Fan-filmed video footage of
JUDAS PRIEST's July 7, 2009 concert at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts can be viewed below (courtesy of
"HowellKenny" and
"KJastremski").
Check out photos from
EmpyreLounge.com.
JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its
"British Steel" 30th-anniversary tour Monday night (June 29) at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana. Vocalist
Rob Halford recently told
Noisecreep, "It's like suddenly, thirty years have come upon us and we're about to celebrate. The album's technical anniversary is April of next year, but want to start the party early."
Halford added, "In today's economy, all artists have to think of something to do differently. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to do something that
PRIEST has never done before, which is to play an album in its entirety. The band and the name '
JUDAS PRIEST' have both been around since 1969, so it is our fortieth anniversary, too. We seem to be in a constant celebration mode!"
Along with 1982's
"Screaming for Vengeance" and 1990's
"Painkiller",
"British Steel" has long been considered one of metal's all-time classics. It was with this release that
PRIEST truly broke through to the masses, with a pair of tracks that have become fixtures on rock radio — the enduring anthems
"Breaking the Law" and
"Living After Midnight". But like all classic albums, there is not a single weak track detected on
"British Steel", as evidenced by such standouts as the perennial concert highlight,
"Metal Gods", as well as
"Rapid Fire",
"Grinder",
"United" and
"The Rage", among others.
Produced by
Tom Allom,
"British Steel" was recorded at the Tittenhurst Park in England — which is a mansion owned at the time by former
THE BEATLES member
Ringo Starr, and previously owned by
John Lennon and
Yoko Ono. In 2001, the album was remastered and reissued with extra bonus tracks, and also was the subject of an in-depth study as part of the popular
"Classic Albums" DVD series.