The members of Judas Priest might feel envious of Iron Maiden, who are in Glasgow tonight.

While Bruce Dickinson’s group sold out the SECC with ease, their fellow metal stalwarts were left to play to a venue that wasn’t even close to full, despite part of it being curtained off. An ominous portent indeed, but if the band were disappointed, it wasn’t noticeable.

Early versions of Metal Gods and Heading Out To The Highway were rousing calls to arms, setting the standard for over two hours of metal. Calling on material from every one of their albums may have seemed a risky move, but the set flowed well, helped by the sheer presence of Rob Halford, who has embraced the grandad-who-loves-S&M look. His voice, however, still has a vitality to put more youthful singers to shame, particularly when he shrieks.

The rest of the band, including Bill Bailey lookalike Ian Hill on bass, were suitably leathered up too, and there was always a danger matters could creep into self-indulgence or self-parody. The former vice was evident on a couple of sprawling numbers, the latter on the ludicrously fun Prophet, where Halford stomped around waving a pitchfork, resplendent in a shiny hooded robe that suggested even cult leaders shop at Marks & Spencer.

Yet few acts, of any genre, could deliver a curve ball as potent as their superb cover of Joan Baez’s Diamonds & Rust, or material as driving as Turbo Lover. When the encore delivered both a motorbike and a run of their rumbling pop-metal crossovers, like Hell Bent For Leather and Living After Midnight, it was both thunderously loud and crowd-pleasing entertainment par excellence.

HHHH