In a new interview with Igor Miranda of Brazil’s Rolling Stone magazine, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner was asked if there will be any setlist changes on the band’s upcoming South American tour — which kicks off on April 16 in Brasilia, Brazil — compared to the songs he and his bandmates played last year in Europe and North America. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s a good question. We’re always thinking about how we can improve the setlist. It’s always difficult these days because the fans, they see the setlist online, so they’re expecting certain things. I think the set we have at the moment is quite a refined setlist. It covers a lot of different PRIEST material, and the dynamic of the set is really well. So it starts off well, it’s a quick set, it is a fast-paced set, the dynamic works really well. So we’ll see. We’re gonna go into rehearsals before we come down and we’ll try this set and see if we can make any changes. But the set we’ve got at the moment is a pretty good one, so I think it will be more or less the same as what we’ve been playing in Europe.”Faulkner also talked about the health of PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 10 years ago, after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier. Tipton announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST’s 2018 album “Firepower”. He was replaced by “Firepower” album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT. Tipton occasionally joins PRIEST onstage for its encores, performing “Metal Gods”, “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight”.Richie said: “[Glenn is] doing okay. He was out [with us] — was it last month? It was in February. We did the Grammys. So we went out to Los Angeles for the Grammys, and Glenn was there. And he is doing okay.”Everyone knows Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease, so as it gets worse, I think you can kind of keep it at a certain level, but over time it does get worse,” he explained. “But he’s in good spirits. He’s a fighter — Glenn’s a fighter, he’s a warrior, and he’s doing what he can to keep going. So, big respect to Glenn. And I’ll tell him that the fans asked. He will appreciate that.”Asked if there are already any early plans or initial discussions about a follow-up to PRIEST’s 2024 album “Invincible Shield”, Faulkner said: “We talk about it all the time. It’s funny — I joined on the farewell tour, as you know. So I joined on the farewell tour. That was gonna be the last world tour. But you get so excited when you’re out and you’re traveling and you go to different countries and seeing different people and playing these great songs, we ended up going into the studio to record ‘Redeemer Of Souls’. And then we got excited over that record and we wanted to go out and play it live. And then the same thing happens. You get excited, you go in the studio again, record ‘Firepower’, tour, ‘Invincible Shield’, we’re touring. So the pattern seems to be, after a tour, there usually comes an album. So we never say never because that seems to be what happens. We’re still on the ‘Invincible Shield’ tour and we’re coming down to South America, coming to Brazil. It’s one of the most exciting places in the world to play. So that might fire us up for another album. But we talk about it and we never say never. It would be the 20th record, right? If there was another one, it would be number 20, which is a good number. And the pattern throughout history seems to be album, tour album, tour, album. So we’ll see. But I don’t know. But we’ll see. [Laughs]”In his first interview since revealing his condition in early 2018, Glenn, who turned 77 last October, told Guitar World magazine about his diagnosis: “It was upsetting, but I wasn’t really shocked because I sort of thought it was Parkinson’s. I probably hoped it wasn’t but the doctor said it was.”Regarding being told by the doctor that he had likely already had the disease for between 10 and 15 years, Glenn said: “Hearing that I already had Parkinson’s for a long time made me even more determined to fight. I could still play, so I just continued recording and touring.”About a month before the opening date of PRIEST’s “Firepower” tour, Tipton realized he could not guarantee that he would be able to execute an energetic, precision performance with the band night after night and “decided that it was really going to be too much for me,” he told Guitar World. “With the medication and the time zone changes and everything else, I realized it was time to retire — from touring at least. I don’t ever want to compromise JUDAS PRIEST. It’s too big a part of my life.””Invincible Shield” entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande’s “Eternal Sunshine”.Prior to “Invincible Shield”‘s arrival, PRIEST’s highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980’s “British Steel”, which reached No. 4.PRIEST’s 2018 album “Firepower” entered the chart at No. 5.”Invincible Shield” was JUDAS PRIEST’s fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned “British Steel” and “Firepower”, as well as 2014’s “Redeemer Of Souls” (No. 6) and the 1979 live album “Unleashed In The East” (No. 10).”Invincible Shield” landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.JUDAS PRIEST will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its classic album “Painkiller” extensively live with the “Shield Of Pain” tour. This “rare” and “unique set” will include “beloved classics” and “will be defending the metal faith in a truly memorable experience throughout Europe” this summer, according to a social media post from PRIEST.[embedded content]
