Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST‘s April 20 concert at SK Ubileyniy in Saint Petersburg, Russia can be seen below.
The band’s setlist was as follows:
01. Rapid Fire
02. Metal Gods
03. Heading Out to the Highway
04. Judas Rising
05. Starbreaker
06. Victim of Changes
07. Never Satisfied
08. Diamonds & Rust (JOAN BAEZ cover)
09. Dawn of Creation
10. Prophecy
11. Night Crawler
12. Turbo Lover
13. Beyond the Realms of Death
14. The Sentinel
15. Blood Red Skies
16. The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
17. Breaking the Law (Rob Halford let audience sing entire song)
18. Painkiller (drum solo before the song)
Encore:
19. The Hellion
20. Electric Eye
Encore 2:
21. Hell Bent for Leather
22. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ (with Richie Faulkner solo)
Pop superstar Lady Gaga has announced that longtime collaborator and friend Lady Starlight will join her on the Born This Way Ball this year.
Opening the Ball, Starlight will DJ and perform to her favorite rock and metal tunes — awakening new people to her music taste and downright ballsy attitude.
Since the Monster Ball in 2010, Lady Starlight has been busy supporting bands (including JUDAS PRIEST, THIN LIZZY, RIVAL SONS, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY); as well as playing rock clubs, awards and festivals with her rock DJing and performance art. She is currently on tour with JUDAS PRIEST in Eastern Europe, before she joins Lady Gaga on tour later this year.
Starlight says: “The Born This Way Ball is proof that dreams come true. The dream has never been to get famous and make money. My dream has been to have the ability to express myself in any way I want. Gaga has achieved this and wouldn’t rest until she gave me the same opportunity. She is a true best friend. I was lucky enough to do the Monster Ball in 2010, and that was such a blast playing SLAYER and PANTERA to all the Little Monsters that now I’m coming back!”
She adds, “I’ve shifted focus to include my passion for progressive rock. Notably Peter Hammill and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR — both forms of music that don’t typically bring to mind theatrical performance! Developing a new kind of performance that combines many different artistic mediums music, theater, dance, fashion and video. Challenging expectations of the performers role as I’ve done with DJing. I hope to open minds and inspire people to follow their creative vision no matter how unusual or impossible it may seem. The Born This Way Ball is the best place to deliver this message. It’s all about inspiration, acceptance and freedom — and rocking out.” Source: Blabbermouth.net
UK metal gods JUDAS PRIEST have posted a new video where guitarist Glenn Tipton talks about their 1990 album, Painkiller. Check it out at this location.
Columbia/Epic/Legacy released the 17-CD box set, The Complete Albums Collection, which contains every studio and live album that featured the classic line up of Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, and Ian Hill. To view an exclusive mini-documentary on Judas Priest’s The Complete Albums Collection, click here.
Included are brand new remasters of Priest’s first two albums, 1974’s Rocka Rolla and 1976’s Sad Wings Of Destiny (which have never been released before as authorized remasters by the band), in addition to each individual album being packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album’s original cover art. And although the 2009 live compilation, A Touch of Evil…Live is included; no other compilations are present.
Also featured in the set is a 40-page booklet with photos, album credits, and liner notes by rock journalist/Priest fan Greg Prato. The Complete Albums Collection is available for purchase exclusively via Popmarket.com.
It’s not often that you can acquire all of the classic albums by one of rock’s all-time great bands in one gorgeously assembled package. Judas Priest’s killer The Complete Albums Collection is certainly one of these rare occurrences.
Albums included:
Rocka Rolla (1974)
Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976)
Sin After Sin (1977)
Stained Class (1978)
Killing Machine (1978)
Unleashed In The East (1979)
British Steel (1980)
Point Of Entry (1981)
Screaming For Vengeance (1982)
Defenders Of The Faith (1984)
Turbo (1986)
Priest… Live! (1987)
Ram It Down (1988)
Painkiller (1990)
Angel Of Retribution (2005)
Nostradamus (2008)
A Touch Of Evil… Live (2009)
Judas Priest are in the process of finalising some more European shows for 2012 – mainly markets they didn’t get to on the 2011 summer leg. Support acts for the entire tour have yet to be confirmed.
2012 Epitaph dates are as follows:
April
14 – Spodek – Katowice, Poland
16 – Sportpalace – Kiev, Ukraine
18 – Crocus Hall – Moscow, Russia
20 – Jubileny – St. Petersburg, Russia
22 – Icehall – Helsinki, Finland
24 – Cloetta Center – Linkoping, Sweden
25 – Hovet Ice Hall – Stockholm, Sweden
27 – Sporthalle – Hamburg, Germany
28 – Arena – Leipzig, Germany
30 – Muensterland – Munster, Germany
May
1 – Mitsubishi Electric Halle – Dusseldorf, Germany
3 – Schleyerhalle – Stuttgart, Germany
4 – Arena – Nurnberg, Germany
5 – Linz Arena – Linz, Austria
8 – Arena – Pardubice, Czech Republic
9 – Incheba – Bratislava, Slovakia
11 – Palabam – Mantova, Italy
12 – Forum – Fribourg, Switzerland
15 – Vistalegre – Madrid, Spain
16 – ST Jordi – Barcelona, Spain
18 – Arena – Sevilla, Spain
20 – Velodromo – San Sebastian, Spain
23 – Lotto Arena – Antwerp, Belgium
24 – Kerkrade Arena – Kerkrade, Holland
26 – Hammersmith Apollo – London, UK (with SAXON and KOBRA AND THE LOTUS)
In a recent interview with the Bradenton Classic Rock Music Examiner, original JUDAS PRIEST singer Al Atkins was asked if he ever regretted leaving the band, which he fronted from its inception in 1969 until 1973. “I was the only one in the band that was married with a kid to feed and without a record deal and the backing we needed I just couldn’t survive anymore, so I decided to get a haircut and a 9-to-5 job,” he replied. “Yes, I did regret it, but was happy for them to eventually get that deal and climb the ladder to succeed and they much deserved it.”
Regarding what would have been different with JUDAS PRIEST had he stayed in the band, Atkins said, “Well, when Rob [Halford] came in, he took them to another level with his style of high-range vocals and then stepped in Glenn [Tipton, guitar] to add that harmony impact on guitars. Both were writers, too, so they made their own mark and a great job, too… If I would have stayed with them, we may have taken a different road. Maybe more like AC/DC, but that’s not a bad thing, is it?”
Atkins and Christian guitarist Paul May recently joined forces to create a powerful new CD called “Serpent’s Kiss”, now available on Gonzo Multimedia. The 10-track album is the product of two of the Midlands’ finest architects of rock and metal coming together to create something that is unique and totally exhilarating.
Atkins is the co-writer of several PRIEST songs which are included on the band’s first two albums, “Rocka Rolla” and “Sad Wings of Destiny”, both of which eventually went gold. Atkins co-penned the heavy metal classic “Victim of Changes”, which was a combination of Rob Halford‘s song “Red Light Lady” and Atkins‘ own “Whiskey Woman”. He also co-wrote “Winter”, “Never Satisfied”, “Dreamer Deceiver” and “Caviar and Meths”.
In 1989 Atkins released his debut solo album, “Judgement Day”, to great acclaim. But it was “Heavy Thoughts” and “Victim of Changes” (the latter being his collaborative album with ex-JUDAS PRIEST drummer Dave Holland) that brought him strong sales and critical acclaim around the world.
JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill penned the foreword to Al Atkins‘s autobiography, titled “Dawn of the Metal Gods: My Life in Judas Priest and Heavy Metal”. The book, which was written with Neil Daniels — a freelance rock writer and heavy metal fan who befriended Atkins during the writing of Neil‘s book “The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith” (Omnibus Press) — was released in 2009 via Iron Pages.
Artisan News caught up with new JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner last month at the first-ever Rock & Roll Roast at The Grove in Anaheim, California and asked him about the band’s ongoing “Epitaph” tour, which kicked off last spring (see video below).
“The tour has been going great,” he said. “It couldn’t have been gone any better, really. The band’s been on fire. I like to think I’ve injected a bit of energy back into them. So hopefully it just keeps going.”
When asked about what it has been like replacing PRIEST‘s founding guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing, Faulkner said, “It was an incredible honor just to be considered for it, as you can imagine. Big shoes to fill, but what do you do? There are challenges in life and that was one I knew I could take.”
In a 2011 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Faulkner stated about the task of replacing PRIEST’s longtime guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing, “First of all, it was a huge honor just to be even considered. I’ve been a fan of the band for years, and so it was a bit of a double-edged sword, really; it was a great opportunity for me as a guitar player and as a fan, but at the same time he was one of my heroes and didn’t want to do it anymore. It was a double-edged sword, really, but I’ve always said to people, as a fan myself, I know what fans expect. JUDAS PRIEST wanted to carry on and they were asking me to join to be able to carry on, so it was a no-brainer in my mind. One of the guys who was my idol had left, and you have to respect the guys’ decision. The band wanted to carry on, and again it was a great honor to do it and it was a great honor to be put forward. I’m not there to replace a forty-year career; Ken‘s career was influential, and before those two guys came out and did that style of guitar, there weren’t many people doing it. He was a guitar hero idol of mine, and I’m not there to replace any of that. I know as a fan what the fans expect, and I’m just there to do the best I can for the band and the fans.”
When asked abou the fan reaction to his addition to JUDAS PRIEST, Faulkner said, “Initially I think people were sceptical, which is natural, really. I think I would’ve been sceptical because right up until Ken‘s departure, it was like that for forty years, and if something changes, people’s first reactions tend to be an unsure one. When people are unsure, they’re fearful of the outcome. We’re through the worst, and as I said, people are skeptical, but we knew that as soon as we got out and did the first couple of shows and went from there that the fans would see with their own eyes and their own ears that the band is fine and that it’s a good fit. Hats off to the fans, really, for giving it that chance; they still got their tickets and gave the band a chance, and hopefully they weren’t and won’t be disappointed. They’ve been fantastic, and with every show that we do, the more of an amazing welcome reaction I get. A big thank you to them really for giving me the chance and the band a chance.”
Few heavy metal artists have built as stellar a discography as JUDAS PRIEST over the years. And now, fans will get a chance to acquire all of PRIEST‘s classics in one fell swoop. On January 24, Columbia/Epic/Legacy will release the 17-CD box set, “The Complete Albums Collection”, which contains every studio and live album that featured the classic line up of Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill.
Included will be brand new remasters of PRIEST‘s first two albums, 1974’s “Rocka Rolla” and 1976’s “Sad Wings of Destiny” (which have never been released before as authorized remasters by the band), in addition to each individual album being packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album’s original cover art. And although the 2009 live compilation, “A Touch of Evil…Live” is included; no other compilations will be present. Also featured in the set will be a 40-page booklet with photos, album credits, and liner notes by rock journalist/PRIEST fan Greg Prato.
“The Complete Albums Collection” will be available for purchase exclusively via Popmarket.com.
It’s not often that you can acquire all of the classic albums by one of rock’s all-time great bands in one gorgeously assembled package. JUDAS PRIEST‘s “The Complete Albums Collection” is certainly one of these rare occurrences.
Albums included in “The Complete Albums Collection”:
01. Rocka Rolla (1974)
02. Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976)
03. Sin After Sin (1977)
04. Stained Class (1978)
05. Killing Machine (1978)
06. Unleashed In The East (1979)
07. British Steel (1980)
08. Point Of Entry (1981)
09. Screaming For Vengeance (1982)
10. Defenders Of The Faith (1984)
11. Turbo (1986)
12. Priest…Live! (1987)
13. Ram It Down (1988)
14. Painkiller (1990)
15. Angel Of Retribution (2005)
16. Nostradamus (2008)
17. A Touch Of Evil…Live (2009)
“The Chosen Few”, the recently released compilation album from JUDAS PRIEST, sold 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The collection, which came out on October 11, 2011 via Legacy/Sony, contains songs that were selected by some of the biggest names of the hard rock/heavy metal world, including KISS‘ Gene Simmons, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, METALLICA‘s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, Alice Cooper and SLIPKNOT‘s Corey Taylor. Source: Blabbermouth.net
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