“It was: ‘Do we spend £5 on chips or petrol?’ We always chose petrol so we could get to the next gig”: Rob Halford on the humble beginnings of Judas Priest
They’re now one of the most iconic metal bands of all time, but it took a while for Judas Priest to find success. And like so many artists, the British outfit had their years of counting pennies.
Formed in 1969, it took around a decade of relentless gigging for Priest to gather momentum, and finally saw mainstream commercial success with the release of their 1980 album, British Steel, which featured the likes of Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight.
But as frontman Rob Halford remembers in a new interview with Classic Rock, the years they’d spent prior very much consisted of paying their dues.
The band signed their first record deal in the early ‘70s, releasing their debut album Rocka Rolla through independent label Gull. “They couldn’t afford to pay us a fiver each in wages,” Halford recalls.
“It was a case of: ‘Do we spend this five pounds on some chips, or do we buy petrol?’ And we always chose the petrol so we could get to the next gig. But most bands go through the same.”
Their dues were paid, though, and Judas Priest have gone on to become one of the most important bands in the history of heavy metal, influencing the likes of Metallica, Iron Maiden and so many more.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rob Halford recalls some of the earliest lyrics he wrote with the band.
“I honestly can’t remember what the first song I ever wrote lyrics to was,” he says. “But it’s probably something like Rocka Rolla or Winter’s Retreat on that first album.
“These days I look at the words to Rocka Rolla and do a bit of an eye roll. But we were young and I was a different person then – and we had to write our own material.
“Priest had been out on the road doing pubs and clubs before we got the deal with Gull, but I don’t recall doing covers. From day one we were playing songs like Never Satisfied or Whisky Woman, which later turned into Victim of Changes, and whatever else we were noodling with at the time.”
He continues: “But I took inspiration from everywhere. We were at the beginning of something new and experimental in music. We were passing from the hippie phase into a time when everything was getting louder. I can remember sitting with KK [Downing, guitarist], listening to Hendrix, Wishbone Ash, Yes and Jethro Tull as well as the obvious stuff like Sabbath, Zeppelin and Purple.”
View a list of all of Judas Priest’s upcoming live dates at their official website.
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