Spoiler: Judas Priest Perform ‘Saints in Hell’ Live for the First Time
Last night (March 13), Judas Priest kicked off their Firepower tour in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and it was a night with a couple firsts for the metal legends. The show marked their debut with guitarist Andy Sneap filling in for Glenn Tipton and was also the very first time they played the Stained Class cut "Saints in Hell" live.
"This is gonna be really cool," said Rob Halford after explaining that this year is the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking Stained Class album. With the mention of the song's title, the crowd erupted and Richie Faulkner took the spotlight tearing into the opening riff. "Saints in Hell" is renowned for its demanding high vocal delivery and at 66-years-old, Halford handled it with apparent ease.
The wasn't short on some other surprises, like the return of "Bloodstone" (Screaming for Vengeance) and "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" (Defenders of the Faith), which haven't entered the live arena since 1990 and 1991 respectively. "Running Wild" even made it into the set for the first time in 16 years. As for new material, Judas Priest played three Firepower tracks, opening with the title track and hitting on "Lightning Strike" and "Evil Never Dies" later on in the night.
Check out the performance of "Saints in Hell" above and see the full set list from the kickoff show below (via setlist.fm). To see if Priest will be hitting a city near you, go here for a list of all their North American tour dates.
Judas Priest Set List - March 13, 2018
"Firepower"
"Running Wild"
"Grinder"
"Sinner"
"The Ripper"
"Lightning Strike"
"Bloodstone"
"Saints in Hell"
"Turbo Lover"
"Angel"
"Evil Never Dies"
"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll"
"Breaking the Law"
"Hell Bent for Leather"
"Painkiller"
"The Hellion"
"Electric Eye"
"Metal Gods"
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
"Living After Midnight"
Judas Priest Albums Ranked
10 Amazing Rob Halford High Screams