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LIVE REVIEW
KK'S PRIEST
NEWCASTLE NX
Photos and review: David Weddle
Masters of metal KK's Priest, formed by ex-Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing and featuring vocals courtesy of Tim 'Ripper' Owens, paid a visit to NX in Newcastle on the UK leg of the band's first European headlining tour.
With just four UK dates and a festival set on the bill, Newcastle, a city renowned for its musical heritage, played host to KK's Priest this Friday in what promised to be a night of pure metal goodness, with support provided by heavy metal outfit, Tailgunner.
It's always great seeing a band live for the first time, so as Zorba the Greek belted out over the PA and the house lights dimmed, the anticipation was definitely building. As Zorba ended, Tailgunner burst onto the stage with boundless energy, kicking off a support set to remember.
Their entire set was a celebration of good, honest heavy metal, unpretentious, and skilfully delivered. The band has been around for a little while now, and their fanbase continues to grow with every show, and this night was no different; definitely picked up another fan here. It is safe to say that the future of heavy metal is in safe hands.
With just four UK dates and a festival set on the bill, Newcastle, a city renowned for its musical heritage, played host to KK's Priest this Friday in what promised to be a night of pure metal goodness, with support provided by heavy metal outfit, Tailgunner.
It's always great seeing a band live for the first time, so as Zorba the Greek belted out over the PA and the house lights dimmed, the anticipation was definitely building. As Zorba ended, Tailgunner burst onto the stage with boundless energy, kicking off a support set to remember.
Their entire set was a celebration of good, honest heavy metal, unpretentious, and skilfully delivered. The band has been around for a little while now, and their fanbase continues to grow with every show, and this night was no different; definitely picked up another fan here. It is safe to say that the future of heavy metal is in safe hands.
After a quick set change, it was soon time for headliners KK's Priest to do their thing. An atmospheric intro video of Incarnation played on the backdrop as a hooded figure introduced the band. To huge cheers from the crowd, KK Downing made his presence known, kicking off with stunning guitar work from the start with the intro to 'Hellfire Thunderbolt'.
The crowd roared with excitement again as frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens strode on stage, looking very much the rock star. Tim's voice is so powerful, and his ability to captivate the audience is just outstanding. He seemed to enjoy being there as much as the fans did.
The crowd roared with excitement again as frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens strode on stage, looking very much the rock star. Tim's voice is so powerful, and his ability to captivate the audience is just outstanding. He seemed to enjoy being there as much as the fans did.
KK Downing's precision guitar playing is a real treat to witness firsthand, and his stage presence is awesome. There was no holding anything back as they played a plethora of KK's Priest songs and Judas Priest covers, including 'The Ripper', 'Breaking the Law', and of course 'Sinner'. It wasn't just Priest tracks though; the band switched things up with a great version of Fleetwood Mac's 'The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)'.
Closing the show, KK Downing's Priest said farewell to Newcastle with a heavy as hell anthem 'Raise Your Fists', and of course the crowd obliged. The gig was crammed full of classic heavy metal from the masters of the genre. The tour continues across Europe before heading over to the US where Accept will be supporting the band.
Closing the show, KK Downing's Priest said farewell to Newcastle with a heavy as hell anthem 'Raise Your Fists', and of course the crowd obliged. The gig was crammed full of classic heavy metal from the masters of the genre. The tour continues across Europe before heading over to the US where Accept will be supporting the band.