalgia is a big thing in the music world, just listen to any Planet Rock supported band but the trio of bands here are all in the best form of their careers, each having recently released brilliant new music, the headliners especially gaining a #2 in the UK album chart, higher than anything they achieved in the 80's heyday.
First though it was the oldest band on the bill, Uriah Heep (8) have been doing this for more than 50 years and the current incarnation of the band with Phil Lanzon on keys and Bernie Shaw on vocals since 1984, Russell Gilbrook on drums since 2007, Dave Rimmer on bass since 2013 and guitarist Mick Box being there from the beginning, all click together well, providing organ heavy hard rock, with progressive/folk flourishes.
Compared to Deep Purple for a large part of their career they have forged their own path and are making some of their best albums this long into their existence. Playing tracks from their newest album, packed into 35 minutes, a run time bemoaned by Shaw, they of course leaned more on the classics such as Gypsy, Free N Easy and Easy Livin' at the end. Class acts through and through, let's hope a headline tour isn't too far away as the world needs more Heep.
Fires lit, engines running and were were ready to go on with the show and we were brought through Hell, Fire And Damnation with another UK metal stalwart The Mighty Saxon (9), their first tour with Flying V wielding Diamond Head founder Brian Tatler on guitar as a full time member, Saxon never give a bad show, their new songs such as There's Something In Roswell or Madam Guillotine where Biff Byford can bring theatricality to his always perfect vocal performance.
I'm glad Sacrifice has become a staple of the set but the Dublin hordes were there in force for the older material such as Motorcycle Man, And The Bands Played On and weirdly Crusader, which won the fan vote between three songs but being up in the seats and hearing the crowd reaction I'd say there was some staging going on as the cheer was louder for the other two choices.
After that though we got Strong Arm Of The Law, then the closing quartet of 747, Wheels Of Steel, Princess Of The Night and Denim And Leather to close out another, well oiled, immaculately performed Saxon set. There are thousands of young bands that should watch Saxon perform as they'll see what playing a metal gig is all about.
Fever pitch now as the stage was set for the headliners, shows we should have seen a few years ago but unfortunately they got caught up in the Ozzy debacle, however now with a stunning new album called Invincible Shield, released just a week ago it was the Metal Gods themselves Judas Priest (10) that would finish off this heavy metal odyssey to the Emerald Isle. War Pigs from Sabbath, boomed through the P.A and the crowd sang along, The Invincible Shield banner dropped as the intro to Panic Attack was played the band all huddled together on the drum riser steps, the song kicking off properly and it was all systems go for the best metal band in the UK.
The new songs fit perfectly into the set, Panic Attack setting the pace for the show, showing that even after so many years they can still play faster than a lot of bands. It was the ebb and flow that kept the show moving though, the harder songs usually proceeded by slower easier songs, keeping Rob Halford's vocals strong throughout. Squeezed in between Panic Attack and Sword Of Damocles from the Redeemer Of Souls album made its live debut were one from Screaming For Vengeance in the anthemic You've Got Another Thing Coming and two from British Steel in Breaking The Law and Rapid Fire. One of the few deep cuts that were brought back into the set including You Don't Have To Old To Be Wise and Sinner.
Halford was on fire, vocally stunning and how he can still do those huge falsetto screams are anyone's guess. He prowls the stage, slipping out to change costumes/outfits to fit the song. Visually the focus is on Richie Faulkner, he flexes around the stage throwing shapes while peeling off those leads and solos that are so memorable. The man never stops moving, employing yoga techniques as he mugs to the crowd, playing a riff with his teeth at one point just for the hell of it. The trio of Love Bites, Saints In Hell and Crown Of Horns was inspired adding some mid set atmosphere and drama, as Halford prowled Andy Sneap and Ian Hill keeping the rhythms coming on the big sing along of Turbo Lover and Invincible Shield which though new still managed to illicit crowd interaction.
Towards the end of the main set Andy got a chance to fire off some leads on the evergreen cover of Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) while Scott Travis continued to show what an absolute beast he is behind the kit on every single song but in particular the main closer Painkiller, which is really his showcase. Breath taken, minds blown and we await the inevitable encore and it comes to the sounds of The Hellion announcing Electric Eye. To this day my favourite Priest tune, the final moments of that drowned out by the grunt of a Harley and we're Hell Bent For Leather before the closing statement of Living After Midnight is the fitting climax to the whole show.
With the legend "The Priest Will Return" it seems they are making up for lost time and being in contract limbo for a while. Until then though seeing three of the best veteran bands on the circuit in one place is a treat that must be treated as special. The Metal Masters Tour was exactly that, 3 masters of heavy metal flexing their muscles in front of near sell out crowds. No talk of retirement or slowing down, metal will never really die, so long as these bands still carry the flame!
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