Power Trip: Special guests, songs and more we're hoping to experience at the festival

Even though its announcement got mixed reception locally, the upcoming Power Trip music festival at the Empire Polo Club is groundbreaking for the Coachella Valley, which has hosted very few heavy metal concerts.

Similar to the 2016 one-off festival Desert Trip featuring classic rock legends Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who and Roger Waters, Los Angeles promoter Goldenvoice is going back to the same two-bands-per-night format for Power Trip, which runs Oct. 6 through 8 at the same Indio venue. The lineup features the most iconic groups in the genre: Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Tool and Metallica.

Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne was scheduled to perform at the festival, but pulled out in July due to ongoing health issues. He was replaced by English heavy metal band Judas Priest.

Osbourne's absence will be impossible to ignore, and it's expected that at least one or two of the bands performing at the festival will pay tribute to the "Prince of Darkness," especially because Metallica toured with Osbourne during the band's early years and Judas Priest has shared the stage with him on numerous occasions. During a 2019 interview, Maynard James Keenan of Tool referred to Osbourne and Black Sabbath as his earliest musical influences.

All of the performances will be entertaining and impressive, to say the least. Each band features high-level production value during every tour in the form of stunning visuals, themed stage setups, and an overabundance of pyrotechnics and on-stage explosions. Combine all of that with the vigor, mischievousness, spirit and angst of heavy metal, each band's live show is certain to be an unforgettable experience.

Here is what we are hoping to hear — and see — from each band.

Friday

Iron Maiden

As someone who has never seen Iron Maiden, I'm excited to see what the British heavy metal icons will bring to the festival. The band's last performance was in August at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany as part of "The Future Past" tour and featured many classics such as "Stranger In A Strange Land," "The Prisoner," "Can I Play With Madness" and of course "The Trooper," which no Maiden performance can exclude.

The band dusted off some classics from the 1986 album "Somewhere Back In Time" and opened each show with "Caught Somewhere in Time," which hadn't been played since 1987. Fans also got the first live performances of "Alexander the Great."

With three shows in Canada in September and October before the final tour date at Power Trip, I'm hoping lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and the rest of the band will treat the Power Trip to more rarely played songs such as "Powerslave" and "Sea of Madness."

—Brian Blueskye

It's been said that the members of Iron Maiden are the undisputed kings of Big Metal Shows with their stage setup and pyrotechnics, and that it's "a religious experience." So, I'm looking forward to seeing what exactly that entails.

Most longtime fans of the genre know that Iron Maiden shows are iconic. They've been the stuff of legend for decades. One has to wonder if playing at a festival like Power Trip only ups the ante, so to speak, on what Iron Maiden does to further that legend at a one-of-a-kind show that should be remembered for a long, long time by those who attend.

—Andrew John

Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses already has something special to offer locals who watch the band at Power Trip — the energetic live performance its members are known for.

The last time Guns N' Roses performed in the area — when the group headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016 — it was a special occasion for the reunited lineup featuring frontman Axl Rose with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. But there was a problem. No, the band didn't pull any of its infamous antics of the past such as showing up late or calling the show early, but Rose had to perform the two-and-a-half-hour set both weekends with a broken foot sitting in a throne loaned to him by Dave Grohl.

Since then, the original members have been making up two decades apart and continued to tour arenas and stadiums around the globe. It's hard to say when fans will see a new album, but the Guns have released three new singles since 2021.

Guns N' Roses' 25-30 song recent setlists feature many of the known hits from "Appetite For Destruction," "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II." McKagan is also known to perform lead vocals on selections from the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" such as The Misfits' "Attitude," The Damned's "New Rose" or UK Subs' "Down on the Farm." An intriguing addition since 2017 is the Glen Campbell tune "Wichita Lineman."

I don't expect anything less than Guns N' Roses bringing an ear-splitting, high-powered good time, but why not invite metal god and Misfits frontman Glenn Danzig for "Attitude" or do something crazy like bring out Bob Dylan for that cover of "Knockin' On Heavens Door?"

—Brian Blueskye

Saturday

Judas Priest

Judas Priest celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 with a large world tour, and the group hasn't performed since last December, but when you're asked to replace Ozzy Osbourne, you don't say no. It's hard to say whether Priest will stay in anniversary mode and perform the previous tour's set that's full of classics such as "Breaking The Law" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" and "Living After Midnight" or throw some other songs in the mix like "Never Satisfied" or its cover of Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust."

At the end of the day, a set full of classic Judas Priest songs sounds like fun, so I'm hoping for the 50th anniversary show.

—Brian Blueskye

AC/DC

In 2020, AC/DC released the album “Power Up,” but left fans waiting on tour dates coming out of the pandemic. Power Trip will mark the band's first show in seven years, so there's a lot of warranted excitement around the performance — especially considering the obstacles the group faced in 2016. That's when frontman Brian Johnson left the band because of medical issues and bassist Cliff Williams retired, but both returned in 2018, including former drummer Phil Rudd, who was fired in 2015 due to legal issues.

AC/DC’s comeback will feature Johnson, Williams, guitarists Angus Young and Stevie Young, but Rudd will not be at Power Trip. Matt Laug, who has drummed for Alice Cooper, Slash’s Snakepit and Alanis Morissette, will fill in.

I have no doubts that AC/DC will deliver and Power Trip will be a renewal of the legendary Australian band that is also celebrating 50 years. I'm hoping to hear classics such as "Thunderstruck," "Shoot To Thrill" and "Moneytalks."

—Brian Blueskye

Ask anyone who has been to an AC/DC concert and they'll tell you that it's one of the best music experiences of their lives. I've had people describe it to me as "mind-blowing," "unforgettable" and "different every time." So, I want to see what makes this concert, in particular, unique and unforgettable.

I've been to some amazing concerts in my day, over a 27-year stretch, but I'm told that AC/DC will rock harder than maybe anyone, so I have to see what that looks like for myself.

AC/DC has rarely played with other rock legends onstage, although Axl Rose sang for the band in 2016 while Brian Johnson dealt with hearing issues. But that has me wondering whether they could bring a rock legend out at Power Trip. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has performed "Back in Black" with Johnson and has said that he would love to perform with AC/DC one day. Maybe at Power Trip he gets his chance. That would really be something.

—Andrew John

Sunday

Tool

The best way to describe a Tool concert based on my own experience is "surrealistic," but there's never been anything ordinary in the band's music, which extends to its live performances. Consider Tool to be more of an audio and visual affair than a concert. Frontman Maynard James Keenan doesn't thirst for being front and center. The music is the purpose and will be the main idea throughout the entire set.

For those who attended Desert Trip in 2016 and saw former Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters' performance, I expect the atmosphere of Tool's live show to be the same and unlike any of the other bands performing at Power Trip, but without the inflatable pig and heavy political themes.

I'm hoping Tool will recognize the 30th anniversary of the album "Undertow" and perform some songs that have only appeared sporadically in recent setlists. Songs such as "Sober," "Undertow" and "Flood" are the epitome of Tool as a band, but it's going to be all about what fits into the live presentation.

—Brian Blueskye

Metallica

Power Trip will end Sunday with Metallica, one of the world's most famous metal bands that was already selling out arenas before MTV played its videos. The band is currently on its M72 tour playing in stadiums around the globe, performing songs from the 1983 debut album “Kill ‘Em All” to the 2023 album “72 Seasons.”

Metallica performed in August at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and it’s likely many who attended that show will be at Power Trip.

Metallica has acknowledged special occasions, so I expect a remarkable show to end Power Trip. Maybe something like the Big 4 show in 2010 at the Empire Polo Club when Metallica performed Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” with members from other the bands. Maybe even a guest appearance by King Diamond, or one of the many artists such as St. Vincent or Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor who performed on the "Black Album" tribute, "The Metallica Blacklist."

—Brian Blueskye

I'm looking forward to seeing how loud these guys are, and how well my earplugs work. In all seriousness, I live in La Quinta, not far from the polo grounds and can often hear music from the festivals from my porch. But I hear that Metallica is super loud live, and I can imagine most of the surrounding neighborhoods will feel that once the group opens with "Ecstasy of Gold."

I'm also looking forward to seeing how much of the crowd is older Metallica fans versus younger listeners, many of whom I assume will merely be there to see an iconic band before it's too late. Metallica is of course a group that has fans from every generation, but most of the truest fans are likely between the ages of 40-60. I'll bet many of them can still rock as hard as the younger fans.

I'll be right there alongside all of them, watching a band I've listened to for decades but have yet to see live.

—Andrew John

Brian Blueskye is the arts and entertainment reporter for The Desert Sun, where he covers all the music festivals in the Coachella Valley. Email him at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.

Andrew John is a reporter in the Coachella Valley for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Power Trip: Special guests we're hoping to see at the music festival