Rob Halford Explains Why Judas Priest Have Giant Bull Onstage
Judas Priest's 50 Heavy Metal Years tour is finally in action after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Rob Halford has gone into a bit of detail about their current stage setup — including the giant inflatable bull they have on the stage.
"Judas Priest became famous not only for our music but for the show, the spectacle that we've been putting on for decades," the frontman told LifeMinute. "We give you an indelible metal memory, so when you've seen or witnessed a Judas Priest show, that lives in your heart and your mind forever. So this is an opportunity for us to really do those things but on a new dimension. We've created this really cool set — it's like a factory."
The Metal God cited the area of the U.K. that he and his bandmates grew up in, which was surrounded by steel mills and iron factories — "where the metal is made," as he put it.
"And so that's what we surround ourselves with. We have a spectacular lighting show that we've always put an emphasis on, great things happening on the video screens, what we wear," he continued.
Perhaps one of the most perplexing aspects of their current live show is this giant inflatable bull, which Halford admitted takes up about half the stage.
"Where we're from in Birmingham, it's famous for this bullring, as it was called. And the bulls that used to be sold there as part of trade and commerce and so forth, they're kind of synonymous with that. So we've got this thing happening at the end of the show, and people [are like], 'Oh my God! Is that real?'"
Additionally, Halford compared their setlist to a "time machine" since it explores their discography all the way back to their 1974 debut Rocka Rolla. Check out the full interview below.
To see the giant inflatable bull and experience this time machine for yourself, check out Priest's tour dates here.