Rob Halford - Halford
Rob Halford - Halford
Interview with Rob Halford
By Rob ”Bubbs” Harris
Rob Halford is a man who’s name is, or damn well should be, engraved in the hearts of each and every fan of this wonderful music we call Heavy Metal. His deeds,…legendary. His music,….timeless. The contributions that he has given to this genre of Rock’N’Roll are countless and unparalleled. Whether it be his massive strides as the front man of the greatest Heavy Metal band there ever was, or ever will be, Judas Priest, or his almost equally as awesome solo projects, Rob has always remained on the cutting edge of the genre and continues to maintain that stature on his newest release, Made of Metal, which will be released in October. Here I stand before you, a humbled and most gracious journalist, for I have reached what is by far the highest point of my writing career. That’s right, I was lucky enough to get a call from my all time metal hero to chat about the upcoming album and his current jaunt on Ozzfest, which finds him back out on the road with old friends Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue. I cannot tell you how honored I am to be able to present you with this interview. Enjoy.
Metal Exiles: Good afternoon, Rob. First off, is there anything you want to talk about? I mean, you’ve probably done several interviews today and you have a lot going on, but is there anything g that you haven’t been asked that made you go “Shit, I wish I would have been able to talk about this.”?
Halford: Well, I don’t know. You’re right, I’ve done so many interviews and have been talking all day, so I’ve been asked all sorts of interesting questions. I can’t come up with anything off the top of my head, but I’ll try to think of something as we go through and chat a bit. I do have a question for you. Whereabouts are you? Where is this area code I’m calling from?
Metal Exiles: Pensacola, Florida (Editors Note: Metal Exiles is based in Upland, California. Bubbs is from Pensacola, FL.)
Halford: Ooh, okay. There are lots of good heavy bands from Florida. To be honest, Florida is a very important state when it comes to Metal. People tend to think of a lot of other places when they think about where a lot of it comes from, but Florida is a big part of that Extreme Metal music. It’s the birthplace of Death Metal. Florida has it’s own special vibe. It’s a very cool and unique part of the world.
Metal Exiles: How is Ozzfest going for you? Are you having a good time out there?
Halford: Absolutely. I think that Ozzfest is still a very significant event. As you know, the whole idea behind this Ozzfest that Sharon and Ozzy initially put together was that Ozzy was a famous guy, and much like all a lot of us who have been lucky enough to have a long and successful career, you don’t take it for granted. It’s not easy. There are a lot of people involved in this journey that you’re on. People like you, music journalists, television, and not to mention the wonderful fans that allow us to keep doing this. It was with that in mind that they put this festival together. It’s just a way to give back a little to the Metal Community, as I have always called it, and I am glad to see that that integrity has not been diminished. Ozzy is still keeping true to his heart and what he wanted Ozzfest to be about. There are some very good established acts, of course, but there are some good young bands on the main stage like Nonpoint and Five Finger Death Punch. Those guys are all just starting their careers, even though they have been around for a little while already. Then there is some tremendous talent on the second stage as well. Bands like Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore and Exodus, which are some of the better bands on the tour. Everyone, though, has been simply amazing. This has been a fantastic tour so far.
Metal Exiles: You know, what I like about Ozzfest is that it’s one of those shows where you don’t have to fit into any particular scene to be there. There is a good mix of very different sounding bands that have the heavy factor in common, and there are old and young alike, all rocking out together, as it should be.
Halford: It’s that sort of togetherness that Ozzfest is all about. It’s just like going to see Orlando play, or Miami play out on the basketball court, and you have all those different generations of fans, both young and old, and they are all out there cheering, not only for their favorite team, but also just for the thrill and the experience. That is very much the case for Ozzfest. Like I said, it’s a Metal Community, where you have people from all walks of life. Some work minimum wage. Others might be chairman of the board, but when you are at a Metal show, especially one like Ozzfest, all of that shit doesn’t matter. It all gets stripped away because you are there for a common experience. It’s wonderful that guys like Ozzy, myself and the guys from The Crue, who have been able to have been around for all of these decades and watch it grow the way it has. It is perfectly acceptable to be a fifteen year old metal head and stand there banging your head and throwing up the horns next to a fifty year old rocker.
Metal Exiles: Sure, but it’s probably about the experience for you guys, the bands, too. I would like to think that nobody on this tour sees it as some sort of pay day, but rather an opportunity to get out there and play some killer shows with some killer bands and have a good time doing what they love. Am I right?
Halford: Well, you’re only as good as your last show, man. If you put out a good record, well great, but you need to be able to deliver on the expectations set before you. All of the bands, whether it be the newer bands, or the guys like Ozzy and myself, we all go out and give everything we have each day. You can’t just go wandering out there and not live up to what you are supposed to be about, you aren’t going to be in it for the long haul. Sure it’s work, but it’s a great job. I’m not going to just walk out onstage with this attitude that I’ve been around forty years, sold millions of records, so what? You know? You have to go out there and do it, and you have to do it the way it needs to be done. If people go out and see Kobe play and he keeps dropping the ball, they are going to wonder what the fuck happened to that guy. That sucks. Now, this is sort of a different train of thought than I have been on today. I think it’s harder to stay on top when you’ve been around for a while. A lot of these fans are driving to the shows, listening to your music, setting up tailgates, having a few drinks, a few smokes, then they go wandering into the show expecting to you to deliver. We have to give those fans what they came to see and hear. After all, they are the ones who made it possible for us to do this. It’s the greatest job in the world and I am grateful for every day that I get to do this.
Metal Exiles: I see what you’re saying, but I was more or less talking about how there is a certain kinship that you, the artists, feel with we, the fans. You feed off of our energy, just as much as we feed off of yours.
Halford: Oh, absolutely. I don’t think I could have said it any better.
Metal Exiles: You mentioned some of the talent on the tour, and you are known to avidly seek out new and good Metal. Have you been going out and checking out some of the bands on the second stage or anything?
Halford: Unfortunately, most of my day is already planned out for me. I have all kinds of things to do each day, like meeting with people and taking care of a lot of the business side of things. Until the moment that I walk out onstage. However, any opportunity that I have to run away by myself without people tucking me under their shoulder and texting me to be here or there, I try to get over there to the second stage area and catch some of the bands for sure.
Metal Exiles: Let’s talk about the new album. How much of the new material are you giving them out there on Ozzfest. With the limited time slot, are you just giving them a sample of things to come?
Halford: Yeah, just a taste. You know, when I walk out onstage on Ozzfest, half of those fans are going to be Priest fans. Some of them may be like “Halford? Yeah, I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know much about his music.” I see it as kind of a way to convert some people and make some new fans. I’ll always be hungry to attract people to this music. We’re reconnecting with some of the earlier Halford material, a few Fight songs, maybe an obscure Judas Priest tune here and there. Like every band on Ozzfest, you have to try to fit in as much as you can in that time that you’ve got allotted to let them know what you are about.
Metal Exiles: The only tune that I have heard from the new album is the title track, “Made of Metal”, and that’s an interesting tune. I’m not going to lie, at first, the robot voice at the beginning sounds almost like an80’s break dancing tune. I thought I was going to hear “Planet Rock” for a second until the riff comes in and that it a total punch in the gut.
Halford: (Laughs) That isn’t the first time I’ve heard that. It does take a turn in another direction though. There are thirteen tracks on Made of Metal. “The Mower” is the first track that we released and it is a very extreme song, in fact I haven’t really heard anything like it. It’s a very heavy and unique Metal song. “Made of Metal” is a little bit on the other side of the spectrum from that one, but all of the songs on the album are still within the realm of what we know and love about Heavy Metal. There are also a couple of really Blues driven tunes on the record with some very heavy riffage. TThis record is basically all of the things that I love about Heavy Metal as a musician and a writer and I’ve had a lot of fun putting together all of these songs and ideas. It’s very diverse and eclectic, and definitely isn’t all going in one certain direction. It’s like going to a movie. You like the movie and the overall vibe of the story, but all of the scenes are different. In the end, when you put it all together, it all coalesces and connects. Made of Metal is a strong, powerful and entertaining bunch of tunes.
Metal Exiles: Unfortunately, our time is up. It has been an absolute honor to talk to you. Thank you very much for taking the time to shoot the breeze with me.
Halford: Certainly. It was delightful. I hope out paths cross next time Priest or Halford tours through Florida. We’ll have to do it again in September when it gets closer to the release of Made of Metal. Thank you very much.
Made of Metal hasn’t been released yet, so I can’t give you a “Buy It” link. However, there are all kinds of cool things to discover on the official site of the metal God himself.
www.RobHalford.com
By Rob ”Bubbs” Harris
Rob Halford is a man who’s name is, or damn well should be, engraved in the hearts of each and every fan of this wonderful music we call Heavy Metal. His deeds,…legendary. His music,….timeless. The contributions that he has given to this genre of Rock’N’Roll are countless and unparalleled. Whether it be his massive strides as the front man of the greatest Heavy Metal band there ever was, or ever will be, Judas Priest, or his almost equally as awesome solo projects, Rob has always remained on the cutting edge of the genre and continues to maintain that stature on his newest release, Made of Metal, which will be released in October. Here I stand before you, a humbled and most gracious journalist, for I have reached what is by far the highest point of my writing career. That’s right, I was lucky enough to get a call from my all time metal hero to chat about the upcoming album and his current jaunt on Ozzfest, which finds him back out on the road with old friends Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue. I cannot tell you how honored I am to be able to present you with this interview. Enjoy.
Metal Exiles: Good afternoon, Rob. First off, is there anything you want to talk about? I mean, you’ve probably done several interviews today and you have a lot going on, but is there anything g that you haven’t been asked that made you go “Shit, I wish I would have been able to talk about this.”?
Halford: Well, I don’t know. You’re right, I’ve done so many interviews and have been talking all day, so I’ve been asked all sorts of interesting questions. I can’t come up with anything off the top of my head, but I’ll try to think of something as we go through and chat a bit. I do have a question for you. Whereabouts are you? Where is this area code I’m calling from?
Metal Exiles: Pensacola, Florida (Editors Note: Metal Exiles is based in Upland, California. Bubbs is from Pensacola, FL.)
Halford: Ooh, okay. There are lots of good heavy bands from Florida. To be honest, Florida is a very important state when it comes to Metal. People tend to think of a lot of other places when they think about where a lot of it comes from, but Florida is a big part of that Extreme Metal music. It’s the birthplace of Death Metal. Florida has it’s own special vibe. It’s a very cool and unique part of the world.
Metal Exiles: How is Ozzfest going for you? Are you having a good time out there?
Halford: Absolutely. I think that Ozzfest is still a very significant event. As you know, the whole idea behind this Ozzfest that Sharon and Ozzy initially put together was that Ozzy was a famous guy, and much like all a lot of us who have been lucky enough to have a long and successful career, you don’t take it for granted. It’s not easy. There are a lot of people involved in this journey that you’re on. People like you, music journalists, television, and not to mention the wonderful fans that allow us to keep doing this. It was with that in mind that they put this festival together. It’s just a way to give back a little to the Metal Community, as I have always called it, and I am glad to see that that integrity has not been diminished. Ozzy is still keeping true to his heart and what he wanted Ozzfest to be about. There are some very good established acts, of course, but there are some good young bands on the main stage like Nonpoint and Five Finger Death Punch. Those guys are all just starting their careers, even though they have been around for a little while already. Then there is some tremendous talent on the second stage as well. Bands like Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore and Exodus, which are some of the better bands on the tour. Everyone, though, has been simply amazing. This has been a fantastic tour so far.
Metal Exiles: You know, what I like about Ozzfest is that it’s one of those shows where you don’t have to fit into any particular scene to be there. There is a good mix of very different sounding bands that have the heavy factor in common, and there are old and young alike, all rocking out together, as it should be.
Halford: It’s that sort of togetherness that Ozzfest is all about. It’s just like going to see Orlando play, or Miami play out on the basketball court, and you have all those different generations of fans, both young and old, and they are all out there cheering, not only for their favorite team, but also just for the thrill and the experience. That is very much the case for Ozzfest. Like I said, it’s a Metal Community, where you have people from all walks of life. Some work minimum wage. Others might be chairman of the board, but when you are at a Metal show, especially one like Ozzfest, all of that shit doesn’t matter. It all gets stripped away because you are there for a common experience. It’s wonderful that guys like Ozzy, myself and the guys from The Crue, who have been able to have been around for all of these decades and watch it grow the way it has. It is perfectly acceptable to be a fifteen year old metal head and stand there banging your head and throwing up the horns next to a fifty year old rocker.
Metal Exiles: Sure, but it’s probably about the experience for you guys, the bands, too. I would like to think that nobody on this tour sees it as some sort of pay day, but rather an opportunity to get out there and play some killer shows with some killer bands and have a good time doing what they love. Am I right?
Halford: Well, you’re only as good as your last show, man. If you put out a good record, well great, but you need to be able to deliver on the expectations set before you. All of the bands, whether it be the newer bands, or the guys like Ozzy and myself, we all go out and give everything we have each day. You can’t just go wandering out there and not live up to what you are supposed to be about, you aren’t going to be in it for the long haul. Sure it’s work, but it’s a great job. I’m not going to just walk out onstage with this attitude that I’ve been around forty years, sold millions of records, so what? You know? You have to go out there and do it, and you have to do it the way it needs to be done. If people go out and see Kobe play and he keeps dropping the ball, they are going to wonder what the fuck happened to that guy. That sucks. Now, this is sort of a different train of thought than I have been on today. I think it’s harder to stay on top when you’ve been around for a while. A lot of these fans are driving to the shows, listening to your music, setting up tailgates, having a few drinks, a few smokes, then they go wandering into the show expecting to you to deliver. We have to give those fans what they came to see and hear. After all, they are the ones who made it possible for us to do this. It’s the greatest job in the world and I am grateful for every day that I get to do this.
Metal Exiles: I see what you’re saying, but I was more or less talking about how there is a certain kinship that you, the artists, feel with we, the fans. You feed off of our energy, just as much as we feed off of yours.
Halford: Oh, absolutely. I don’t think I could have said it any better.
Metal Exiles: You mentioned some of the talent on the tour, and you are known to avidly seek out new and good Metal. Have you been going out and checking out some of the bands on the second stage or anything?
Halford: Unfortunately, most of my day is already planned out for me. I have all kinds of things to do each day, like meeting with people and taking care of a lot of the business side of things. Until the moment that I walk out onstage. However, any opportunity that I have to run away by myself without people tucking me under their shoulder and texting me to be here or there, I try to get over there to the second stage area and catch some of the bands for sure.
Metal Exiles: Let’s talk about the new album. How much of the new material are you giving them out there on Ozzfest. With the limited time slot, are you just giving them a sample of things to come?
Halford: Yeah, just a taste. You know, when I walk out onstage on Ozzfest, half of those fans are going to be Priest fans. Some of them may be like “Halford? Yeah, I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know much about his music.” I see it as kind of a way to convert some people and make some new fans. I’ll always be hungry to attract people to this music. We’re reconnecting with some of the earlier Halford material, a few Fight songs, maybe an obscure Judas Priest tune here and there. Like every band on Ozzfest, you have to try to fit in as much as you can in that time that you’ve got allotted to let them know what you are about.
Metal Exiles: The only tune that I have heard from the new album is the title track, “Made of Metal”, and that’s an interesting tune. I’m not going to lie, at first, the robot voice at the beginning sounds almost like an80’s break dancing tune. I thought I was going to hear “Planet Rock” for a second until the riff comes in and that it a total punch in the gut.
Halford: (Laughs) That isn’t the first time I’ve heard that. It does take a turn in another direction though. There are thirteen tracks on Made of Metal. “The Mower” is the first track that we released and it is a very extreme song, in fact I haven’t really heard anything like it. It’s a very heavy and unique Metal song. “Made of Metal” is a little bit on the other side of the spectrum from that one, but all of the songs on the album are still within the realm of what we know and love about Heavy Metal. There are also a couple of really Blues driven tunes on the record with some very heavy riffage. TThis record is basically all of the things that I love about Heavy Metal as a musician and a writer and I’ve had a lot of fun putting together all of these songs and ideas. It’s very diverse and eclectic, and definitely isn’t all going in one certain direction. It’s like going to a movie. You like the movie and the overall vibe of the story, but all of the scenes are different. In the end, when you put it all together, it all coalesces and connects. Made of Metal is a strong, powerful and entertaining bunch of tunes.
Metal Exiles: Unfortunately, our time is up. It has been an absolute honor to talk to you. Thank you very much for taking the time to shoot the breeze with me.
Halford: Certainly. It was delightful. I hope out paths cross next time Priest or Halford tours through Florida. We’ll have to do it again in September when it gets closer to the release of Made of Metal. Thank you very much.
Made of Metal hasn’t been released yet, so I can’t give you a “Buy It” link. However, there are all kinds of cool things to discover on the official site of the metal God himself.
www.RobHalford.com
