K.K. DOWNING On Possibility Of Playing With JUDAS PRIEST Again: 'I Don't Think That Will Ever, Ever Happen'

June 11, 2015

Robert Cavuoto of Guitar International recently conducted an interview with original JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Guitar International: I understand you had your reasons for leaving [JUDAS PRIEST], but how did things go from the band retiring in 2010 with a "farewell" tour, to you leaving in 2011 and them continuing on?

Downing: I'm glad PRIEST is continuing on. I was so close to doing that tour, it wasn't funny. It was just one of those things. I had lots and lots of reasons for not continuing, as I wasn't content with things as they were. I wasn't happy with the band's live performance. I thought it could have been better; not that the fans would notice. To me, PRIEST was always a stealth machine and that's what I liked about it. Even though you get older, you still need to be able to deliver the goods. People came a long way and paid a lot of money to see us, so you've got to make sure you still give 110 percent. I thought that should be inherent and what it should always be.

Guitar International: Would you ever consider joining PRIEST for a special one-off show or perhaps join them on stage for a song or two?

Downing: [Laughs] No, I don't think that will ever, ever happen! Obviously I'm quite happy for Richie Faulkner to be in the band. But I really wasn't expecting to have someone who had so many familiarities as me, the looks and everything. At a glance, nothing too much has changed for the fans.

Guitar International: Can we expect a solo CD or hear you on someone's CD, as a guest performer?

Downing: It's hard for me to be creative in music. If I thought I was still coming up with good ideas and writing good stuff, it would probably still be befitting of PRIEST. It's hard after 40 years; we'll see what happens in time. I get lots of requests to perform on people's CDs. I had a bad time with the people from Cleopatra Records; they got me involved in a WHO tribute CD. The producer hacked the solos to death and then randomly put it into the song. On my site, you can hear what I originally did. I also did a solo on Geoff Tate's [QUEENSRŸCHE] CD. People have always asked me to do stuff, but I was always dedicated to PRIEST. It's great that people still remember me.

Read the entire interview at Guitar International.

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