Rob Halford - former vocalist for Judas Priest - has seen Salt Lake City many times, but Salt Lake hasn't seen Halford quite like he appeared Wednesday with his new musical outfit, Fight.
The British rocker has shed his image of leather and spikes and in the process has shed his hair as well. His cue-ball-smooth head sports various tattoos including a lightning bolt above his right ear. His black leather has turned into black cotton and mesh and is complemented by a black goatee sprouting from his chin. Halford's voice is the same, however, and that is what Fights fans wanted to hear.In its hey-day, Judas Priest was considered one of the heaviest of the metal bands around. Faster, angrier and harder bands soon eclipsed Priest and effectively put them out to heavy metal pasture. Wednesday, Halford, along with Fight, moved back to the cutting edge of what is fast, heavy and ticked-off.
One benefit of leaving Priest is getting rid of the giant, arena-sized audiences the band attracted. Upper Country provided a much more intimate atmosphere in which nearly everybody who wanted to had a chance to slap a hand of a member of the band or at least make eye contact.
Drummer Scott Travis played a brutal, smashing set that built the foundation of the pounding rhythms of Fight. He used a lighting quick double-bass drum effect for much of the show that set both tempo and tone. He was joined in his play by bassist Jay Jay, who often followed the lightning-fast drum rhythms exactly while whipping his head in sync with his guitar.
Like Priest, Fight features two guitarist who share the rhythm and lead duties. Unlike Priest, Fight's guitarists do not search much for crunching melodic riffs but rather look for speed. Brian Tilse and Mark Chaussee may have been trying to see which one of them could average more strums per beat. Picking a winner would be challenging because it is impossible to count as fast as they play.
Despite all this speed and the bone-crunching power that could literally be felt, Halford and his amazing voice were still the core of the show. He reached impossible highs and managed to do it while sounding menacing, not strained. His vocal style is also quicker and harsher than in past years.
Taking a cue from Fight's tone, audience members designated the front of the stage as a place for the hearty only. The first four rows were a mass of sweaty bodies trying to cheer but putting just as much effort into keeping their places near the stage. Behind them were the slammers who jumped and crashed into each other all night long. Somehow, no real fights broke out among the rough patrons, but plenty of would-be-dancers found themselves on the floor getting kicked or stepped on.
When Tilse played the simple riff from the band's first single, "Just A Little Crazy," the crowd needed no prompting to start singing the song. Halford joined in while still letting the audience carry the vocal load. Next, Travis' single bass drum was added to the mix, and when the lights came up the song boiled into a symphony of pounding guitar. Halford sang with such fury that blood vessels were clearly visible under his shaved scalp, even from far away. After performing "Transgression," Halford paused to ask the crowd where to go next.
Loyal Priest fans shouted out names from the Judas archives and finally Halford dusted off "Victim Of Changes," from the Priest album "Sad Wings of Destiny."
The band trudged through a few more numbers including encore "Contortion," and called it a night. Halford led the audience in a chant of his new band's name while he walked from the stage.
Fight, on a bare-bones stage, had overwhelming energy that Priest sometimes lacked. This strange band, a marriage of grunge, metal and some elements of punk, might catch on. The band proved it is worth at least the price of a concert ticket.