K.K. Downing Says He Would Only Rejoin Judas Priest for a “Very, Very Big” Check
Kenneth “K.K.” Downing is not technically a founding member of Judas Priest, but only because none of the true founding members of the band still remain. Downing was, however, part of one of the earliest incarnations of the band, the first to record an album with the band, and he appeared on every Judas Priest album up through 2008’s Nostradamus. Thus, when he’s mistakenly referred to as a founding member of Judas Priest, which he often is, we all just kind of roll with it because it’s more or less true.
Now at 72-years-old, Downing hasn’t played a show with Priest in about 13 years, and it seems that he and the band intend to keep it that way. In a recent interview with German site WDR at the recent Rock Hard Festival in Germany, Downing explained what it would take for him to reunite with Judas Priest: money, and lots of it. Here’s what he told WDR, as transcribed by Blabbermouth:
“Well, let me see the check. [Laughs] It would have to be very, very big. No. I’m happy. I’m content. I humbly approached the guys a couple of years ago and said, ‘Look, what do you think about me being back? You’re thinking about being a four-piece and doing stuff.’ And they said, ‘No.’ And so that’s it. It’s closure, I guess — which, it’s sad.”
Meanwhile, Downing is touring with his band that he calls K.K.’s Priest, and they’re doing a run of European tour dates before returning to North America. Check out the full list of dates below:
MAY 11 – BOMAL-SUR-OURTHE, BELGIUM – DURBUY ROCK FESTIVAL
MAY 12 – UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS – TIVOLIVREDENBURG
MAY 14 – STUTTGART, GERMANY – LKA LONGHORN
MAY 15 – ASCHAFFENBURG, GERMANY – COLOS-SAAL
MAY 16 – HAMBURG, GERMANY – GRUENSPAN (*NEW VENUE)
MAY 18 – GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – ROCK HARD FESTIVAL
MAY 19 – MUNICH, GERMANY – BACKSTAGE WERK
JUNE 15 – ZAMORA, SPAIN – Z! LIVE FESTIVAL
JULY 5 – BARCELONA, SPAIN – BARCELONA ROCK FEST
JULY 7 – BILBAO, SPAIN – SANTANA 27
JULY 10 – PRATTELN, SWITZERLAND – Z 7
JULY 12 – LEOBEN, AUSTRIA – AREA 53 FESTIVAL
JULY 13 – WROCLAW, POLAND – CENTRUM KONCERTOWE A2
JULY 14 – VIZOVICE, CZECH REPUBLIC – MASTERS OF ROCK FESTIVAL
AUGUST 1 – WACKEN, GERMANY – WACKEN OPEN AIR FESTIVAL
AUGUST 3 – SZEKESFEHERVAR, HUNGARY – FEZEN FESTIVAL
AUGUST 4 – RASNOV, ROMANIA – ROCKSTADT EXTREME FEST
AUGUST 16 – CARHAIX, FRANCE – MOTOCULTOR FESTIVAL
AUGUST 18 – CARDIFF, UK – TRAMSHED
AUGUST 20 – BELFAST, UK – LIMELIGHT
AUGUST 21 – DUBLIN, IRELAND – ACADEMY
AUGUST 23 – NEWCASTLE, UK – NX
AUGUST 24 – NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, UK – STONEDEAD FESTIVAL
AUGUST 31- WHISKY A GO-GO – LOS ANGELES, CA
SEPTEMBER 1 – THE RAINBOW BACKYARD BASH 2024 – LOS ANGELES, CA
SEPTEMBER 3 – ORIENTAL THEATER – DENVER, CO
SEPTEMBER 5 – THE RUST BELT – EAST MOLINE, IL
SEPTEMBER 6 – EPIC EVENTS CENTER – GREEN BAY, WI
SEPTEMBER 7 – DES PLAINES THEATER – DES PLAINES, IL
SEPTEMBER 8 – DISTRICT 142 – DETROIT, MI
SEPTEMBER 10 – QET – TORONTO, ON
SEPTEMBER 11 – RIALTO THEATRE – MONTREAL, QC
SEPTEMBER 13 – THE PALLADIUM – NEW YORK, NY
SEPTEMBER 14 – TUPELO MUSIC HALL – DERRY, NH
SEPTEMBER 15 – THE WILBUR THEATRE – BOSTON, MA
SEPTEMBER 16 – RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE – RIDGEFIELD, CT
SEPTEMBER 18 – MICKEY’S BLACK BOX – LITITZ, PA
SEPTEMBER 20 – SHERMAN THEATER – STROUDSBURG, PA
SEPTEMBER 21 – THE STRAND BALLROOM – PROVIDENCE, RI
SEPTEMBER 22 – TALLY HO THEATER – LEESBURG, VA
SEPTEMBER 24 – BROOKLYN BOWL – NASHVILLE, TN
SEPTEMBER 26 – THE FILLMORE – NEW ORLEANS, LA
SEPTEMBER 27 – THE HALL – LITTLE ROCK, AR
SEPTEMBER 28 – TANNAHILL’S – FORT WORTH, TX
SEPTEMBER 29 – PARAMOUNT THEATRE – AUSTIN, TX
OCTOBER 1 – SUNSHINE THEATER – ALBUQUERQUE, NM
OCTOBER 2 – CELEBRITY THEATRE – PHOENIX, AZ
OCTOBER 4 – FOX PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – RIVERSIDE, CA
OCTOBER 5 – THE MAGNOLIA – SAN DIEGO, CA
OCTOBER 6 – ACE OF SPADES – SACRAMENTO, CA
OCTOBER 7 – THE REGENCY BALLROOM – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
