Judas Priest Slayed The Japanese Crowds On The 1978 Stained Class Tour…And Halford Did It On Stage Without Leather, Chains or Spikes!
Let us take you back to 1978 when Judas Priest played Japan for the first time.
The band smashed Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka on the last few weeks of the epic Stained Class Tour.
It’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t all worship Judas Priest. So using the word “Epic” to describe the footage you are about to witness of Judas Priest performing for the first time in Japan during the 1978 Stained Class Tour seems like a wildly inadequate way to describe this version of “The Metal Gods”. Stained Class included one of the genres greatest timekeepers, Irish drummer Les Binks.
Les Binks became the heartbeat for Priest starting in ’77 when he was brought in to tour with the band as Sin after Sin drummer Simon Phillips had stepped out.
According to Priest founder, Ian Hill, Phillips previously committed himself to a project with Cream bassist Jack Bruce.
Les would go on to record three LP’s with Judas Priest, Stained Class, Killing Machine and the live album, Unleashed in the East. Binks is also credited with contributing to the sickest metal ballad, “Beyond the Realms of Death” from Stained Class.
Behold as Judas Priest rips through “Starbreaker”
(with a mind blowing intro by Glenn Tipton while Rob Halford changes outfits)
Judas Priest – Starbreaker (Live) 1978
Just three years prior to the bands first visit to Japan, Priest appeared on BBC2’s legendary music program The Old Grey Whistle Test looking more like Led Zepp in silk shirts and bell-bottom jeans. Ever the frontman, Halford would have several wardrobe changes for the shows in Japan, and while they were not of the leather and studs variety, they were a sight to see. Most Priest fans will likely agree that in addition to Rob’s flawless vocals, performances from Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and, Ian Hill are just as amazing.
Judas Priest – Stained Class (Full Album)
