The Metal Crypt on Facebook  The Metal Crypt's YouTube Channel
Review: Judas Priest - Live in London
Judas Priest
www.judaspriest.com
Live in London

Label: SPV
Year released: 2002
Duration: 134 min.

Rating: 4/5

Review online: August 25, 2002
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers Rating
for:
Live in London

Rated 4.87/5 (97.33%) (15 Votes)
Review

It still takes some time getting used to seeing Tim Owens fronting Judas Priest - I had to watch this a couple of times just to get into it. This show was recorded at the Brixton Academy in London in December 2001. The DVD contains the live show, as well as some backstage footage with short interviews with the band members. Setting it apart from other DVDs is some footage taped during the soundcheck, where we can hear a couple of songs that are not on the set-list, such as the classic "The Sentinel". Very well done. This is more interesting to watch than things such as the discography or biography, which are available on their web site anyway, so I won't even complain about them being omitted from the DVD. :) A minor thing worth mentionning is that the DVD case is not the usual boring case that DVDs usually come in, but rather a transparent plastic one that looks great. Also they included a small booklet with a few words about the band since Ripper joined, some band pictures, the list of albums recorded with Ripper, as well as the Demolition tour dates.

Overall I would describe the live show itself as less energetic than 1986's "Priest...Live!", mostly due to the set-list that includes a few slower songs. The filming and the sound are excellent, and the stage, while not as mindblowing as the ones they had in the 80s, has quite an impressive light set that makes up for the missing gadgets.

The performance varies from good to excellent. During about half the show, it seems like Tim Owens is not too comfortable and either doesn't move much or acts a bit mechanical (man, do something about that neck! :)). Even the guitarists are a bit stuck in place at times. Eventually the machine kicks in and the performance becomes very entertaining, to say the least. At first I found a bit annoying the way Ripper interpreted some of the classics, it takes a bit of getting used to. After all, the guys needs to take his place within the band, and adding his own intonations helps doing that (it's not always for the best, but anyway - that's pretty much up to personal taste.) I think it is a conservative estimate if I say the crowd is 120% into it. Every time Ripper points the microphone at the crowd, you can hear them sing very clearly, and just from the crowd shots, they were going nuts from beginning to end. I don't think anyone there fell asleep on their seat. :) Some highlights of the show are the performances during "Victim of Changes", "Diamonds and Rust", "Breaking the Law", "Living After Midnight" and "Hell Bent for Leather".

Overall I'm agreably surprised by this DVD, even though I would have liked to see some other songs on the set-list. The material from Demolition sounds slightly better live, although "Feed on Me" still sucks. :). In short, a must for any Priest fans.

Additional Information

Set-list

  • Metal Gods
  • Touch of Evil
  • Blood Stained
  • Victim of Changes
  • One on One
  • Running Wild
  • Ripper
  • Diamonds and Rust
  • Feed on Me
  • Burn in Hell
  • Hell Is Home
  • Breaking The Law
  • Desert Plains
  • Turbo Lover
  • Painkiller
  • Electric Eye
  • United
  • Living After Midnight
  • Hell Bent For Leather


More about Judas Priest...
Review: Angel of Retribution (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Angel of Retribution (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: British Steel (reviewed by Christian Renner)
Review: Classic Albums: Judas Priest: British Steel (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Defenders Of The Faith (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: Demolition (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Electric Eye (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Firepower (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Firepower (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Hell Bent for Leather (reviewed by Christian Renner)
Review: Invincible Shield (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Invincible Shield (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Jugulator (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Live Vengeance '82 (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: Live in London (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: Nostradamus (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Painkiller (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: Point of Entry (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Ram It Down (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Redeemer of Souls (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Redeemer of Souls Tour (reviewed by Luxi Lahtinen)
Review: Rising in the East (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Sad Wings of Destiny (reviewed by Eddiethe'Ead)
Review: Screaming For Vengeance (reviewed by Mjölnir)
Review: Screaming For Vengeance (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: Sin After Sin (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Stained Class (reviewed by Adam McAuley)
Interview with bassist Ian Hill on June 19, 2018 (Interviewed by Luxi Lahtinen)
Interview with vocalist Rob Halford on June 5, 2022 (Interviewed by Luxi Lahtinen)
Click below for more reviews
Latest 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Various Books/Zines 



The Metal Crypt - Crushing Posers Since 1999
Copyright  © 1999-2024, Michel Renaud / The Metal Crypt.  All Rights Reserved.