Judas Priest might have been a late addition to Power Trip after Ozzy Osbourne had to bow out, but there was no whiff of a consolation prize during their blazing Saturday night performance, which set the stage for the colossal return of AC/DC.
Whereas Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses tested the audience’s patience on Friday with set lists that were obscure and punishingly long, respectively, the Metal Gods delivered a bulletproof 90-minute set that contained all the requisite hits along with a handful of hard-hitting deep cuts that held the massive festival crowd’s attention.
You can see the full set list and photos from the performance below.
Judas Priest Switched Things Up From Last Year’s 50th-Anniversary Tour
After opening with a high-powered hat trick of “Electric Eye,” “Riding on the Wind” and “Heading Out to the Highway,” Judas Priest deviated from last year’s 50th-anniversary tour set list with gems like “The Sentinel,” “Rapid Fire,” “A Touch of Evil” and “Desert Plains.” Metallic covers of Joan Baez’s “Diamonds & Rust” and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” fit nicely among the set, as did Firepower’s blistering title track and “Lightning Strike,” both of which showcased Rob Halford’s glass-cutting screams.
Watch Judas Priest Perform ‘Electric Eye’
READ MORE: The Best Song on Every Judas Priest Album
The band took full advantage of Power Trip’s gargantuan stage and ultra-high-resolution screens, bathing the Empire Polo Field in light with LED flames and a massive light-up cross spinning above the stage. Halford rode his signature Harley-Davidson onto the stage for an encore performance of “Hell Bent for Leather” but largely left the movement to guitarist Richie Faulkner, who dashed across the stage and mugged at the crowd as he fired off one lightning-fast solo after another.
They Welcomed a Special Guest During Their Encore
The twin-guitar attack became a three-pronged assault when Priest welcomed longtime guitarist Glenn Tipton to the stage for a set-closing trio of “Metal Gods,” “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight.” Tipton’s Parkinson’s diagnosis has sidelined him from full-time touring in recent years, but he was in fine form on Saturday, ripping agile solos alongside Faulkner.
Judas Priest noticeably didn’t unveil any new songs or mention anything about their upcoming 2024 album, Invincible Shield, despite advertising it onscreen before they hit the stage. But it stands to reason that they’ll be heading back out to the highway soon enough, and if Power Trip is any indication, they’ll still have plenty of firepower to spare.
Watch Judas Priest Perform ‘Living After Midnight’
Judas Priest, 10/7/23, Power Trip, Indio1. “The Hellion” / “Electric Eye”2. “Riding on the Wind”3. “Heading Out to the Highway”4. “Lightning Strike”5. “Diamonds & Rust” (Joan Baez cover)6. “The Sentinel”7. “A Touch of Evil”8. “Turbo Lover”9. “Firepower”10. “Desert Plains”11. “Rapid Fire”12. “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” (Fleetwood Mac cover)13. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”14. “Painkiller”15. “Hell Bent for Leather”16. “Metal Gods” (with Glenn Tipton)17. “Breaking the Law” (with Glenn Tipton)18. “Living After Midnight” (with Glenn Tipton)
Judas Priest at Power Trip 2023
Metal Gods brought the firepower on day two of the inaugural festival.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
