Judas Priest & Alice Cooper — Rocktober Madness in Chula Vista

10/18/2025 - North Island Credit Union Amphitheater - Chula Vista, California.

Alice Cooper and Judas Priest, different styles but same unshakable legacy. The two metal legends joined forces and arrived in Chula Vista, San Diego for a night of pure Rocktober madness.

With this co-headlining tour, they brought along sludge-metal veterans Corrosion of Conformity to kick things off.

Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.) started the night with “Bottom Feeder,” a sludgy, heavy riff-fest that immediately set the tone.

Heads were bobbing to every crushing note, and even though it was my first time seeing them live, I couldn’t help but groove to the sheer weight of their sound. It was the perfect warm-up for a cold outdoor night.

Then the lights dimmed, the crowd roared, and the familiar intro to “Hello Hooray” echoed through the amphitheater. A massive wall lit up with Alice Cooper’s face as a fiery tornado formed behind it. “I’m Alice, and welcome to the show!” blasted through the speakers.

The wall fell, fog burst out, and there he was, wearing a top hat and carrying a rapier, launching straight into “Who Do You Think We Are” followed by “Spark in the Dark.”

I’ve never seen a band with three lead guitarists before, Nita “Hurricane Nita” Strauss, Ryan Roxie, and Tommy Henriksen each brought their own style, and every song came packed with solos. Between the blazing guitars, Chuck Garric’s steady bass, and Glen Sobel’s thunderous drumming, it was nonstop.

Cooper’s set was a twisted theatre of nightmares. From a looming monster on stilts to his infamous onstage asylum sequence. One moment that hit particularly hard was “Ballad of Dwight Fry,” where Alice, trapped in a straightjacket, screamed “Get me out!” over and over. It was unnerving, raw, and completely mesmerizing. When he finally escaped, stabbed the nurse, and was then “executed” by guillotine, the entire amphitheater went silent in awe.

Moments later, a glowing tombstone reading RIP ALICE COOPER appeared, and Alice returned dressed in all white, standing in front of heavenly light while Nita Strauss tore into a breathtaking solo.

The kicker? The nurse from earlier was actually Alice’s wife, Sheryl Cooper. It was immaculate theater. Chaotic, emotional, and impossible to look away from.

As the stage reset, “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath played over the PA, and the crowd sang along like it was another act. Then came the roar of engines and lights, Judas Priest was next.

I wasn’t sure how they’d top Alice Cooper’s spectacle, but I was blown away, no, obliterated. Rob Halford walked out, calm and vibing, and the band exploded into “All Guns Blazing.” The man’s vocals were otherworldly. Every scream was crystal clear, sharp enough that I had goosebumps.

Guitarists Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap matched his intensity with precision and endless riffs. Scott Travis pummeled the drums while Ian Hill’s bass gave the set its backbone.

Halford paused mid-show, sitting for a moment as he reflected: “Judas Priest has been making metal for 56 years, and you all keep us alive.” The crowd roared. He followed with, “Music is eternal,” before introducing the next track “Giants in the Sky,” a tribute to fallen rock legends.

As the band played, a montage of icons appeared on the screen from Freddie Mercury to Ozzy Osbourne and more. It was a moving reminder of how much this music means to generations.

Then came the roar of a Harley. Halford rode out onto the stage for “Hell Bent for Leather,” the audience losing its collective mind. The band closed with “Living After Midnight,” and the amphitheater shook with voices singing every word.

After decades of touring, both Alice Cooper and Judas Priest still deliver performances that feel larger than life, theatrical, powerful, and deeply human. Seeing them live for the first time made me think, if they’re this good now, how insane were they in their youth?