“You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” is the song that introduced Judas Priest to the MTV generation, and is one of the most popular songs ever, yet it isn’t on the setlist on their current tour. That’s a good thing.
In 2018, they went on an arena-headlining tour to promote their excellent new album Firepower; after that, they co-headlined a tour of summer sheds with Deep Purple. They played “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” on both tours, and probably at most of their tours since 1982.
Judas Priest is currently in the midst of a tour where they’re playing smaller venues, occasionally doing two-night engagements. Some bands play the exact same set when they play to more intimate rooms, which is fine.
But Judas Priest’s current tour is something of a nod to the hardcore fans — the people who have probably seen them once or twice in the past year — and who don’t need to hear the greatest hits every single time they catch the band in concert. That’s what a tour like this should be: something for the die-hards.
The setlist features the should-have-been hit “(Take These) Chains” from 1982’s Screaming For Vengence (the same album that featured “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”); SetList.Fm reported that the song has never been played live before this tour.
Recognizing that the true fans love their most recent album, 2018’s Firepower, they debuted a few tracks from that LP: “Necromancer,” “Spectre” and “Traitor’s Gate.” The synth-heavy “Out In The Cold” made the setlist for the first time since it was a brand-new song, back when Turbo was a new album back in 1986. “The Sentinel,” “Devil’s Child,” “Starbreaker” and “Steeler” were classics that returned to the setlist after years on the bench.
Of course, seeing any legendary act in the close confines of a smaller-than-usual venue is always exciting. But Judas Priest put in the extra work to make seeing them for the third time since 2018 worthwhile for any fan.
