Judas Priest to Play ALL of 'British Steel' on Summer Tour

Posted on Apr 17th 2009 10:00AM by Amy Sciarretto Comments

Judas Priest's upcoming summer tour won't be just another metallic trek during hot weather months. The legends of British metal will be playing their 1980 release 'British Steel' in its entirety to celebrate the landmark album's thirtieth birthday. 'British Steel' was the band's sixth album and one of its most successful platters to date. Vocalist and Metal God Rob Halford told Noisecreep, "It's like suddenly, thirty years have come upon us and we're about to celebrate. The album's technical anniversary is April of next year, but want to start the party early." Priest is still supporting last year's conceptual opus, 'Nostradamus,' but decided to "mix it up a bit" when heading out on another American tour behind that album.

Halford also said, "In today's economy, all artists have to think of something to do differently. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to do something that Priest has never done before, which is to play an album in its entirety. The band and then name 'Judas Priest' have both been around since 1969, so it is our fortieth anniversary, too. We seem to be in a constant celebration mode!"

In addition to playing 'British Steel' hits like 'Living After Midnight'' and 'Breaking the Law,' Priest seek to make the tour a full sensory experience by recreating the "look" from the era during which they recorded the album. "We're going retro with the look of the band," the Metal God told us. "In the tradition of Priest, we were often credited with kicking off the denim, leather, studs, whips and chains look, and there is a rich heritage with that. We want to bring that back with the stage set and other surprises."

Halford also believes there is a firm place for such nostalgia in today's metal scene, saying, "I think the longer that you are into rock 'n roll, the more important and valuable going back in time can be. Metalheads from multiple generations will have memories of what they were doing when they first heard these songs invoked." The band will play hits from other albums, as well as songs from 'Nostradamus.' The tour kicks off July 1, with Whitesnake supporting.

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