LIVE AT JONES BEACH AMPHITHEATER
There are few things, which for me, instill a state of complete awe;
Anthony's impeccable impersonations, Ben's infectious laugh, Norton's
razor sharp wit, Steve C's motlen voice, and heavy metal. Judas Priest,
to be specific.
It was with much anticipation and big hair that I ventured
out to Long Island to see my all time favorite band perform at Jones
Beach. I have been waiting 15 years with baited breath to see the Metal
God, Rob Halford, reunite with band whom I have worshipped since age
13. As the first chords of "The Hellion" began to play, my heart
starting pounding as loud as the double bass drum. I couldn't wait to
hear more.
In celebration of their 30th anniversary the band performed
many of their classic songs and they have never sounded better. They
even managed to make the estrogenized techo-dance song "Turbo Lover"
sound masculine by cranking out an alternative rock version of the
saccharine sweet tune . One of the night's biggest highlights was a jaw
dropping rendition of "Victim Of Changes" from 1976's
Sad Wings Of Destiny. Halford's operatic vocal style is second to none, and like a fine bottle of wine, only gets better with age.
For this particular tour, the band decided to perform four
songs from their new album Angel of Retribution. While the crowd's
response to the new material was enthusiastic, I couldn't help but
think they should have done two older songs in place of the two newer
ones. Considering this was a thirtieth anniversary tour, oddly absent
was material from Point Of Entry. Instead Priest performed "I'm A
Rocker," a sub-par song from 1988's
Ram It Down.
But despite those few little faux pas, the band put on one
hell of a show and restored my faith in music. In a world where talent
is based upon flashy choreography, lip-synching and disposable
material, I was reminded of the good old days when musicians actually
had to have talent in order to sell records. Oddly enough Judas Priest
still manages to do that without the support of the media and in a
state of a declining music environment. Long live rock, long live
musicianship and most importantly....long live Priest!
