HAIL! Rocks The Middle East

The all-star band HAIL! — comprised of bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH, F5),guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA),Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) and newly announced sticksman Paul Bostaph (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, EXODUS) — claims to have been "the first metal band" to ever have played live in Lebanon (although such acts as APOCALYPTICA, LAKE OF TEARS and THEATRE OF TRAGEDY have all reportedly held shows in the country before). On November 20, HAIL! performed at Hektic Hall in the capital city of Beirut.

Ellefson has issued the following recap of the trip:

"'No Guts… No Glory!' That seems to be the mantra of my life and that was certainly the case this week as HAIL! traveled to the Middle East for the first-ever international heavy metal concert in Beirut, Lebanon. Naturally, going to any far-reaching shores for the first time is cause for excitement and even trepidation; the fear of the unknown. But my experience is that metal shows bring people together in any culture, in a way no other event really could. That is why we take our music to the people, isn't it? To let the language of music communicate what words never seem to be able to do.

"The promoter, Rock Ring, did a fantastic job organizing the event, including a private meet-and-greet for us to sign autographs and meet with about 75 fans in a club on Thursday evening after our rehearsal. They also took us out to some fantastic Lebanese food in the city center, which is made up of many Mediterranean favorites like hummus, tabuli, pita-type breads and some very flavorful chicken and meats.

"The Friday night show was jam-packed with sweaty, rabid fans, some of whom traveled from the neighboring countries of Syria and Jordan to witness this first-ever historical event of a live heavy metal concert in their region.

"Our friend, drummer and new HAIL! guest Paul Bostaph, did a fantastic job playing with us. He is a true stalwart of the Bay Area thrash legacy and has earned his stripes as a metal god, playing with FORBIDDEN, EXODUS, SLAYER and now TESTAMENT. The fans of Lebanon loved him. A way laid-back guy, he kills it onstage with an amazing presence and performance. Plus he learned about 20 songs for the set and heeded my advice to be on his toes for whatever random song(s) Andreas might throw at us during the show.

"After each of us flying some 24-30 hours each way for this unforgettable event, it is definitely time for a short break at home to celebrate our USA Thanksgiving holiday this week with family and friends… certainly with much thanks to be given."

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Ace Of Spades (MOTÖRHEAD)
02. Territory (SEPULTURA)
03. Symphony Of Destruction (MEGADETH)
04. Grinder (JUDAS PRIEST)
05. Stand Up And Shout (DIO)
06. Walk (PANTERA)
07. Neon Knights (BLACK SABBATH)
08. Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN)
09. Run To The Hills (IRON MAIDEN)
10. The Green Manalishi (JUDAS PRIEST)
11. Symptom Of The Universe (BLACK SABBATH)
12. South Of Heaven (SLAYER)
13. Peace Sells (MEGADETH)
14. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH)

Encore:

15. Refuse / Resist (SEPULTURA)
16. Whiplash (METALLICA)

For up-to-the-minute news on HAIL!, visit the band's new web site at www.myspace.com/hailofficial.