LIVE PHOTOS: KK’s Priest, L.A. Guns, Burning Witches
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By Greg Maki
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The Priest is back!
Actually, one Priest (Judas) is back, while the other (KK’s) has just arrived.
What a time to be a Judas Priest fan. The mighty metal institution recently released its superb 19th studio album, “Invincible Shield,” and is touring throughout 2024, while erstwhile guitarist KK Downing’s new act, the not-so-subtly named KK’s Priest, already has two stellar albums under its belt—2021’s “Sermons of the Sinner” and 2023’s “The Sinner Rides Again”—and is on tour, as well. On its first-ever U.S. tour, KK’s Priest brought a headbanging night of metal to Baltimore on a springlike Tuesday night.
The festivities began with the all-female Swiss metal band Burning Witches. With a sound that harkens back to the heavier, ‘90s-era Judas Priest, this quintet was the perfect opener for this bill, riling up the crowd with a too-brief 30-minute set. Recovering from a back injury, guitarist Romana Kalkuhl was forced to sit toward the back of the stage, but the other four members of the band brought enough energy to spare. Despite the cramped confines, singer Laura Guldemond commanded the stage like a seasoned pro and had the assembled masses enthusiastically singing along to “Hexenhammer,” a song most probably had not heard until that moment. If Burning Witches continues to land tours where they’re playing in front of this kind of audience, they could be huge.
BURNING WITCHES SET LIST: “Unleash the Beast,” “Wings of Steel,” “Hexenhammer,” “Lucid Nightmare,” “The Dark Tower,” “Burning Witches”
Up next, L.A. Guns brought more of a hard rock vibe throughout its 45 minutes onstage. The band, which formed over 40 years ago, has been on a creative hot streak of late, releasing four albums since the reunion of guitarist Tracii Guns and frontman Phil Lewis in 2016, including last year’s “Black Diamonds.” The set list, though, stuck mostly to the much more well known songs of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, including classics such as “Over the Edge,” “Never Enough” and the closing “Rip and Tear.” Led by Guns’s guitar heroics—which began with him playing along to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” before taking the stage—the band tackled them all with vigor and spirit.
For the entire night, the pace only slowed when L.A. Guns played its biggest hit, “The Ballad of Jayne,” at least partly out of obligation. “We have to play the ballad or they’ll shoot us on the way out, is what they told us,” Lewis said.
L.A. GUNS SET LIST: “Cannonball,” “Electric Gypsy,” “Over the Edge,” “You Betray,” “Sex Action,” “Speed,” “Hells Bells”/“Never Enough,” “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Rip and Tear”
With his long blonde hair, black leather attire and flying V guitar, KK Downing, even at 72 years old, is more metal than you or I could ever hope to be. Arguably one of the originators of the genre—and certainly largely responsible for the longstanding image of metal musicians—Downing is a living legend, and seeing him up close in a club-size venue was a thrill. Fronted by former Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens and also featuring guitarist A.J. Mills, bassist Tony Newton and drummer Sean Elg, KK’s Priest feels—and sounds—like a band that has been together for many years, not one out on its maiden voyage on the touring circuit. Downing showed he hasn’t lost even a fraction of a step in his playing, whether he was laying out a crushing rhythm or shredding through a solo. And just like Judas Priest, this is a true twin guitar band, giving Mills plenty of time in the spotlight, which he ably seized.
Owens, who unfortunately forever will be in the shadow of Rob Halford, showed he is one of the best metal singers on the planet, alternating between ear-piercing shrieks and a more melodic mid-range with ease. How good for him—and us—that Downing gave him a call when putting together this new band.
The set list included tunes from the two KK’s Priest records and Judas Priest songs, ranging from well-known classics such as “Breaking the Law,” “Victim of Changes” and “The Green Manalishi” (originally by Fleetwood Mac, making this version a cover of a cover), and deeper cuts like “Burn in Hell” from the Ripper-era “Jugulator” (1997) album. It all flowed together seamlessly for an unforgettable night of metal. This tour was just a short run, but more U.S. dates have been promised later in 2024. KK’s Priest won’t be around forever, making it a must-see for metal fans.
KK’S PRIEST SET LIST: “Hellfire Thunderbolt,” “One More Shot at Glory,” “The Ripper,” “Reap the Whirlwind,” “Night Crawler,” “Burn in Hell,” “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “Hell Patrol,” “Brothers of the Road,” “The Green Manalishi (with the Two Prong Crown),” “Breaking the Law,” “Victim of Changes,” (encore) “Strike of the Viper,” “Raise Your Fists”
LINKS:
www.kkdowningofficial.com
www.lagunsmusic.com
www.burningwitches.ch
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