Priest to show some "Steel" on summer tour!

[Mr Badguy]

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic album "British Steel" this summer (it was originally issued in April 1980) by performing the LP in its entirety for the very first time ever live on stage! In addition they will be playing some old favorites. Vocalist Rob Halford told Noisecreep, "It's like suddenly, thirty years have come upon us and we're about to celebrate. The album's technical anniversary is April of next year, but want to start the party early."

Halford added, "In today's economy, all artists have to think of something to do differently. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to do something that PRIEST has never done before, which is to play an album in its entirety. The band and the name 'JUDAS PRIEST' have both been around since 1969, so it is our fortieth anniversary, too. We seem to be in a constant celebration mode!"

According to Halford, PRIEST will make the tour a full sensory experience by recreating the "look" from the era during which they recorded the album. "We're going retro with the look of the band," Halford told Noisecreep. "In the tradition of PRIEST, we were often credited with kicking off the denim, leather, studs, whips and chains look, and there is a rich heritage with that. We want to bring that back with the stage set and other surprises."

Along with 1982's "Screaming for Vengeance" and 1990's "Painkiller", "British Steel" has long been considered one of metal's all-time classics. It was with this release that PRIEST truly broke through to the masses, with a pair of tracks that have become fixtures on rock radio — the enduring anthems "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight". But like all classic albums, there is not a single weak track detected on "British Steel", as evidenced by such standouts as the perennial concert highlight, "Metal Gods", as well as "Rapid Fire", "Grinder", "United" and "The Rage", among others.

Produced by Tom Allom, "British Steel" was recorded at the Tittenhurst Park in England — which is a mansion owned at the time by former THE BEATLES member Ringo Starr, and previously owned by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. In 2001, the album was remastered and reissued with extra bonus tracks, and also was the subject of an in-depth study as part of the popular "Classic Albums" DVD series.

"British Steel" original track listing:

01. Rapid Fire
02. Metal Gods
03. Breaking the Law
04. Grinder
05. United
06. You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
07. Living After Midnight
08. The Rage
09. Steeler

JUDAS PRIEST — singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis — remain as popular as ever to this day, confirmed once and for all upon the release of 2008's "Nostradamus", which became their highest-ever charting album in the U.S. Two years earlier, the group was the inaugural inductees into the "VH1 Rock Honors". The forthcoming summer dates with WHITESNAKE are surely not to be missed by metalheads from coast to coast, especially now that fans will be reintroduced up close and personal to the mighty "British Steel".

Source: Blabbermouth.net
=============================================

Wow!

Looks like they`ve accepted that "Nostradamus" is a dud.

Halford should be able to sing all that album easy as there is very little screaming on it.

I hope we get a live CD of this.

[binnie]

Translated: 'ticket sales for the Nostragaymus tour were so piss poor that we had to go back to the drawing board'.

Cynicism aside - I'd like actually love to see this in all its glory. 'Rapid Fire', 'Grinder' and 'You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise' live? Yes please. :D

[binnie]

Wow!

Looks like they`ve accepted that "Nostradamus" is a dud.

Halford should be able to sing all that album easy as there is very little screaming on it.

I hope we get a live CD of this.

Did you catch either of the last two tours?

They were better this time out than on the 'Angel of Retribution' jaunt - much less panto (still too much) and a crisper sound....

[Mr Badguy]

Did you catch either of the last two tours?

They were better this time out than on the 'Angel of Retribution' jaunt - much less panto (still too much) and a crisper sound....

Hell yes.

I was at the SECC on 16/2.

When they played "Death" in the middle of the set the place died.

It was a strange choice when they were only playing two songs from "Nostradamus" (the other was opener "Prophecy", but you know that already).

There are better songs on there.

Loved the rest of the set.

"Sinner" smoked.

It will be great to hear "The Rage", which, strangely, has never been performed despite being a favourite of the band.

It would be even better if they performed "Unleashed in the East" in it`s entirety, but Halford`s voice would be fucked after two dates.

[binnie]

Hell yes.

I was at the SECC on 16/2.

When they played "Death" in the middle of the set the place died.

It was a strange choice when they were only playing two songs from "Nostradamus" (the other was opener "Prophecy", but you know that already).

There are better songs on there.

Loved the rest of the set.

"Sinner" smoked.

It will be great to hear "The Rage", which, strangely, has never been performed despite being a favourite of the band.

It would be even better if they performed "Unleashed in the East" in it`s entirety, but Halford`s voice would be fucked after two dates.

Exactly the same happened when they played 'Death' in Sheffield. 'Prophecy' isn't a bad tune, but what the fuck was Halford wearing? It looked like some sort of tinfoil reject from Rick Wakeman's wardrobe - and the whole he should leave the flag waving stuff to Bruce.

'Metal Gods' sounded brilliant, as did 'Sinner', but 'Dissident Agressor' stole the show for me. I was surprised by the inclusion of several lesser known tunes from 'Painkiller' as well. A much better performance than the tour before, where I thought the Scorpions blew them away.

Megadave and Testament were cracking too. Testament may have been the band of the night actually....

[Matt White]

HA!!!

They play SUMMERFEST in a couple of months...on the FREE stage...

I'll catch 'em for sure.....

[GAR]

This is better than Hendrix's skeleton going out on tour with animatronic servo controls.

This is the only show I'll go to this year.. I read they may do this, not its a go?

My neck hairs' standing up!

[degüello]

Now THIS I'll go and see!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

They play the majority of those songs already on tour, it's not really that much of a stretch....

[Panamark]

And I bet they dont come here...

I would love to see this show. British Steel
and Screamin For Vegeance are the two best
Priest albums ever !!

Maybe the planets will align and I will be in the
right country at the right time..

[sonrisa salvaje]

And I bet they dont come here...

I would love to see this show. British Steel
and Screamin For Vegeance are the two best
Priest albums ever !!

Maybe the planets will align and I will be in the
right country at the right time..

How do you think i feel? I'm in Alabama for F's sake.

[sadaist]

I always thought it would be cool for a band to do a surprise throw back tour. I'll use Motley Crue as my example. One night for the show, do the exact they did on Theater Of Pain. Same clothes, set list, staging, etc... Next show, Shout At The Devil...same set list, staging, clothes, etc... Random. Make it so no one knows which show they're going to get on any given night.

I mean, if there is not a new album and you're just doing a greatest hits tour, why not go full out? Let some new fans catch a glimpse of what they missed 20 years ago.

[FORD]

<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XT2DktNBRfo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XT2DktNBRfo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object>

[sonrisa salvaje]

I always thought it would be cool for a band to do a surprise throw back tour. I'll use Motley Crue as my example. One night for the show, do the exact they did on Theater Of Pain. Same clothes, set list, staging, etc... Next show, Shout At The Devil...same set list, staging, clothes, etc... Random. Make it so no one knows which show they're going to get on any given night.

I mean, if there is not a new album and you're just doing a greatest hits tour, why not go full out? Let some new fans catch a glimpse of what they missed 20 years ago.

Knowing my luck, i would show up and it would be Ram it Down night.

[Jack68]

Fucking Rapid fire....why on earth would that not be part of the setlist all the time.I know ive seen Halford do it solo once or twice.

[atomicpunk5151]

It sounds like they may still do the Nostrodomus thing, but only at 1 or 2 special shows. There is no way they could do that show across the US and expect good crowds.

I would go see them if they head to California. British Steel plus 10 other classics from different eras would be a good show.

[atomicpunk5151]

Knowing my luck, i would show up and it would be Ram it Down night.

That wouldn't be pretty.

I wouldn't want to be near backstage on that night......

[sadaist]

Knowing my luck, i would show up and it would be Ram it Down night.

OMG! That's funny right there. :biggrin:

[ELVIS]

It was with this release that PRIEST truly broke through to the masses, with a pair of tracks that have become fixtures on rock radio — the enduring anthems "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight". But like all classic albums, there is not a single weak track detected on "British Steel", as evidenced by such standouts as the perennial concert highlight, "Metal Gods."

Just named three weak tracks right there...

[Panamark]

Just named three weak tracks right there...

Which 3 in particular ELVIS ?

[Panamark]

"The Rage" is the best song on the album...

[Mr Badguy]

You know, as exciting as all of these nostalgia tours are, it would be even better if these bands (too many to list) could deliver something new that kicked so much ass it would sell tickets itself.

There are very few bands that haven`t gone down this road recently.

Rush and Motorhead spring to mind.

I won`t count Ozzy as his set hasn`t changed much since 1982 anyway.

Is the new stuff really that bad or are we rock fans so stuck in the old days that we won`t give it a chance?

[binnie]

You know, as exciting as all of these nostalgia tours are, it would be even better if these bands (too many to list) could deliver something new that kicked so much ass it would sell tickets itself.

There are very few bands that haven`t gone down this road recently.

Rush and Motorhead spring to mind.

I won`t count Ozzy as his set hasn`t changed much since 1982 anyway.

Is the new stuff really that bad or are we rock fans so stuck in the old days that we won`t give it a chance?

This is an excellent point.

It's not that new stuff is bad, it's just that it good never (with a few exceptions) be as good as the old days. There are two parts to this: the bands and the fans.

Bands:

It's not fair to expect guys in the 40s and 50s to make records with the same hunger, drive and creative verve that they did in their 20s - when they already have the accolades, the money and the cash, they just can't want it as much as they did back in the day, regardless of much they try. It's also true that the older you get the more pulls you have on your time and focus - family, etc....

There are some exceptions. Maiden put out a blinder with 'AMOLAD', and it may be up there with their better work - only the passage of time will tell if it stands up in 10 years. Megadave's 'United Abominations' is up there with any of the 80s albums; and Metallica' Death Magnetic is also something of a return to form after 18 years of sub-standard, seemingly aimless, releases.

But for the most part, it's a case of hoping for a very good album rather than a great one.

Fans:

Over time, the 'classics' aquire something beyond themselves. No-one knows a classic when they record it, it achieves classic status through what the music press and fans do with it. These songs also have a resonance to a certain time of your life - the band's new stuff won't feel like it did when you were 13 because you've changed as much as they have, but those classics have stayed rooted in a moment of your past when you first heard it. We've grown up with them, and they have a collective meaning.

I read an interview recently with James Hetfield about the Death Magnetic tour. He was being asked why the band is playing 5 or 6 songs of the new album every night, and replied that if the didn't play the songs they'd never get a place in the fans hearts. It's only by putting the effort into the reception of the new material that that they become classics for the fans - if the songs on a given album are only played on one tour, a lot of people are going to forget about them regardless of their quality.

[atomicpunk5151]

This is an excellent point.

It's not that new stuff is bad, it's just that it good never (with a few exceptions) be as good as the old days. There are two parts to this: the bands and the fans.

Bands:

It's not fair to expect guys in the 40s and 50s to make records with the same hunger, drive and creative verve that they did in their 20s - when they already have the accolades, the money and the cash, they just can't want it as much as they did back in the day, regardless of much they try. It's also true that the older you get the more pulls you have on your time and focus - family, etc....

There are some exceptions. Maiden put out a blinder with 'AMOLAD', and it may be up there with their better work - only the passage of time will tell if it stands up in 10 years. Megadave's 'United Abominations' is up there with any of the 80s albums; and Metallica' Death Magnetic is also something of a return to form after 18 years of sub-standard, seemingly aimless, releases.

But for the most part, it's a case of hoping for a very good album rather than a great one.

Fans:

Over time, the 'classics' aquire something beyond themselves. No-one knows a classic when they record it, it achieves classic status through what the music press and fans do with it. These songs also have a resonance to a certain time of your life - the band's new stuff won't feel like it did when you were 13 because you've changed as much as they have, but those classics have stayed rooted in a moment of your past when you first heard it. We've grown up with them, and they have a collective meaning.

I read an interview recently with James Hetfield about the Death Magnetic tour. He was being asked why the band is playing 5 or 6 songs of the new album every night, and replied that if the didn't play the songs they'd never get a place in the fans hearts. It's only by putting the effort into the reception of the new material that that they become classics for the fans - if the songs on a given album are only played on one tour, a lot of people are going to forget about them regardless of their quality.

You summed it all up pretty good right there.

I totally agree with you about Maiden's "AMOLAD" & Megadeth's "United Abominations". Those were my 2 favorite new disks from 2006 & 2007. Both took what they did back in the day, but brought new life and energy. The LIVE tours were both excellent as well.

As for Metallica, they have played almost every new song from Death Magnetic (Only not played Unforgiven 3). BUT they do it in a good way, they usually play 5 new songs a night. The thing is they rotate it from night to night so it stays fresh. They also kill it with the classics that also change from night to night.

[binnie]

As for Metallica, they have played almost every new song from Death Magnetic (Only not played Unforgiven 3). BUT they do it in a good way, they usually play 5 new songs a night. The thing is they rotate it from night to night so it stays fresh. They also kill it with the classics that also change from night to night.

Agreed.

From what I've heard, AC/DC have also been playing a lot of songs on 'Black Ice' on this tour. Unusual for them to plug a new album so much.