Original guitarist Wolf Hoffman brings Accept into the beautiful Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, Illinois on September 7, 2024 to begin a Full Metal Assault on a raucous crowd of Midwest metalheads. The whole band has a great look and presence, especially the tall, lean, studded leather clad Hoffman. The Flying V is synonymous with Accept, and the three guitar assault they had going here was beautifully orchestrated metal.
Some highlights were the tip-top performance from Mark Tornillo. Never has a “replacement singer” been a better fit than this guy. Bravo to Tornillo, and kudos to this hungry metal audience. The sold out crowd feverishly chanted and pumped fists when the anthems gave them the cues. I can’t tell you how many metal shows I go to where I’m the only one chanting. I was beginning to think it was just a European thing, but this Chicagoland legion came to flex their metal muscles as much as this great band.
Accept Band Members:
Wolf Hoffman – Guitars
Mark Tornillo – Vocals
Uwe Lulis – Guitars
Martin Motnik – Bass
Christopher Williams – Drums
Philip Shouse – Guitars
ACCEPT SETLIST:
1. The Reckoning
2. Humanoid
3. Restless and Wild
4. Straight Up Jack
5. London Leatherboys
6. Midnight Mover
7. Demon’s Night
8. Starlight
9. Losers and Winners
10. Flash Rockin’ Man
11. Princess of the Dawn
12. Metal Heart
13. Teutonic Terror
14. Fast as a Shark
15. Pandemic
16. Balls to the Wall
KK’s Priest set foot on a stage that was just scorched by Accept’s headlining set, and they kept the fire going. Another great-looking band fronted by the clean-cut Tim “Ripper” Owens on vocals and anchored by the iconic KK Downing and his legendary licks. Rob Halford is one of my idols and probably the most influential singer in my personal metal journey. But I am always amazed by how well Ripper Owens pulls off the Priest catalog. This night was no different; Ripper was in great form, hitting all the “Halford-isms” beautifully. KK was just an older version of the guy I saw in 1984. In fact, they could be the same studded leather duds. The hair is there, the weight is the same, and the fingers work as well as they did back in the day.
Some of the highlights of this set for me were the band and the deeper setlist. Seeing guitarist AJ Mills on the other side of the stage from KK Downing gave me a great feeling. I love the dual guitar assault Judas Priest offered, and this is a nice alternative. Mills is much like a younger version of KK in both looks and talent. He’s fun to watch and I love the way he plays. As the band cut into deeper Priest cuts like “Hell Patrol,” “Before The Dawn,” and “Sinner,” it was clear that they were catering to the hardcore fanbase. And as I looked around, each and every fan was a hardcore fan; the kind that know every song in the catalog. Have you ever wished that Iron Maiden would play “Alexander The Great” instead of “Run To The Hills”? Or, Judas Priest would play “Sinner” and “Hell Patrol” instead of “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” and “Living After Midnight”? Well, get out to this show because it’s as close as you’ll ever get to that happening.
KK’s Priest Members:
K. K. Downing – Guitars, backing vocals
Tim “Ripper” Owens – Lead vocals
A.J. Mills – Guitars, backing vocals
Tony Newton – Bass, backing vocals
Sean Elg – Drums
KK’s PRIEST SETLIST:
1. Hellfire Thunderbolt
2. Strike of the Viper
3. One More Shot at Glory
4. The Ripper (Judas Priest cover)
5. Reap the Whirlwind
6. Night Crawler (Judas Priest cover)
7. Sermons of the Sinner
8. Burn in Hell (Judas Priest cover)
9. Diamonds & Rust (Joan Baez cover)
10. Hell Patrol (Judas Priest cover)
11. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
12. Before the Dawn (Judas Priest cover)
13. Breaking the Law (Judas Priest cover)
14 . Sinner (Judas Priest cover)
15. Raise Your Fists
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Hello everyone! My name is Scott Itter, but some know me as Dr. Music. I am a music journalist and photographer out of the Chicagoland area, and I have been in practice for over 20 years. I grew up in the 70’s with two big brothers that showed me all kinds of rock and roll. As I grew older I ventured out into different genres like jazz, funk, folk, and whatever else I could wrap my ears around. As I read every liner note and every Circus and Hit Parader like they were the Old and New Testament, I came to realize that I just love sound and appreciate all the people that create it.
I later became a stay-at-home dad and started honing my writing and photography skills to keep my mind from turning into mashed peas. My kids are now adults, my mind is only slightly mushy, and I am thrilled to have the honor of presenting my work to you!
