Epitaph World Tour Diary

06-06-2011
All set-up and ready to rock. Everything you may expect from the best heavy metal show on Earth will be there: bikes, lasers, flames, and the most amazing setlist ever, including some tracks never performed live before!
Now getting ready for the first date, tomorrow in Tilburg

Here is a youtube link to enjoy one of the concerts, it is not professional, but you can still feel the vibe:

08-06-2011
The first show was amazing and Glenn smashed it. Ritchie also smashed it on his debut but a bit less. The audience was fantastic. We missed KK little, as his replacement plays amazing and the band sounds thick.
One song from every album and then all the favourites (selected from the feedback on JP website)

10-06-2011
HEADLINE of SWEDISH ROCK FESTIVAL
30.000 fans in the middle of the pouring rain, but nothing stopped us. Rob rode the bike without killing anyone and the crowd loved it!
The band sounds so well that we can forget the collapse of one of the rear trusses and some minor technical problems.

16-06-2011
Three shows more under the wing: Tampered, Oslo and Bergen. Amazing atmosphere, very small town the first evening, and, in this time of the year never gets dark! so almost like a broad daylight show. JP had to adapt a bit the stage to the natural light, with less stuff, but nothing stopped the audience singing along all the way.
Norway loves METAL. No doubts about it. Forty years ago, the first JP European tour outside the UK was in Norway. The band is always happy to return to Odin’s counter.
Bergen was a peculiar show: some sun was still decaying in the horizon and it was first Glenn show ever wearing sunglasses.

22-06-2011
COPENHELL festival rocked out. Even though JP played almost at midnight, as the headliner but after a long day of RNR, no fans left and the venue was about to explode. The friends of Korn were there too and the bands enjoyed a good time together.
Then Nantes: Hellfest (with Ozzy) and then Le Zenith in Paris. Amazing shows, French audience is so supportive, so many people had banners thanking the band for the music through the years.
Finally, and no more airports for a while, bus to Milano.

23-06-2011
Day off in Italy! Some tourism first, and then a large quantity of alcohol with the crew.
Italians fans also love their metal. Good shows, everybody was happy to play with Whitesnake again. Now, Switzerland.

26-06-2011
The drive passing the lakes and the mountains was impressive, but even more impressive was the response of the fans: Sonisphere had an amazing atmosphere. Then, Belgium. Ozzy had to cancel due to some throat problems, so JP was able to perform a longer set!!
Now off the Munich to eat some wild boar and have large jugs of beer!

29-06-2011
Munich was great, but our master Glenn almost died due to a heat stroke. Fortunately, his departure to Metal Valhalla didn’t started yet and he is still among us. He said that it was the first time in his life this happened. If you ever played heavy metal – you know what it is like to wear leather under lights with almost 40°C.
Then in Prague, it was an A+ gig! Nothing to complain at all!

30-06-2011
Vienna’s Gig was amazing. The crew is doing the work amazingly: do you think is easy to get good stage flames operators?

05-07-2011
First time ever in Belgrade! Electric and charming fans, now in the heart of the band forever. Then, Bucharest. Outdoors Festival. Some nice images with lasers drawing amazing shapes on the Palace walls. It made a great statement for freedom and metal.

07-07-2011
Athens and Thessaloniki have passed with amazing audiences. Very rewarding for the band to get such a reception!

08-07-2011
The band sounds better each time. Now Bulgaria was nos the exception: less pressure and enjoyment. A mixed-up bunch of bands played with us but it ended up being an incredible night! The band was happy to see so many young kids singing along even the guitar solos! Is there something more rewarding for a Heavy Metal Messenger?

09-07-2011
Istanbul concert just passed. Fantastic experience in such an amazing city: everyone gets along regardless of race or religion. How popular and underestimated metal is. People do not understand how it brings people together from all parts of the world in unison.

16-07-2011
The first leg of the European tour is now completed and it was incredible both on and off stage. Now some dates playing at our court: UK. Kickoff: Newport, with Queensryche lads and Rivals Sons supporting.

Second European leg

17-07-2011
Manchester Apollo is one of Glenn’s favourite venues. Mainly due to the pub literally attached to the venue at the rear. Some stage problems were fixed just attacking in a violent manner the next song.

18-07-2011
Doncaster was a night to remember, with a great crowd. Unfortunately, our master Glenn got lost on his way home and arrived went to bed later than 5 AM. Guys, always remember to use the tour bus.

20-07-2011
Land of Glenn’s taste. Scotland is a great place for fishing and relaxing but also to ROCK.
Glasgow Apollo was the venue. The stage was at least 12 feet high, but the fans could still catapult themselves up in the air and land on there. After the show, some traditional haggis and getting ready for Newcastle.

21-07-2011
Newcastle Arena was the next venue. Getting ready for the show and as the support band warmed up the fans, Glenn told me that the first time playing there, they arrived at the city hall late, and in the back of a sheep truck. Glenn’s car got broken in the middle of a blizzard.

23-07-2011
Wolverhampton Civic! It’s like playing at home -so close to Birmingham!- Amazing audience: all the friends and relatives of the band were there, allowing some scope to get emotional.
METAL came from the Midlands and all the supportive fans from there give us the strength to move on making music.

24-07-2011
High Voltage festival in London was the next parade. Te show was filmed for a TV special with Slash supporting. Over twenty thousand metal souls fueled JP up.

25-07-2011
Bournemouth followed. A much smaller place, a very intimate show, in contrast with the previous show in London. In a small venue, JP power is incredible. Amazing night to end the British leg of the tour!

29-07-2011
Portugal was sick. So many new young fans and also good-old faithful ones. It’s amazing to find a brand new generation that discovered Priest. The band will never forget the support there as the country is under difficult times and people struggled very much to pay the tickets.

04-08-2011
Leaving Spain now, after some wonderful nights. First at Coruña joined by Motorhead and Saxon, what a great bill! True british metal alltogether again! So many liters were consumed at the backstage with legend Lemmy. Glenn lived partially in Spain through 20 years, so its like home for him.
Madrid was sold out and also a fantastic night. Then Bilbao followed and finally, Barcelona. Spanish fans are some of the best in the world and every show and every reaction was heartwarming. Everyone had the time of their lives: Its what METAL’s about.

07-08-2011
Wacken Festival was a real occasion with 75000 metal maniacs. Its one of the most popular forms of music!! Judas go to remote corners of the planet and always thousands of kids turn up with just one thing in common, HEAVY METAL.
Thats what Wacken is all about: its become one of the main Metal events and you can’t help but get caught up in the momentum.
The night was a powerful and magic cauldron.

09-08-2011
Wine festival in Colmar was the next appointment and everyone was in great spirits. We played with Sepultura friends: amazing to see them performing together again! They are working now with Roy Z., Glenn’s friend and the producer of Angel of Retribution.

10-08-2011
Berlin is a special city. JP played there many times when the wall was up and the people were crazy (they still are!!) It was a great night and the city still lived up to its reputation.

12-08-2011
We reached the last two shows of the European leg: Katowice and Budapest. Both shows went well and the fans from both countries were fantastic. Through the years those countries have suffered terribly the lack of heavy metal visitors so their enthusiasm was great to see. Glenn stated: “We had two of the best reactions on the whole tour. It was a real high to end this section on and we would like to say a big thank you to all our fans in both countries for making it so. Thanks Poland –Thanks Hungary. Now for a well-earned break before South America !!”

2011 -Epitaph World tour

(Joan Baez cover)

(Fleetwood Mac cover)

Breaking the Law