Judas Priest and their Biloxi, MS stop of the Epitaph Tour – By Bubbs Harris

Photos by John Fitzhugh

JUDAS PRIEST – EPITAPH TOUR
(Hard Rock Live -Biloxi, MS 12-3-2011)
By Bubbs Harris
Photos by John Fitzhugh/Sun Herald

The mighty JUDAS PRIEST have decided to hang up the leather and chains, at least on a global level, and settle down after four decades atop the heavy metal mountain. At the time of this writing, the Epitaph Tour has already concluded in North America (the final show of which you are about to read about in yon review) and is taking the legendary band back across Europe and home to England before taking some much deserved time off before deciding the next move. Whether JUDAS PRIEST will record and release more music with new guitarist Richie Faulkner, or pop up on big festivals or short jaunts here and there, remains to be seen. But while we wait for news on metals most enduring band, I’ll tell you about my experience on a cool December night in Biloxi, MS, where the Priest made their final stand on American soil for who knows how long, if ever again.

Seeing JUDAS PRIEST with Rob Halford back out front was a dream come true for me back in 2009, when I caught a Baltimore show on the British Steel 30^th Anniversary Tour, but nothing quite can quite compare to how honored I was to be seeing my all time favorite band again, for what could be the final time, in such an intimate setting. What made the evening more special was the fact that it was the eve of my wedding anniversary, and my beautiful wife Sara would be joining me on this trip to heavy metal heaven. This would be her first time experiencing Priest live, and she got one hell of a first impression.

When Sara and I arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, we immediately felt at home with the legions of rabid, leather and black clad rockers that swarmed the lobby and casino floor (I lost count of how many thumbs up and comments I received on my sweet SAXON shirt). These were our people, and we were ready to join them in worship at our church. The church of JUDAS PRIEST. However, a mix up at will call almost dashed our hopes and dreams right then and there, as I had only a photo pass waiting for me there, and not the two tickets that were confirmed for us. After keeping it cool and speaking to the wonderful event coordinator, we were all fixed up and set to rock. The only thing was, we arrived in the small venue just before the curtain dropped to the opening pounding of “Rapid Fire,” so by the time we waded through the sea of black t-shirts, my photo pass was pretty much null and void (luckily, I was able to score a few photos from a friend in the industry that was there as well), but we were standing mere feet away from one of the most powerful performances put on by any live act we have ever seen.

For this particular show, JUDAS PRIEST decided to keep things personal, and went it alone on the bill, which was really cool for Sara and I, seeing as how neither of us have the stomach for BLACK LABEL SOCIETY’s music, and a THIN LIZZY without Phil is simply unacceptable by any standards (this is just my opinion), so it wasn‘t like we were remiss for missing out on that. The intimate set before a capacity, yet seemingly small crowd of just over 1,500 screaming fans, was amazing. Though it was the final show on the North American jaunt, the band hit the stage with the intensity of a young band on the first date of a long tour. As mentioned before, they blasted out of the gate with “Rapid Fire,” which was the perfect way to get things underway before rolling directly into “Metal Gods” and “Heading Out to the Highway,” two absolute staples. The rest of the set featured tunes from each and every Halford fronted album, including newer rockers like “Judas Rising” and “Prophecy,” but the real treat was getting to hear some of the older killers like “Never Satisfied” and “Starbreaker” in the live setting. I was also stoked beyond words to hear my personal favorite song ever, “The Sentinel,” tossed in there to represent the Defenders of the Faith record. There were 23 songs I the set, covering the entire forty year career of the true templars of heavy metal, and that consisted of all the platters that matter, as well as some of the obscure tunes that made JUDAS PRIEST such a diverse and prolific metal band, like their stirring live renditions of “Beyond the Realms of Death“ and JOAN BAEZ‘s “Diamonds and Rust,“ before closing it out with staples “You Got Another Thing Comin‘” and “Living after Midnight.” I could go on forever about each song, but that would take forever. Instead, let me tell you about the performance of the band itself.

I shouldn’t have to tell any of you that Rob Halford is one of the most exciting and animated front men in the history of all music, period, even at his current age, which can’t be as easy as he makes it look. The owner of the best pipes in the game showed just why he has earned his legendary status, by completely annihilating that crowd with a performance worthy of a lifetime of memories. While a tiny bit of “help” was added to the vocal mix (mostly echo effects), it was definitely Halford’s one of a kind voice and power that did all of the real work there. The aging singer belted it out as if he were twenty years old again, making sure that each and every person that paid to see them that night got every damn cent worth. I was utterly amazed that this one man can do all that with his voice, especially after four decades. It was a great performance, and certainly a good one to leave with the American fans. I am honored to have been able to see it.

The rest of the band was equally as amazing. Glenn Tipton makes playing heavy metal guitar easier than tying shoes. I swear, it looks like he’s barely trying up there, and having the time of his life. Always smiling and showing his love for the fans, Tipton laid it all out there and made sure he went out on a high. Couple that with the new intensity added to the line up by KK Downing’s replacement, Richie Faulkner, and you have yourself one hell of a double axe attack. Richie’s youthful energy seemed to have lit a bit of a spark in all of the elder members that pushed them to bring it harder and heavier than ever before. The younger guitarist’s playing was just as wild, if not more than Downing’s, and his proficiency and skill were pinpoint accurate. I rather enjoyed watching Faulkner’s performance, and soon forgot that KK wasn’t there. Of course, Scott Travis thundered along with the force of the heavy metal gods, providing a solid pounding to the crowd, who willingly accepted the beating. However, I think the most underrated member of JUDAS PRIEST is bassist Ian Hill. A founding member and usually low key element of Priest, Hill is the absolute epitome of a rocker. From the first note, to the last, Ian steadily moves and rocks out, never letting up for a second, and he’s been doing it for forty years. To watch this teddy bear of a man bang his head and move the way he does for that long is fantastic. Age matters not when you have metal on your side, and JUDAS PRIEST proved that in every way, by making a 1500 person crowd scream like an amphitheatre filled with 50,000. Just magnificent!

Time will tell what is in store for JUDAS PRIEST. Maybe we haven’t quite seen the last of them completely, but we certainly do not have as many windows of opportunity open anymore. If you have never had the chance to see this band live, you missed out. But don’t forget, even though they may not be doing world tours and tons of records anymore, JUDAS PRIEST still have an extensive catalogue of music that defines Heavy Metal and will live on forever. We will always have that, and because of it, Heavy Metal will always thrive. Thank you, JUDAS PRIEST, for everything you have done for us. All hail the Metal Gods!