Alice Cooper & Judas Priest at the O2 in London
Real footage of Rob Halford, Chort, Chern, and Alice Cooper at the O2, London
It’s not every day that you get to watch two of metal’s greatest showmen, Alice Cooper and Rob Halford, light up London’s O2 Arena like a gothic cathedral built from leather jackets, pyrotechnics, and blood-soaked riffs. But July 25, 2025, wasn’t just any day. It was a night of epic metal theater, guitar heroics, and good old-fashioned chaos in the stands.
Before we get into the headliners, allow me to set the scene. Picture this: The smell of stale nachos, overpriced hot dogs, and £9.50 Camden Hells pints assaulted our senses. Yes, £9.50 for a pint. I could practically feel my bank account weeping. How do you expect people to pay that?!…anyways…
The Old Head vs New Head Wars
We took our seats early, nursing those gold-plated pints, and that’s when the evening took a glorious turn. Enter the Old Head and the New Head, two generations of metal fans who apparently couldn’t coexist peacefully.
Some “new head” (you know, the younger guy who has a curled up moustache) stood up during the support set. The “old head”, the type of guy who saw Alice Cooper decapitate himself before you were born, decided to go full WWE and pushed the new head to sit down so he could see the stage.
Cue chaos. The new head spins around and unleashes about ten punches. The old head then sits down quietly, looking like he just reconsidered his entire life, until security arrives and drags both of them out. Chern and I, of course, just sat there like true metal philosophers, sipping our overpriced beers and discussing which Simpsons episode best represented this melee. (Chern’s vote? “Brother from the Same Planet,” where homer fights a much bigger, stronger man (Tom) and ends up horribly hurt).
After the dust settled, we found better seats, close and off to the side, for the metal mayhem to come.
Alice Cooper: The King of Theatrical Mayhem
When Alice Cooper took the stage, it was like a time machine back to when rock shows were part horror, part cabaret, and all genius. His voice was still fantastic and gritty, goes to show you that taking care of yourself matters!
The setlist was a feast of classics:
Lock Me Up
Welcome to the Show
No More Mr. Nice Guy
I'm Eighteen
Hey Stoopid
He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)
Feed My Frankenstein
Go to Hell
Poison
"The Black Widow" segment from Alice Cooper: The Nightmare
Guitar Solo (Nita Strauss)
Black Widow Jam
Ballad of Dwight Fry
Killer / I Love the Dead
Paranoid (Black Sabbath cover)
School's Out / Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
Crazy Train
Alice Cooper was amazing, he still has more energy at 77 than most 40 year olds. The performance was spectacular, the entire band came to crush the O2 and did a spectacular job. Let’s talk about Nita Strauss for a second. Her guitar solo was so intense that the entire arena collectively shut the hell up. Imagine 20,000 people, all metalheads, just standing in silence, jaws dropping as she shredded an epic solo. If there was ever a moment where time stood still, it was during Nita’s solo.
She annihilated the stage. Every note was a battle cry. Every riff was a middle finger to anyone who dares to doubt the relevance of live rock in 2025. 10/10!!!
The finale? School’s Out / Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2, a chaotic mix of classic rock rebellion, with band intros. And then… Crazy Train, because why not end the show with an Ozzy classic? By the end of Alice’s set, we were exhausted, thrilled, and slightly deaf.
Judas Priest: Shield of Pain and Leather
Then came Judas Priest, rolling in with enough power to make your ribcage vibrate. Rob Halford looked like he floated, or maybe he just has that aura that makes it seem like he does. His voice is still piercing and operatic. He is truly a legend forged in the fiery pits of Birmingham, England.
They opened with War Pigs (yes, another Sabbath classic), and the crowd went ballistic. It was like the O2 turned into a massive biker rally. The setlist was pure fan service:
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
All Guns Blazing
Hell Patrol
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Freewheel Burning
Breaking the Law
A Touch of Evil
Night Crawler
Solar Angels
Gates of Hell
Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Giants in the Sky
Painkiller
Encore:
Hell Bent for Leather
Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton)
The encore was everything we hoped for. During Hell Bent for Leather Halford rolled onto the stage on a chopper, revving like the gates of hell just opened. Then with Living After Midnight, the ultimate closing anthem, where the crowd sang so loud I thought the roof might collapse.
Halford was comfortable, energetic, and in total command. Absolutely spectacular.
The Great Cider Disaster
Let’s not forget one of the night’s greatest tragedies: I tried cider for the first time, and it was disgusting. I know, I know, every British pub regular is going to roast us for this, but I swear this cider tasted like someone boiled apple peels in an old man’s socks and put sugar in it. Camden Hells may be overpriced, but at least it doesn’t taste like sadness.
The Final Verdict
This show wasn’t just epic. It was a metal pilgrimage. Alice Cooper’s theatrics, Nita Strauss’ god-tier solo, Rob Halford’s commanding presence, and Judas Priest’s unrelenting riffage combined into a night that felt almost supernatural.
Was it perfect? Well, aside from the cider, the £9.50 beer robbery, yes. Absolutely perfect.
Would I pay £9.50 for another pint if it meant seeing Alice Cooper get guillotined again and Halford riding a chopper across the stage? Without a doubt.
By the end of the night, our ears were ringing, our wallets were lighter, and our souls were full. Alice Cooper and Judas Priest proved that true metal never ages, it just gets louder, weirder, and better with time.
To the old heads: respect. You’ve carried this torch for decades.
To the new heads: welcome to the madness, and probably don’t mercilessly beat the old heads…we know you can.
To the O2 Arena: sort out your beer prices before we all riot! £9.50!!!
Written by: Chort the Crop Infestor
“Hi, I’m Chort I infest crops and listen to Black Metal!”
