Adrian Peel of Digital Journal spoke with former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing. Excerpts from the story appear below.
On his new business venture:
“Don’t laugh, but I’m just about to release Metal For Men and Metal Pour Femme, which is a new line of fragrances, and I’m going to be selling that internationally. Do you know Planet Rock? In the UK I’ll be selling that initially through Planet Rock, through the national radio station. That’s something else I’ve thought of in my sleep. Don’t ask me why! You see these people do a fragrance from the pop world and stuff like that, but nobody’s actually catering for rock and metal fans, so I thought I’d solve the headache of what to buy for Christmas type-of-thing…”
Discussing releasing a solo album:
“Well I think about it all the time, I do… I’m thinking that when all this dies down a little bit, even if I’m 65, 66 – it doesn’t matter. I mean you look at The Rolling Stones, The Who and everybody can still put their hand to their instrument and be creative. So I’m not ruling anything out at any time…It may well be an instrumental album. I could do it, but at the moment I’ve just got to finish what I’ve started, really, is what I think. But it won’t be too long. I would’ve thought by the end of next year, I’ll find a clearing and I would like to work with some chosen musicians.”
Explaining why he left Judas Priest:
“I felt that a lot of the spark wasn’t there – for whatever reason – anymore on stage. I felt that I had it, but I felt it wasn’t what I originally signed up for… I always thought that Judas Priest should have been a high-energy outfit and ultra-sharp, but I wasn’t enjoying it as much on stage as I should have been. All that traveling and living out of a suitcase and spending so much time in planes, vans, cars and trains, you have to really enjoy the concerts. You have to musically get on a high and that carries you through, but if you’re not enjoying it like you should, then it becomes a lot of hard work because you’ve still got to do the interviews and be pushed and pulled around the place.”
Does regret his decision to leave the band?:
“I don’t regret leaving because, to me, I thought that it had run its course. I miss what we had, but I don’t particularly miss what we had become when I left… You can look at You Tube and see Judas Priest playing at the US Festival, or at Live Aid, and I miss being at the pinnacle of the band. I miss that energy and youthfulness and just delivering all of that up. You become a certain age and I think that I would have been happy if, as I said, I was enjoying the shows. There’s disagreements with how things should be done and I thought if I’m outnumbered then it’s time to go…But I suppose we did fantastically well. I mean 40 years is great and I commend the guys for going back out. I was just watching a bit of their first concert of the tour in Rochester, New York, and it was great. Band sounded good and I’m happy that they continue. I sent an email saying ‘good luck with the new tour, guys’ to the management office. I do wish them well and I commend them highly for being out there and carrying on the legacy.”
Read more with K.K. at Digital Journal. Additionally, Downing, will be donating some of the proceeds from his forthcoming fragrances to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
For more information about K.K., please visit his official website.
source: digitaljournal.com
35 Responses
I understand what KK was feeling. Saw them just before he left – and they were like a band going through the motions. Very little energy compared to what they had brought for years. Rob was dealing with back pain – and appeared to be trying to survive the tour to me. Happy to hear everyone is fine with moving on. He is still part of the metal fortress that set the example.
A gracious and civil interview on his femur band. How refreshing…
He seems content. Very cool.
good interview but it would have been better if the interviewer asked k.k. what he thought about richie being in the band. shouldn’t that have been one of the 1st questions that should have been asked? who knows, maybe k.k. told the interviewer that he didnt wanna talk about him. but, glad he’s doing well, hope his golf course and fragrance business become successful business ventures. and like others have said, its refreshing to not hear an ex band member bashing his ex band mates. long live the priest!!!
KK, and really all the guys in Priest, seems to be a real class act. Professional is probably a good word to use. I’d be interested in hearing a KK solo album, collaborating with “chosen musicians”, that could be pretty interesting. I think I see what he’s referring to as far as the live stuff – watching a lot of videos there is a lack of energy compared to the old days – but I can’t be too critical of it given their ages. I’m 20 years younger than them, and I have days where I’m sore just walking around! However, sometimes things do look a little too rehearsed, with the guys not seeming “into it”. I’m not going to complain too much though, they still deliver for the most part and I am genuinely happy we still have them. Ritchie Faulkner has done an excellent job taking care of KK’s former duties, while bringing his own style and energy to the band (anyone else think he sounds a lot like Zakk Wylde?). Unfortunately I could not attend the show in my area this tour, and I know I may not get another chance, but I have great memories of seeing them on the Ram it Down and Painkiller tours.
i saw them on both of those tours as well. freakin phenomenal performances!!