Judas Priest
Alice Cooper
Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons
02 Arena, London, England
July 25
The 02 Arena was packed out on a Friday night for the hottest rock show in town as Judas Priest and Alice Cooper attempted to lay waste to an arena usually used for the biggest pop stars in the world. For tonight, over 15,000 metal heads were here to see this event, and with special surprises, they would not be disappointed. Nothing quite beats a summer arena rock show.
PHIL CAMPBELL & THE BASTARD SONS open up at an un-rock n’ roll time of five to seven, but it’s welcome to squeeze another band in here. Of course, Phil Campbell is a former member of Motorhead, and we get two covers here. The inevitable Ace of Spades goes down well and it is nice to hear Going to Brazil from the album 1916. The band only get to play six songs in an obviously limited set but make a lovely rock n’ roll noise to ensure that fans will remember them when they return to London. They are pretty much the perfect set up for Alice and Priest.
What makes this evening so special is that Alice and Priest can fill out this place without the help of one another and while this is the first time Priest have played here Alice have done so before. Fans are really getting value for their crinkly bits of money then and ALICE COOPER will be first up. Alice is still on his Too Close for Comfort tour. It was supposed to end ironically in London last October with special back to back shows in Hammersmith but seemingly there is no stopping this one just yet.
The set opens like the last tour with Lock Me Up and with Alice cool as a cucumber appearing from behind a curtain. We only get one song from 2023 release Road in Welcome to the Show as this one is littered with Alice classics from No More Mr Nice Guy to Hey Stoopid. However something is cooking. Why have the band opted to play Feed My Frankenstein so early in their set? This has been a show closer this year. Hmmm all will be revealed. There are also a few regular numbers omitted including Billion Dollar Babies, Welcome to my Nightmare and Bed of Nails. This is partly due to time constraints and partly due to what would become a very awesome Ozzy Osbourne tribute. It’s very rare that Alice whips out a cover song but everyone who has ever started a rock band has been left touched by Ozzy’s untimely passing. Alice and his talented band launch into the Black Sabbath classic Paranoid with Alice breaking character to tell us of the impact of Ozzy’s death. Without notice during the song on strides Johnny Depp to add Hollywood gloss to the occasion and he stays on for show closer School’s Out. We are surprised again when the original Alice Cooper group appear on stage for this extended version. Suddenly we have five guitar players, 2 bassists, 1.5 drummers as there is just one drum kit and it feels like a noah ark’s rock n’ roll camp. Of course the date of this show also coincided with Alice Cooper’s 30th studio album titled The Revenge of Alice Cooper which features his original band. With so many members on stage the final song turned into a chaotic unplanned rock fest proving that every one of these talented artists are human. But instead of taking away from it it actually added something unique as Alice ended the show sporting an Ozzy t-shirt and chanting with the crowd “Ozzy, Ozzy Ozzy”. Triumphant sums up this 70-minute show.
When you think of two heavyweight original metal bands, there is Black Sabbath, of course, and JUDAS PRIEST. Sabbath sadly are no more and Priest have been left waving the flag. Rob Halford mentioned from the stage that Ozzy’s death has been huge, so will Halford’s when the time comes and let’s hope that this is in the distant future but he is an absolutely legendary figure and remains the Metal God. You get the sense that Halford sleeps, eats, and breathes metal 24/7 as the band launches into their final European date of the Shield of Pain tour.
Judas Priest have been opening up with a taped intro of Sabbath’s War Pigs for some time but tonight obviously hits harder and everyone is singing along before the band hit the stage with All Guns Blazing. Most of the hits are here which include You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, Breaking the Law and Night Crawler. Halford is in brilliant form no one can get a scream out like him. He has a voice to go with it too but literally Halford’s scream can stop wars dead! That he is able to perform to this level in his mid 70s is astounding, which tea or stiff drink are you consuming sir? Bassist Ian Hill remains on point and looks like a rock god as he mostly stands in the same position like a bedrock to this band. Richie Faulkner has now been with Priest for 14 years and by every passing tour and year his legend is growing, the man is simply mesmerizing. Giants in the Sky is traditionally used to remember those rock gods who have fallen and there is an extra special tribute to Ozzy which remains very touching and very genuine. In a sense this show tonight feels like an extended tribute to Ozzy’s final gig only three weeks prior, the spirit of Ozzy can be felt all around this arena, especially by the bar!
There is no Turbo Lover or Electric Eye the latter being a surprise but the London crowd are served up an extra special one during set closer Living After Midnight when the legendary Glenn Tipton appears on stage. It’s a supremely unique moment that leaves a few grown men in tears. One fan crowdsurfs to the front and gets an opportunity to fist bump the great man. Even after 50 years Judas Priest remain as relevant as ever. Will they be blasting in your local mall? Will they be the chosen music at the next wedding you go too? No and no, and that’s just the point, they remain as rebellious as real as they did half a century ago and the dripping sweat and beers that now engulf the arena alongside the ringing ears lay testament to that. It’s been a memory filled rock n’ metal night out in London town!
Review and all photos by David Bronstein
About The Author
