Judas Priest mark 50 Heavy Metal Years and Hall of Fame induction with new US tour
Queensryche will support the metal legends on autumn tour
Last updated 22nd Jun 2022
Judas Priest have announced a new run of dates in North America as part of their ongoing 50 Heavy Metal Years celebrations.
The British metal legends are currently touring mainland Europe, which will include a headlining slot at Wacken Open Air in Germany.
They will then kick off the 29-date tour of the US and Canada in Wallingford, Connecticut on October 13.
The band are next scheduled to play the UK in 2023 as support to Ozzy Osbourne on his much-delayed No More Tours 2 tour.
“Defending the heavy metal faith for 50 years, the Priest is back,” vocalist Rob Halford said as the US tour was announced. "The Priest is back!”
“Time to don the leather and studs and roll out the Priest Machine,” stated guitarist Glenn Tipton.
Bassist Ian Hill added: “After the horrific last few years of restrictions we’ve all had to endure, what better place to break free, than the land of the free - the USA!"
Watch Judas Priest perform Metal Gods with Glenn Tipton at Bloodstock 2021
Queensryche will provide support on the American tour, which will also see Priest mark their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“Third time’s the charm,” Halford told Rolling Stone, referring to the fact that they had been on the ballot three times before finally making it in under the ‘special category’ of the Musical Excellence Award.
He continued: “We left the launchpad and now we’re headed to the hallowed halls. It’s a great day for Judas Priest and a great day for heavy metal.”
“Am I the only gay metalhead in the Hall of Fame?” Halford added. “How cool is that?”
The full Judas Priest 50 Heavy Metal Years US Tour 2022 tour dates are as follows:
October 2022
Wallingford Toyota Oakdale, CT – Thu 13th
Albany MVP Arena, NY – Sat 15th
Boston Music Hall Fenway, MA – Sun 16th
Uniondale Nassau Veterans, NY – Tu 18th
Wilkes-Barre Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, PA – Wed 19th
Kalamazoo Wings Event Center, MI – Fri 21st
Detroit Masonic Temple Theatre, MI – Sat 22nd
Cincinnati The Andrew J Brady Music Center, OH – Mon 24th
Waukegan Genesee Theatre, IL – Tue 25th
Green Bay Resch Center Theater, WI – Thu 27th
Moline TaxSlayer Center Moline, IL – Sat 29th
Mankato Mayo Clinic Event Center, MN – Sun 30th
November 2022
Sioux City Tyson Events Center, IA – Tue 1st
Rapid City The Monument, SD – Wed 2nd
Ontario Toyota Center, CA – Mon 7th
Tucson TCC Arena, AZ – Tue 8th
Loveland Budweiser Events Center, CO – Thu 10th
Park City (Wichita) Hartman Arena, KS – Sat 12th
St. Charles The Family Arena, MO – Sun 13th
Corbin The Corbin Arena, KY – Tue 15th
Southaven Landers Center, MS – Thu 17th
Baton Rouge Raising Canes River Center, LA – Fri 18th
Oklahoma City Paycom Center, OK – Sun 20th
San Antonio Tech Port Center & Arena, TX – Tue 22nd
San Antonio Tech Port Center & Arena, TX – Wed 23rd
Dallas The Factory: Deep Ellum, TX – Fri 25th
Corpus Christi Concrete Street, TX – Sat 26th
Edinburg Burt Ogden Arena, TX – Mon 28th
Houston 713 Music Hall, TX – Tue 29th
17 rock bands named after songs by other bands, including Judas Priest:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".