The Metal Files

So the doors opened at the venue at 4:30 and I rolled up to it around 3:30. People were parking along the ditchline off the travelway so I followed suit as the gates weren’t open.

A cop rolls by after we had been waiting for about 30 minutes and was broadcasting the message that if we didn’t move we were going to be ticketed blah blah blah. So some people were moving out of line to go ride around and I just moved up a little closer as it was only one cop. As soon as about half of the cars had turned around and got out of line, they opened the gate and I got a spot right next to the venue.

So I’m in line and security comes by and says all cameras must be left in the car, so about 50% of us went back to our cars and put them away. Sorry, no pics or videos. Some people still got some in but oh well. It wasn’t worth the potential hassle.

My seat was on the outer edge of the first elevated seats and it was starting to rain a little. It wasn’t windy so I never really got any water on me. Jason McMaster bought my spare ticket and sat with me for the first 2 bands. The girl that was on the other side of me was drunk and wouldn’t stop talking to me during Testament or Motorhead so I finally just said, “I’ll be glad to talk to you AFTER their sets are over…Right now I want to hear them, not you.”

So, Testament comes on and sounded great. Chuck Billy’s voice was powerful and clean, much better than when I saw him in 2000 which wasn’t bad either. Their set was cut short as Disciples of the Watch wasn’t in there. They only did 6 songs and their set was about 25 minutes. They sounded great though.

Motorhead hits the stage and I swear I have no idea what the first song was, it didn’t sound like Dr. Rock which is what they’ve been opening with lately. This is what I can remember, there may have been one more. Their set seemed short as well.

???
Stay Clean
Be My Baby
Killers
Metropolis
In The Name Of Tragedy
Going To Brazil
Killed By Death
Ace Of Spades
Overkill

They sounded great and Lemmy’s voice surprised me quite a bit. He sounded much better than the last 3 shows I had seen. Campbell looks terrible lately, like a cancer patient. Mikkey’s drumming was great as usual but the drum solo bored me senseless.

So, between Motorhead and Sabbath, McMaster gets a call from a buddy and tells me he’ll be right back. He comes back with an unused backstage pass and a ticket for the orchestra seating area. He said, “Go meet Lemmy, I’m going to the 5th row to see Dio.” Sweet! I go over to the backstage gate and the guy looks at my pass and says that it’s a no go. Apparently the pass was for an earlier meet and greet and I never got backstage. Sabbath had just finished their second song as I was just about to walk back to my original seat. My friend Amber comes from backstage with a Priest VIP pass. She handed it to me and said “Go met Priest.” Sweet! No go…again. Their session was over.

So I went back to my seat, enjoyed Sabbath, called Ouro and wished him Merry Christmas. Dio’s voice was also in tip top shape. He sounded better than he did in NYC last year. No cheating of any higher notes that I noticed. He just wailed like only he can do. Iommi and Geezer were their same stoic badassed selves. Appice sucks. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Their set was simliar to this:

01. E5150
02. The Mob Rules
03. Children of the Sea
04. I
05. Sign of the Southern Cross
06. Ear in the Wall
07. Vinny Appice Solo
08. Time Machine
09. Falling off the Edge of the World
10. Die Young
11. Heaven and Hell (extended)
12. Neon Knights

They seemed shortened too, though. It went by so quickly.

So after Sabbath finished their set, I left. Never heard one note of Priest being played.

Next week I may be seeing Alice Cooper, Dangerous Toys and Yngwie in Houston.