Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill discussed the challenges of creating their upcoming tour setlist in a recent interview with Osvaldo Angeles.
“Yeah, there’ll be three or four songs from 2024’s ‘Invincible Shield,’ which is really unfortunate, but it’s all we have time for, because you’ve only got a certain amount of time you can play and, obviously, for every new song you’ve gotta drop potentially somebody’s favorite,” Hill said.
“So it gets difficult, with the more material that you have,” he continued. “But we try and do our best to keep it fans ‘favorites — obviously, we like to keep the singalong songs. But the other back catalog songs, we try and keep them familiar, so everyone knows the songs. And then the three or four new ones. And we do our best to get a good blend of those three things. And I think we’ve done well.”
Judas Priest is preparing for their tour supporting their latest album, ‘Invincible Shield.’ The band faces the challenge of balancing new material with their extensive catalog of classics.
Hill’s comments about setlist limitations reflect the band’s current focus on delivering diverse performances across venues.
Loudwire revealed the band’s experimentation with their setlist. They debuted new songs like ‘Sword of Damocles’ and ‘Crown of Horns’ during their European leg while maintaining fan favorites.
The band’s tour has an extensive schedule. Performances will run across South America and Europe from April through July. The band will make stops in major cities, including São Paulo, Bogotá, and Stuttgart.
Music Record Shop detailed the tour’s production elements. The band partnered with Sabaton as special guests. Their performances feature elaborate stage setups with dynamic lighting designs and pyrotechnics.
The band’s approach to setlist management has earned a positive reception from fans. Audiences appreciate the strategic blend of classic tracks and new material from ‘Invincible Shield.’
