A bit more than three years ago, I saw Judas Priest perform live for the first time, you can read my live review about that concert here. A while ago, Judas Priest announced a new upcoming tour including one Dutch date, at the 013 venue in Tilburg. This is of course a show that can’t be missed! So, on August 6 I went to my second Judas Priest show. Sadly, in the meantime it was announced that legendary guitarist Glenn Tipton wouldn’t perform on tour. He still is guitarist of Judas Priest, but performing on a tour has become too heavy due to his Parkinson’s disease. While on tour Andy Sneap, who you could know from Hell, Sabbat and/or as a producer, will take over Glenn Tipton’s duties.
A few minutes before the first notes of today could be heard, the main venue of 013 is packed. There is no support act today, so it could be any moment for Judas Priest to start their sold out show. A few moments later the curtain in front of the stage disappears and Judas Priest immediately goes full throttle with the title track of their latest album, Firepower. On some occasions the sound could be a little clearer, but this doesn’t bother people enough to go completely crazy at this great show.
Andy Sneap does a solid job replacing Glenn Tipton, he for sure fits in with the rest of the band and plays a good show. When I saw Judas Priest three years ago, the other guitarist, Richie Faulkner, was already part of the band. At that concert his gigantic dose of enthusiasm and energy was immediately standing out. Tonight this could again by seen very clearly, what a power this guy has! Of course, Rob Halford also deserves an extra mention. It is unbelievable what a phenomenal vocal range this man still has. At some sporadic moments it can be heard that he is getting older. However, his vocals still are fantastic, so is the very powerful way he delivers those vocals.
Besides opener Firepower, there are of course some other tracks of the new album passing the setlist tonight. These are Lightning Strike, Rising From Ruins and No Surrender. However, there are also a few older tracks to be played like, for example, Grinder, The Ripper and Tyrant. Of course the Judas Priest classics are also present such as Sinner, Turbo Lover, Freewheel Burning and You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.
After You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ Rob Halford goes off stage for a few moments. The cover of Hell Bent For Leather appears on the big screen behind the drums and many know what will happen soon. A few moments later the roaring sound of an Harley-Davidson can be heard and Rob Halford rides it onto the stage. After Hell Bent For Leather, it is time for the well-known drum-intro of Painkiller. A lot of energy is coming from the stage during this Judas Priest-show, with Painkiller as one of the absolute highlights.
After Painkiller Judas Priest has reached the end of their show and leave the stage. However, anyone that has ever been to a concert knows that almost every band comes back to do an encore. So, no one leaves the venue and soon many are shouting “Priest! Priest!”. After a short while, someone walks onto the stage. However it is not just someone. Immediately a lot of sound coming from the audience is filling the venue, the man that just walked onto the stage is Glenn Tipton! Holding a guitar! In the meantime, the other band members also came onto the stage, with Andy Sneap positioning a bit more at the back of the stage. The encore is about to start, including the man everyone thought would be absent this tour. This was for sure a perfect moment to start the encore with Metal Gods. Because, Metal Gods, that’s what Judas Priest are for sure! If you’ve played metal for years and you’re a seasoned veteran like Glenn Tipton, than it’s understandable this guy wants to be on stage despite of his Parkinson’s disease. This can clearly be seen tonight and gives an extra strong touch to this track. Besides Metal Gods, this encore includes four other tracks: Breaking The Law, Victim Of Changes, the live premiere of No Surrender and Living After Midnight. All played together with Glenn Tipton! The very loud applauding after Judas Priest’s last notes of tonight is very deserved. For all band members of course, and especially for Glenn Tipton.
The sound could be a little bit better, but Judas Priest delivers an unforgettable show for sure. This was again a fantastic evening with a great show by a phenomenal band!
Again, hail to the Metal Gods!
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Hi!
I’m Tim van Velthuysen and I started DutchMetalManiac back in 2014. I’m 27 years old and I live in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Of course, I like metal, but I can also appreciate other musical styles. However, metal is what I mostly listen to. I also like going to concerts, meeting with friends and watching movies (especially arthouse).