Metal Conqueror Tour
{{Short description|1984 concert tour by Judas Priest}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox concert
| concert_tour_name = Metal Conqueror Tour
| type =
| image =
| artist = Judas Priest
| album = Defenders of the Faith
| start_date = 20 January 1984
| end_date = 13 September 1984
| number_of_shows = 125
| last_tour = World Vengeance Tour
(1982–1983)
| this_tour = Metal Conqueror Tour
(1984)
| next_tour = Fuel for Life Tour
(1986)
}}
The Metal Conqueror Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest in support of the album Defenders of the Faith. It ran from 20 January until 13 September 1984.
Following the tour, the band took a one-year hiatus from touring, apart from a brief performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Philadelphia.
Recordings
{{multiple image
| total_width = 600
| image1 = Judas Priest.jpg
| width1 = 856
| height1 = 1283
| image2 = K. K. Downing.jpg
| width2 = 741
| height2 = 1112
| image3 = Glenn Tipton.jpg
| width3 = 784
| height3 = 1175
| footer = Rob Halford, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton, 3 February 1984, in San Sebastián, Spain
}}
The 2015 release of Defenders of the Faith
Production
The stage production featured a large drum riser prop in the shape of the Metallian that adorns the Defenders of the Faith album cover. During the concert, the band members would enter the stage through the prop's mouth, or under either of its raisable legs. Halford's staple live stunt of riding a motorcycle on stage also had him emerge from under one of the legs.
Europe warm-up leg
A special pre-Defenders of the Faith mini tour took place in the United Kingdom and Germany, which went from 12 to 22 December 1983 with support act Quiet Riot. They would also perform at the Rock Pop Festival at Westfalenhallen in Dortmund on 18 December with Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard and Quiet Riot.{{cite web|url=http://www.chmetal.info/tourdates/Judas.Priest_1983.htm|title=DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH TOUR (1983)|publisher=chmetal.info|access-date=26 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227055824/http://www.chmetal.info/tourdates/Judas.Priest_1983.htm|archive-date=27 December 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
=Setlist=
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
"The Hellion" [Audio Intro]
- "Electric Eye"
- "Riding on the Wind"
- "Heading Out to the Highway"
- "Grinder"
- "Metal Gods"
- "Bloodstone"
- "Breaking the Law"
- "Sinner"
- "Desert Plains"
- "The Ripper"
- "Freewheel Burning"
- "Devil's Child"
- "Screaming for Vengeance"
- "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
- "Victim of Changes"
- "Living After Midnight" [1st Encore]
- "The Green Manalishi" (Fleetwood Mac cover) [Second encore]
- "Hell Bent for Leather" [Final encore]
{{col-2}}
"The Hellion" [Audio intro]
- "Electric Eye"
- "Riding on the Wind"
- "Grinder"
- "Metal Gods"
- "Bloodstone"
- "Breaking the Law"
- "Sinner"
- "Desert Plains"
- "The Ripper"
- "Freewheel Burning"
- "Screaming for Vengeance"
- "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
- "Victim of Changes"
- "Living After Midnight" [First encore]
- "The Green Manalishi" (Fleetwood Mac cover) [Second encore]
- "Hell Bent for Leather" [Final encore]
{{col-end}}
=Tour dates=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!width="200"|Date !width="150"|City !width="150"|Country !width="200"|Venue |
| 12 December 1983
|England |
| 13 December 1983 |
| 15 December 1983
|rowspan="3"|England |
| 16 December 1983
|rowspan="2"|London |rowspan="2"|Hammersmith Odeon |
| 17 December 1983 |
| 18 December 1983
|West Germany |
| 20 December 1983
|rowspan="3"|England |
| 21 December 1983
|rowspan="2"|Birmingham |rowspan="2"|Birmingham Odeon |
| 22 December 1983 |
Setlist
The setlist varied throughout the tour. The European setlist consisted of:
"The Hellion" (Taped intro)
- "Electric Eye"
- "Riding on the Wind"
- "Grinder"
- "Metal Gods"
- "Bloodstone"
- "Breaking the Law"
- "Sinner"
- "Desert Plains"
- "The Ripper"
- "Heavy Duty" (Added on 2 February 1984)
- "Defenders Of The Faith" (Added on 2 February 1984)
- "Freewheel Burning"
- "Screaming For Vengeance" (Replaced by "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" after 28 January 1984)
- "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
- "Victim of Changes"
- "Living After Midnight"
- "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" (Fleetwood Mac cover)
- "Hell Bent for Leather"
The U.S. setlist consisted of:
- "Love Bites"
- "Jawbreaker"
- "Grinder"
- "Metal Gods"
- "Breaking the Law"
- "Sinner"
- "Desert Plains"
- "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll"
- "The Sentinel"
- "Rock Hard, Ride Free"
- "Night Comes Down"
- "Electric Eye"
- "Heavy Duty"
- "Defenders of the Faith"
- "Freewheel Burning"
- "Victim of Changes"
- "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" (Fleetwood Mac cover)
- "Living After Midnight"
- "Hell Bent for Leather"
- "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"
"Heading Out to the Highway" was also played on 9 June.
Tour dates
The band toured with Ted Nugent and Raven on the European leg and Great White and Kick Axe on the North American leg.{{cite web|url=http://www.chmetal.info/tourdates/Judas.Priest_1984.htm|title=DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH TOUR (1984)|publisher=chmetal.info|access-date=26 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607090427/http://www.chmetal.info/tourdates/Judas.Priest_1984.htm|archive-date=7 June 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}
On 18 June 1984, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, several riots broke out, and the crowd also brawled with venue security and arriving NYPD officers - some in full riot gear - which prompted the venue to ban Priest.[http://ultimateclassicrock.com/judas-priest-madison-square-garden-ban/ When Judas Priest Fans Caused $250,000 Damage to Madison Square Garden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228003057/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/judas-priest-madison-square-garden-ban/ |date=28 February 2017 }}. Retrieved 18 June 2015
"Madison Square Garden banned us for life", recalled Glenn Tipton. "The audience went berserk and ripped all the seats out. They cost more than a quarter of a million dollars to replace. Me and Ken [KK Downing] went back there to see a tennis match which John McEnroe was playing in. We went incognito, wearing hoodies so no one would recognize us, but the ushers came up to us and said, 'Thanks for the new seats, guys.'"birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music/judas-priest-plan-special-shows-237504
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! width="125"| Date ! width="125"| City ! width="100"| Country ! width="250"| Venue |
| colspan="4"|Europe |
|---|
| 20 January 1984
|Denmark |
| 21 January 1984
|rowspan="2"|Sweden |
| 23 January 1984 |
| 25 January 1984
|rowspan="2"|France |Parc des Expositions |
| 26 January 1984 |
| 27 January 1984
|Netherlands |Edenhall |
| 28 January 1984
|Belgium |
| 30 January 1984
|rowspan="2"|Clermont-Ferrand |rowspan="2"|France |rowspan="2"|Maison des Sports |
| 31 January 1984 |
| 1 February 1984
|rowspan="3"|Spain |
| 2 February 1984 |
| 3 February 1984 |
| 4 February 1984
|rowspan="7"|France |Palais des Sports |
| 5 February 1984
|Unknown |
| 7 February 1984
|Nice |
| 8 February 1984 |
| 9 February 1984
|Lyon |
| 10 February 1984
|Hall Tivoli |
| 11 February 1984
|Paris |
| 13 February 1984
|Offenbach |rowspan="4"|West Germany |Stadthalle |
| 14 February 1984 |
| 15 February 1984
|Kaunitz |Ostwestfalenhalle |
| 17 February 1984 |
| 18 February 1984
|Switzerland |Eulachalle |
| 19 February 1984
|rowspan="4"|West Germany |
| 20 February 1984 |
| 21 February 1984 |
| 22 February 1984 |
| colspan="4"|North America |
| 16 March 1984
|rowspan="9"|United States |
| 18 March 1984 |
| 19 March 1984 |
| 21 March 1984 |
| 22 March 1984 |
| 23 March 1984 |
| 25 March 1984 |
| 26 March 1984 |
| 27 March 1984 |
| 28 March 1984
|rowspan="4"|Canada |
| 30 March 1984 |
| 31 March 1984 |
| 2 April 1984 |
| 3 April 1984
|rowspan="32"|United States |
| 4 April 1984 |
| 6 April 1984 |
| 7 April 1984 |
| 9 April 1984 |
| 11 April 1984 |
| 12 April 1984 |
| 13 April 1984 |
| 14 April 1984 |
| 16 April 1984 |
| 17 April 1984 |
| 18 April 1984 |
| 20 April 1984 |
| 21 April 1984 |
| 22 April 1984 |
| 24 April 1984 |
| 25 April 1984 |
| 27 April 1984 |
| 28 April 1984 |
| 29 April 1984 |
| 30 April 1984 |
| 2 May 1984 |
| 3 May 1984 |
| 5 May 1984
|rowspan="3"|Long Beach |rowspan="3"|Long Beach Arena |
| 6 May 1984 |
| 7 May 1984 |
| 9 May 1984 |
| 10 May 1984 |
| 12 May 1984 |
| 24 May 1984 |
| 25 May 1984 |
| 26 May 1984 |
| 28 May 1984
|rowspan="5"|Canada |
| 30 May 1984 |
| 31 May 1984 |
| 2 June 1984 |
| 4 June 1984 |
| 6 June 1984
| rowspan="42"|United States |
| 7 June 1984 |
| 9 June 1984 |
| 11 June 1984 |
| 13 June 1984 |
| 14 June 1984 |
| 16 June 1984
|rowspan="2"|Landover |rowspan="2"|Capital Centre |
| 17 June 1984 |
| 18 June 1984
|New York City |
| 20 June 1984 |
| 22 June 1984 |
| 23 June 1984 |
| 26 June 1984 |
| 27 June 1984 |
| 28 June 1984 |
| 30 June 1984 |
| 1 July 1984 |
| 3 July 1984 |
| 6 July 1984 |
| 7 July 1984 |
| 9 July 1984 |
| 10 July 1984 |
| 13 July 1984 |
| 14 July 1984 |
| 15 July 1984 |
| 17 July 1984 |
| 18 July 1984 |
| 20 July 1984 |
| 21 July 1984 |
| 22 July 1984 |
| 24 July 1984 |
| 25 July 1984
|Reno |
| 27 July 1984
|rowspan="2"|Daly City |rowspan="2"|Cow Palace |
| 28 July 1984 |
| 29 July 1984 |
| 31 July 1984 |
| 2 August 1984 |
| 3 August 1984 |
| 5 August 1984 |
| 7 August 1984 |
| 8 August 1984 |
| 9 August 1984 |
| colspan="4"|Japan |
| 6 September 1984
|rowspan="6"|Japan |Miyagi-ken Sports Center |
| 7 September 1984
|Tokyo |
| 8 September 1984 |
| 10 September 1984
|rowspan="2"|Osaka |rowspan="2"|Osaka Festival Hall |
| 11 September 1984 |
| 13 September 1984
|Tokyo |
Boxscore
| class="wikitable"
|+ ! style="width:225px;"|City ! style="width:200px;"|Venue ! style="width:200px;"|Tickets sold/available ! style="width:150px;"|Gross revenue (Adjusted for inflation) |
| Springfield
|Civic Center |
| New Haven
|Coliseum |
| East Rutherford
|Brendan Byrne Arena |
| Providence
|Civic Center |
| Worcester
|The Centrum |
| Toronto
|Maple Leaf Gardens |13,081/13,081 (100%){{Cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1984/BB-1984-05-05-OCR-Page-0052.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine 05-05-1984}} |
| Rochester
|War Memorial Auditorium |10,200/10,200 (100%){{Cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1984/BB-1984-04-21-OCR-Page-0048.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine 04-21-1984}} |
| Pittsburgh
|Civic Arena |
| Baltimore
|Civic Center |12,969/12,969 (100%){{Cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1984/BB-1984-04-28-OCR-Page-0038.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine 04-28-1984}} |
| Houston
|The Summit |11,898/12,600 (94%){{Cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1984/BB-1984-06-02-OCR-Page-0046.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine 06-02-1984}} |
| San Antonio
|HemisFair Arena |
| Austin
|Frank Erwin Center |
| Dallas
|Reunion Arena |
| Albuquerque
|Tingley Coliseum |
| Phoenix
|Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| Sacramento
|Cal Expo Amphitheater |
| Regina
|Agridome |
| Winnipeg
|Arena |
| Madison
|Dane County Coliseum |
| Detroit
|Joe Louis Arena |12,514/13,714 (91%){{Cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1984/BB-1984-06-30-OCR-Page-0038.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine 06-30-1984}} |
| Rosemont
|Horizon |12,379/12,379 (100%){{Cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Billboard-IDX/IDX/80s/1984/BB-1984-07-07-OCR-Page-0043.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine 07-07-1984}} |
| Landover
|Capital Center (2 shows) |
| New York City
|Madison Square Garden |
| Lakeland
|Civic Center |
| Nashville
|Municipal Auditorium |
| Indianapolis
|Market Square Arena |
| St. Louis
|Kiel Auditorium |
| Bonner Springs
|Sandstone Amphitheater |
| Denver
|McNichols Sports Arena |
| Daly City
|Cow Palace (27th) |
| Irvine
|Meadows Amphitheater |