JUDAS PRIEST's IAN HILL On Possible Retirement From Touring: 'There's No Reason For Us To Stop'

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was recently interviewed by Canada's "Thorn Of Rock" radio show. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On JUDAS PRIEST continuing to play shows five decades into the band's career:

Ian: "It's just something we've been doing. We've done it for 50 years, and it would just seem strange if we stopped. Having said that, we thoroughly enjoy what we're doing, which is a main motivation these days. And there's no reason to stop. As long as can put on quality performances and put out quality music, we'll keep on doing so. And as long as the fine people who are the PRIEST fans are happy with that, there's no reason for us to stop."

On whether JUDAS PRIEST would ever embark on a "farewell tour":

Ian: "It's not on the cards. We did try and slow down. That's what the 'Epitaph' tour [in 2011] was all about. Richie [Faulkner, guitar] came onboard with boundless enthusiasm and energy, and we're back at doing albums and full-blown tours again, and we're all loving every minute of it. So there's no talk at the moment of [stopping], but it will come, obviously. You can't ignore age. But, like I say, as long as we can get out there and put on quality performances, we will do so. If the performances start to drop and the material starts to become substandard by our standards, then, yeah, maybe it's time to call it a day. But that's still not on the horizon yet."

On whether PRIEST can continue without any original members or possibly with only one original member left:

Ian: "It's a tough call, that one. Rob [Halford, vocals] and myself are the senior members of the band at the moment. Glenn's [Tipton, guitar] still there in the background, and he's still working on new material for the next album, so he still has an input there. But Richie's been with us now for nearly nine years. Scott's [Travis, drums] been with us for about 30, nearly 40 years, whatever it is. Like I say, you can't ignore age. Rob and myself, we're the senior members of the band, so we only have a limited amount of time left. But how much time that is, who knows? I mean, look at THE [ROLLING] STONES — they're in their mid-70s and they're still battling on. There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to do that."

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003.

PRIEST's current touring lineup consists of Hill, Halford, guitarists Andy Sneap and Faulkner, and Travis.

JUDAS PRIEST will return to the U.S. for a spring run with fellow classic heavy rockers URIAH HEEP. The 32-date trek will kick off on May 3 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida and wrap on June 29 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "Firepower", was released in March 2018 via Epic.