[You Don't Know What It's Like!] Thursday, January 19, 2012 11:48:03 AM
I think Priest were seriously going to consider calling it a day after this tour (hence the "Epitaph" title of it), and the exit of K.K has, in a funny sort of way, revitalised the band.
Firstly, it appears to have spurred both Rob & Glenn to write, and then record some new material (along with Scott & Ian), somewhere between K.K. announcing he was retiring & the tour actually starting.
I'm not entirely sure whether this was another reason for K.K. going - because he either didn't want to continue writing new material or, as has been mentioned several times before, the material Rob & Glenn wanted to write wasn't the direction K.K. wanted to go with.
Anyway, secondly, the introduction of Richie Faulkner does seem to have been the kick up the backside that perhaps the band needed.
At last the band have some fresh input & energy that they can all feed on, which explains why they're talking about a new album & those songs recorded before the tour started have been held back so that Richie can add his magic to them.
I think that anyone wishing to make a truly educated judgement on the current standard of the band's live performances needs to see them, certainly, more than once on this tour.
I saw them three times in a row in the U.K at Wolverhampton, London (High Voltage Festival), plus lastly at Bournemouth & for me they just got better & better.
Rob was definately back to his chatting between songs & screaming his lungs out best (when compared to previous / recent tours).
My favourite quote from Richie is that he sees himself as now trying to keep JP going for another ten years... and good luck to him.
Personally, I'm looking forward to a new album, and even more so to their return to the Hammersmith Apollo on May 26th.
