Metal Legends & Rainy Nights: Judas Priest Mobile May 12th 2024

When you have a chance to see a legend perform – take it.  

That was all I could think of when Judas Priest announced a new slew of tour dates that would take them to Mobile – only an hour from home.  An easy drive over with no overnight stay required – why wouldn’t we go?

I grew up on a range of 80’s metal, early MTV, and boxes of cassette tapes.  The Judas Preist anthems were unavoidable.

Now, I understand how they helped shape what heavy metal sounds like and the pedestal they belong on.  They helped change the face of the genre several times over – and that’s an incredible feat.  

On that grey Sunday evening, we rolled into town a bit early to make sure we found parking in one of the nearby lots ($10 total) and to touch base with venue management as required for my photography pass.  And, I’ll be honest, no matter how many years and bands I’ve had in front of my lens – there is always a certain level of uncertainty that comes with photographing in a venue for the first time.  You learn to give yourself extra time should anything go sideways and just to scope out where everything is.

The Mobile Civic Center was on top of everything. Media pass pick-up went smoothly, the venue manager was helpful, and the staff did what they could to get everyone inside before the rain started. The Civic Center has limited scheduled events – and Judas Priest is likely the last rock concert to have taken the stage.  The city of Mobile has big plans for the space, including demolition and a new state-of-the-art venue to be built. 

The concert kicked off with Sabaton and their unique brand of Swedish power metal – although the band prefers to be labeled heavy metal.  They serve up a specific type of comfort on stage – the type that comes with endless touring.  They moved from song to song with ease and the crowd ate it all up.

But I was there for Judas Priest.  

When the banner came down you could feel the electricity.  

They almost seemed to want to get some of their more well-known songs out of the way.  With the middle section building into songs for Priest fans and a couple of new songs off of 2024’s Invincible Shield album. 

With a ton of crowd interaction, including a really lovely call-out celebrating the fact that the concert fell on Mother’s Day, the band looked like they were having a great time.  50 years have passed since their debut album along with hundreds upon hundreds of concerts – and it was still an absolute treat to see Judas Priest in concert. 

See full photo coverage on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/850me

See the set list: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/judas-priest/2024/mobile-civic-center-mobile-al-73ab9ed5.html