Judas Priest – Live Review – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
By Victoria Holdsworth, July 2025
There are few bands that can claim to have defined an entire genre, and even fewer that can still torch a stage five decades into their career. But tonight, Judas Priest once again proved why they’re the undisputed Metal Gods.
Some gigs feel big, some gigs just feel loud – and some, like last night’s Judas Priest show at Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre, felt like history in the making.
Just two days after the world lost Ozzy Osbourne, the metal community came together in the only way it knows how: with roaring amps, leather jackets, and fists in the air.
“Heavy emotion”
Judas Priest, true to form, delivered one hell of a show – with heavy emotion and even heavier riffs – kicking things off after a blast of ‘War Pigs’ over the PA, which hit even harder given the circumstances.
Halford emerged on stage draped in black leather, with all the poise of a man who’s stared down generations of imitators. As the rest of the band followed and the lights flashed, they ripped into ‘All Guns Blazing’ from the 1990 album Painkiller – which provided much of the evening’s setlist. That track alone set the tone for the night: sharp, fast, and utterly explosive.
Rob Halford looked like a metal general marching into battle, sounding phenomenal on ‘Hell Patrol’ and ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’’. His voice might be older, but it’s still sharp enough to cut through steel. The crowd nearly lost it during ‘Freewheel Burning’, before exploding for ‘Breaking the Law’ – one of the most recognisable guitar riffs in history.
These were pure classics that still feel fresh when Priest is firing on all cylinders.
“Riff after riff”
One thing was certain tonight: these heavy metal legends show no signs of slowing down. And it’s just as well – Rob Halford has more sparkly jackets than Jane McDonald, and he clearly plans to wear them all.
Mid-set, they dug deeper with ‘A Touch of Evil’, ‘Night Crawler’, and a stunning version of ‘Solar Angels’ that gave everyone chills. Then came ‘Gates of Hell’ – dark, moody, and pure Priest. It was genuinely hard to pick standout tracks from a set that consistently cranked everything up to 11.
Flanked by Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap on twin guitars, Priest delivered riff after riff with surgical precision. Faulkner – whose near-death health scare in 2021 now seems a distant memory – shredded with fiery abandon, trading solos with Sneap as the band dropped into ‘Battle Hymn’ as a prelude, then launched into a monster run of modern tracks including ‘One Shot at Glory’, ‘The Serpent and the King’, ‘Between the Hammer and the Anvil’, and ‘Giants in the Sky’.
‘Giants in the Sky’ turned into a gut-punch moment as images of fallen rock icons filled the video screens. When Ozzy’s face appeared, the entire arena erupted. It was loud – but beneath it was a powerful silence, heavy with respect, sadness, and unconditional love. A beautiful, unexpected tribute.
“Stacked encore”
Then came ‘Painkiller’. You already know. Rob screamed like the world was ending, and Richie Faulkner shredded so hard we nearly levitated – all held together by drummer Scott Travis, who practically obliterated his kit. It was brutal, exhilarating, and biblical.
After a brief breather, they returned for a stacked encore: ‘The Hellion’, which led straight into ‘Electric Eye’, from the 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance.
A huge cheer swept across the east coast as the opening bars of the always-essential ‘Hell Bent for Leather’ rang out – and Halford purred back onto the stage on his Harley-Davidson before ending the night with the ultimate party anthem, ‘Living After Midnight’.
By the final notes, the entire arena was fists-in-the-air, hoarse-throated, and euphoric.
Judas Priest aren’t just surviving – they’re still setting the standard. If this Invincible Shield world tour is anything to go by, metal’s old guard still has plenty of fire in the furnace.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor
Victoria is a former English teacher and lifelong musician who has successfully combined her two great passions: words and music. Over the past 20 years, she has written for a variety of publications, giving her the opportunity to witness outstanding talent and meet some truly inspiring individuals. With a deep love for rock, indie, metal, and all things weird and wonderful in between, Victoria also co-runs an independent record label with her friend Tetley.
