As a die-hard, lifelong Priest fan…I have to say the Epitaph tour and set list leave a lot to be desired.
Of course, the biggest disappointment is KK’s absence. Frankly, I miss him more than when Halford left. I also believe the fact that his replacement, while musically competent, was selected because of his resemblance to KK. It reeks of a Gene Simmons stunt.
I am also largely disappointed with the set list. In the press prior to the tour we were promised a set list for the long-time fans full of rarities or songs never played before live. That is not what was delivered. Aside from a few good selections, like “Blood Red Skies”, it is the same old, same old.
I understand that a major constraint in the selection of songs is the diminished ability of Rob’s voice, but they could have delivered rare, less strenuous songs.
If the true intent was to deliver a rarity filled, career retrospective set list, selecting a minimum one song per album, then songs should have been selected using the following guide rules:
- Is it a Judas Priest original? That means no cover songs should be played i.e. “Green Manalishi” & “Diamonds & Rust”.
- Has the song ever appeared on a Judas Priest or Halford live album? I will assume this tour will result in a live cd/dvd, if so the main selling point is the inclusion of never before played songs. This includes Rob singing songs from “Jugulator” and “Demolition”.
- Songs should not be too vocally demanding so Rob can sing them night after night without him doubling over and looking at the ground constantly.
Bearing the above in mind, here is my suggested set list:
- Rocka Rolla = Rocka Rolla
- Sad Wings of Destiny = Dreamer Deceiver
- Sin After Sin = Here Comes the Tears
- Stained Class = Saints in Hell
- Killing Machine = Before the Dawn
- British Steel = Steeler
- Point of Entry = Don’t Go
- Screaming for Vengeance = Devil’s Child
- Defenders of the Faith = Night Comes Down
- Turbo = Reckless
- Ram It Down = Hard as Iron
- Painkiller = One Shot at Glory
- Jugulator = Cathedral Spires
- Demolition = Metal Messiah
- Angel of Retribution = Worth Fighting For
- Nostradamus = Conquest
After these you can play whatever you wish, I personally cannot imagine a show without “Hell Bent for Leather” and the motorcycle.
My two cents. | 