Less than a month away from the opening date of their farewell tour (on June 7 in Tilburg, Holland), Judas Priest have begun rehearsing with new guitarist Richie Faulkner, according to a report on Blabbermouth. Faulkner replaced founding member K.K. Downing last month, after the guitarist abruptly quit the band during preparations for the much-anticipated Epitaph tour, citing a breakdown in his working relationship with members of the band and their management.
Frontman Rob Halford told French magazine Rock Hard, “K.K. can never be replaced; he’s unique, and we didn’t want any kind of K.K. copycat. Richie Faulkner came to Glenn’s [Tipton] house to jam, and Glenn simply told me he was absolutely brilliant.”
As for Downing leaving the band, Halford said, “K.K. leaving was his own decision, for the reasons he made public on his website… K.K. has his own life to live and we can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do.”
