Neil Service:
Hi K.K. from a long term Priest- fan since 1976! What is the story behind “Loch Ness” and what do you remember of the days playing the old and sadly missed Glasgow Apollo ?
Hi Neil, Well I guess “Loch Ness” suited the epic idea we had for a song as the loch and the monster are both very long, also monsters are a big part of metal and the whole mystery has never been solved. Above all the whole concept is very heavy so it made sense for us to write a story about it.
Yes the famous Apollo is sorely missed. It was everything a rock venue should be I think. In fact we were the last band to play there, but if you could confirm that please let me know, thank you for your questions.
Regards K.K.
Martin Babiæ, Croatia :
On “Sad Wings” record, on the cover, there is an Angel, down in spirit, in some kind of hell, I guess. And he’s wearing a necklace, a kind of stylised cross, later to be the most famous JP recognition mark, thanks to “Painkiller,” maybe even more popular than the “British Steel” razor blade, at least to newer generations… And mighty fine emblem it is, looks damn good!
So, who came up with that sign, why didn’t you use it on albums between “Sad Wings” and “Painkiller” (except for you guys wearing it from time to time), and how it became resurrected on “Painkiller???”
Hi Martin, if my memory serves me well I think it was the artist of “Sad Wings,” Patrick Woodrof who came up with the cross, I really don’t know why we didn’t use it right away but I am glad we eventually did on “Painkiller.” I guess we really thought it would be a cool emblem for the “Painkiller” and protect him from evil at the same time.
Regards K.K.
Dave Wilson, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA:
Hi, K.K. How does it feel after so many years to hear “Priest”! “Priest” “Priest”! chanted at concert after concert? You have got to know that me and other Priest fans appreciate you and the band! You have my loyalty to the end because Priest deserves it! Rock on!
Thanks a lot Dave, it means a lot to us, hope to see you in Charlotte soon,
Regards K.K.
John Graveside:
This question has plagued me for 20-plus years. The sleeve of my vinyl copy of “Sad Wings of Destiny” (pressed by RCA) has the side with “Prelude” Tyrant” etc listed as side one, and “Victim of Changes”,
“Ripper” etc as side two. This makes sense to me musically, but the disc label has it in the opposite way. The few Gull Records pressings I have seen are similar, and i just looked on eBay and every copy for sale that I could see the track listing was the same as my copy.
However, all cd’s and cassettes have the “Victim” side as side one, and that’s how most people regard this record to be sequenced.
So, what’s the proper sequence? Do you know why/how this happened? was there a big brouhaha in the band when this mistake became apparent?
Hi John, Well all i can say is that my Gull copy has “Victim” etc on side one of the disc itself and that is how it should be. However the way the tracks are listed on the back of the sleeve is misleading as it does appear to be reversed. I can only assume that when Gull sold out to RCA that the company were guided by the album sleeve and not the disc itself, I hope this helps. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Regards, K.K.
Nolan Lewis, India:
Hi K.K,
This is Nolan Lewis from India. I’m 27 and I’ve been a fanatical Priest fan ever since I was 10 years old. You and Glenn are the very reason I picked up the guitar and without Priest I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I know you get a lot of these questions but are there any plans for Priest to tour India? There are thousands and thousands of fans here who have been waiting all their lives to see Priest on stage. Plus as an added incentive I’ll take you to all the local pubs and bars and buy you all the local beer you want (we have absolutely fantastic beer here) Please do come to India. You’d make this poor souls life worth living 🙂
Also could you tell me which metal bands are your favourites and which ones do you follow regularly if any?
Thanks K.K
Priest rules the universe!
Hi Lewis, Yes we are hoping to come to India as soon as we can, we know that Iron Maiden have just visited you so we will try our best.
And yes, me and some of the guys on the team love Kingfisher, Cobra, etc, They even have it on draught in my local Indian restaurant.
I have lots of favourite bands, but some are and have been, Jimi Hendrix, UFO, Scorpions, Saxon, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy.. etc, etc.
Cheers!!! K.K.
Colleen, San Francisco:
Are there any plans for putting out some great promo items with the new album?
My favourite Priest collectables are my “Sad Wings” and “Rocka Rolla” picture discs.
Hi Colleen, It is still early days but we will soon let you know as there is a good chance the record company will come up with some cool ideas for us to deliberate. Thanks Colleen!
Regards K.K.
Jeffrey D. Tancreti, Dayton, OH USA:
KK: First, thank you for taking time to interact with the fans. Is there any chance of Rob ever singing songs from “Jugulator” or “Demolition?” His acknowledgement of the material would truly validate the Owens era, which was pretty damn good. I listen to “Demolition” constantly. I reside in Ohio, like Ripper, and my dream is for when you come here on tour that Rob & Ripper do a duet on “Heroes End” from “Stained Class.” It is a forgotten Priest classic with the opportunity for a lot of vocal trade-offs.
LONG LIVE PRIEST!!!!
Hi Jeffrey, Thanks for your support of the Ripper years. We are all indebted to him for his contribution in Judas Priest and its history. I guess it’s all down to Rob and Ripper regarding a duet, but as they are friendly with each other who knows what the future holds, it would be a serious shoot out wouldn’t it?
Regards K.K.
Emre Turkyilmaz, Istanbul, Turkey:
Hello K.K. I’m Emre Turkyilmaz from TURKEY / Istanbul. I’m 18. Steel Mill is a great place , I love it.
I’m a great fan of you and also Metal Gods. I’m buying every Priest material that I see. And I have all the albums of Priest.Also I’m excited about your new project. Waiting for “Storm Warning!” We all got crazy in TURKEY, waiting for you guys ! I hope you’ll come to ISTANBUL and kick some ass ! I haven’t seen Priest / you in my life 🙁 I think I would cry while singing a song with you in concert =)
And my question is about the new album NOSTRADAMUS of Priest. Are all the songs on it, deep, orchestral and slow ? Because when you say orchestral and deep, I understand that the whole album will be like the “Loch Ness” song =) I love that song but I like Priest more, when they play more energetic songs ! =) No matter the album will slow or fast , I’ll buy it to kick some ass while banging my head.
Thank you for 30 years of great music and creativity. You are a real immortal guy and also other guys. Say our great feelings about you to Rob , Glenn and others from TURKEY.
TAKE CARE MAN !!!!!!
Hi Emre, I certainly will give your regards to the other guys and just to let you know that I think Nostradamus will kick everybody’s ass in fine Priest style. I think the new album will have all of the ingredients that fans can relate to as we would not like to disappoint anyone. Hope to see you in Turkey one day.
Regards K.K.
Rebekah, Wisconsin :
Hello K.K. I am one of your teen fans and I just wanted to say that ever since I heard “Breaking The Law” on the radio when I was 12, your amazing sounds have changed my life! Thanks a bunch for the 30 years you’ve put into this.
Anyway, my question…
”British Steel” has to be one of the most metal albums ever recorded. What did it for you guys to throw away your “Sad Wings Of Destiny/Rocka Rolla” style and create this metal monster that would revolutionize metal?
Hi Rebekah! Thanks for sticking with us for so long, we really do appreciate it. As for “British Steel” I think it was just a part of Priest evolving, but for sure it was a turning point in the bands career. Please give Wisconsin a big hug for us until we get there next.
Regards K.K.
Julian, Santiago, Chile:
Dear K.K. I’m Julian from Santiago, Chile. First of all, I want to thank the mill workers for uploading our photo in Santiago to the stell mill!! I will never forget that day!!
Here goes my question:
There are some solos that are accompanied by the same rhythm parts than the rest of the song, for example, the one at the end on Beyond the realms of death. But there are a lot of solos accompanied by a whole different rhythm base. In this last case, What does come first when you’re composing? You make cool solos and then make a solid rhythm base to it?, or first bases and then cool solos?
In another subject, i’ve read about your love for beer, I also remember you drinking beer at the hotel in Santiago! Next time you come to Chile, I’ll be pleased to be your beer-guide in Santiago, there are a lot of places where you can have a “handcrafted” Chilean beer. I’m a beer lover too, as you can guess!!
Thank you very much!
Good luck
Bye
Hi Julian, I guess sometimes we come up with some cool parts but sometimes they don’t lend themselves to vocals, so wanting them to go in the song we put them as a solo part. We like to do this anyway as it can make the song more interesting.
Thanks for your offer I will see you in Chile soon I hope.
Regards K.K.
Luca Castiglioni, Italy::
Hey K.K.! Let me say it is a pleasure having a chance to write to you! I love your stile and your kindness and I was thrilled to have the chance to translate your biography in Italian and Latin (just in case the Pope wants to keep an eye on you… 😉 ) for the Steel Mill!
I am a Medieval History student at Milan’s University and, eager as I am to see “Nostradamus” out in stores, I was wondering about how you and the guys thought about having a concept album about Nostradamus and how you studied the subject, what historical sources you used and if someone lend you a hand in the analysis.
Thanks and hope to see you in Italy next time you pass by, maybe for some north-Italian traditional dishes and a good glass of wine!
Ciao!
Hi Luca, first I would like to thank you for doing the translation for us!
We have always had the odd thought about a concept album and I guess it was only a matter of time. We were able to find a lot of content on the net and also there were a surprising amount of books available about Nostradamus so we didn’t find ourselves short of info. Please remind me when we are coming to Milan as your kind invite sounds excellent
Regards K.K.
John, Canada:
During the 80s, the Priest sound took more of a commercial, radio-friendly turn. Did this happen naturally or was it at the record company’s urging.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that but sometimes the record companies pressure their artists to sell more records.
Hi John, I Guess this is the one question I often dread as I don’t really have a good answer. It is true what you say about record company pressure, but i think it is fair to say that by the mid eighties the band was able to stave off that pressure. We just did what we felt was right for that time, as you know Rock and Metal was giant at that time and I think that the boundaries were very wide in music. It was a golden era and I am glad to say we were there.
Regards K.K.
Jonas and Mathias, Norway:
Hello KK, we just like to start with saying that you and Glenn are the
biggest source of inspiration in our lives! We love to play Priest songs
together and do the trade off solos.
Here’s a couple of questions:
Why don’t you play songs like Ram it Down and Rock Hard Ride Free nowadays? I almost have to sit in a sauna while listening to them, because I get some serious goose bumps/chills from the solos. We had some fun the other day, and composed what would be the ultimate Priest set list for us. It’s some of the “lost” songs and some of the “must haves”: Hellion/Electric Eye, Metal Gods, Heading Out to the Highway, Screaming for Vengeance, Sinner, Hard as Iron, Dreamer Deceiver/ Deceiver,
Beyond the Realms of Death, Tyrant, Victim of Changes, Reckless, Locked In, Hard as Iron, You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise, Green Manalishi, Rock Hard Ride Free, Night Comes Down, Between the Hammer and The Anvil, Demonizer, Ram it Down, Hell Bent for Leather, Rocka Rolla Medley (One for
the road/rocka rolla/cheater).
Would be great if you just included some of them.
And last question, do you guys ever watch your DVDs? Like The Electric Eye one? Or RITE?
Hi Guys! Yeah it’s a cool set list, I will see what I can do. Actually I rarely watch things that have been made because I am usually always working on making new stuff but sometimes we get time to give them a blast on the tour bus.
Thank you guys, see you soon.
Regards K.K.
Alejandro, Calexico, California:
Hey K.K. I’m Alejandro from Calexico, California and I was wondering if you are planning on playing songs like Stained Class, Tyrant, Genocide, Never Satisfied, Sinner, Jawbreaker, Dreamer Deceiver/Deceiver, and Starbreaker on the next Priest World Tour?
What Guitar do you recommend that has really good quality, but that doesn’t cost that much?
Your web site is really amazing. Your Steel Mill workers really did a great job.
Take care and Thank You!!!
Hi Alejandro, Yes I feel sure that we can include at least some of these songs on the next tour. About guitars I always think it is worth shopping around for an older original vintage guitar, as you are sure to get quality and it will always be worth what you pay for it and it is possible it will go up in value. Good luck!
Regards K.K.
Boris, Switzerland:
Hi K.K.!
Amazing site! great stuff! Such a great concept (while I’m reading the homepage, I feel myself walking through downing street in the steel mill, the heat, the loud amboss it’s all there)
Every time I pick out a priest-album, I’m so impressed, how fantastic the back-catalogue of priest is, no filler all killer If I compare it to other bands (even most Sabbath or Maiden albums), there are always songs, you feel exactly, that it’s a filler. So that leads me to the question – how do you write songs? Do you come up with a riff-idea, and base on it? What is your magic formula? Do you and Glenn play together, and than Rob joins with a melody and in the end there’s the lyrics?
By the way – it was such a fantastic idea, to give rebirth to the songs “I’m a rocker” and “Hot Rockin’” – such a blasting surprise, because you often read in the press etc. “Ram it Down” isn’t that good, “Point of Entry” blablabla – but I love both albums – so why not give rebirth to a darker/heavier version of “Turning Circles” or an aggressive “Reckless” from Turbo?
So thank you again for the steel mill, a great opportunity for fans like us to come closer to our heroes! And I’m so excited about Nostradamus – chapeau, you could have chosen the easier way, and just make another album – but to come up with a complex concept album – just amazing! And I think, for you as songwriters, it’s just more challenging going on an new terrain – typical Priest, always going to surprise the fans!
Greez from Switzerland, Boris
Hi Boris, Thank you for your letter. In respect of song writing, myself and Glenn put down separately as many cool ideas as we can, anything from a riff to virtually a whole song. Mean whilst Rob puts lots of lyrics and vocal melodies together, then when we have plenty to go on we get together and play everything to see what we all think are the strongest ideas. Then we start to piece everything together, some songs happen almost instantly others we sometimes have to work hard on. There are no set rules to song writing. I guess it’s a combination of things – experience, luck, imagination etc. and hopefully a little talent thrown in for good measure. Thanks again.
Regards K.K.
Marcelo, Brazil :
Hi KK, I’m a big fan from Brazil and I just wonder if there will be the day that Judas Priest (with Halford) will play any song from Ripper´s era…?
Hi Marcelo. I am afraid I don’t know, but anything is possible. I will ask Nostradamus to see into the future for us and let you know, Please say hi to all the fans in Brazil for me.
Regards K.K.
Hector, El Paso, TX:
Hello K.K. my name is Hector From El Paso, TX. I saw you guys live on the Demolition and the AOR Tour Front Row Center both times. I just bought a Jackson flying v in honour of yourself and the late Robbin Crosby (Ratt). My question is if Priest would ever try maybe a duet with Ripper Owens. That would rock, but I guess there’s contractual politics involved right. PS I would love to hear Dreamer Deceiver live next tour. I’ll be Front Row Center again. Keep on Rockin.
Hi Hector, Anything is possible, but of course it is totally up to Rob and Ripper. And yes we will try to bring some of the early songs back for you.
Regards K.K.
Abhijith, India:
Hi, K.K am Abhijith from India, March 17 Iron Maiden performed and this was the first heavy metal band which played in India. India got huge fans for REAL metal bands like JUDAS PRIEST, just wanted to know when JUDAS WILL BE RISING in India, the first band which gave heavy sound to metal with twin guitar leads and became METAL GODS for all the bands.
Hi Abhijith, We have been talking recently about the places that we would love to play and we came up with about 20 or so and of course India was high on the list. So hopefully some time soon we can come and play for you, it would be our privilege.
Regards K.K.
Oleg, Latvia :
Hi K.K.! My name is Oleg and I live in Latvia. I’m a guitarist and I’d like to say that you are one of my greatest influences. Thank you for all the excellent music and magic solos you’ve written in Judas Priest. And thank you very much for the great Judas Priest concert in Riga in 2005 – the best concert I’ve ever seen. There’s something I’d like to ask. Will Judas Priest ever release the uncut, longer version of Caviar And Meths? I know that there is an Al Atkins version, but I think that all the fans would love to hear the original Priest version of this song.
And I read something about a song named “My Design” written for the Ram It Down album. But what kind of song it was and has it ever been recorded?
Thank you for reading my question, hope to see you in Latvia when you go on tour.
Hi Oleg, Well I can’t promise what older songs we will play on the next tour but we would certainly love to include some of the songs we have not played for years. About the Ram it Down song, it does not ring any bells with me. I am happy you enjoyed the Riga concert because we did too!
Regards K.K.
Kevin:
K.K. The name Judas Priest is one of the coolest band names in all of music. When you were starting out what other names did you think of?
Thanks, Kevin
Hi Kevin! To be honest when we were still novices we put together and bought an old van to ride around in and we sprayed a name on its sides because we were hungry to be known as a band. But then all we used it for was rehearsals. I believe other than that name Judas Priest was the only name. I also played in a pop band just for money and I hated it. Maybe the names I have not mentioned will turn up in SECRETS so keep logging on and feeding the flames!
Regards K.K.
Kim, Odense, Denmark:
Hi KK and the Millworkers
Firstly, congratulations on a great and very interesting site. Secondly, thanks to KK and the rest of Priest for providing the world with some of the best rock ‘n’ roll music ever. I hope you’ll carry on rocking the world for many years to come.
I have a couple of questions for KK:
It’s been said that part of what makes Priest so interesting is that you and Glenn have such different styles of playing. How would you characterize your respective styles and the differences between them?
“Turbo Lover” has a very interesting structure, and it seems as if it is building up (especially throughout the first verse an chorus) towards a climax, which is very much in line with the lyrics. Is this intentional, and how did you guys come up with the idea for the song in the first place?
And finally, will Priest be playing in Denmark on the next tour?
Thanks and keep on rocking!
All the best,
Hi Kim. Yes I am sure that we will play Denmark next year. On our playing styles I think that influences play a big part in developing as a guitarist and combined with the technical ability you have and the way you want people to perceive you as a player. This is what makes everyone so different. Myself and Glenn do have a lot of things in common, but exactly what it is that’s different is basically there for people to hear as a result of the reasons I have just mentioned.
When we write songs we always try to be original. It is important to have something to go on e.g a strong song title, cool riff, good lyrical idea etc. Then you just have to work the idea with your band mates and don’t give up until you have a killer track. Thanks Kim, see you in Denmark.
Regards K.K.
Andre Arruda:
Hi K.K. and fellow Mill workers, I’d like to endorse the request of my Brazilian mate about the ”old” songs, specially Rocka Rolla, one of my all time time JP fave songs! a modern, heavier version of the song would be great. Starbreaker is another killer one!
I can’t wait for Nostradamus. Keep up!
All the best, Andre Arruda
Hi Andre! Yes maybe at some time in the future we could fix that for you, meantime please give our regards to our fans until we get there next year. Oh !!! and Nostradamus is well on the way.
Cheers K.K.
Ronen Elbaz, Israel:
Hi K.K. my name is Ronen Elbaz from Israel.
The first song I started with was Freewheel Burning, from that moment I started to collect any items of the Priest including rare stuff. I have to tell you one thing: when I heard the song Judas Rising on the dvd I got shivers from your solo.
Ok some questions for you
1.Do you think Priest will play some of the Jugulator /Demolition songs with Halford in the future?
2.Do you think a Priest will show in Israel is possible in the future like the other band that came here?
3.What do you think about the Halford solo albums?
Hi Ronen! Great to know we have fans in Israel, of course we would love to come and play for you, it is all up to the promoters. I don’t know if Rob would want to sing any of those songs but then again I have not asked him. Personally I love Rob best when he sings with Priest.
Thank you for your letter, I will ask the promoters to try and book us to play for you.
Regards K.K.
Des,West Brom:
Hi K.K.! Are there any plans to release any more past shows on dvd? I can’t get Live Vengeance out of my player. That show sounds sooooo good, blows me away, tks. Des,West Brom
Hi Des. Yeah I am not sure but I will try to find out, up the baggies.
Regards K.K.
Pedro Brognara, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil:
Hello KK. I’m Pedro Brognara from Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil. I appreciate so much your work and rest of the members, since 2001 when I got the first Priest album, that time was Metal Works, in my opinion the best Priest compilation. I’m a huge fan of Judas Priest and Halford/Fight projects, collecting many bootlegs over the years, and you guys always get us surprised show after show, never being the same, even in the shows of a same tour. I’ve heard almost all the shows done during 2005 and found the Japanese and south America the best since Halford came back to Priest in 2004 =)
There are many excellent songs Priest never played live, and I like to hear in the next tour for the first time, like “Run Of The Mil”, “Here Comes The Tears”, “Saints In Hell”, “Before The Down”, “Eat Me Alive”, “Reckless”, “Blood Red Skies” (or “Fire Burns Below”). I can imagine how amazing could sound “Before The Dawn” (played as Diamonds And Rust acoustic), and “Run Of The Mil” (played as Beyond The Realms…). I’ve listened many songs Halford performed live in his solo project from 70´s Priest albums and felt how heavy and excellent they become played live “today”, like Stained Class, White Heat Red Hot, Never Satisfied!, Tyrant, Genocide and others…
AND There are some songs that always have curiosity to know why they were never played live or songs that were not played so many times during a tour. “Blood Red Skies” being one of the best Priest ballads, why was it never played live? I’ve noticed that before Hellion/Electric Eye at “Ram It Down” tour, and “Hell Bent For Leather” at Painkiller tour, exist it’s intro, but the song was never played. About “Let Us Pray/Call For The Priest”, I have a bootleg recorded at NY Palladium, NY, USA (16.07.1977) where it was performed. Can you tell us if it was played just in this venue?
Nice to get a chance to talk with you, I’m very anxious to hear Nostradamus this year, and surely hope to see the band next year here in Ribeirao Preto town (if possibly :D) playing with more energy, speed, power, than ever!!!
keep the riffs and energy alive!!
Regards, Pedro Brognara – “The Pneumatic Metal God”
Hi Pedro. Well it was a long time ago but I believe That Let Us Prey and Call For The Priest was the start of the show on that whole tour but I would have to ask the mill workers to confirm that. At least some of the other songs that you mentioned that haven’t been played for years are being considered for the next tour so we hope to be in S,P playing them for you soon. So until then Rock Hard and Ride Free !!!!!!
Regards K.K.
Millworker’s note: “Let Us Prey/Call For The Priest” was the opening track for the whole 1977 tour.
Craig Crofoo, Rochester, Minnesota (U.S.A):
My question has to do with a song Judas Priest did when Tim “Ripper” Owens was the vocalist. I would like to add the song “What’s My Name?” to my collection but the only place it’s available is on the Japanese version of the Demolition c.d. Is there any other place I can get this song other than buying the previously mentioned c.d. ?
Hi Graig, I am afraid that you are right ,that song is only on that album. At least as far as I know but I will ask the mill workers to see if they can help. Cheers Craig.
Regards K.K.
Millworker’s note: The song “What’s My Name” is available on “Demolition” Japanese import CD and “Demolition – Australian Only Tour Edition” 2CD. The latter is currently available at www.amazon.com.
Joe:
Hi KK, You probably have heard this question enough times – or maybe specifically because you didn’t hear it often enough- but I must ask: is there any hope for Rocka Rolla to be re-released? I’d suggest to do this in ’09 for the 35th anniversary, if possible as close as possible to original – contemporary instruments & equipment, in short, to make it sound as close as possible to the original intent. If you guys still have some original tapes that aren’t damaged (I imagine that would be the vox) you could put them on it too – and not worry about copyright infringement. In the worst case you’ll have to pay a fine – if they can prove those are original tapes. And that’s a big “if”. I also have an alternative yet similar artwork for the sleeve – if you want I’ll send it to you. (Being my birthday is 9/6/’74 this shouldn’t surprise you…)
Also, is there any hope some RR material will ever be played live? “One for the road” is one of the greatest show openers ever, IMHO. (Alongside Ram It Down and Rock Hard Ride Free)
Thanx, Joe.
Hi Joe, We often talk about doing something with the old stuff as it is very close to our hearts. Your idea is a good one, but we will have to see when the time is right. At the moment we feel very positive about the next 2 years or so as we hope that our new album will allow us to tour non stop visiting many countries that we have never been to. So if we don’t make it 35 years, hopefully it might be soon after.
Cheers buddy, K.K.
David Morgan, Canterbury, England UK :
Hi KK 🙂
I just wanted to ask if there is any chance of you playing one of those fantastic Hamer mini Vs that you played in the “Turbo” to “Jugulator”- era for the upcoming Nostradamus- tour? The red studded one was awesome and I know it is a BIG hit with your fans. I know in your guitar feature on www.judaspriest.com you said you were retiring the studded V but I just wanted to ask if any of the others could still be used.
Thank you very much.
Hi David, That’s cool!! I didn’t know that axe was so liked by the fans, in that case it would be very apt to at least bring it out for any “Turbo” songs and maybe more. So if it’s there it will be thanks to you.
Thanks for the insight, see you on tour! all the best for now.
Regards K.K.
Patrick Zimbalist & Andreas “Adzer” Arvidsson, Sweden:
Hej Finland!! Dear K.K. and Finnish neighbours/administrators! Congrats to a job well done with the K.K. Downing-website…Looks really
nice!!=) We have a few questions regarding Ken’s Hamer MiniV;
1. How many of these were made for Ken? (We believe we’ve seen a blue one, the white one from the Judas Priest Live-DVD from Dallas, and of course the infamous red one)
2. When did Ken have the red one refinished and what was really done with the bevels? (We’re pretty sure it was originally all red without studs…but somewhere around “Painkiller” the bevels had turned black (studs added
previously), right?…now here’s the most important question: was it just a paint job or are the bevels actually leather clad??
We’re looking forward to watching some more detailed pics of Ken’s guitars!!
Hi Patrick & Andreas,
There was one more mini V made for me. It was kind of a grey metal finished with a marbeling affect, so there were 4 altogether. I think the guitar was refinished in the mid eighties and soon after I put the studs in myself, the guitar is an all red paint job so the bevels are just painted.
Regards K.K.
Reece:
Hey dude, you are one of my most fav guitarists ever.
Just one question:
I’ve been playing guitar for a couple of years. I can do some wanky stuff (like scale runs) but I know shit all about rhythm. What do u think a really good way for
me to become a sick riffer is?
Thanks heaps rocker.
—
Reece
Hi Dude, well a good start is to simply learn power chords, that is play the root and just add the 5th e.g. play the open low E together with a B (second fret on the A string) and move that shape any where you like on the lower strings and you will rock!!!
Regards K.K.
Toni Ojanen, Finland:
Hello there! I like Judas Priest very much and I have all Priest CD’s and Kenneth is my favourite guitarist. I also like to play your songs (especially Painkiller!) and the way you play guitar is so awesome! I was wondering when I watched the “Rising in the East” dvd: why your guitar tuning was half step down? Anyway the songs also sound incredibly great in that tune.
Hi Toni, Before Rob rejoined we were tuning down a whole tone as that suited when Ripper was with us. So when Rob rejoined we went up a half step as a compromise. Now we have decided to go back to concert pitch as we always were with Rob. It’s all to do with sound and feel and getting everyone to agree as there are no set rules. Many Thanks!
Regards K.K.
Tomas, Finland:
Hi! I just found your Steel Mill and also realized that you answer to the questions of your fans in a very generous way which is cool. I thought you would be the guy to ask this question..
I noticed that your guitar sound, especially for solos changed quite a lot between the 1981 Point of Entry and 1982 Screaming for Vengeance. The musical style of those albums is of course quite different as Screaming for Vengeance was a step into a heavier direction, but still the guitar sounds
seem to be more heavier than on the previous efforts. Was one of the reasons the introduction of Marshall JCM800-amps in 1981 so you got more gain? I suppose you began to use them?
About the lead sound especially heard in the song “Screaming for Vengeance” and in the Painkiller album, how did you manage to do it? Is it heavily chorused or what is the effect that makes that synthesizer-kind of effect?
I would love to ask many more questions but it would be great if you could answer these.
Hi Thomas, Actually I have never used an amp with a built in overdrive. I think that higher output pickups like Dimarzio and then EMG’s probably contributed most to the extra gain but you are right we were always looking for extra gain. Both myself and Glenn used rangemaster treble boosts for a very long time, some older fans might remember Rory Gallagher using one way back in the sixties. I am not sure what you mean about a synth lead sound, but I think it’s fair to say that Myself and Glenn have never stuck to one lead sound a la Schenker, Angus Young etc. as I think we both like variation. Many thanks!
Regards K.K.
Nick Hitt, Baltimore, Maryland, USA:
Hey K.K., I am Nick Hitt from Baltimore, Maryland USA. I play guitar and I am inspired by you, Glenn, Kirk Hammett, the guys from Iron Maiden, Zakk Wylde, Hendrix and let’s not forget Slash.
I was wondering do you like you will stop by on the east coast when you guys go on the Nostradomus album, and do you have an guess when it is coming out? And one other thing do you have a recommendation on what kind of model of a Gibson Flying V I could buy from a local guitar store.
Thanks if you answer this, you are one amazing guitar player!!!
We must feed the Flames, Nick
Nick, yes we will be on the east coast when we tour. Of course that depends when the album is coming out, at the moment we are not sure but at the latest it will be Jan 08 as far as I can say.
Try to buy a guitar as old as you can, Gibson did a run of V’s in the eighties that may be affordable. They will always keep their value and will probably go up where as a new guitar depreciates as soon as you write the cheque for it.
Regards K.K.
Jon, Sweden:
Hello KK and the millworkers, I’m Jon from Sweden, great job with the site. I think it will become really awesome with time. I was thinking, since you’re putting a good amount of emphasis on your guitar gear KK, maybe you could make a list of the equipment you used on the different Priest albums. Personally, I’m totally in love with the guitar sound on the Painkiller album, so I’d really like to know what stuff you and Glenn used on it. Few albums have ever sounded as much metal as that one. I know that you used EMG pickups on it, not much more though…
Looking forward to all the interesting stuff that’s going to happen in the mill, and to the new Priest album! Rock on.
HI Jon, it was a long time ago but I think we were using a basic set up of Marshall gear although the amps were 70’s vintage 50 watt heads with a copy of a rangemaster treble boost. I believe that a company has just started making them again but I am not sure of the name. Thanks for the support!
Regards K.K.
Gary Powell, Waco, Texas:
Hello K.K., I’m a loyal Priest fan for 30+ years and a guitarist. For years when I would play live with my 80’s Metal Cover band, I always displayed some kind of Priest item such as guitar decal, t-shirt, jacket pin, etc., but I’ve always wanted to have a PRIEST Guitar strap exactly like yours! Especially when we do Priest songs! Where do you have your straps made? Can I order one?
Thanks.
Hi Gary, The straps are made for me by Ray Brown in Los Angeles – the same guy who makes our clothes. The only problem would be locating the letters, I think they are either Mexican or Indian silver but as they were purchased in the mid eighties they may now be obsolete. However you may find an alternative with the same look then it’s just a case of getting the strap cut to your perfect width and length. I will ask Ray for more info when I see him.
Regards K.K.
James, Texas:
KK,
Serious guitar question here. After decades of playing some pretty high octane leads, how do you and Glenn keep your hands in shape? I’m not a young guy and my hands are starting to hurt more oft than not. Before I get too old I’d like to be able to play fast and am working on that.
What do you do to 1) keep your hands in shape, and 2) deal with any pain you have from your fingers into your arms?
Hi James, If the truth is told my hands have not always been in great shape over the years. I have suffered with various problems mainly through accidents, but somehow I have always managed to play but not exactly at my peak. When you have a problem you must ease off from practicing and playing, spread your playing throughout the day so you don’t get over tense. I have also had a problem with tennis elbow or repetitive strain injury ,this can be a pain literally. Sometimes I only ever played when I was on stage for months on end. Ultimately it is best to see your doctor to see what he recommends for you. For me it was rest, inflammatory tablets and some ultrasound but everyone can be different. All the best to you.
Regards K.K.
KathyG:
I read that KK owned a ’67 flying V. I would be interested to know if this is true, and if he has a private reserve stock of vintage guitars that he opens up every now and then. I am a serious collector, and have a great desire for just such a guitar.
Thank you for your time, KathyG
Hi Kathy. Yes I do own a 67 V. I have had it since about 74. I also have a 1970, the one with the gold medallion. They made 500 and I believe mine is no. 233. They were all cherry red. I have a 65 sunburst strat but that’s about it. I have had other classics but they were either traded in or given to people, I hope you find your classic.
Regards K.K.
Eric S. Korndorffer:
Hi K.K., I was just wondering what religion/faith do you follow?
Hi Eric, To be honest i don’t have any beliefs. I just believe that everything on the planet is equal, and my only prayer would be for us all to love and respect each other and to be united as one. Other than that you could say that music is a kind of religion as it probably unites more people around the world than anything else, so let’s rock on I say. Thank you very much for your question, hope to see when we are on tour.
Regards K.K.
Vincent Jaeger, Strasbourg, France:
Hello, Jimi Hendrix is your best influence, but have you another big influence? Which band of today do you like to listen? And at last, the first part of the solo of “One shot at glory” is it from you? Thank you very much, hope you know I’m the biggest fan of Priest, if you
remember well I tell you in Stuttgart! lol.
See you.
Hi Vincent, Uli Roth, Rory Galagher, Gary Moore, I could go on because all good players are an influence to me, but as you said, for me Hendrix had it all.
My taste today is quite varied, at the moment I am playing Bob Catley’s “Spirit of Man,” and “The Name of the Rose” by a band called Ten.
Yes, that is my solo,I plan to put it as one of the solos on the Steel Mill this month. See you in Strasbourg soon I hope. Until then Keep Feeding The Flames!
Regards K.K.
Igor:
On the latest tours both you and Glenn wore more necklaces than you used to. Was the Flying V necklace that you wore on the “Angel of Retribution”- tour given to you as a present?
Hi Igor! Yes, I was fortunate enough to be given that really cool gift by a fan.
Regards K.K.
Bren from Seattle:
If you were a Jimi Hendrix song, what would it be and why? Thank you ahead of time if you get to this and answer it, much love, and much appreciation.
Hugs, Bren from Seattle.
Hi Bren, “Voodoo Chile” of course what else? Well, that’s what my mother always called me (amongst other things)
Cheers K.K.
Karen Kutyn:
Good Afternoon Mr. Downing,
I’ve read many times over the years that Jimi Hendrix had been a huge influence of yours. I was wondering however, who are your favourite bands? Those that you’d be able to listen to year after year. Over the years many bands, including JP, have remained with me, those include; RUSH, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Doors and Iron Maiden. Those few bands never seem to lose their edge. Do you have favourites like these?
By the way I’ve included a picture of myself, my daughter and my husband. We all, including my daughter, love JP. You’ll be pleased to know Heather, who is 4 1/2 years old already loves to dance to JP!.
Sincerely, Karen Kutyn
Hi Karen, I always have difficulty in making quick lists of my favourite bands as I always seem to miss some important ones out but here goes, Scorpions, UFO, DIO, Saxon, Yngwie Malmsteen, Black Sabbath, Doro, UDO, Vinnie Moore. Thanks for the photos, see you soon!
Regards K.K.
Jeanine, Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA:
K.K, how have you been able to get inside of my head all of these years? It is true what they say that one person can truly affect many lives. In your case that is an understatement. You have had such fame, such fortune, millions of people love you (including myself) yet you seem quite humble, how do you stay that way?
Hi Jeannie, Thank you for your kind perception of me, it makes me feel very gratified. I myself do not have much time for people who think they are above others. I am always admiring people that can do things that I can not, which means that we are all fans of someone. Thank you again.
Regards K.K.
Alan Smith:
Hi,I recently received the attached management/artiste contract as a gift. Please ignore the name craven coffee, that is the eBay sellers account name.
The name that appears on the document is Mr Parrington, who owned/managed the venue.
Date of the gig was December 10th 1973, do you know whether the gig did take place?
If you would be interested in a scan of the original document for your site, I would be happy to sort that out for you.
Kind regards, Alan Smith
Hi Alan, There is no doubt in my mind that this is genuine. In fact we played the Spinning Jenny a couple of times around then. A scanned copy would be would be cool. Thank you very much.
Regards K.K.
Fiona, London, UK:
Hi I really hope you read this question.
More of a personal question this one. I have been trying recently to verify that Judas Priest signatures on a guitar I bought back in 2005 are genuine and I wondered if you or the rest of the band remembered signing it.
It is a dark red ‘Vorson’ make (no, I haven’t heard of that make either, but believe me, it rocks! Especially ‘Breaking The Law’!) and was allegedly signed by the band in LA or thereabouts during your ‘Retribution’ tour. I bought it soon after and it is one of my two prides of joy (the other is an EVH Wolfgang USA Custom won in a Van Halen competition in 2002).
I hope you don’t think me rude, but I’ve attached two photographs of the guitar taken in my kitchen. I have several others of it if you require them.
Thank you, KK, and keep the pedal to the METAL!
Hi Fiona, Sorry but I can’t help, as you might know we sign literally hundreds of guitars on each tour. But if you bring it along next time, we can certainly sign it again for you to make sure.
Regards K.K.
Steve, San Diego:
Hey KK, Steve here from San Diego.
I am now 47 years old and have followed the Priest all my life. I am English and was born and raised in London. As well as seeing all the Hammersmith shows from the 70s and 80s, I also saw you play at the roundhouse in chalk farm during the Sad Wings tour. It changed my life. During the late 70s, you also visited Neil Kayes heavy metal soundhouse in Kingsbury, London, where I actually got to meet you briefly, this was another huge event for me. You inspired me with the solos you play, especially the Sinner solo, and I took up guitar and of course still play. Even though I never made it, I just wanted to thank you for helping me through life with your work, which still inspires me to play. By the way, the show in San Diego at the arena was awesome!!!!!!! In all of your travels, I just wondered if you remembered the roundhouse show or the visit to the soundhouse metal club?
All the best mate,
Hi Steve, Yes I remember very well, it was a great place to play. In fact I have just heard that it is going again, but I can’t confirm it. I remember seeing UFO there around the same time, it was one of the best concerts I ever saw. The soundhouse sounds very familiar too but I can’t quite picture it, but I am sure if it was described to me a little it would come back to me. Keep Rockin !!!!!
Regards K.K.
Mike, Poland:
Dear Kenneth. I’m Mike from Poland. It’s great to see your website – it looks awesome ! I always wanted to see Judas Priest live and it’s my biggest dream ever
since. I’d like to tell you, that there’s a lot of Judas Priest fans, here in our small country – Poland, and every single one dreams about seeing you ! It would be so emotional moment, to see you guys, such a legends and immortals, playing in front of me, and I know it would be
the happiest day of my life ! I hope you will come to Poland during the next tour. I promise – you will have a lot of great memories and it will be “worth coming here” ! The thing I always wanted to ask you about is – have you ever thought
about recording a solo album ? In my opinion it would be a great experience (for us, to hear new music from you, and for you, to work with new musicians), and I’m sure this would be a wonderful piece of music, because you’re such a great guitarist. I’m very excited, that I have a honour to write an e-mail straight to you ! It’s fabulous feeling to drop a line to one of the greatest guitarists ever, and I hope you will answer my questions.
Greetings from Poland !
Hi Mike, Thank you for the complements. We will definitely be in Poland on the next tour as we know that it is a very strong country for metal music. I have thought about a solo album but as long as Priest is active I will put all of my energy there. So it will have to wait until Priest decides to take some time off and then we shall see what i can do. See you soon.
Regards K.K.
Cat Danswan, Swindon, UK:
Hi Ken!! My Name is Cat and I am 21 and have only just in the last year discovered the amazing music that is Judas Priest. I have an older friend whom I go see
Rock concerts with (also named Ken) we have seen The Cult and Iron Maiden so far and have Rush planned in October and hopefully Priest when the new tour dates are announced. Anyways I suffer from Adult Attention Deficite Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, which also has Dyslexia as part of my symptoms so excuse the poor spelling in this Email) and playing Electric Guitar keeps me off the streets and out of trouble. I have done really well and have learnt some amazing
songs by different bands. My main axe is an amazing Steve Vai signature Ibanez JEM guitar and I play it all the time! Iv only been playing for 4 years max and I have progressed well for someone who is self taught. I have a friend who has been trying to Play Eruption by Eddie Van Halen for the past 20 year!! and it took me only 3 months to nail!! (he doesn’t like me for that reason) But the biggest problem I seem to face is that there is this kind of Taboo about female guitar players!! I want to get a band together and be the lead guitar player and the only female member of the band (to make me stand out
more) but most guys I meet they all say that I am a good guitarist and sometimes better than themselves but they don’t want me in a band because ‘women don’t belong in rock’??!! eh?? should sex matter?? I’m only the guitar player!! I understand no female singers as i prefer male singers, but what so wrong about guitar players!!???
I am from Swindon which is the same town as female guitarist Cat The Great is from and she was featured in the same ‘Top 100 wildest guitar players’ poll in Classic Rock Magazine as yourself and Glenn Tipton. so I just wanted to know what you Think of Female Guitar Players?? do you think there is a place for us in Heavy Metal and Rock Music?? I have proved
to my friends that I can play just as good as men can. But do you think we can ever be equal in a clearly male dominated world?? I also have one other question. What would you think (if there isn’t one already) of having an All Girl Judas Priest Tribute band? If I cut off my blue/black hair and let it grow back out the natural Debbie Harry Blonde then Id think Id make a pretty good Kiki Downing but at the moment I’m probably more like a Glenda Tipton.
Peace xx ?
Hi Cat, I personally don’t see why a female shouldn’t be the equal of a guy but the criteria is going to be the same even for a guy to make it. You have to be good, have an image, and portray yourself with confidence. There are good females out there but maybe you can be the one to really shine through. So keep playing and all the best of luck to you, if you want it bad enough you will have it. Yeah!!! And an all girl tribute to Priest ,that’s a ticket I would buy !!!
Regards K.K.
