Show Review & Photos: Judas Priest @ WaMu Theater

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Judas Priest @ WaMu Theater, October 29th
Review & photos by John Rudolph

The term metal gods is like a Rorschach test. For some the term evokes images of Black Sabbath, for others it’s The Scorpions, but for me it’s Judas Priest. “Grinder,” “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight” have all become rock anthems for most heavy metal fans. Judas Priest remains at the epicenter of the rock universe.


Judas Priest

Rob Halford (vocals), Glen Tipton (guitar) , Ian Hill (bass), Scott Travis (drums), and Richie Faulkner (guitar) performed to a packed house at WaMu Theater on Saturday night with Black Label Society and Thin Lizzy opening the show. As the opening acts performed, the crowd became more and more enthusiastic. When Judas Priest grabbed the stage, the crowd became unglued.

Judas Priest opened the show with “Rapid Fire,” “Metal Gods” and “Heading Out to the Highway” – as powerfully as they did when I first saw them at The Screaming For Vengeance tour in 1982. The lasers and pyrotechnics were spectacular and Halford’s voice pierced the night, creating one of the best shows that I have seen in a while.

Right when I didn’t think my night could get better, we met two new friends (Susan and Julie) who invited wife Kim and me backstage to meet Judas Priest. After the show, Richie came out and led us back stage where we sat with Ian Hill for about 30 minutes. He was as nice as could be and made us feel very welcome. The Epitaph Tour was the band’s finale and it was clear that they wanted to go out on top.


Judas Priest

Show Review & Photos: The Damned & The Cute Lepers @ the Showbox Market

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Photos & Show Review: The Damned & Cute Lepers @ Showbox Market, 10/27/11

By Marianne Spellman

At some points in the night, there was absolutely nothing that I could do to take a good photograph of The Damned at the Showbox at the Market. Nope, I just had to wait it out, because sometimes the floor was bouncing so much from people jumping and dancing, I might as well have been trying to shoot during an earthquake. This phenomenon made me smile greatly and I thoroughly enjoyed my unintended pit pogos, for The Damned put on a damned good 35th Anniversary show. I really didn’t want it to end.

The Showbox crowd this night was an interesting mix: elder past punks like me who bought The Black Album and Damned Damned Damned when they were first released (in 1977 and 1980, respectively, and performed in full this evening), black-clad goth-y present-day punks in their 20s and 30s, and most surprisingly, a good amount of enthusiastic teens. I was especially thrilled to see a few of the younger fans at the front shouting out lyrics and reaching out to shake hands with lead vocalist Dave Vanian, who sported his elegant and mysterious Victorian-vampire-Vincent Price look. The garrulous Captain Sensible was also in fine form on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, warmly addressing the audience (and also definitely not disappointing in sartorial splendor). Pinch on drums and Stu West on bass made for a thunderous rhythm section, and 74-year-old Monty Oxy Moron put musicians half his age to utter shame with his energy on keyboards, not to mention supreme leaping-lord skills.

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