Concert Review- "METAL MASTERS TOUR": JUDAS PRIEST & BLACK SABBATH (with DIO- billed as HEAVEN & HELL)

-
Heavy Metal is alive and well on the perfectly titled "The Metal Masters Tour". In what was a fantastic fourth show on a short 16 gig American Tour, Judas Priest & Black Sabbath still can rock & reign supreme, just like the great hey days of the 1970's /80's Metal scene. On a cool night on the ocean at the Jones Beach Theater a really kool crowd relived the good old days of Metal. On their feet the whole night, pumping their fists in the air, the crowd rocked to some great music.
 Black Sabbath (the Ronnie James Dio years line up) came on just before dark following Testament & Lemmy's Motorhead. After Black Sabbath fired Ozzy Osbourne back in 1979 they hired Ronnie James Dio as their lead singer. It was a transition to a new sound for Sabbath, but it refreshed the band as they went on to release 3 good albums with this line up. For this tour they chose to go under the name " Heaven & Hell" in honor of the classic album & song of the same title.
Ronnie James Dio lost a bit, still has the power in his voice especially behind the mighty heavy force of Sabbath. As the rocked on an extended jam version of "Heaven & Hell" it was amazing to realize they were just a three piece band kicking some heavy ass. Dio's songs always have the same style weather its with Sabbath, solo Dio, or with Elf & Rainbow.But no doubt this line up behind him is the best.
Tony Iommi who's guitar riffs have laid the ground work for all heavy metal guitars was as masterful as ever delivering exceptional leads & heavy chords. Gezer Butler one of my favorite bass players carried the heavy Sabbath sound as he ripped up the bass notes and held down the rythum. Geezer is definitely one of the most under rated bassists of all time.
Vinny Appice (brother of Vanilla Fudge's Carmine Appice- talented musical Italian American NY boys) who also played drums with Dio in the Dio band back in the eighties pounded away and gave us a great drum solo. The set list was short due to the four band line up & the fact that they were opening for Judas Priest. I thought the set list could be a little better but all in all it was done well and the band was fantastic.

The headliner and star of the show was Judas Priest. Priest who are promoting a great new concept album called "Nostradamus" did not disappoint. The band hit the stage with the only new songs played on their set night Dawn of Creation & Prophecy. Rob Halford hidden in a long mesch leather hooded jacket, high on a platform to the left of the stage, covered from head to toe as he screeched out the lyrics to Prophecy. Rob Halford and his 3 octave range voice is still one of the best singers you will ever see live. He belts out his signature high pitch screams that sends chills down your back. The man can sing.

They rode through a set of alot of old songs (their catalog goes back 35 years) not all mainstream stuff but great old Priest songs that the fans know well. Some of the songs I would have thought would be tough to pull off live, but the band was incredible and did a great job with stuff like Painkiller, Eat Me Alive, Dissident Agressor, etc. Again Halford's voice was incredible.

The Priest band has all its original members since 1973 except for the drummer. The classic guitar duo of KK Downing & Glen Tipton were as good as ever, wailing thru guitar leads and dueling it out. Bassist Ian Hill kept the rhythm pounding along with drummer Scott Travis, the new guy on the block-drumming with Priest since 1989.

With smoke machines, big flashing lights, a crowd standing with fists pumped and "rock & roll horns" signs flashing, it was a classic 1980's style Metal show. (Before moshing & stage diving junk, just about the music & feeling good!!) Of course no Priest show is complete without Rob Halford reving up his bike & riding his Harley out on stage for the encores especially "Hell Bent For Leather". Decked out in leather, studs, spikes, & chains Halford delivered. A great show!!

JUDAS PRIEST's setlist
Dawn Of Creation
Prophecy
Metal Gods
Eat Me Alive
Between The Hammer And The Anvil
Devil's Child
Breaking The Law
Hell Patrol
Dissident Aggressor
Angel
The Hellion / Electric Eye
Rock Hard, Ride Free
Painkiller

encores: Hell Bent For Leather
The Green Manalishi
You've Got Another Thing Coming



HEAVEN AND HELL's (Sabbath) setlist
E5150
The Mob Rules
Children of the Sea
I
Sign of the Southern Cross
Ear in the Wall
Vinny Appice Drum Solo
Time Machine
Falling off the Edge of -the World
Tony Iommi Guitar Solo
Die Young
Heaven and Hell

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lace...
Read more

The History of Yogi Berra & the Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink

-
Image
Yogi Berra & Yoo-Hoo's  history go back to the 1950's. Yogi had met the Oliveri Family, the owners of the Yoo-Hoo company at a Country Club function near his home in New Jersey. Natale Olivieri started bottling the chocolate drink in 1928 in Garfield, w Jersey. By the late 1950's he Yoo-Hoo product wasn't selling all that well. Mr. Olivieri asked for Yogi's opinion at the new Jersey function. Berra said he actually liked the soft drink & started promoting it along with his teammates. Soon Yogi put Yoo-Hoo on the map, appearing in commercials, advertisements and supermarkets promotions.  Berra would show up at the factory in Carlstadt, New Jersey & became a hero to the factory workers. He soon became a Vice President of the company owning a large amount of Yoo-Hoo stock. In his auto biography Yogi wrote "One time I was in the office and the phone rang, I always answer a ringing phone, the woman on the other end asked if Yoo-Hoo was hyphenate...
Read more

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford...
Read more

Remembering Mets History (1979) SNL's Chico Escuela Visits Mets Spring Training & Attempts a Career Comeback

-
Image
Bill Murray interviews (Garrett Morris) Chico Escuela In March 1979, original Saturday Night Live cast member; Garrett Morris joined the Mets at Miller Huggins Field for Spring Training. At the time the Mets were still holding Spring Training in St. Petersburg Florida.  Garrett Morris was posing as  the fictional Mets player, Chico Escuela who wore uniform #5 (cinque).  Escuela was doing his famous spoof of the Latin players of the time, posing as a popular infielder from the Dominican Republic that didn't speak much English. His legendary catch phrase was "baseball been berry- berry good to me". "baseball been berry-berry good... to me" The Chico Escuela character appeared nine times during on SNL's fourth & fifth seasons. He debuted on December 9th, 1978, in a Knight of Columbus sketch as a guest speaker. He then became the Weekend Update Sports reporter, where after being introduced by Jane Curtain, he would reply "tank you Hane". Chico woul...
Read more

Remembering Batgirl: Yvonne Craig (1937-2015)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz interrupts baseball with a sad note on one of his favorite actresses. Being a huge Batman (TV series) fan Yvonne Craig has been someone I adored since I was a child.  As a boy I always hoped the Batgirl cycle would wiz by on the opening credits, meaning it would be a Batgirl episode. I didn't realize why until I got older & liked girls. For myself & millions of young boys of the 60's / 70's Batgirl was one of our first crushes. But her character also she added so much more than that to the final season of Batman. She was special in so many ways ... rest in peace Batgirl! Yvonne Joyce Craig was born May 16th 1937 in Taylorville, Illinois. As a young girl she was a talented ballet dancer, getting accepted to the prestigious Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She eventually moved to Los Angeles & began an acting career. She landed a part in Gidget (1959) as one of Gidget's beach...
Read more