JUDAS PRIEST's ROB HALFORD: 'You're Only As Good As The Last Thing You Ever Did'

Aedan Siebert of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On JUDAS PRIEST being inducted into Kerrang! magazine's Hall Of Fame:

Halford: "Yeah, that was amazing! I mean, Kerrang! magazine — as you're aware — is quite an influential mag over in the UK and that kind of came out of the blue! We were asked to accept the award quite some time ago, but it was just a matter of trying to get us all in the same country at the same time because we're spread around the world. But it was a brilliant night out! To be recognized by that magazine — it's a weekly publication that reaches about a quarter of a million metal heads and rock heads each week in Great Britain — it was just a very cool thing to receive. And you know, to be in the company of the other bands that were there, like MACHINE HEAD for example, Trent from NINE INCH NAILS, FALL OUT BOY, GALLOWS, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE — it was just good company! So we had a brilliant night out there with everybody!"

On where he thinks life might have taken him had he not risen to become a metal god:

Halford: "I don't really know! I mean, you know when I was just about to leave high school back in the Midlands I was already fascinated by everything in the world of entertainment — show business — whether it was movies or musical performances or theatre that kind of thing. I mean, I look back — way, way back — to when I was about 8 or 9 years of age if not slightly younger, when I was involved in school choir productions and remember getting a kick out of that. All the way through my education I was involved in the things kids do at school and I'm sure that really was where the seeds were planted — knowing that I had a voice and how good it made me feel when I used it to sing — and the reaction that it created even then as a kid — it made me feel great! I enjoyed it so much. So when I left school I was in two minds as to what I was going to do. I ended up going to work in a theatre in Northampton as a stage lighting technician and I saw all of these incredible performances by opera companies, ballet, vaudeville, repertory theatre and looking at all that from the side of the stage was something that made me even more determined to try and get actually on the stage as oppose to being in the wings so to speak. And again at that time — I was probably about 16 or 17 — music was a really important part of my life. I just did what a lot of musicians do — I found a local band just to have a knock with and play some songs and that's really where I got my teeth stuck into being a metal singer. I suppose if I didn't end up doing that I would've still in one way or form been involved in the world of entertainment — although I'm not absolutely sure as to exactly what it would be. Anything that's related to it I still find really fascinating and really enjoyable."

On people's expectations from The Metal God:

Halford: "When you become successful, you maybe think differently. When you become successful and you become a professional musician, you want to hang on to that and you'll do whatever you've got to do to hang on to that because you're getting so much out of it, you know? Despite that simple fact you have to really accept that the only way you can sustain your career is to do the best possible things. And even beyond that you know, it's a fickle business, rock and roll — I mean, there are many great artists that have just fallen by the wayside for one reason or another. When you do become popular — especially on an international level — the fire gets turned up a notch and you have to work harder. In my opinion, you're only as good as the last thing you ever did. You can't live on your past glories. Especially if you're still active and looking for other things to do. So I guess it does bring a responsibility. It brings a responsibility to yourself to do the best possible job you can do, even better than before if you could — like we are for example right now with PRIEST with the 'Nostradamus' release that's coming out [this] year — and then to your fans. You know, the fans are the backbone to everything that you try and do to sustain yourself with. They're the people that buy your records and come to the shows and buy a t-shirt. It's vitally important that you're responsible to making sure that the fans get the best metal you can make."

Read the entire interview at www.themetalforge.com.