REVIEW: Judas Priest at the Hammersmith Apollo on 16 Mar
You can tell it's a special occasion by the child-like excitement in the (h)air in Hammersmith. The initially reluctant though recently acquiescive middle-aged men have dug out their faded
Donington Monsters Of Rock/Painkiller tour t-shirts, put on their leathers and let their hair down. The anticipation of seeing one of heavy metal's most legendary bands reformed at the Apollo for the first time in so long is almost too much to contain. Many don't: "breakingthelaw, breakingthelaw",
"Pain, pain, pain, killer, killer, killer," and the dulcet "Chan-geeeee-e-eees" can be heard ringing from the pubs that surround the shopping mall. As well as the guys who saw Priest/Maiden back in the Ruskin Arms days are the new wave of disenfranchised metallers: bored of post-hardcore, too old for Slipknot, and for whom indie is just out of the question.
Support came from the Scorpions, who, I can honestly say, I had no idea I loved so much. Despite the fact that the lead singer looks less like a Bavarian rock legend, and more like the singer from Right Said Fred: leather trooz, open leopard skin shirt and a Kangol hat on back to front, they were absolutely explosive - every tune a killer. And then the Priest. Having not played in the UK with frontman Rob Halford for too many years, it was a special moment to see Priest songs sung by the original master. Dressed in his now iconic leather dressing gown adorned with more studs than the outskirts of Newmarket,
Halford proved he is still the heavy metal god: storming through future anthems from the new album 'Revolutions' as well as classics like 'The Ripper', 'Breaking The Law', 'A Touch Of Evil' and the pounding 'Painkiller'. There's always a sneaking doubt before you watch a band like this: they're as old as my dad - I wonder if they rock as hard? Often the answer is, sadly, no. But the
Priest are back with their original front-man and a renewed vigour. All kneel. JG