Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, who performed Priest‘s Breaking The Law and Black Sabbath‘s Snowblind at this past Saturday’s (July 5th) Back To The Beginning event at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, alongside Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins) on vocals, Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) on guitar, Adam Jones (Tool) on guitar, Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake) on bass, and Danny Carey (TOOL) on drums, took to his social media earlier today on July 8th to share a few photos from the concert, and he included the following message:
“Incredible!!! That is the only word for what has just taken place!
All throughout rehearsals and up to soundcheck I was thinking is this really at all possible? There were amplifiers, speakers, pedal boards, and miles and miles of cables everywhere, and hundreds of people all going in tons of different directions. I had to ask myself ‘could I actually be a bit nervous?’ Hell yeah! I was, this is going to be the most Important show in rock and metal ever!!! Then when I arrived on the day, the show was already under way, and when I got to my dressing room I was notified that the show was running 20 minutes ahead of schedule. This was truly in itself a very rare achievement.
I cannot praise everyone enough that was involved with organizing this wonderful event. The curtain went up for me and my amazing bandmates and everything had come magically together, this event was truly in the hands of top professionals.
I would like to thank the band — Adam Jones, Danny Carey, Rudy Sarzo, Billy Corgan, and last but not least the event’s musical director Tom Morello, who really did dedicate himself to this show over so many months.
I cannot end without saying a massive thank you to Sharon, Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill for making all of this possible, and for their great contribution to a very worthy charity.
I think King Charles III of England should now prepare to award Sharon and the Mighty Black Sabbath each a very well-deserved knighthood.”
3 Responses
Please forgive me, but K.K. should have sung.
I am not a fan of Billy Corgan‘s “voice,” nor The Samshing Pumpkins, and I think, he ruined those two great songs, especially Snowblind, which outside of Paranoid, is my favorite Black Sabbath song.
I wish I could post the puke emoji’s, because that pretty sums up, how I felt about those vocal performances. The band was fine.
Yes, some people should not be singing Black Sabbath.
Agreed, Billy was beyond terrible. KK was amazing though as always! I just saw him a few months ago with Accept, and was blown away by his playing. Judas Priest screwed up letting him go, and then denying his re-entry back into the band. He shreds! He might have been nervous, but he sure didn’t show it. One of the best highlights of the night far as I’m concerned.