Concert Review: Deep Purple and Judas Priest (PNC Music Pavilion)

With Hurricane Florence barreling toward the coast of the Carolinas, it was nice to put the worry and preparation aside for a few hours for some classic rock 'n' roll as Deep Purple and Judas Priest brought their co-headlining tour to Charlotte's PNC Music Pavilion.

To get the night rolling, The Temperance Movement took the stage. I'll admit, I wasn't aware of them prior to this performance but they instantly won me over with their fresh take on that classic blues-rock sound. Singer Phil Campbell has the looks, pipes, and swagger and was born to be a frontman.

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT SET LIST
"Caught In The Middle"
"Only Friend"
"Three Bulleits"
"Battle Lines"
"Take It Back"
"Ain't No Telling"
"Built-In Forgetter"

Judas Priest took the stage next. Metal god Rob Halford was flanked by guitarists Richie Faulkner, who joined the band in 2011, and Andy Sneap, who took over touring duties for iconic guitarist Glenn Tipton because his battle with Parkinston's makes it difficult for him to perform live. Both Faulkner and Sneap sounded great, as did drummer Scott Travis and founding bassist Ian Hill.

But damn, Halford's voice was insane. He might've been moving around a little slower than he did back in the day, but his magnificent voice hasn't shown any signs of aging. The band played tons of crowd favorites like "Turbo Lover," "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," "Breaking The Law," and "Living After Midnight," and Halford even rode a motorcycle out on stage midshow and made numerous wardrobe changes, showing off his leather and fringe.

JUDAS PRIEST SET LIST
"Firepower"
"Delivering The Goods"
"Sinner"
"Lightning Strike"
"Desert Plains"
"Turbo Lover"
"Tyrant"
"Rising From Ruins"
"Freewheel Burning"
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
"Hell Bent For Leather"
"Painkiller"

ENCORE
"No Surrender"
"Breaking The Law"
"Living After Midnight"

Despite the fact they released their debut album over fifty years ago, Deep Purple are not only still kicking, they're doing a great fine job of it and having fun doing it. It was a no-frills affair: the band performed in front of a giant screen, often showcasing performances of the band members, including the nimble fingers of keyboardist Don Airey. Singer Ian Gillan sounded great and the band performed hits like "Highway Star" and "Smoke On The Water," threw in an inspired version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," before closing out an evening of awesome music with "Hush."

DEEP PURPLE SET LIST
"Highway Star"
"Pictures Of Home"
"Bloodsucker"
"Strange Kind Of Woman"
"Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming"
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
"Uncommon Man"
"Lazy"
"Knocking At Your Back Door"
"Perfect Strangers"
"Space Truckin'"
"Smoke On The Water"

ENCORE
"Hush"

MORE DEEP PURPLE PHOTOS