Judas Priest / Megadeth / Testament

Wembley Arena, London

21 Feb 2009
 

Testament kicked off the gig with a relatively short set.  Chuck Billy is such an impressive front man even after all this time.  Some of my faves from their set were Practice What you Preach, the New Order, The Formation of Damnation, More than Meets the Eye, and Souls of Black.  Chucky Billy really got the crowd excited as he called out for a "wall of death"  to which the audience enthusiastically obliged with limbs flailing in a violent melee.  The sound was excellent and the band well rehearsed.

Up next was Megadeth who I wasn't all that thrilled about.  Dave Mustaine and crew played an hour set that surprisingly impressed me.  They kicked in my teeth right from teh get go with one of my favorite tracks, Wake Up Dead.  Throughout the hour set they played a nice mixture of new and old songs which included Peace Sells, Skin of My Teeth, Washington is Next, and In My Darkest Hour.  They closed with Holy War which had the audience worked up into a rabid froth.  Dave and crew certainly won me over this night.

Of course the Arena was surging with excitement by the time the metal masters Judas Priest hit the stage.  Still full of energy depsite their age we were treated to many classics which were belted out with intensity and vigor, among them were Eat Me Alive, Painkiller, Between the Hammer and The Anvil, Breaking the Law, Sinner, and Electric Eye.  Not surprisingly though the concert featured such new tracks as Nostradamus and Messenger of Death.  Rob Halford was changing his jackets almost every song and also did a memorable and inspiring Football chant-along with the audience while being draped in an "England" flag.  The obligatory encore included mandatory tracks such as Hell bent For Leather and You've Got another thing Comin'.  This is a night I won't soon forget and all involved were both magnificent performers as well as humble musicians.