Glenn Tipton on Judas Priest’s 2022 Tour, Upcoming Album, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination, and More
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The post Glenn Tipton on Judas Priest’s 2022 Tour, Upcoming Album, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination, and More appeared first on Consequence.
In 2018, Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton disclosed publicly that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease (having been originally diagnosed 10 years earlier). But to his credit, he did not retire — rather he stepped back from touring while continuing to be a member of the iconic metal band.
Tipton co-penned all 14 tracks on one of the band’s strongest albums in years, 2018’s Firepower, and continues to join the band onstage in a cameo role (as Andy Sneap fills in for him in the group’s touring lineup).
Priest are in the midst of their “50 Heavy Metal Years Tour” (tickets available here) — during which Tipton has already appeared at a few shows — and also are supporting the recent release of a mammoth, 42-CD (!) box set, 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music.
Additionally, the legendary metal band was recently nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with the results expected to be announced in May.
Tipton — who has been a member of Priest since 1974 — spoke with Heavy Consequence in the midst of Priest’s tour, and discussed his health, Priest’s current tour and upcoming album, their current Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, and memories of when the band got banned from one of the world’s best known concert venues.
First off, how are you feeling health-wise?
I’m not too bad. I take every day as it comes. Sometimes I’m on a high, sometimes I’m on a low…but that’s life. You just have to get on with it.
How has it been playing with Judas Priest on certain tour dates?
It’s fantastic. To hear the roar of the crowd, and in some places they chant “Glenn,” it makes me feel really good. It’s just a very hard thing to give up. I will find it very difficult when I finish completely. But at the moment, I’m dealing with it and enjoying it. And the crowd’s enjoying it. Also, I’ve got a foundation for Parkinson’s. Basically, I’ve done it through this specialist that I work with in London. We’ve got t-shirts and we put them on sale with the Priest posters and t-shirts [order here]. It’s sold really good. I’m not surprised, because the Priest fans are so loyal. They’re great. It’s great that we’re able to raise some money. I’m putting it into a Parkinson’s trust that deals with MRI – it’s sort of an MRI technique, a scanning technique.
What’s a typical day like for you off the road?
I get up pretty early and go downstairs and feed the dog. Then if I’m in the mood, I’ll go up into the studio and do some work. But I live in the middle of nowhere — it’s on a farm. I’m always occupied basically, is what I’m trying to say.
For fans who haven’t picked it up yet, what can they expect in the box set 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music?
It’s a box set containing 42 CDs, studio and live releases — including Jugulator and Demolition [the two Priest albums that featured Ripper Owners on vocals]. And then there’s some very early stuff never seen before – Live at the Mudd Club, Live in Denver, Live in London, Live in Atlanta, Live in Houston, Live in New Haven, and on and on. For the real specialists and collectors, there’s some really good stuff there that’s really interesting. When you do something like a 42-disc box release, it’s fascinating to listen back to it, because it’s just as strong as it ever was. Some of the songs we wrote 50 years ago plus … it’s just amazing to listen to, because it’s not dated at all. That comes from the songwriting, but it also comes from being around a long time, gaining experience, and albums that will remain suspended in time. It’s definitely a very interesting exercise to listen to it — what we’ve produced and written over the years.
What’s the latest you can tell us about Judas Priest’s upcoming album?
We’re fortunate — or unfortunate, whichever way you want to look at it — that we’ve created a niche for ourself, and I think the fans would be disappointed if we strayed too far away from it. But we’ve always wanted to try and go down new paths. So really, it’s a bit experimental. There will be some tracks on there that people will either like or … I wouldn’t say “hate,” but they might not be their favorite tracks. We haven’t finished it yet. We did some before the pandemic, then that put a halt to that, and then we’ve continued — and will continue — since. But it’s very strong, very good material. I think that all in all, the kids are really going to like it.
Judas Priest are currently nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Are you surprised that the band hasn’t been inducted yet?
I’ve gotten to not have much faith in the choice of some of the inductions over the years. I’d be proud of we were nominated and got through. But it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we aren’t. I’ll be pleased one way and pleased the other way. I don’t expect anything, so maybe this will be the year we are inducted.
What was the thought process behind recently selling a 50-percent interest in your song catalog?
Basically, I’ve always been happy with Sony. But they’re not proactive. And a lot of my songs on my solo albums — not Priest — have got very strong character and emotions, on a personal level. You couldn’t really release that on Priest’s catalog. So, I found a company, Reach Music, and they’re just wonderful. They actually concentrate on proactive more than normal. I just liked the way they worked, the things that they say, they know what they’re talking about. They haven’t just picked up a brochure and read a couple of titles and quoted those. They know the Priest music and my solo stuff – and they’re working hard on a proactive level, to get them up and running.
How would you describe your uniquely shaped custom Hamer GT guitar?
Good guitars — apart from the sound and the skill of constructing them — are well-balanced. You find some guitars are top-heavy, and they won’t be comfortable. You’re always trying to correct the position. So, it was the shape of the guitar that was really important to me. I did numerous mock-ups just to see if I could get the balance right … and it’s turned out well. And the other thing is the long part of the body, when you’re playing, it finds its own position. And I still do a lot of stretch finger work, so that elongation of the body sits on my inner right side and gives me the exact angle that I play best at. It sits comfortably. So, when I come to a lead break, I haven’t got to think about holding the guitar in the right position — it’s done for me. That was the most important thing. And it just took on its own persona — it’s its own shape now. I’m known for using that guitar. And my Hamer GT Phantom … which isn’t a “shelf Phantom” but it’s very similar — those are my two favorite guitars.
What are your memories of Priest’s infamous 1984 Madison Square Garden show that got the band banned from the arena?
We were held responsible for a riot in Madison Square Garden [on June 18, 1984]. There was $400,000 worth of damage to the seats. But we didn’t cause a riot – the audience just enjoyed the music so much that they got overenthusiastic. We got banned from there. But a funny story was me and KK went to Madison Square Garden about two months after the seats had been ripped out, and we snuck in there to watch McEnroe play. We thought nobody would notice us, but one of the ushers came up to us, bent down, and said, “Thanks for the new seats, lads!” So, we refurbished Madison Square Garden.
Our thanks to Glenn Tipton for taking the time to speak with us. Pick up tickets to Judas Priest’s upcoming tour dates here, and order 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music at this location.
Glenn Tipton on Judas Priest’s 2022 Tour, Upcoming Album, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination, and More
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