A lineup of some some great classic rock and metal hit Detroit at the tail end of March as Judas Priest brought long with them Saxon and Black Star Riders for a show that was inevitably going to be good no matter what. Check out some highlights from the show as well as a full photo gallery courtesy of the team at TM Photography.
First up on the trio tour was Black Star Riders. The band was quick to get the crowd up on their feet for the sold out show at The Masonic Temple in Detroit. Black Star Riders is the latest incarnation of the band Thin Lizzy, introduced by original Thin Lizzy guitarist, Scott Gorham. Gorham originally considered releasing new songs under the name Thin Lizzy but later decided not to out of respect for the deceased band leader Phil Lynot. The guys played variety of songs from their most recent release, Heavy Fire (February 2017) and took us way back to 1976 with Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”.
Setlist
1. All Hell Breaks Loose
2. Jailbreak(Thin Lizzy cover)
3. Heavy Fire
4. Soldierstown
5. The Killer Instinct
6. When the Night Comes In
7. Kingdom of the Lost
8. Bound for Glory
Saxon hit the stage around about an hour or so later to an already amped up crowd. Biff and company have amassed a huge following having been around since they formed in 1977. Saxon has sold over 23 million albums worldwide to date and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon, with their latest release, “Thunderbolt” that came out this past February, (the title is inspired by the Gods of Greek mythology). These guys have been touring off and on for years and I have been lucky enough to see them twice in the last 3 years. I do recall during an interview that we did with Biff that he stated that it is very difficult to choose what songs to play live as an opener considering they have released over 20 albums. Their set list consisted of several songs from their latest release like, Nosferatu, The Secret of Flight as well as fan favorites like Power and Glory and probably the most famed of all, Wheels of Steel.
Setlist
1. Thunderbolt
2. Power and the Glory
3. The Secret of Flight
4. Motorcycle Man
5. Nosferatu (The Vampires Waltz)
6. Dallas 1 PM
7. They Played Rock and Roll
8. Denim and Leather
9. Princess of the Night
10. Wheels of Steel
11. And the Bands Played On
12. Heavy Metal Thunder
Judas Priest was the final and most anticipated performance of the evening. The stadium roared with excitement when Rob and the guys hit the stage. True to Judas Priest fashion each member of the band was dressed heavily in studded leather apparel. Front man Rob Halford swapped out one studded leather jacket after another between almost every song. Most noticeably, was the absence of long time band member Glenn Tipton. Glenn recently retired due to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Andy Sneap has been hired on as a touring guitarist to fill the void left by the absence of Glenn Tipton. Andy Sneap has been a part of the metal scene for many years. He has produced more than 100 albums including Judas Priest, Saxon, Opeth, Amon Amarth, Megadeth, Kreator and many more. Andy gave the impression that he was predestined to be on stage with his already acquainted comrades. At times he looked like a kid in a candy store with a wide eyed non-stop grin.
Judas Priest played 21 songs in total for their headlining performance. The earsplitting chanting of “priest, priest, priest” from the crowd resonated throughout the venue at the slightest hint of a pause at any time during their set.
The most paramount highlight of the evening took place when Rob Halford entered the stage on his Harley Davidson for the onset of one on their most admired songs, “Hell Bent for Leather”.
Judas Priest has sold over 50 million copies of their albums to date and is easily the most recognized metal band on the planet. They are currently on tour in support of their most recent release, “Firepower”.
Setlist
1. Firepower
2. Running Wild
3. Grinder
4. Sinner
5. The Ripper
6. Lightning Strike
7. Bloodstone
8. Saints in Hell
9. Turbo Lover
10. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)(Fleetwood Mac cover)
11. Evil Never Dies
12. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
13. Breaking the Law
14. Hell Bent for Leather
15. Painkiller
16. Electric Eye
Encore:
17. The Hellion
18. Electric Eye
19. Metal Gods
20. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
21. Living After Midnight
