COULD A MARKETING SURVEY DETERMINE THE FATE OF JUDAS PRIEST’S NEW GUITARIST?

A reader calling himself “J.A.M.” forwarded us an e-mail he received yesterday, in which Judas Priest — or, probably more accurately, their marketing team — ask fans to take a survey. Here’s a photo of the e-mail, with the reader’s real name blocked out in the event he doesn’t want the world to know it:

Now, one of the phrases in that e-mail which might jump out at you is “your thoughts on new guitarist Richie Faulkner,” a.k.a. “The Due Who Replaced K.K. Downing.” Keep that in mind moving forward.

Okay. So. When you click through on the survey, you are initially asked a bunch of fairly innocuous questions — things along the line of “How likely are you to buy the next Judas Priest album?” and “What is your favorite thing about Judas Priest?” Y’know, silly marketing questions you’ve probably seen a million times.

And then you come to this question:

At which point I was all, “Whaaaa?”

I’ve never, ever heard of a band surveying their fans’ opinions of a new member like this before. What happens if lots of smart ass fans, such as myself, decide to answer along the lines of “No one can ever replace K.K. Downing?” (The question following this one was about ways in which we’d like to see Priest “commemorate” this “latest chapter in their seminal history.” My write-in answer was, “By bringing back K.K. Downing.”) Does that mean that they’d kick Faulkner to the curb? And isn’t that kinda, like, I dunno, way uncool? I mean, I appreciate wanting the fans’ opinions in theory, but aren’t you supposed to hire or fire a dude based on his performance? Is Judas Priest a metal band, or are they running for political office?

Look. I know I’m being idealistic. I’m aware that bands are large as Priest have other considerations besides artistic integrity. And I know there’s a very good chance the members of the band aren’t even aware that this survey exists.

But they should still probably have a good talking with whomever included that question. ‘Cause it’s really bizarre, and it makes them look really, really bad.

-AR