JUDAS PRIEST, ALICE COOPER, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, October 5th 2025

As great as this representation was, I think the highlight of the evening was when Rob Halford drove his motorcycle out on stage and simply sat on it while the crowd went wild. After several moments of non stop cheering, Rob made it a point to explain the power of heavy metal and how shows like this are a reinforcement of a music and lifestyle we’ve all come to treasure.

Just one day after the Dark Angel, Sacred Reich show on Friday (October 3^rd), The Metal Channel editor, Roger Schultz and I were on the road on Sunday, this time to Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre (9100 Ridgeland Ave, Tinley Park) to see a co-headlining tour of Judas Priest & Alice Cooper with Corrosion of Conformity as support.

I drove over to Roger’s bungalow in the afternoon, and we once again took an Uber to the event. Large venues like Credit Union don’t have the same feeling of camaraderie as the smaller clubs like Reggies (2105 S. State Street, Chicago). It seems, the larger the band, the more watered down the overall experience becomes but to be honest we didn’t mind.

Bands like Priest and Cooper won’t be around forever. They’ve been instrumental to both our youth and overall metal makeup. We simply wanted to experience both acts again before they decided to hang it up for good.

We made it to the venue on time, grabbed a couple of drinks, and checked out the scene. Concerts on this scale are great for people watching, and it appears, every age, race and gender was fully represented. This reinforced my feeling that metal is still as popular as ever.

We missed the opening act, Corrosion of Conformity, entirely and to be perfectly honest I do not care. It’s not that I do not appreciate the group’s music, their style or direction. I have an issue with the band members themselves. When the album, No Cross No Crown (2018) was unveiled, I had secured an interview with a band member (I won’t say who) but when the actual date came, they blew me off. No text, no call, zero. I’ll admit, it happens sometimes but I’d say 90% of the time the artist will reach out to you and make things right.

Bobby ‘Blitz’ from Overkill (The Grinding Wheel – 2017) missed an onsite interview with me but called me a couple of days later and talked to me on the phone.

Mike Howe (R.I.P) from Metal Church (Damned If You Do – 2018) missed an onsite interview but sent me both a text and phone call apologizing and promised to hook up with me next time they were in town, and he absolutely did.

Even Derrick Green from Sepultura (Machine Messiah – 2017), spent over an hour on the phone with me talking when I couldn’t make an onsite arrangement because my daughter was sick.

My point is most artists are very cool human beings and understand that time is commodity, and that commodity is valuable to everyone! Corrosion of Conformity’s management eventually reached out and re-scheduled the interview, but this band member promptly blew off the opportunity, AGAIN!!

Needless to say, after wasting my time with this group on two separate occasions, I’m done! This is not a band I will support. COC if you read this article and want to make things right, I’m here.

Next up was Alice Cooper. I’ve seen Alice many times live over the years, but I’d say the most memorable shows for me were during his heavy metal phase when he released Constrictor (1986) and Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987) back-to-back. I saw him on both tours, and they will always be my favorites.

Just to be perfectly clear this wasn’t the “Poison” (Trash – 1989) glam metal version of Alice even though Kip Winger (Winger) played bass on both albums. This was the Kane Roberts heavy metal version that bordered on the extreme and featured songs that supported high profile horror movies like Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, a film which featured Alice in a cameo role.

I guess what I am saying is that I’ve always enjoyed Alice with a rougher edge and had low expectations that I’d been hearing any songs I treasured, I was wrong.

Even though he’s pushing eighty years old, Alice was out for blood. Songs like “Feed My Frankenstein” and “Cold Ethyl” were unexpected gems. The theatrical presentations like on stage stabbings and guillotine beheadings were fantastic. Seeing Alice walking around in a straight jacket was worth the price of admission.

The new version of the band was simply outrageous; Nita Strauss is formidable! I hope Alice continues to record and tour but if this is the end, what a career! Alice Cooper has been performing live since 1968 (Pretties For You – 1969). He’s released 30 albums with The Alice Cooper Band and as a solo artist. I’m proud to be a fan!

Judas Priest was the final act of the evening, and I must admit I was totally stoked. I’ve seen Priest live only a handful of times, but the best for me was Ram It Down (1988). I’ve always found their stage theatrics and overall representation admirable, bar none.

Priest has a slew of commercial hits and they know what their fans want to hear. That’s why Judas Priest always takes the time to cover all the bases when it comes to representing their enormous back catalogue. October 5^th was no exception.

We were treated to classic hits like “Freewheel Burning”, “Breaking The Law” and “Painkiller” as well as new offerings like “Invisible Shield” and “Giants In The Sky”. The later a song dedicated to the musicians we’ve lost like: Lemmy Kilminster, Eddie Van Halen, Ronnie James Dio and of course, Ozzy Osbourne.

As great as this representation was, I think the highlight of the evening was when Rob Halford drove his motorcycle out on stage and simply sat on it while the crowd went wild. After several moments of non stop cheering, Rob made it a point to explain the power of heavy metal and how shows like this are a reinforcement of a music and lifestyle we’ve all come to treasure.

As I walked out of the venue that night I realized these band’s ‘get it’. Heavy metal, no matter the form, is an important part of society. Live concerts are a reinforcement of the music and lifestyle we cherish, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world! \m/