ROB HALFORD: If We Didn't Play 'Nostradamus' Live In Its Entirety, I Think We Would Regret It

Mark Daniell of JAM! Music recently conducted an interview with JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford. A few excerpts from the chat follow.

On touring:

"It's the same no matter where we play. That's the joy of heavy metal music. We can walk out on a stage anywhere in the world and get the same reaction. The Japanese react the same way as the people in Texas, and the people in Texas react the same as the people in Rome. There's just this real love and passion for metal music and for PRIEST. That's a wonderful thing."

On the band's decision after over three decades to release PRIEST's first-ever concept album:

"I can't remember how long it's been, but I know that we've had conversations about doing a concept release more than once. It has been lurking in the wings for many, many years. . . A lot of concept records are really just made-up fantasy. But the idea of giving Nostradamus the heavy metal treatment was one that kind of stuck. . . We could have gone and done another studio record, but this just fired us all up and we couldn't wait to get stuck into the project."

On JUDAS PRIEST's plans to showcase "Nostradamus" in a series of themed "special event" shows:

"If we didn't play it live in its entirety, I think we would regret it. It'll be a real treat when we do play the whole thing live. We'll surround it with a great stage set, costumes and we'll do it at a storied venue like (London's) Royal Albert Hall. That will be a first for PRIEST; we've never ventured into that kind of experience."

On the resurgence of interest in metal

"I think metal has had just about every genre thrown at it. And still, so many new denominations of metal keep emerging. These days you have death metal, European metal, American-style metal and if something else comes up, I'll be delighted. It will be great to have a fresh metal experience."

On being comfortable with PRIEST's place in rock 'n' roll lore:

"We count our blessings we came along when we did. You look at today's situation, a band that's doing incredibly well right now, could be elsewhere in two, three years. It's very, very difficult to maintain a level of success in today's music industry. We've been fortunate to be able to put on the kinds of shows that people remember and want to come back and re-experience again and again. And what we're finding when we go onstage nowadays is that the front row is absolutely crammed with all these new metal heads. Barely into their teens, there they are, going crazy for PRIEST. They're seeking us out. So the journey is ongoing. I really can't see the end."

Read more from JAM! Music.

Rob Halford performing with JUDAS PRIEST on June 13, 2008 at the Download festival at Donington Park, Leicestershire, UK (photo uploaded by Flickr user "MrJolly"):

Rob Halford performing with JUDAS PRIEST on June 22, 2008 at IJsselhallen in Zwolle, Holland (photo uploaded by Flickr user "KJGuch"):