AC/DC, Judas Priest hit right notes in Indio
The members of Australian rock band AC/DC last played together in 2016, but on Saturday night in Indio, they didn't miss a beat.
It was a rare treat to witness these mighty rock Gods belt out hit after hit during their headlining set at the second day of Power Trip. They played a little over two hours and came to a roaring finish with “T.N.T.” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” which was accompanied by a massive red-andwhite fireworks display.
“This is why we came here,” one fan shouted in my ear after AC/DC opened with “If You Want Blood (You've Got It)” and then “Back in Black.”
The entire vibe of the performance was electric and the crowd fed off of the incredible amount of energy floating throughout the Empire Polo Club. Fans bought up the plastic, red light-up devil horns, which were flashing across the venue as the band blasted through “Demon Fire,” “Shot Down in Flames” and “Thunderstruck.”
In the beginning, vocalist Brian Johnson's voice seemed a little strained, almost like he wasn't going to make it through the full set. But much like Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose, who headlined the evening before, he got better as the show went on. Johnson could audibly be heard clearing out his throat (and lungs) after the first few songs and he must have shaken out the dust.
After playing a biting “Dog Eat Dog,” Johnson strutted down the catwalk — which was quickly added to the stage set up in the changeover between Judas Priest and AC/DC's turn — during “High Voltage.” With Angus Young ripping on guitar behind him, Johnson flashed a wide smile at the crowd and said “I love it here” as those in the pit screamed along.
In between songs, the band took about 30-second breaks, but there wasn't a lull in the flow. It gave fans time to prepare themselves for the next hit and reset from singing along loudly, throwing devil horns high into the air, dancing, jumping, playing air guitar or aggressively hugging the people next to them in excitement, all of which happened throughout the show, but definitely during “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Highway to Hell.”
This AC/DC set in the desert was special. It felt history-making as it unfolded in real time, song by song and note by note, the fans devouring every moment.
Unlike Guns N' Roses, which along with Iron Maiden kicked off the inaugural Power Trip on Friday, AC/DC and Saturday's first band, Judas Priest, better understood the assignment of an event like this.
Fans traveled from all around the world to witness six giants of the heavy rock and metal genres (Metallica and Tool play on Sunday, Oct. 8), and while the performances put on by both event-opening acts were tremendous and overall solid, both setlists were a bit oddly organized here and those in attendance seemed to expect more allkiller, no filler-types of sets with additional hits they could sing along to.
To be fair, Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden have been out touring consistently this year, so their stage shows are absolutely more dialed in at this point. Power Trip served as both Judas Priest and AC/DC's only shows of the year, which likely allowed for much more flexibility within the sets.
Like AC/DC, Judas Priest, also now enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was incredible at Power Trip. The band came out to Black Sabbath's “War Pigs,” a nod to Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who was originally scheduled to perform in that time slot until he had to bow out due to ongoing health issues. The band also announced its 19th studio album at the start of the show, as the album artwork and title, “Invincible Shield,” flashed up on the screen along with the release date of March 8, 2024.
Priest opened with “Electric Eye” and set the pace for the evening with “Riding on the Wind” and “Heading Out to the Highway.” It was also impressive how the newer songs like “Lightning Strike” and “Firepower” fit in so seamlessly in a setlist with classics like the 40-plus yearold song “Breaking the Law,” or the now three decades old “A Touch of Evil.”
After the rousing “Painkiller,” Priest broke into a four-song encore which saw vocalist Rob Halford, who at 72 sounds amazing and remains such a commanding presence on stage, cruising out on a motorcycle and wearing head-to-toe leather with a riding crop clenched between his teeth. This was a fitting look for “Hell Bent for Leather.”
The band also brought out original guitarist Glenn Tipton, who stepped back from touring with the band in 2018 due to complications from Parkinson's Disease. He joined the group through “Metal Gods,” “Breaking the Law” and closed out the set with “Living After Midnight.”
During the encore, Halford called the event “very special.” And he's right, though slightly underselling it. Saturday night's Power Trip performances will undoubtedly go down as some of the most memorable in heavy rock and metal history.