A Touch of Evil – Judas Priest at the O2, London, July 25 2025A Touch of Evil - Judas Priest at the O2, London, July 25 2025 - Your Online Magazine for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

Word: Adrian Stonley / Pictures (C) Robert Sutton Photography

A truly monumental night of rock and metal unfolded at the O2, as a triple-bill of legendary acts delivered a powerful and poignant evening of music. The night kicked off with an incendiary set from Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons, who expertly warmed up the crowd with a blend of their own hard-hitting tracks and beloved Motörhead classics. The stage was then transformed into a macabre theatre for the one and only Alice Cooper, who unleashed his signature shock-rock spectacle, complete with guillotines, monsters, and a surprise appearance from Johnny Depp for a heartfelt tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. Capping off the night, headliners Judas Priest took to the stage with an awe-inspiring display of heavy metal power, celebrating the 35th anniversary of their seminal Painkiller album and delivering a blistering set of hits that solidified their status as metal gods. With poignant tributes to Ozzy from both headliners, the evening was not just a concert, but a powerful celebration of the enduring spirit and legacy of rock and metal.

Our Alice Cooper review is here:

Alice Cooper – Past and Present – 02 Arena – 25 July 2025

Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons

Opening for Judas Priest and Alice Cooper on a co-headline tour meant that Phil Campbell, Yes, he of Motorhead fame, has a very short set in which to ply his wares. With only a half hour to play, the Bastard sons set out their stall in their usual uncompromising style.

Opening with the inevitable ‘We are the Bastards’ they stormed into the set, with their heads down heavy metal. They are the perfect opening act and clearly intend to pillage the arena tonight. The heavy boogie of Motorheads ‘Going To Brazil’ sees them tear through the track at 100 mph, before turning their attention back to their own material. ‘Hammer and Dance’ and ‘High Rule’ follow as they musically rampage through their catalogue. ‘High Rule’ in particular giving the finger to corrupt politicians. Pretty pointed to be honest, and no one was going to disagree.

There is of course the obligatory ‘Ace of Spades’. Whether playing their own material or a specific Motorhead set you are always going to get some Motorhead material. Motorhead were such a big part of Phil’s life he may as well continue to embrace it. He is the man who holds their legacy in his hands now. Unsurprisingly, this went down particularly well with the audience screaming out the lyrics.

Finishing with an incendiary ‘Strike The Match’ the set is over. Phil Campbell and his Bastard Sons always deliver. Whether a short, limited set like here, or a full show, they know what the audience wants ands never have a problem providing the goods. They are a band who continue to wear their hearts on their sleeves and realise that the piledriver approach will always pay dividends. Quite simply awesome, and exactly the warm up required for Alice.

Set List

We’re the Bastards

Going to Brazil i(Motörhead cover)

Hammer and Dance

High Rule

Ace of Spades (Motörhead cover)

Strike the Match

Judas Priest

As the intro tape of Sabbath’s War Pigs echoed around the arena, it was clearly a nod of compassion from one set of Birmingham lads to another.

Opening with two songs from The Painkiller album, All Guns Blazing followed closely by Hell Patrol they unleashed the venom, guitars screaming and Rob Halford on great form, his voice sounding the best that he has for a long time now. Everyone in the 02 knew that tonight was something special.

The sing along anthem of You’ve Got Another Thing Coming saw the assembled metal heads yelling their heads off. This was like a trip back to the eighties with heads banging and fists pumping the air. Freewheel Burning kept the eighties feel intact

If the audience were already in metal ecstasy, then Breaking The Law took it to another level. With Halford stalking the stage and offering his microphone to the assembled hordes, the guitarists shredding fast and furious it was a spectacle to behold.

Stepping back to the Painkiller album we were treated to two more songs, A Touch of Evil, with the backdrop reflecting the extremes of religious puritanism, with a scared child watching snake handlers and assorted adults losing their minds in religious fervour, tough stuff. Before the Night Crawler reached out in all its blazing glory.

This was a set for the ages, and one that was unsurprisingly well received as classic after classic was played. The Priest were on fire. This was a night of pure unadulterated intense dynamic metal joy.

Gates of Hell, from last years; Invincible Shield album brought matters more up to date. But it wasn’t long before we were back wallowing in the intense pugilism of the Painkiller album with Between The Hammer and The Anvil, a song that they wrote as a comment on the court case in the late 1980’s when they were accused of hiding subliminal messages in the song “Better by you better than me”.

Giants in the sky was dedicated to their Brother in Metal Ozzy Osbourne and a backdrop highlighting other now sadly departed rock stars hung over the audience as everyone had a moment of remembrance.

Unsurprisingly with the extent of material played tonight from the Painkiller album, there was only one song required to close the set off and this was of course the title track.

The encores opened with Halford riding his motorcycle on stage before tearing through Hell Bent For Leather, before original guitarist Glenn Tipton joined them onstage for a rousing Living After Midnight.

If I am honest this was one of the best Priest shows that I have seen for a few years. Tonight everything gelled. The band were on fire, and Rob Halford was back to his old self. What a night.