Heavy
Saxon live, Forum Assago (MI), 6 April 2024
On Saturday 6 April 2024, one took place at the Assago Forum (Milan). CELEBRATION of Steel made music. Two of the most metal-headed and metallic groups to appear on planet earth found themselves playing one after the other in the Italian lands. This had already happened, in fact, way back in the 1980s – a tour which did not then involve Italy – and more recently also at Rock The Castle of 2022, in Villafranca di Verona, within the Festival.
From the moment the date to the Forum Saxon And Judas Priest was announced in May 2023, through a sort of magic that only certain events can unleash, the sense ofeventof the aforementioned celebration, among enthusiasts. But, mind you, fans of hard music across the board, not just the obvious and obligatory defender. Yes, because in the race to grab mainly the ticket to the parterre – and only partly that of the stands – many hard rockers to the core, simple listeners of “normal” rock but also first-rate deathsters and blacksters participated. Being there, seeing – someone for the first time in life, despite the abundant springs on the back – Saxon And Judas Priest it overrode any musical and ideological boundary. The almost sold out Forum simply confirmed the Italian public’s hunger for quality metal.
Heartfelt congratulations to those who established the times of the various performances: the vast majority of those present came from outside Milan, being able to return home during the night in time “humans” – despite it being a Saturday evening, so for most people they tended not to have to get up early to go to work the next day – it was a very good choice, evidently also considering the average age of those present, who were no longer very green. A few less compliments (euphemism) to the merchandising prices: 45 Euros for a T-Shirt is too much, from any angle you want to see it. Point.
Make way for the report…
Photo gallery at the bottom of the article by Michele “50% 50%” Aldeghi
Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons
The event begins at 6.43pm. On stage such a heavy metal icon Phil Campbellguitarist of Motorhead for eons. Accompanying him in this solo adventure set up since 2016 which has so far given birth to a handful of releases are his three children: Todd on the second guitar, Tyla to the bottom and Dane to the battery. At the microphone Joel Peterssomeone who knows how to assert himself, as also demonstrated on Saturday 6th.
Phil Campbell
Three quarters of an hour of the space available to them – they closed just before 7.30 pm – which they exploited to the best of their possibilities between their own songs – ‘Freak Shows‘ the most appreciated piece – even if the lion’s share was made by the three covers of Motorhead: ‘Going To Brazil‘, a ‘Born To Raise Hell‘drawn to exhaustion amidst the back and forth of the audience but the real slaughter broke out along the way’Ace Of Spades‘, left after he was good-naturedly told fuck off Tyla Campbell. TO ‘Strike the Match‘ the task of concluding a show, theirs, fucking honest, for many of those present essentially useless, however, despite the profound respect for a figure like Phil Campbell.
The intro starts at 7.54pm (‘The Prophecy‘) which kicks off the show of Saxon. Following, as on their latest album, ‘Hell, Fire and Damnation‘, the track that gives the album its title, the typical epic and metallic song that causes havoc live, as confirmed by the Forum audience. The sound of guitars Doug Scarrat And Brian Tatler it is tremendously thrusting, capable of cutting the throat, a peculiarity that contributes to building a notable shock wave on the part of the Stallions of The Highway of Yorkshire.
Doug Scarrat, Biff Byford, Brian Tatler, Saxon
As a matter of practice, the fact that, despiteMadame Guillotine‘he made a terrible impression, it must be underlined – a separate discussion for the very avoidable ‘There’s Something in Roswell‘ which, in fact, has taken away the place for some higher-ranking songs – metalheads can expect, in addition to the new ones just mentioned, the classics of the Saxons who in fact flow copiously: ‘Motorcycle Man‘, ‘Heavy Metal Thunder‘, ‘747‘, Strong Arm Of The Law‘but it’s on’Wheels Of Steel‘ That Biff and members earn the standing ovation, although ‘facilitated’ by the frontman himself. It’s the apotheosis, i Saxon in those moments they can breathe all the affection that the Italian public has felt towards them since their first descent dating back to 1980, Strong Arm Of The Law Tour. ‘Princess Of The Night‘ closes the concert at 8.47pm, therefore lasting less than an hour.
Their performance was certainly intense, but very different from the typical one Saxon show when the band is in a headlining position or, better yet, through their own tour. In these last two cases, in fact, it is possible to fully enjoy the true substance of Saxon, the one that draws from the deepest roots of their background of pure heavy metal: epic, groove, heroic, characteristics mostly put aside in that of the Forum , where the logic set for a performance that was all too “prevailed”straight”, as they say in jargon, from start to finish. Winners, yes, but distorted in their essence.
After a screwdriver of the volumes and adjustments in the control room, as almost always happens in these cases, so as to best favor the headliners, at 9.15 pm after ‘War Pigs‘ of the Black Sabbath and the intro linked to the new ‘Invincible Shield‘i Judas Priest Of Ian Hill And Rob Halford they enter the boards of the Assago stage. The very iconic image of all four musicians should be framed for posterity.”of movement” lined up in front of the battery, irradiated by very white lights. ‘Panic Attack‘, one of the most convincing songs from the latest album, opens their show.
The sounds are almost perfect and the drums Scott Travis cannonades in a literally devastating manner. All this contributes to strengthening their performance which, thanks to a tantalizing lineup – the hat-trick ‘Devil’s Child‘, ‘Saints in Hell‘ and the new entry ‘Crown of Horns‘ is to be understood as an absolute gem – it takes little time to take off. Rob Halforddespite enjoying an effective boost in favor of his voice, he moves much more on stage compared to the Villafranca concert in 2022, for the benefit of an overall view with a good impact, considering that Ian Hill – always – and Andy Sneap they certainly cannot be considered tightrope walkers, in terms of digressions and movements. Separate chapter for Richie Faulknerincreasingly at ease, even aesthetically, in the role he was K. K. Downing.
‘Rapid Fire‘ is an absurd blow, a piece conceived in Steel for Steel and confirms it once again in Assago. Same fate for ‘Turbo Lover‘, a live steamroller despite the doubts it raised on record, in 1986.
Scott Travis, Judas Priest
The mega symbol of Judas Priest stands out in front of the stage, at the height of the first half of the parterre, held back by the steel structure of the Forum roof, to be lowered along the proposition of ‘Invincible Shield’, to seal the English group’s new album. The rest is a collection of superclassics, just to name a few: ‘Breaking the Law‘, ‘The Green Manalishi’‘Painkiller‘, ‘Victim of Changes‘ – suggestive images that scrolled on the screen behind Travis’ drums with a Glenn Tipton engaged in the same song in the good old days – ‘Electric Eye‘. Harley Davidson is inevitable to corroborate ‘Hell Bent for Leather‘ his entrance is moving Glenn Tipton (he has contracted Parkinson’s disease for years) to accompany the two pieces at the end of the concert: ‘Metal Gods‘ And ‘Living After Midnight‘.
Theirs is an all heart and steel test, seasoned with the tricks necessary to still be credible today and a Halford absolutely presentable.
A heartfelt chorusJudas Priest – Judas Priest – Judas Priest’ marks the exit of the headliners before the notes of ‘We Are the Champions‘ of the Queen and let the lights of the Forum come on to certify that the time has not yet come, however Ian Hill and company, of risking being seen as a cover band of themselves.
Which is absolutely NOT a small thing.
What happened to others, recently but not only, with very sad results…
Chapeau!
Stefano “Steven Rich” Ricetti
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