GLENN TIPTON: Reuniting With ROB HALFORD Made Us Realize How Special JUDAS PRIEST Is

May 31, 2005

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton recently spoke to the Pioneer Press about the group's world tour in support of their latest CD, "Angel of Retribution". A couple of excerpts from the interview follow:

On inspiring much of the heavy-metal parody film "This Is Spinal Tap":

"We've always been a larger-than-life band, and we've been in those 'Spinal Tap' moments. I thought it was a good movie, funny movie. We don't take ourselves too seriously, but we've always taken the music seriously, and I hope people know that."
On the group's decision to book a U.S. arena tour for the first time since the early '90s:

"There are two keys, really — one is we genuinely love JUDAS PRIEST music. We're not just out there for the bucks. The other, which seems strange to say, is parting company with [singer] Rob [Halford] and him coming back has made us realize how special PRIEST is."

On the band's "reunion" album, "Angel of Retribution":

"We hadn't worked together for so long, and it just opened the floodgates, and we were very prolific. I don't suppose we've ever dealt with the bigger issues. We were separated over 10 years, and the music brought us back together, so my comment (to other bands) would be to get it all on the table. It's like a marriage — you need to communicate.

"On a positive note, we get to travel around the world and play music we love, and I firmly believe it's helping us to stay young, rather than give up the ghost and grow fat. As long as there's a demand for PRIEST and we can cut it up there, we'll be there."

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