BraveWords welcomes the Metal God, Rob Halford on the next episode of Streaming For Vengeance, which will air today (Saturday, March 9th) at 3:33 PM EST. With over 50 years pounding metal and 19 albums in their back pocket, things can never be more exciting for icons Judas Priest, as they unveil a new piece of “British steel” to the world called Invincible Shield. Always keen on being fashion icons at the same as pounding the world with a battering ram, we ask the Metal God about his current look and the band’s image as a whole.
“I’m still having fun with that and it's not just me it's the band – we've all been kitted it out again with new clothes for this tour,” Halford explains. “That's important because, as you know Tim, you and I have talked many times about the importance of giving your fans the best night they can have in terms of coming to the show and hearing the songs but making an indelible metal memory you carry with you, that you remember. You remember the stage. You remember what the guys were wearing. You remember the fact that Priest were the originators of giving the visual representation of metal. Together, we did that first. As Ian (Hill) was saying at the Q&A in London the other day we went from loon pants and velvet tops to leather, studs, whips, chains and handcuffs. Talk about a leap! But all that side of Priest, is part of this legacy and tradition that we have. Priest as the inventors of heavy-metal alongside Black Sabbath. We are still here, still doing what we do, with so much love and passion, more than ever now. If you had told me that we would be here talking in 2024, 50 years after Rocka Rolla and that this band was still banging away and that they're going out on another world tour to see our metal maniacs across the globe. I'd go, ‘What are you smoking Tim?’ Do you know? It's just too crazy to even dream about.”
BraveWords: When you look back at those different eras, is there ever a point where you said ‘what were we thinking?’
“Yeah, of course,” the treasured singer laughs! “I love looking at myself in my sister's top on the Old Grey Whistle Test, it's brilliant! (watch here). It's absolutely brilliant! I think you can say that to most bands in terms of their visual side. The beginning, where it all started in terms of the sound that they were making, the way they looked, how they performed on stage. That's joyful. I just love it. You're seeing the invention, the emergence, the evolution of British heavy metal under the banner of Judas Priest. Because again, Tim, you and I have said time and time again on here, there's no other band like Judas Priest. I don't say that on a pedestal. It's a fact. It's a fact, you know. We've always enjoyed pushing those boundaries, and trying to make something new and fresh. So the way we looked then to the way we look now it's just like a time warp speed, but we took 50 years to do it.”
Click below to watch the entire interview and watch for the full feature to be published on BraveWords this week.
Over the past 50 years Judas Priest have sold over 50 million albums worldwide and headlined the world’s biggest stages. With their evolving music and live performances also came a powerful unique identity, a look which has both defined the group and influenced future generations of metal bands the world over. With each year, the Judas Priest legend continues to grow; 2022 saw them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and complete a sold-out rescheduled world tour in support of their 50th Anniversary. As we roll into 2024, Judas Priest continue to retain their crown as one of the biggest and best British bands in the world.
Invincible Shield can be ordered here.
"Invincible Shield" video:
Judas Priest will delight fans with a world tour this year, the UK leg kicks off in Glasgow on March 11 before taking on North America in April and May. See below for full North American tour routing and head to judaspriestinvincibleshield.com for tickets.
Tour dates:
April
18 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
21 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena
24 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
25 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
27 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Center*
28 - Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater at White River
May
1 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
2 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
4 - Kalamazoo, MI - Wings Event Center*
5 - Maryland Heights, MO - St Louis Music Park
7 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Propst Arena*
9 - Daytona, FL - Welcome to Rockville^
11 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
12 - Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center Arena*
14 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
16 - Columbus, OH - Historic Crew Stadium ^
17 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center*
19 - Washington, DC -The Theater at MGM National Harbor
21 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena
22 - Syracuse, NY - Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview
* Not a Live Nation Date
^ Festival Performance
