Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing joined ex-MANOWAR axeman Ross “The Boss” Friedman for four songs earlier today (Sunday, August 11) at this year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. This marked K.K.’s first public performance since October 17, 2009, when JUDAS PRIEST played the final “British Steel 30th Anniversary“ date on the “Nostradamus“ world tour at Japan’s Loud Park festival in Chiba City, Japan.
Fan-filmed video footage of Downing’s appearance can be seen below.
Prior to the concert, K.K. said in a statement: “I’m really delighted and really looking forward to sharing the stage with Ross The Boss and saying hello to all our fans together. For me, as you know, it’s been far too long, so I sincerely hope to see as many familiar faces as possible at this truly unique event. True metal for true metal fans at the U.K.’s truest metal festival. United We Stand!”
Downing told All That Shreds in our interview with him back in February that he thought it was totally unfair they didn’t ask him back when Glenn Tipton announced he was having health issues.
Totally unfair. People come and go in bands. Rob left for 14 years and came back to the band. Even today I’ve still been in Judas Priest longer than Rob. I was in the band three years before he joined. Andy does look out of place. I would imagine he’s going to go back to producing.