The Firepower World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, in support of the album Firepower. It ran from 13 March 2018 to 29 June 2019.
Background This tour marked the first time that guitarist Glenn Tipton would not perform on a full-length tour after revealing the news that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease on 12 February 2018 and would step down from touring as the disease's progression left him unable to perform the more challenging material. He stated that he was still a member of Judas Priest despite his diagnosis and would not rule out future on-stage appearances. Producer and guitarist Andy Sneap stepped in to perform in his place for the tour. Guitarist Richie Faulkner assured fans that Tipton would perform with the band again. At the 20 March 2018 show in Newark, Tipton joined the band on stage to perform "Metal Gods", "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight", then "Victim of Changes" and "No Surrender" on later dates. He would continue to appear on tour, performing only the encore songs, but would not perform on certain dates, depending on his health. Tipton did not make any more appearances on the remaining dates due to his illness, as explained by bassist Ian Hill. After the completion of the world tour, Faulkner thanked fans worldwide for attending their shows, "It's been emotional and amazing to see you all and share in the celebration of heavy metal all around the world. It's been a pleasure and an honour to serve. See ya on the next one RHRF DOTF."
Rob Halford incident Shortly into the song "Judas Rising" at the 25 May 2019 show in Rosemont, Rob Halford kicked a cell phone out of a fan's hands in frustration as the fan had the phone light on while filming the show, causing difficulty on his performance. Halford explained in a statement soon after that fans are free to capture footage of their shows, "However if you physically interfere with The Metal God's performance you now know what will happen." Uriah Heep vocalist Bernie Shaw stepped in to defend Halford and said that he understood his frustration, but felt that he took it "a little bit too far", and opined that his "space was invaded." He thought that Halford "overreacted — but I can sure understand where it came from."
Lineup Rob Halford – vocals Richie Faulkner – guitars, backing vocals Ian Hill – bass guitar Scott Travis – drums, backing vocals Andy Sneap – guitars, backing vocals (touring) Glenn Tipton – guitars (occasional appearances)
Support acts Saxon & Black Star Riders (13 March 2018 – 1 May 2018; except on 30 March, 21 April & 5 May shows) Megadeth (5 June 2018, 10 June 2018 – 13 June 2018, 19 June 2018 – 20 June 2018 & 26 June 2018) Lords of Black (28 June 2018) Ozzy Osbourne (Judas Priest was the opening band for Osbourne at the 2 July 2018 show) Rehmorha (22 July 2018) Ørdøg (24 July 2018) Accept (28 July 2018) Black Star Riders (31 July 2018) Uriah Heep (8 August 2018) Deep Purple & The Temperance Movement (21 August 2018 – 30 September 2018) Helloween, Kreator, Arch Enemy, etc. (26 October 2018) Alice in Chains & Black Star Riders (2 November 2018 – 11 November 2018) Babymetal (4 December 2018) Disconnected (27 January 2019) Halestorm (16 March 2019) Uriah Heep (3 May 2019 – 29 June 2019; except on 4 May 2019)
Setlists The 2018 to early 2019 setlist featured material from Firepower, fan favourites and material that was not performed in decades such as "Bloodstone", "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll", "Tyrant", "Night Comes Down", "Delivering the Goods" and "Killing Machine". The song "Saints in Hell" was introduced to the audience which was never performed live. The third North American portion of the tour in 2019 featured an updated stage appearance and a brand new setlist featuring other tracks from Firepower, other various fan favourites, and a few more songs that were not played in decades such as "Out in the Cold", "All Guns Blazing" and "Hot Rockin'". The band introduced another song, "(Take These) Chains", which was also never performed live.
Tour dates DateCityCountryVenueNorth America #113 March 2018Wilkes-BarreUnited StatesMohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza15 March 2018YoungstownCovelli Centre17 March 2018UniondaleNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum18 March 2018Washington, D.C.The Anthem20 March 2018NewarkPrudential Center22 March 2018UncasvilleMohegan Sun Arena23 March 2018WorcesterWorcester Palladium25 March 2018OttawaCanadaTD Place Arena27 March 2018LondonBudweiser Gardens28 March 2018OshawaTribute Communities Centre30 March 2018OrilliaCasino Rama31 March 2018DetroitUnited StatesMasonic Temple2 April 2018MinneapolisMinneapolis Armory3 April 2018MilwaukeeRiverside Theater5 April 2018Green BayResch Center6 April 2018HammondHorseshoe Hammond8 April 2018BloomingtonGrossinger Motors Arena10 April 2018CasperCasper Events Center11 April 2018LovelandBudweiser Events Center13 April 2018Salt Lake CityVivint Smart Home Arena15 April 2018KentShoWare Center17 April 2018PortlandVeterans Memorial Coliseum19 April 2018San FranciscoThe Warfield Theatre21 April 2018Las VegasLas Rageous Festival22 April 2018Los AngelesMicrosoft Theater24 April 2018PhoenixComerica Theatre26 April 2018TulsaBOK Center28 April 2018DallasThe Bomb Factory29 April 2018Sugar LandSmart Financial Centre at Sugar Land1 May 2018San AntonioFreeman Coliseum5 May 2018Mexico CityMexicoHell & Heaven Metal FestEurope #15 June 2018OsloNorwayOslo Spektrum7 June 2018HyvinkääFinlandRockfest9 June 2018SölvesborgSwedenSweden Rock Festival10 June 2018CopenhagenDenmarkRoyal Arena12 June 2018PlzeňCzech RepublicHome Monitoring Aréna13 June 2018KatowicePolandSpodek15 June 2018GräfenhainichenGermanyWith Full Force17 June 2018FlorenceItalyFirenze Rocks19 June 2018Freiburg im BreisgauGermanyMesse Freiburg20 June 2018MannheimZeltfestival im Maimarktgelände22 June 2018ClissonFranceHellfest24 June 2018DesselBelgiumGraspop Metal Meeting26 June 2018ZürichSwitzerlandSamsung Hall28 June 2018BilbaoSpainSala Cubec30 June 2018MadridSpainDownload Festival2 July 2018LisbonPortugalAltice Arena5 July 2018BarcelonaSpainBarcelona Rock Fest19 July 2018AthensGreeceRockwave Festival21 July 2018PlovdivBulgariaHills of Rock Festival22 July 2018BucharestRomaniaRomexpo24 July 2018BudapestHungaryBudapest Sports Arena26 July 2018TolminSloveniaMetaldays28 July 2018ViennaAustriaWiener Stadthalle31 July 2018MunichGermanyZenith2 August 2018WackenWacken Open Air3 August 2018Kostrzyn nad OdrąPolandPol'and'Rock Festival5 August 2018LokerenBelgiumLokerse Feesten6 August 2018TilburgNetherlands0138 August 2018DortmundGermanyWestfalenhalle10 August 2018Walton-on-TrentEnglandBloodstock Open AirNorth America #221 August 2018CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverbend Music Center22 August 2018ChicagoHollywood Casino Amphitheatre24 August 2018Sterling HeightsMichigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill25 August 2018Mount PleasantSoaring Eagle Casino & Resort27 August 2018HamiltonCanadaFirstOntario Centre29 August 2018MontréalBell Centre30 August 2018Québec CityVideotron Centre1 September 2018WantaghUnited StatesNorthwell Health at Jones Beach Theater2 September 2018BethelBethel Woods Center for the Arts5 September 2018DarienDarien Lake Performing Arts Center6 September 2018HolmdelPNC Bank Arts Center8 September 2018Virginia BeachVeterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach9 September 2018CamdenBB&T Pavilion11 September 2018CharlottePNC Music Pavilion12 September 2018JacksonvilleDaily's Place14 September 2018AtlantaVerizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park16 September 2018BiloxiMississippi Coast Coliseum18 September 2018Kansas CityStarlight Theatre20 September 2018WelchTreasure Island Hotel and Casino21 September 2018Council BluffsHarrah's Council Bluffs23 September 2018DenverPepsi Center26 September 2018Chula VistaNorth Island Credit Union Amphitheatre27 September 2018IrvineFivePoint Amphitheatre29 September 2018Mountain ViewShoreline Amphitheatre30 September 2018WheatlandToyota AmphitheatreSouth America26 October 2018BogotáColombiaHipódromo de Los Andes28 October 2018QuitoEcuadorColiseo General Rumiñahui30 October 2018LimaPeruJockey Club del Perú2 November 2018SantiagoChileMovistar Arena4 November 2018Buenos AiresArgentinaTecnópolis8 November 2018CuritibaBrazilPedreira Paulo Leminski10 November 2018São PauloAllianz Parque11 November 2018Rio de JaneiroKM de Vantagens Hall14 November 2018Belo HorizonteKM de Vantagens HallAsia #121 November 2018SapporoJapanZepp Sapporo23 November 2018TajimiValor Culture Hall25 November 2018OkayamaOkayama Civic Hall26 November 2018OsakaGrand Cube Osaka28 November 2018TokyoTokyo Dome City Hall29 November 2018Musashino Forest Sport Plaza1 December 2018SeoulSouth KoreaBluesquare Hall4 December 2018SingaporeSingaporeZepp@Bigbox7 December 2018JakartaIndonesiaEcopark AncolEurope #227 January 2019ParisFranceZénith ParisOceania9 March 2019SydneyAustraliaDownload Festival Australia11 March 2019Melbourne16 March 2019AucklandNew ZealandSpark ArenaAsia #221 March 2019TokyoJapanDownload Festival JapanNorth America #33 May 2019HollywoodUnited StatesSeminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood4 May 2019JacksonvilleRockville Festival6 May 2019NashvilleNashville Municipal Auditorium8 May 2019AtlantaFox Theatre9 May 2019BiloxiBeau Rivage12 May 2019Washington, D.C.The Anthem14 May 2019HuntingtonThe Paramount15 May 201916 May 2019UncasvilleMohegan Sun Arena18 May 2019AlbanyPalace Theatre19 May 201922 May 2019MilwaukeeRiverside Theater23 May 201925 May 2019RosemontRosemont Theatre28 May 2019AustinACL Live at The Moody Theater29 May 201931 May 2019DallasThe Bomb Factory1 June 2019Little RockFirst Security Amphitheater3 June 2019St. LouisStifel Theatre8 June 2019SaskatoonCanadaSaskTel Centre10 June 2019LethbridgeENMAX Centre11 June 2019EdmontonRogers Place13 June 2019Dawson CreekEnCana Events Centre14 June 2019Prince GeorgeCN Centre16 June 2019KelownaProspera Place17 June 2019AbbottsfordAbbotsford Centre19 June 2019Airway HeightsUnited StatesNorthern Quest Resort & Casino21 June 2019KentShoWare Center22 June 2019PortlandModa Center 24 June 2019San FranciscoThe Warfield Theatre25 June 201927 June 2019Los AngelesMicrosoft Theater28 June 2019OntarioToyota Arena29 June 2019Las VegasHard Rock Hotel and Casino
Cancelled dates 24 January 2019 ReykjavíkIceland30 January 2020 — 3 March 2020 13 March 2019 ChristchurchNew Zealand20 March 2019 Cape TownSouth Africa22 March 2019 JohannesburgSouth Africa11 May 2019 RockinghamEpicenter5 June 2019 Colorado SpringsBroadmoor World Arena
Box office score data
Venue City Tickets sold / available Gross revenueNassau ColiseumUniondale5,331 / 5,549$448,814The AnthemWashington6,000 / 6,000$331,220Prudential CenterNewark5,433 / 6,669$401,780Mohegan Sun Arena (2018)Uncasville6,198 / 6,267$360,923Budweiser GardensLondon, Canada3,780 / 3,780$243,277Tribute Communities CentreOshawa3,161 / 3,906$194,078Resch CenterGreen Bay3,352 / 6,339$225,248Casper Events CenterCasper1,923 / 4,277$110,004Microsoft TheaterLos Angeles6,954 / 6,954$555,668BOK CenterTulsa4,473 / 5,643$290,422KM de Vantagens HallRio de Janeiro3,839 / 8,432$196,802Mohegan Sun Arena (2019)Uncasville5,672 / 6,299$362,823TOTAL56,071 / 70,115 (79.97%)$3,721,059
References