Last Saturday, my brother and I went to a magical venue called Dalhalla to watch the British heavy metal band Judas Priest live, whose singer Rob Halford is from Walsall. Due to the pandemic, we have waited two years to see them perform live. And yes, it was all worth the wait.
Dalhalla is a former limestone quarry and is now the place for one of Europe’s best venues for live concerts. The quarry can be found deep in the forest and far away from residential buildings. It is about 8-9km north of Rättvik in Dalarna county. From Gävle, where I live, it is about two hours by car.
Judas Priest was supported by a local hard rock band Deaf Rat from Falun, around one hour down the road from Rättvik. I was pleasantly surprised by them, and I will look them up on Spotify.
2 hours of non-stop performance
Judas Priest wasted no time in getting on with the show. They turned up with a set list of 15 songs which gave us a non-stop loud music experience. And to top it off, they did an extra four songs with some classics at the end.
I don’t know how they have the stamina to put out a performance like this not only once but three times a week while on tour. The concert was 2 hours of non-stop action and ended close to midnight. They are 70+, for heaven’s sake!
One thing that struck me was the age span of the audience. My estimate of the ages was between 15 close to 75. To see that many younger people makes me happy, considering the band has been playing for over 50 years. I’m mid-forty, and I was probably the youngest in the row I sat on.
I wouldn’t consider myself a heavy metal fan, but I like good music, and this sure was. To have a chance to watch one of the pioneers of heavy metal live was unbelievable. I had cassettes with their music back in the 80s, and now 40 years later, I get the chance to watch them live.
First visit to Dalhalla
This visit to Dalhalla was our third time. The first was in 2018 when we went to see the ambient Nordic folk band Wardruna from Norway. Wardruna is probably most known for having their music in the TV series Vikings and having concerts in epic locations. Their most famous song is Helvegen.
Second visit to Dalhalla
Our second visit was the year after when three well-known Swedish bands came together and put on a show. It started with the indie rock band The Sounds, followed by The Hives and Mando Diao finished the concert with a great show. The last two bands I mentioned are from the nearby cities of Fagersta and Borlänge. The Sound is from Helsingborg in the southern part of Sweden.
Making the annual trip to Dalhalla has become a bit of a tradition for my brother and I. Hopefully, there will be some good bands making an appearance next year so we can continue our annual visit to Dalhalla.
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