UNDERGROUND A&R REPORT

JUDAS PRIEST - LIVE IN ALPHARETTA August 20th, 2009


The last couple of years I've seen a half dozen of my old favorite bands, and they all were worse for wear. All still sounded great, but that "magic" was mostly gone. Not going to get into who, but if you know me you know who......

Cruising towards the Verizon Amphitheater last night I wondered if Judas Priest would suffer the same fate. It'd been a few years since I'd seen them, last time they were about as good as ever, it not a legacy act. It was hot as hell that night, weather wise, and everyone was about to pass out. It was hot again this year, raining and humidity so thick you could cut it with a dull knife. I wondered if the heat would be a factor in the intensity of the performance.

This concert venue is built well, having a grass knoll after the covered seats and angled pavilions built open faced on the sides that make the sound deflect nicely for a warm sound. The thing is, this place is in the middle of a sprawling neighborhood; houses, town homes, apartments. There are no noise ordinances per se that befall similar Atlanta open stages like Chastain Park, though I suspect there probably was a time curfew (more on that later).

We pulled onto the street leading into the venue complex, and right in front of us was the big gray dog, carrying the band it has been rumored, right there in front of us, spewing smoke and gliding up the tree lined avenue, right between the town homes and apartment buildings.

So it was weird going to see one of the world's greatest metal bands in the middle of all these households, a nod to how suburban sprawl has created strange bed fellows. I'd copped the 12 of Killian, saving a couple of bucks off by getting two sixes instead of the one packaged 12 (oversight can be good sometime), and I didn't have to wait long, the opening act was half over by the time we got there.

Judas Priest shot straight out of the gate with "Rapid Fire" and proceeded to play all of British Steel as part of that album's 30th anniversary. The band had beautiful high intensity stage lighting and rotated huge backdrops behind the drummer throughout the set. As always, the sound was tight, loud, and heavy. After all these years, going on 40, the band has putting on a show down to a science. Judas Priest always has and I believe always will been one of the most consistent good shows for your money. August 20th, 2009 would be no different.

The complete play through of British Steel was a true fan's treat, and afterwards the band made the choice of playing rarer gems from their astounding back catalog. They also did Prophecy from their last studio album, Nostradamus, which surprisingly fit in well with the night's eclectic choice of set list. Of course you weren't getting out of the concert without hearing "Victim Of Changes", but tonight it blazed, and you had to understand why it is a metal classic, even if it's one of those songs you wish the band would change out because they do it EVERY year. When they did stuff like "Hell Patrol", which they haven't been playing the last 10 years though, it makes up for it.

The guys do show their age a bit, but considering Glenn Tipton will be 62 this year, and everyone else except Scott Travis (he's in his late 40's) is almost 60. Yeah, for pensioners they still bring it. Rob Halford retains a fantastic voice, one that kids (people under 40) of all ages would love to even have half the power of; and he did not hesitate to show his mastery of it over and over tonight. The band plays as tight, maybe even moreso, than ever. On August 20th they gathered up something specials inside themselves, and delivered it onstage, I'd say nothing was held back.

I am sure there were time restraints on the length of the show, because you could tell the band was really just warming up as the final half dozen songs ripped by after Rob brought out the bike to kick off Freewheel Burning. You've Got Another Thing Coming was maybe the most jumpy I'd ever heard it (as opposed to smooth) and thinking back now they were probably trying to hump it through to do another song or two before the govnas shut them down for the evening.

Despite a show probably having close to an hour shaved because of this, Judas Priest delivered their best in the time they had on the stage in a place somewhere near Atlanta. I was lucky to have been there. It was great to hear, and see, that the band carries the metal flag high, and carries on. True Keepers and Defenders of The Faith. The Magic remains.

Rock on!