LIVE REVIEW: Judas Priest, Saxon & Uriah Heep, Bournemouth International Centre, 17th March 2024

Yes, we are late to the review party, but in truth, it's taken this long to come down from these two shows. Over 150 years of true Heavy Metal rolled across the UK and Ireland in the past fortnight, bringing forth a display which surpassed expectations on all counts. Arriving in Bournemouth on 17th March, you could sense the anticipation across the town. Everywhere you looked, everywhere you went, the denim and leather uniform of Heavy Metal fans dominated. Pubs, restaurants, parks, even the queue for the barrier in the multi-storey car park next to the venue, the cut offs with patches, the rockers with not quite so much hair and slightly more weight, it all added up to a buzz of excitement that drew me back to those halcyon days in the 1980s when this was the norm.

Whilst some fans decided on the extra pint, there was a decent audience for the arrival of the first legendary band of the evening. 18:40 on the dot and Uriah Heep hit the stage. The oldest of the three acts, you'd never have thought it, by the way that Heep grabbed their criminally short opening slot. Although their origins dating back to 1970's Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble, it's only Mick Box who was there from the start. He still looks incredible, and his interplay with long-term keyboardist Phil Lanzon is always a highlight of the band's set, whether its 35-minutes or two hours. Anchored by the best drummer of the evening Russell Gilbrook, spearheaded by the ever moving and ever smiling of Bernie Shaw (like Lanzon, now close to 40 years with the band) alongside bassist Dave Rimmer, Heep are one tight unit. And most importantly, boy do they look like they are having fun.
"How do you get 54 years into 35-minutes" asks Shaw. He's right. It's an impossible task but Heep show that they aren't here to make up the numbers with a blistering seven-song set. Whilst they inevitable draw from their most famous album Demons & Wizards, we are also given modern songs with Save Me Tonight and Hurricane from 2023's fabulous Chaos & Colour and Grazed by Heaven from Living the Dream. It's impossible not to move along to the band in full flight, and Box reminds us that Heep were part of that heavy quartet in the seventies who crafted the British Hard Rock and Metal sound with a bruising start to Free 'n' Easy. There's no disputing the ending though, and as the strains of the classic Easy Livin' fade, one can only hope that Uriah Heep get back out on a headline tour soon.

They have sold over 23 million records across the world and recently released as strong an album as any in their extensive discography. Saxon remain as mighty a force today as they did back in 1980 when they spearheaded the NWOBHM movement that some of us were lucky enough to experience first-hand. They've refreshed the line-up in recent months with Paul Quinn stepping down and Diamond Head leader Brian Tatler stepping up on second guitar. It seems to have given the band a bit more fire, for they are unstoppable. It's not too often that the booming voice of Brian Blessed echoes around arenas these days but his oratory forms the introduction to Saxon's opener, the title track from that storming new album, Hell, Fire, and Damnation. It's the perfect opener, Biff Byford's incredible scream at the start and the powerful dual guitar attack, all propelled by drummer Nigel Glockler, who seems to be intent on hammering his kit to death such is his power. They have just over an hour, and they squeeze very ounce out of it. If you've seen Saxon live before, then this is exactly what you'd expect. A bit of Heavy Metal karaoke, some audience participation and ultimately, damn fine British Heavy Metal, played by five Englishmen who are totally unapologetic about their style. Saxon aren't fashionable, not even in Metal circles, but they are almost untouchable, such is their power and drive. 
 They can sprinkle their set with songs from 1980 - And the Bands Played On, Wheels of Steel, Princess of the Night) with songs from 2024 (Madam Guillotine, There’s Something in Rosewell) and they link seamlessly. Are they timeless, or of their time? Well, as the air is punched to Denim & Leather, you'd have to be a fool to argue that they are anything less than consistently reliable in this setting. Being amid several thousand like-minded Metal fans, all punching the air and singing along is one of the great joys of following this style of music, and as Princess of the Night finishes their set, it's certainly a relief to be standing in a Metal crowd.

There’s something about a Judas Priest live show that grabs the imagination. Two recent headline shows at Bloodstock has pushed the band’s profile a bit higher in the UK, for they are a band who haven’t toured the UK for almost a decade. Despite their absence from these shores, they retain their status as top dogs on this tour and step up to the plate with an impressive 90 minutes which sees them as heavy as they’ve ever been. Much of that is due to the ferocity of new album Invincible Shield, a truly blistering album that surpasses anything the band have done for decades. They stand poised and ready behind the curtain that bears lyrics to the title track of the new album, whilst War Pigs rings around the centre. Suddenly the curtain drops, then is whisked into the sky as the Priest launch into Panic Attack. It’s a crunching song, even heavier live, and we are off and running. Early crowd surfers are spotted as Rapid Fire and You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ transport us back to the eighties. 
Rob Halford, a cross between Uncle Albert and Liberace is constantly changing his coats, rocking back and forth as he reminds us that there is no-one in Metal with a vocal range like his. It’s amazing that at 72 years of age he still hits every note. Flanking him, main sidekick Richie Faulkner who is now able to truly claim the guitar hero crown, such is his poise, dexterity, and all-round phenomenal playing. He’s a blur of fingers and leather, cutting shape after shape in true rock god pose. Alongside him, Andy Sneap looks more part of the band than hired hand, whilst the solid engine room of Ian Hill and Scott Travis are locking everything down tight. Although this is a nostalgia trip for many, there is new music to experience. 

 As well as Panic Attack, we get the title track and Crown of Thorns from Invincible Shield, although only Sword of Damocles from Redeemer of Souls is post 1991. It’s not quite the greatest hits set, with Saints In Hell a curve ball, both otherwise, Priest play it safe. By the time we get to Painkiller, with the cringy intro by Travis an exercise in how to piss off the many gathered Welshmen as he refers to the band touring all the UK. Thankfully, his drumming is better than his geography as he powers to the encore. Time for the futuristic The Hellion and Electric Eye to get those assembled voices singing once more before the real chanting for Hell Bent for Leather, complete with Harley, and the grand finale, Living After Midnight closes off an incredible evening. With a full and impressive lighting show, huge screens and a sound that was superb all evening, this was Heavy Metal at its peak. There may be more tours to come, with all three bands promising more. We shall see, certainly about the headliners, but for all the bands, this was an exceptional show. 
Luckily for me, tickets had also been sourced for their hometown show two nights later at the Resorts World Arena (that’s the NEC in old money). Slight changes to both Saxon and Priest’s sets which you can find on the amazing www.setlist.com included Saxon changing Crusader for Dallas 1PM whilst Priest brought back Victim of Changes and a hero’s welcome for Glenn Tipton on the encore of Metal Gods, Hell Bent for Leather and Living After Midnight.