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Rob Halford reveals all on sobriety, ‘British Steel’ and Judas Priest’s legacy ahead of European Tour

Amy Maloney — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 21:21:04 +0000

In a recent interview with Sammy Hagar for AXS TV, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford delved into the longevity of his career from preserving his voice and going sober to the group’s continued legacy (over 50 years since the group first formed).

In a stripped-back and honest conversation with Hagar the now-73-year-old reminisced on his sobriety and how it transformed his perspective of live performances. Now admitting to drinking a hot lemon, honey and ginger drink to protect his voice during shows, he recalled his past reliance on alcohol and drugs to complete live shows. Not delving into the specifics, it can be assumed his reliance on substances can be partly a result of the rock and roll culture Judas Priest emerged within.

When discussing his drug use during shows, he reflected: “It kind of fills me with a little bit of regret and remorse. My performance as I hear it wasn’t greatly affected but mentally, I’m so happy to have left that place behind now.”

The heavy-metal legend went on reveal the experience of his first sober show with Judas Priest in New Mexico in 1986, he stated: “I was so euphoric, and I thought ‘man, I’ve been missing this for all of my life as a singer and a performer’”.

As the ‘Resurrection’ singer delves into these experiences, Judas Priest are gearing up for their forthcoming UK and European tour – the Shield of Pain Tour, celebrating 35 years of their 12^th studio album, ‘Painkiller’, and the release of their 2024 album ‘Invincible Shield’. The tour will feature two shows in the UK during July, including a show at Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre and one at London’s prestigious O2 Arena.

Friday 25th July 2025 @ London, The O2https://t.co/sf2LWBWz7s pic.twitter.com/f4Gg3xGXmb

— Judas Priest (@judaspriest) December 9, 2024

Hagar also asked the frontman about one of Judas Priest’s biggest albums, ‘British Steel’. The LP released in 1980, peaked at number 4 on the UK Official Albums Chart. Featuring some of their biggest hits ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Living After Midnight’, the album established the band as figureheads of modern heavy metal, a status which runs deep within their discography.

Halford suggested the group were unaware of the prominence of the LP during ‘British Steel’’s curation, however, he recalled the ease of constructing the record, confirming “the whole thing wrote itself”.

With no plans of retiring on the horizon, Halford highlighted Judas Priest’s means of creating a long and lasting legacy, which they plan to live up to on their upcoming tour. He said: “We’re having a good time and keep it simple and give people good memories. Our music will be living a long time after we’ve gone. And isn’t that the most beautiful thing you can imagine?”

As Halford remains as ready as ever for Judas Priest’s upcoming tour, fans can get tickets here.

Judas Priest Released New Single ‘Trial By Fire’ Ahead Of UK Tour 2024

Laura Revill — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 19:49:46 +0000

The iconic British heavy metal band, Judas Priest has unveiled their latest single “Trial By Fire” from their highly anticipated studio album Invincible Shield. The official video for the “Trial By Fire” is now available for viewing below, giving fans a taste of what’s to come. To celebrate the release of the album, Judas Priest will also be embarking on their 2024 tour ‘Judas Priest’ in the UK from March, along with support from the Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton.

The band Judas Priest is set to release their nineteenth studio album, Invincible Shield, on March 8, 2024, under the label Epic Records. The album was produced by Andy Sneap, the band’s touring guitarist, who also produced their 2018 album, Firepower. Fan’s have been given the opportunity to pre order the new album here.

The album promises to deliver the classic ’70s metal sound. In a recent interview with Audio Ink Radio, Richard Faulkner expressed his excitement about the album’s nostalgic vibe, stating that it embraces the influence of ’70s Priest. He said, “This album was a bit more 70’s Priest, which I welcome as a guitar player.”

Describing the album as somewhat progressive, Faulkner revealed that it deviates from the traditional verse-chorus structure and incorporates more musical parts. This experimentation showcases the band’s willingness to push boundaries and explore new territories. Faulkner adds, “It’s ’70s Priest, but it’s not a retro album, by any means. It’s the influence of ’70s Priest in the progressive sense, but it sounds like Priest in 2023. It’s also a bit progressive in that it’s not verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-finish. It’s musical part-verse-musical part.”

Rob Halford, the legendary frontman of the heavy metal band, recently took to social media to announce the release of their new single “Trial by Fire“. In his post, Halford expressed his excitement about the new release and that he hoped fans would “dig it.” He said to fans, “We hope you dig it, oh yeah!”

TRIAL BY FIRE. OUT NOW. https://t.co/nZiIWE7RF6 pic.twitter.com/0tqJxngqMb

— Judas Priest (@judaspriest) November 19, 2023

Fans expressed their support and delight by commenting and tweeting, with one fan leaving a comment, “Love this! thank you for posting and letting the world know that you are still awesome and the DON of metal! I will be tuning in swiftly!!”

Love this! thank you for posting and letting the world know that you are still awesome and the DON of metal! I will be tuning in swiftly!!

—(@KRANIUS) November 19, 2023

Originating from Birmingham in 1969, this band has achieved a remarkable feat of selling over 50 million albums and is often regarded as one of the most legendary metal bands in history. In May 2022, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee announced that the band had been chosen to join the 2022 inductee class and receive the “Award for Musical Excellence”.

Judas Priest’s 2024 Tour Dates. Purchase UK Tour tickets here.

11/03/24 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow
13/03– First Direct Arena – Leeds
15/03 – 3 Arena – Dublin, Ireland
17/03 – International Centre – Bournemouth
19/03 – Resorts World Arena Birmingham
21/03 – OVO Arena Wembley – London

Judas Priest Members Share Photo Together as a ‘Merry Metal Motivational’ Message to Fans

Calum Moran — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 14:40:10 +0000

Judas Priest members Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton have recently got together for a bit of festive cheer, with Halford sharing a photo of the pair in front of a nicely decorated Christmas tree. The photo comes after Tipton stepped out from touring with the group back in 2018 due to his struggles with Parkinson’s disease. He found that he could no longer play some of Judas Priest’s more complicated material, and was replaced by Andy Sneap (who produced the band’s latest album Firepower).

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A post shared by Metal God (@robhalfordlegacy)

Despite this news, Halford has made it clear that Tipton is still very much a member of the group, noting his involvement on their next album, both as a writer and performer. He says “Glenn can still play the guitar. He plays it differently, but he can still play …. So he’ll be on this next album. Whatever work he does, he’s valuable …. He’s a member of Judas Priest. He’s still there.” Tipton announced his diagnosis back in 2018, but the actual time he found out was four years earlier, and even then his doctor estimated he’d been living with the illness for over half a decade beforehand.

However, he is not the only Priest member whose health has been on the line lately. Halford’s battle with prostate cancer during the pandemic has been well documented in the latest editions of his autobiography, Confess. After a prostatectomy back in 2020, and further radiation treatment last April and May, the singer finally got the all-clear back in June.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, last September guitarist Richie Faulkner (who joined the band after founding member K. K. Downing left back in 2011) had “an aortic aneurysm and complete aortic dissection” during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville. It required ten hours of surgery and the replacement of five parts of his chest with “mechanical components”.

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A post shared by Judas Priest (@judaspriest)

However, Faulkner seems to be doing much better now, saying in a statement that he “was able to return home from hospital 10 days after my surgery” and that he’s “feeling very strong and positive”. He said that he’d “be back on stage in no time! My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show haha”.

As of now, the band members seem to be getting the help they need for their various ailments, hopefully promising much more music from the group in the future. If you want to take advantage of this and see them live, tickets are on sale on their website for dates ranging from March to July next year, taking the band all over Europe and America, and should be a treat for fans all over the world.