Well, Inchoates, we have let quite some amount of time as you humans reckon it slip by since we've written a concert review.  Not that the inhabitants of oRc ToweR haven't attended any--we've attended tons, including Iron Maiden 4 times last year, Amon Amarth, Metal Masters, etc.  We've just kept ourselves busy laying plans for the inevitable Domination.  Well, and, uh...okay, I'm forced to admit that one of our concert reviewers and slaves of oRc ToweR, Dr. Hellion (You recall, the lass I kidnapped and made her become a music journalist for reviewing the oRcs in concert), uh-hem, actually she escaped the oRc ToweR dungeon via an interdimensional portal she discovered somehow on her own.  Sigh.

Ah well, not to worry, it seems once you go oRc you can't go back.  The Hellion sent us this review of Judas Priest with Megadeth and Testament at the event known as "Priest Feast," though she was very chagrined to admit that she missed the Bay Area's own legendary Thrashers, Testament.  I have long distance flogged her for being so remiss in her metal duties.  Anyway, I'll let you read her review of the show.  I think she gets the legendary abilities of Priest across very well, and it jibes with my recollection of Priest at the Metal Masters Tour.  Without further ado...

Priest Feast, Wembley Arena, London.  21 February, 2009.

Somebody brought his dead rabbit to the concert.  I saw him walking around, alone, with
a very large, furry white something cradled in his arms.  Now I understand that the line
for the coat room was ridiculously long.  And I understand that your dead bunny was
SUCH a Priest fan.  But a Priest Feast concert is no place for a dead white rabbit.

Or is it?

Testament, Megadeth and Judas Priest tore up North London this weekend, and dead
rabbits were hardly out of place amid the hair, the metal, and The Metal.

Megadeth owned the stage, stalking about with their manes in full force and the wall
behind them one solid bank of speakers.  They barely spoke, preferring instead to blow
our collective minds with all the guitar we could dream of.  The one conversational bit
was when Mustaine observed that people always ask  you about your song inspirations.  
"Sometimes, you've just got to lie.  We've been making metal for 30 years, and you just
can't give the same interview for 30 years.  So this  next song is about me and my
dentist."

Can you imagine being Mustaine's dentist?

Then Priest came on.  They rolled out an enormous, elaborate stage, with levels and stairs
and elevators and a door in the middle, and a huge backdrop of Halford deified.  Top
center of the stage was the drumset.  Next to that were two tall columns.  As the metal
began, Halford rose slowly from the column on the left, wearing a silver lamé druid cape
and hood.  He sang Prophecy while standing there, still, holding a trident staff.  You
couldn't see his face, and you couldn't take your eyes off him.  THAT is stage presence.

The rest of their set was kinetic, magic, with Halford stalking and dancing around the
stage, reappearing from doors, sitting on thrones and motorcycles, and waving flags.  He
was in rough voice, chanting low and singing the high falsettos with style, but hitting few
notes in between.  He made up for it with sheer magnetism, and with chain mail fringes
hanging from his jacket sleeves.  He used stillness as its own force; he sang Death sitting
down in a throne.

Halford's stylized motion was a perfect counterpoint to the howling guitars, that
screamed and swung together for extended musical interludes that just ran right through
this Minion.  Halford changed his costume, and the stage hands changed the backdrop,
for nearly every song.  This was a virtuous performance by real Masters.

After the first "ending", there was much chanting amongst us believers, and Halford
came back out alone, draped in an England flag and chanting into a microphone.  He led
us in a sing-along, warming up our voices and teaching us.  It seemed he'd been saving
some of his voice just for this.  He walked back and forth across the stage, having us sing
gradually more elaborately, and then the band came out and we were commanded to sing
the opening bars of You've Got Another Thing Coming.  Yes, Halford, whatever you say.

At the end, KK Downing and Glenn Tipton climbed to the tops of the columns on the
side of their stage, and the whole band struck a pose so classic, so stylish and iconic that I
felt if anything was going to resurrect that dead bunny, Priest would indeed have been it.

Yours unruly, Dr. Hellion

Priest's Set-list:

Dawn Of Creation/Prophecy
Metal Gods
Eat Me Alive
Between The Hammer And The Anvil
Devil's Child
Breaking The Law
Hell Patrol
Death
Dissident Aggressor
Angel
The Hellion/Electric Eye
Rock Hard, Ride Free
Sinner
Painkiller
Hell Bent For Leather
The Green Manalishi
You've Got Another Thing Coming