New guitarist vows to keep band together and on the road as bassist Hill reveals someone else was offered job
Keep going: Richie Faulkner
Faulkner, formerly a member of Lauren Harris’ band, was revealed as KK Downing’s replacement after the veteran axeman shocked fans by announcing his retirement.
But the 31-year-old wasn’t Priest’s first choice, says last remaining founding member Ian Hill.
The bassist tells KaaosTV: “We found Richie through a mutual friend. We’d asked him if they’d like to join, but his schedule wouldn’t allow it. He suggested Richie; and when we heard him play we knew we had our man.”
As a Priest fan himself Faulkner admits he felt an amount of emotional pressure – once he realised he’d been offered the job.
He says: “You get a call like that and you think someone’s playing a joke on you. But it wasn’t. It’s a big part: everyone in the band are legends, and I understood what a big deal it was.
“I wasn’t nervous; you can’t go nuts about it. You’ve got to do the best you can. Opportunities like this don’t come along every day.”
Priest are now on the road with their Epitaph world tour, which they say will be their last full-scale global trek. Hill observes: “It takes a couple of years out of your live and you start wondering how many years you have left.”
And although Faulkner isn’t expecting too much negativity from the band’s fans, he suggests a reason to support the new lineup.
“There’s going to be people who are unsure about how it’s going to be, but I think people have faith in the band to pick the right guy.
“My mission is to keep them going and make sure there’s never a last show.”
Priest are working on an album with their new axeman, due out next year, although they may release a three-track EP ahead of the full-length record. The band are also making plans to record a live show and make it part of a documentary movie.
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