JUDAS PRIEST
Zénith - Paris, France
June 20, 2011

After a good momennt spent with Duff McKagan' Loaded, it was time for Judas Priest last concert in Paris.

Yes, sadly Judas Priest announced that the current Epitaph Tour will be their last.

But it wasn't the only bad news.. K.K. Downing announced he was leaving the band a few months before Judas Priest Fareweel Tour.

So... I think Judas Priest had something to prove tonight...
... And to be honest, I didn't have many expectations about this show.

Of course I was excited to see Judas Priest again after more than two years, but my hopes were not very high.

How wrong I was!
This concert completely blew my mind. I'll even tell you something: This was the best Judas Priest concert I've ever seen!

It feels strange to say that because founding member KK Downing wasn't playing. I've never saw them in the 80s, but to me this was their best show in the last 10 years.

Let's start with the stage.
Before the show begins it was covered by a huge curtain which read "Epitaph".

This curtain fell during the first song, Rapid Fire, and we could appreciate all the toys Judas was travelling with...
There were huge chains everywhere, and two giant barrels throwing smoke like powerplants.

Tree tridents were hanging from the roof, one in the middle, one on each side.

During Profecy, Rob Halford came on stage with a metal cape and his own trident.

A giant screen in the back showed different kind of images during the songs, from album covers, to far away suns and galaxies.

Judas Priest also brought flames and fireworks... and of course the Harley during Hell bent For Leather!

All this was completed by a spectacular light show.

About the setlist, well it was pure madness! 23 songs in 2 hours 20 minutes, with an almost complete restrospective of the 40 years Judas Priest carrer.
No songs from the Ripper Owens era were performed, which is a shame because Jugulator and Demolition are very good records.

Otherwise we had at least one song from every Priest album, including some tunes seldomly played live, like Starbreaker, Night Crawler or Never Satisfied.

Nevertheless, I would have prefered another song from Ram It Down insstead of Blood Red Skies. For example, the song Ram It Down!

When the show begins, he looks like K.K. Downing's 1987 clone: blond, leather jacket, same haircut... No matter what the other Judas Priest members say, it just can't be pure coincidence!

But, Richie is a very good guitar player, he plays the game and fits perfectly on his role.
Moreover he's very communicative with the fans, always giving a smile, pulling faces or just looking at the audience, and that's appreciable.

Of course I miss K.K., but this guy Richie is great. I don't know if he will record Judas Priest next album so we can talk about his skills on studio, but stage, he's approved!

Finally, all musicians did an amazing interpretation job.
Rob Halford performances have sometimes been criticized in recent years, but it's normal that doen't sing like he did 25 years ago.

Well, let me tell you that tonight he was absolutely amazing! I've never seen him in better shape. Except for a couple of times where had some troubles finding hos voice, he sang like a god during this show.

Also, he moved a lot and walked all over the stage during the whole gig, instead of staying in the centre as he usually does.

It's almost infurating that the best Judas Priest shows come with the band's Farewell Tour, and without founding member K.K. Downing.

But the band's not over, a new record is coming, and some exceptional festival concerts will certainly happen.

I hope this one wasn't my last Judas Priest concert.
But even if I don't ever see Judas Priest again, this incredible show will remain in my mind forever!

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Setlist Judas Priest – Zénith – Paris, France – June 20, 2011

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