Judas Priest
Bloodstock Festival, Derbyshire
Primed and prime Priest live.
There’s an inevitability about it: at some stage tonight, Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton will make a cameo appearance on stage, and it’s going to be the defining moment of the night.
And so it proves, as Tipton, now suffering from Parkinson’s disease, comes on for the four-song encore. There’s no fuss surrounding his entrance, save for Halford giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek, but it’s hugely emotional, and the audience chants his name between songs.
However, this should not detract from the rest of Priest’s set tonight, which they deliver with monumental metal majesty. Andy Sneap, who has now taken Tipton’s place, has slotted right in; he and Richie Faulkner are a potent guitar alliance. And the unmistakable Rob Halford is still a masterful frontman.
The performance spans much of this iconic metal band’s long and distinguished career, with the smattering of material from the recent Firepower album sounding fierce and combative alongside classics such as Sinner, The Ripper, Tyrant and Painkiller. And it’s warming to hear Saints In Hell from Stained Class, from way back in 1978 but which the band have only recently started to play live.
The encore includes Metal Gods, Breaking The Law and Living After Midnight, giving Tipton the opportunity to shine, but the main set underlines that Judas Priest’s race is far from run. Simply peerless.