In a brand new interview with Andrés Durán of El Expreso Del Rock, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about what it was like for him to affix the band in 2011 because the alternative for unique guitarist Kenneth “Okay.Okay.” Downing. He mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I feel you’ll be able to by no means change somebody like Okay.Okay. Downing. He was within the band for 40 years. He began the band with them. He helped create what they created collectively. So that you’re by no means gonna change that. I do not assume that is ever been my mindset. However while you get the chance for that place, it’s important to respect what went earlier than however I feel you additionally must try to create your individual sound shifting ahead with the band.”
Richie continued: “I am the identical with bands like UFO. I like [former UFO guitarist] Michael Schenker or [former DEEP PURPLE guitarist] Ritchie Blackmore. DEEP PURPLE have had completely different guitar gamers as nicely. I like Ritchie Blackmore. Some individuals love Okay.Okay., some individuals love us all, some individuals adore it all, and it is nice. However there’s at all times gonna be people who have their favourite guitar gamers. I am simply glad to be there serving to and provides what I can and paying respect, hopefully, to what he laid out earlier than.”
Requested by Durán how he feels about the truth that PRIEST singer Rob Halford beforehand credited Faulkner with “saving” the band practically a decade and a half in the past, Richie mentioned: “I’d say, after 50 years the band is placing out new music and we’re nonetheless touring in Colombia, world wide. We acquired nominated for a Grammy within the metallic class for brand new music. I feel that it is a sturdy message that heavy metallic remains to be related and JUDAS PRIEST is likely one of the bands that is nonetheless making it related. Whether or not you assume the Grammys are — whether or not they imply something, the actual fact is the world watches that they usually see hip-hop they usually see nation they usually see pop, however they see heavy metallic there as nicely. And it is GOJIRA, METALLICA, PRIEST, SPIRITBOX — we’re nonetheless up there. PRIEST remains to be up there as a contender after greater than 50 years. And I feel that feels, to me, like we’re doing one thing proper and we’re nonetheless flying the flag for heavy metallic, and we’re all proud to do it. And that is all I can say, actually. What it was earlier than, I do not know, so coming into the band, I do not know what it was like earlier than.”
Faulkner continued: “I feel it is a very nice factor of Rob to say, however I feel we’re a group — we work as a group — not simply the band, however administration and the label and our crew; the crew’s unbelievable. So we’re all a part of the machine. And what’s gone earlier than was the identical and what is going to come after was the identical. It will be the identical. We’re a part of a group, we’re a part of the JUDAS PRIEST household — Okay.Okay., Ripper Owens, Les Binks, Dave Holland, John Hinch, so many — we’re all a part of that legacy, and the most effective factor we will do is simply give a thousand p.c and hopefully nonetheless fly the flag for heavy metallic 60 years later or 70 years later. I feel that is that is what the objective is. Whether or not you obtain that, I feel that is what your focus needs to be.”
Again in December 2022, Faulkner spoke to Nice Day Houston about what it was like for him to affix the band in 2011 because the alternative for Downing. He mentioned: “I performed in a canopy band in London and across the U.Okay. And JUDAS PRIEST songs had been the staple weight loss plan of a gig in rock guitar enjoying. You needed to know JUDAS PRIEST and DEEP PURPLE and IRON MAIDEN and all these songs when you needed to play often. So I used to be intimately conversant in the band’s materials — by no means met the band earlier than. I knew one in every of their ex-drummers, Les Binks. And I acquired the decision from the administration in the future. I used to be a little bit of… the ‘Goldilocks And The Three Bears’ the place the porridge is good; I wasn’t a very new man the place I used to be gonna get stage fright, however I hadn’t been across the block for the final 10 years the place I used to be gonna have a listing of calls for. I used to be proper within the center.”
Concerning how his addition to PRIEST proved to be such a seamless transition, Faulkner mentioned: “I feel half of it was the scale of it. You simply form of get swept together with the wave of it. You notice how a lot this implies to so many individuals world wide. I feel I used to be prepared for the problem. I do know the obligation that comes with being the guitar participant in such a significant band.”
Faulkner, practically three a long time Downing‘s junior, joined PRIEST after Okay.Okay. left amid claims of band battle, shoddy administration and declining high quality of efficiency.
In 2018, Downing revealed that he despatched two resignation letters to his bandmates when he determined to give up JUDAS PRIEST. The primary was described as “a swish exit be aware, implying a easy retirement from music,” whereas the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with particular events.”
Downing later mentioned that he believed the second letter was “a key cause” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton‘s determination to retire from touring.
Again in 2019, Faulkner dismissed the criticism he acquired for supposedly making an attempt to look an excessive amount of like Downing. “Clearly, you get the [haters] — the ‘clone’ feedback,” Richie advised the “Let There Be Speak” podcast. “I’ve acquired lengthy blond hair, enjoying a flying V [guitar]… [Michael] Schenker, Zakk [Wylde], Okay.Okay., Randy Rhoads — all these guys. To say I used to be a Ken clone was pretty narrow-minded. There’s tons of men who’ve flying Vs and lengthy hair.
“The factor is that if I had dyed my hair black to be completely different, I’d have been shot down,” he continued. “You’ve got gotta be actual; you’ve got gotta be who you might be. And I grew up on Ken, I grew up on Glenn [Tipton, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist] and the blokes that I discussed. So you’ve got simply gotta be who you might be. And I grew up with these guys, and I am not ashamed. I put on it on my sleeve — they’re all my influences, and I am not afraid of that… There is no level in making an attempt to cover it. But it surely’s gotta be pure as nicely. And I feel in some way it labored out organically. I did not attempt to copy him. And because it goes on, you at all times attempt to do your individual factor and make your individual assertion.”
Seven years in the past, Downing mentioned that he felt like he was “being cloned” when he first came upon he was being changed by Faulkner.
Downing, who introduced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011 after practically 42 years within the job, admitted to the “Urge for food For Distortion” podcast that he was greatly surprised when he first noticed his alternative.
“Richie, so far as I do know, is a pleasant man and clearly a superb participant,” Downing mentioned. “I used to be a bit dissatisfied when, mainly… I feel the thought was to interchange me [with a lookalike], so I did really feel as if I used to be form of being cloned. However I am unsure that was precisely honest to Richie. I imply, I may very well be off the mark right here, however I feel Richie had the proper to carry himself to the stage along with his personal… painting his personal picture and talent to play the instrument the way in which that he does. However it’s what it’s.”
He continued: “When Glenn retired from touring [in early 2018], the identical did not occur — clearly, [Tipton‘s replacement] Andy [Sneap] does not look something like Glenn; he does not put on the identical garments, the purple pants, guitars or something like that. So I do not actually know what is going on on. However it’s what it’s.”
In a 2011 interview with the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Halford acknowledged about Faulkner‘s bodily resemblance to a youthful Downing: “Persons are saying, ‘It is a clone. You’ve got acquired a few of Okay.Okay.‘s DNA.’ It is simply the way in which it turned out. We made, like, a secret search. After we knew Okay.Okay. was not gonna be making the tour, we did a whole lot of secret, form of, looking for one other participant. And Richie simply occurred to be the man. And he simply occurs to look somewhat little bit of the Okay.Okay. picture, you realize?! I feel it will be foolish to say, ‘We regarded for a guitar participant that appears like Ken.’ What we wish is an excellent metallic guitar participant, and that is what Richie Faulkner is.”
