Judas Priest
16th March 2019
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
The undisputed Kings of English Heavy Metal took over Spark Arena last night, as Judas Priest marched into town.
Calling on their American counterparts for support, fellow Grammy Award winners Halestorm once again laid down a set that was full of the hard rock spirit and crowd interaction that they have become so well known for. Having not only just performed at Download in Australia, but also a headlining show at Auckland’s Powerstation just a few nights ago, lead vocalist Lzzy Hales voice was showing just a few small strains of fatigue as she attempted a howl or two towards the end of the set.
However, her acapella intro to their track ‘I Get Off’ – sung under the cover of darkness before a single spotlight slowly bathed her in white – was spine-tingling, her voice as strong as it was dramatic. Whipping out fan favourites such as ‘Do Not Disturb’ and a rebellious version of ‘Freaks Like Me’ which followed one of Arejay Hales ‘big stick’ drum solos, Halestorm closed out their impressive support slot with both ‘Uncomfortable’ and an extended version of ‘I Miss the Misery’.
As the minutes ticked by, fans amused themselves with small talk that often turned to conversations of just how good the Slayer and Anthrax show on Friday had been, many of last night’s fans proudly wearing their tour shirts.
But all chatter ended abruptly as the iconic sirens of Black Sabbaths ‘War Pigs’ rang out across the arena, the crowd roaring with approval as they sang in unison to the words. It was a wonderfully heartfelt nod to Judas Priests fellow Englishman Ozzy Osbourne who was originally supposed to be headlining the evening, but due to ill health had to regretfully cancel.
In what could be viewed as a little bit of English humour, Judas Priest came out swinging with ‘Delivering the Goods’ from their 1978 album Killing Machine, Halford showing absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon as he belted out vocals that left jaws on the floor. Renowned for his ‘operatic’ vocal style and his ability to easily move from one end of the scale to the other, Halford hit highs that could have shattered crystal glass in a heartbeat, his control of the microphone itself showing great professionalism.
Soon the massive Judas Priest backdrop fell away, revealing a video screen that sprang to life with flames that hungrily licked the edges, the opening notes of ‘Sinner’ enthralling the crowd before a particularly fiendish version of ‘The Ripper’ tore through them. While Halford would periodically disappear behind a black curtain for yet another costume change – each outfit becoming longer and more impressive than the last – lead guitarist Richie Faulkner would often regale the crowd with one of his searing solos, his engagement with the audience locked in from the very start. To his left bassist Ian Hill, currently the longest standing member of Judas Priest as he stares down the barrel of his fiftieth year with them. Responsible for bringing Halford into the band in 1973 (Hill was dating Halford’s sister at the time) the rapport between the two of them is one of brotherhood.
Following both ‘Desert Plains’ and ‘No Surrender’, ‘Turbo Lover’ revved its engines and blasted through, it’s chorus sung with gusto by the fans; but without a shadow of a doubt it was Priests version of ‘Rising from the Ruins’ that brought a tear to many an eye as Halford – brandishing a lightsaber – stood before the crowd in silence, behind him the Union Jack lined up side by side with the New Zealand flag, the words ‘Kiha Kaha’ emblazoned across them. In that one moment, no words were needed, an eternal bond forged in the sentiment of the act itself.
Bringing their set to a close with ‘Hell Bent for Leather’ which saw Halford ride his chopper onto the stage while adorned in a studded jacket and biker cap, ‘Painkiller’ brought with it a tribute of another kind as footage of guitarist Glenn Tipton played out on the screen behind them. Tipton who sadly had to pull out of the tour due to his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis replaced by former Sabbat and current Hell guitarist Andy Sneap.
A heady four song encore that included the likes of ‘Electric Eye’ and ‘Metal Gods’ soon gave way to ‘Breaking the Law’, undoubtedly one of Judas Priests most popular ever tracks; ‘Living After Midnight’ closing the night out on a high as Halford thanked the audience for their heavy metal hearts, energy and most importantly for keeping the heavy metal faith.
‘The Priest Will Be Back’ informed the video screen. We certainly hope so.
Were you there at Spark Arena for this classic heavy metal gig? Or have you seen Judas Priest perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Delivering the Goods
- Running Wild
- Sinner
- The Ripper
- Lightning Strike
- Desert Plains
- No Surrender
- Turbo Lover
- The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) [Fleetwood Mac cover]
- Night Comes Down
- Rising From The Ruins
- Freewheel Burning
- You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
- Hell Bent For Leather
- Painkiller
- Electric Eye [encore]
- Metal Gods [encore]
- Breaking The Law [encore]
- Living After Midnight [encore]
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One of the best gigs ever seen in Auckland! Thanks for showing how it’s done Priest…Andrew