Monday night saw the Abbotsford Centre in Abbotsford, BC taken over by English rock greatness when Judas Priest and Uriah Heep stormed through town in a blaze of vintage metal.

Lead singer Bernie Shaw and his veteran crew opened the night on a high note. They delivered a well rounded set that reinforced why they have been active for more than five decades.

Shaw’s vocals never wavered as his screamed his way through killer tracks like “Too Scared To Run” and “Look At Yourself”.

Lead guitarist Mick Box looked stoic. A slight lean back, drenched in streams of stage lights, firing through riffs, all with a little grin on his face.

The audience cheered and sang along while the beers flowed freely and their fists pumped in the air.

A solid set from a solid band, still rocking after all these years.

Music legend Rob Halford, lead singer of Judas Priest, soon grabbed the reigns. His band stood in their positions as he stepped out from a small curtain at the side of the stage. A backing light illuminating his silhouette with swirls of theatrical smoke billowing around him, fantastic.

“Necromancer” from the band’s latest album 2018’s Firepower, kicked things off.

Halford flowed around the stage in a purple and black shimmering wizard-type outfit with a matching top hat adorned by a skull and bones, a long black, skull-topped staff in one hand and his mic in the other. He filled the arena with his signature vocals, that classic slight screech with a bit of badassery thrown in. The crowd were elated, they shouted and screamed with approval.

The band’s stage setup seemed minimal but it was a busy visual mastery of light and shadow. Dozens of small spots darted around, building layers of bright colors around each member. It added drama to the entire set.

The band for the night consisted of Ian Hill on bass, Scott Travis on drums, and Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap on guitar. Unfortunately, we did not see Glenn Tipton out, but that didn’t stop the rock.

For two bands that have been actively touring for a combined ten decades, there doesn’t look to be anything slowing them down. The music was solid, the vocals were clean, and they are still fueling excitement in their fans bases.

Thank you to both bands and their crews for a memorable night musical mastery.

Uriah Heep setlist

Grazed by Heaven

Too Scared to Run

Take Away My Soul

Sunrise

Between Two Worlds

Gypsy

Look At Yourself

Stealin’

Easy Livin’

Judas Priest setlist

Necromancer

Heading Out to the Highway

The Sentinel

Spectre

(Take These) Chains

Judas Rising

Out in the Cold

Traitors Gate

Starbreaker

Steeler

Halls of Valhalla

Prelude

Tyrant

No Surrender

Victim of Changes

All Guns Blazing

Encore:

Hell Bent for Leather

Breaking the Law

Living After Midnight