Report

Judas Priest Played Flawlessly on Day 1 of Fun Fun Fun Fest

Transmission Entertainment delivered its ninth installment of the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. Four stages offered a variety of sounds from Hip-Hop and Electronic (Blue Stage), to Indie Rock (Orange Stage), Comedy (Yellow Stage) and Rock (Black Stage). Additional shows were held at clubs around the city as part of the FFF Nites. A ring was set up to watch wrestling. Next to the ring was a skate ramp for Pro BMX bikes and pro skaters. Games such as bean-bag tosses and Shiner bottle cap checkers were also in place. A movie screen besides the stage was a new addition that made viewing each band much easier, especially for shorter fans. Bean bags and rut sacks were located around trees so one could lay in the shade on a soft object.

Friday’s lineup was the most stacked day for metal bands represented by Pallbearer, Amon Amarth and Judas Priest. Those who showed up without wrist band in hand probably missed Pallbearer and Amon Amarth, though. Some were forced to wait up to 3 hours to get their wrist bands. The Fest addressed the delay saying it was “due to a significant single wave of unexpected demand” and due to the new layout of Butler Park. FFF moved to adjacent Butler Park this year due to Auditorium Shores being renovated.

Peelander-Z prefers to call themselves a Japanese Action Comic Punk and hails from the Z area of Planet Peelander. The group is actually from New York City and the color-coordinated costumes they wear are actually costumes not their real skin as they prefer to say. The band was fun and energetic, they received a good response from the early crowd (they started at 1:10). Multiple voices, especially the female voice, were jumbled and annoying, but the group was good for a laugh especially their song “Taco Taco Tacos.” The band expressed how hungry it was before launching into this slide-guitar-dominated song about, you guessed it, tacos. Not only was the song simple repeated chorus of “taco taco tacos” repeated over and over again, even sparking a sing along that last long after the song was over.

Pallbearer presented a stark difference in mood and sound from Peelander-Z. Where Peelander-Z was colorful and happy, Pallbearer’s was melancholy and grey. While massive, slumbering chords partially describe the Arkansas band, melody was a major facet of their sound, primarily through Brett Campbell’s clean guitar and vocal tones. Songs of epic lengths allowed the band to fit only three songs in their thirty-five minute set. They made the most of these songs and the crowd give significant praise. Pallbearer is building a crowd in Austin due to their numerous festival performances at SXSW and Fun Fun Fun Fest.

Jello Biafra joined his group The Guantanamo School of Medicine in a set off their “White People and the Damage Done” album as well as a few Dead Kennedy songs. Biafra ran around the stage like a twenty-year-old, not somebody who’s been doing it for over thirty-five years. He wore a stars-and-stripes button shirt, which he took off after a couple of songs to expose a “Fuck The Tea Party” t-shirt. His political rants were mostly directed at Republicans, but he did sing a song called “The Brown Lipstick Parade” about Tipper Gore—a democrat whose PMRC opposed the Dead Kennedys. He even came out dressed like Texas governor Rick Perry and said “Kill the Poor.” The highlights of his set were Dead Kennedy numbers “California Über Alles,” “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” and “Holiday in Cambodia.” Biafra’s left-wing rants weren’t for everybody, but his humor was great for a laugh and his ideas mostly made sense. Most of the crowd could agree that corruption is bad.

Amon Amarth took the stage to a symphonic intro and scenes of skeleton warriors as their backdrop. Frederick Anderson raised his drum sticks to resounding cheers from the crowd. Fog machines partially obscured the band as it windmill head banged and beard banged (Hegg) through a set of songs going back as far as their “Versus the World” album. “Death in Fire” represented the “Versus the World” material. “The Pursuit of Vikings” from the “Fate of the Norns” elicited much singing. “Thor, Odin's son, protector of mankind, ride to meet your fate, your destiny awaits,” from the song “Twilight of the Thunder God” was another track many sung the lyrics to. Hegg even brought out a replica of Mjölnir and raised it high in the air. It wasn’t quite the spectacle they brought on Mayhem fest last year, one that included a Viking ship on stage, but their show was grandiose, especially considering their 4 PM showing.

Judas Priest made their first appearance in Austin in twenty-six years. Having heard recent performances by Rob Halford, I wasn’t expecting much. I actually expected him to sound poor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Halford and his band were in top form. He nailed every scream and worked the crowd like…well, like somebody who’s been performing forty-five years.

The band opened with “Dragonaut,” the first track from their “Redeemer of Souls” album. An animated dragon rode the sky on the movie screens behind the band “Halls of Valhalla” could have been part of Amon Amarth’s set. It will be known as one of their most epic tracks. These new tracks were great but everyone wanted to hear classic priest, which were handed out like a sweet treat.

The band preceded with “Victim of Changes,” “Love Bites,” “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “Breaking the Law,” “Turbo Lover.” The sounds of a bike engine revved back stage and then Halford rode his hog onto the stage to perform “Hell Bent For Leather.” The band played “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” and “Living After Midnight” as an encore. They did an extended version of “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” with a ripping solo from Ritchie Faulkner. There is no need to fret over K. K. Downing leaving the band. Faulkner is definitely capable of filling Downing’s shoes.

Faulkner was not only the right person to fill the void left by Downing, he seems exactly what the band needs. He injects an old band with new blood. Older bands are always taking this route and they are right in doing so. Not that Priest looked old, they looked like a band in their ‘30s not their ‘60s, but some of that may be contributed to Faulkner. Whatever it was, Judas Priest was on fire at Fun Fun Fun Fest.