JUDAS PRIEST Brings Out Rarities, Never-Before-Performed Songs At 2019 North American Tour Opener (Video)

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST kicked off their North American tour with URIAH HEEP Friday night (May 3) at Hard Rock Event Center inHollywood, Florida. In front of a rapturous crowd, the band interwove brand new songs with classics and rarities never before performed for a live audience.

Several tracks were aired for the very first time, including three songs from PRIEST‘s latest album, 2018’s “Firepower”: “Necromancer”, “Spectre” and “Traitors Gate”. Also making its live debut was “(Take These) Chains”, from 1982’s “Screaming For Vengeance”. “All Guns Blazing”, from 1990’s “Painkiller”, was performed live for the first time in nearly 18 years. Elsewhere, “Out In The Cold”, from 1986’s “Turbo”, was dusted off after 33 years.

Guitarist Glenn Tipton, who is not touring with PRIEST due to his battle with Parkinson’s disease, rejoined his bandmates for the two-song encore, consisting of “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight”.

PRIEST‘s setlist was as follows:

01. Necromancer (live debut)
02. The Sentinel (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)
03. Heading Out To The Highway (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)
04. Spectre (live debut)
05. (Take These) Chains (live debut)
06. Judas Rising (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)
07. Out In The Cold (performed for first time since December 16, 1986)
08. Traitors Gate (live debut)
09. Starbreaker (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)
10. Steeler (performed for first time since October 17, 2010)
11. Halls Of Valhalla
12. Killing Machine
13. No Surrender
14. Victim Of Changes
15. All Guns Blazing (performed for first time since August 19, 1991)
16. Hell Bent For Leather

Encore:

17. Breaking The Law (with Glenn Tipton)
18. Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton)

Singer Rob Halford recently told the St. Louis radio station Real Rock 99.3 that PRIEST was rehearsing “close to 15” new songs for the current trek, including “Rapid Fire” (from 1980’s “British Steel”).

Back in January, JUDAS PRIEST performed “Killing Machine” live for the first time since 1978 during a concert at Zénith de Paris in Paris, France.

During last year’s “Firepower” U.S. tour, JUDAS PRIEST‘s set included rarities like “Running Wild”, “Bloodstone” and “Tyrant”, plus “Saints In Hell”, which had never been performed live before.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003.

“Firepower” was released in March 2018 via Epic.