Update: January 10th, 2022 11:36 AM:
Sneap has since commented on the band’s decision to move on without him in a new statement which he issued to Blabbermouth.net. He stated:
“Rob called me last Monday and said they wanted to move on as a four-piece, which I find incredibly disappointing after this amount of time but I respect his decision as they obviously have a vision how they want this to play out. This always was a temporary situation, and like I’ve said before, I’ll always help the band any way I can, and that applies going forward also.
I’ve been a huge fan of the band since the early ’80s and it was mind-blowing to play onstage with the guys and quite frankly terrifying in the beginning at such short notice. We are moving forward with the new album next month and look forward to making a killer follow-up to ‘Firepower‘.”
Original Story:
Judas Priest have announced that they’ll largely be touring as a quartet in the immediate future as guitarist Andy Sneap has shifted his focus to some of his upcoming production work. Sneap joined the band as a touring member in 2018 and has held the role since.
The band explained the lineup change in a statement issued to the press today (January 10th.) It reads as follows:
“Hello maniacs!
We are chomping at the British Steel bit to return to world touring….celebrating 50 years of Judas Priest as an even more powerful, relentless four piece heavy metal band – with Glenn coming out on stage with us here and there as before…..!! Big thanks to Andy for all you’ve done and continuing to be in the production team for our new album….
see you all soon headbangers!”
The Glenn referred to above is of course Glenn Tipton, who was forced to reduce his role in the band in 2018 due to issues with Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with back in 2008. You can catch the band out on the road with Queensrÿche this spring at the following shows:
03/04 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Theatre
03/06 Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
03/07 West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center
03/09 Everett, WA – Angel Of The Winds Arena
03/10 Portland, OR – Moda Center
03/12 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
03/13 Las Vegas, NV – Zippos Theater at Planet Hollywood
03/15 Los Angeles, CA – The Shrine
03/16 Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theater
03/18 Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
03/20 Austin, TX – HEB Center
03/21 San Antonio, TX – Freeman Coliseum
03/23 Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
03/25 Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
03/27 Charleston, WV – Charleston Civic Center Coliseum
03/29 Philadelphia, PA – The Met
03/30 Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
03/31 Washington, DC – MGM National Harbor
04/02 Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Casino Arena
04/04 Lowell, MA – Paul E. Tsongas Arena
04/07 Halifax, NS – Halifax Scotiabank Center
04/10 Quebec City, QC – Videotron Center
04/11 Montreal, QC – Place Bell
04/13 Hamilton, ON – FirstOntario Centre
Comments