PHIL CAMPBELL, ALICE COOPER AND JUDAS PRIEST GIVE EPIC PERFORMANCES IN LONDON (25/7/25)

I rarely go to “big” stadium gigs these days; in fact, this is the first big gig I have attended since seeing Ghost at the Royal Albert Hall in 2018. The reason for this is that if I do go out to a gig, I try and support underground shows, or lesser-known acts where my attendance is more essential to the venues/band(s) playing. I, however, did venture out into London (alongside Liam) to see Judas Priest last Friday (25/7/25) at the O2, alongside Phil Campbell and Alice Cooper. Toby was also in attendance, a few rows across from us with his family.

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Firstly, London is an expensive place to get to, and eat and drink in, which is another reason I try and avoid going there if I can these days. We decided to leave early and got to the O2 in good time, so we could see all three bands. Despite letting Liam through with no issue, as ever, I was searched by the overzealous O2 staff. Amusingly, on the way out, we saw some poor sod having to collect his bullet belt, which had obviously been confiscated by the staff before the show. It’s a shame we now live in an era where Metal fashion like that gets taken off you before entering a gig!

Opening the night was Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. The last time I saw Phil Campbell was at the Patriot, Cumlin, while we were on tour with Chris Holmes (ex-WASP). Phil came out and did a song with Chris, and met the guys backstage along with members of his band, which was a great experience. Phil’s band, while very much a modern rock band and a way away from Motorhead (although they did play Going to Brazil and Ace of Spades) in terms of sound, were a thunderous starter for the night and well worth the price of the ticket in their own right. I was already starting to feel pumped up at this stage.

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Alice Cooper, what can I say? What a show they put on from start to finish. He has an incredible band, and the stage show that accompanies each of the tracks just adds to the experience. I had always heard that his gigs were amazing, and I have to agree with that sentiment. The sound was also fantastic during his set, probably the best the O2 has ever sounded while I have been in attendance. They obviously played all of the classics, from No More Mr Nice Guy to Poison, and finished up being joined by the classic Alice Cooper line-up and Johnny Depp, who played Paranoid and School’s Out to close the show with the band. I guess I can say I saw the Pirate from those films play guitar!

Next up was Judas Priest, and wow, what a performance, what a set, what a night. If I hadn’t already been overloaded by how good Phil Campbell and Alice Cooper were, Judas Priest were exceptional, and it finished off what was essentially a night of Hard Rock & Heavy Metal heaven for me. Getting to hear so much from Painkiller live was a real blessing, being Priest’s heaviest album, it is a personal favourite of mine. I was also surprised by the inclusion of Solar Angels, which was also performed expertly live by the band.

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My only complaint of the night, the event was seated only, and I would have much rather been standing and free to go crazy at the show. Despite being up in the rafters, I simply could not remain just seated for Priest (and neither could Liam), and we were the only people in our section rocking out at all; everyone else seemed bored, or more interested in Facebook Messenger than the gig! It was very frustrating, it was particularly noticeable during Gates of Hell when Liam and I were going crazy, and everyone was looking at us as if we’d just come from Mars. If I am frank, I don’t think they knew the song. In fact, I don’t know how many songs they did know, because the only time they really became engaged was during Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight! It was good to see Glenn Tipton join the band for Living After Midnight. Some just did not seem that interested in the gig, and many started toddling off early. Maybe grabbing a few snaps for socials to prove they were there was enough? Why attend a show just to be piss-miserable through it? I mean, you have TikTok at home if that’s what you want to see? I don’t know.

Having said that, Priest were fantastic, easily one of the best bands I have ever seen live. I would definitely see them again if I could. The current iteration of the band is an absolute machine, and the setlist was fantastic. Liam and I were begging for more songs, and also crying out to Rob, not to leave us, we can’t afford to lose Rob Halford. It simply can’t be allowed! Especially after what happened last week.

After posting about the gig on our socials, I did see some whinges about Rob’s voice in the comments. Whatever gig it is, whatever band, at whatever level, it seems that some people just want to complain about the vocals. I really don’t know what the issue was; it was a raw, from-the-heart, emotional, and very real performance from Rob Halford. Yes, there were imperfections, but there are in any Metal singer’s live performances, let alone someone of Rob’s age, who was clearly giving every fibre of his being into that performance. I think some people expect someone to sound exactly like they do on the record, or for the live mix to have the clarity of how they heard it on the CD. Whereas, I appreciate a real, raw performance with soul, which is exactly what we got from Halford and Judas Priest on Friday night. That’s what Heavy metal is really about. If you want someone miming to a backing track, go to a pop concert.

Love,

Rage