Judas Priest added to Edmonton Summer of Metal
Edmonton is certainly going to fill its bucket list of classic heavy metal next summer.
The latest announcement comes from Judas Priest, which is mounting an extensive North American tour behind their latest album Firepower. The band, with its original lead singer Rob Halford, will play Rogers Place on Tuesday, June 11. With fellow British metalliers Uriah Heap opening, tickets go on sale Dec. 14.
This makes a summer metal trilogy to look forward to in Edmonton in 2019: With Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell tour on July 9, and Iron Maiden on Aug. 30.
Fun fact about Rob Halford: Before he announced he was gay in 1998 – he’d already taken a temporary leave from Priest for a solo career – he was afraid that coming out of the closet would adversely affect the people he worked with. It didn’t affect Judas Priest one bit. It’s even harder to imagine homophobia in the music community now, 20 years later, and it turned out to be the healthiest thing Halford ever did. “You’ve got to learn to love yourself and live your own life,” he explained. There was nothing but support from fans.
Halford is considered one of the best heavy metal singers of all time, with an almost operatic range, and a commanding stage presence that has held him in good stead since 1969. On Judas Priest getting snubbed – again – for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and on the band’s 50th anniversary, no less) fans are calling it a crime.
