Last conversations with K.K Downing

Now that K.K Downing has “OFFICIALLY” left the building, I went back to my latest interviews with him, trying to find clues…Did he say something, imply something, was there even a way to know that it would come to this?

I can’t find anything. I’m horribly angry and disappointed by the way Judas Priest and their management have handled this, but I won’t get into that. I guess it doesn’t even matter anymore. It’s all about money and business. Ideals don’t exist anymore, nothing matters but the mighty $$$$.

I suppose people are ok with that, I’m just a dinosaur who expected so much more from people I have loved my whole life.

Judging from the comments on the judaspriest.com message board, people don’t care about being tricked into buying tickets under false pretenses.
I’m a fan, not an idiot. I can’t imagine how I will ever be able to look at that band feeling that they are genuine.

Anyway…. The sound quality of this interview is pretty bad – because I pushed the “Long Play”-button by mistake. Very very annoying when you’re talking to one of the Metal Gods, but nothing you can do about it unfortunately. :-(

“I live and breathe Priest” – was one of the quotes in this interview.
He also wanted these words to be on his tombstone: “The sinner rider has ridden into the storm”. How very true.

kk_HiltonMalmo.mp3
Listen on Posterous

And this interview (below) was made just a few months before the one above.
This is from Sweden Rock Festival, I remember how it was like a Fort Knox to even get to the area where Priest were. You had to pass one security gate after another, have people escorting you, it was like going to meet the president or something.

When I stepped into the portakabin where K.K was, it was like entering a SAUNA. For some reason he was freezing and had heated the place up and seemed to think the temperature was perfect. Ugh! :)

Didn’t have much time, other people were waiting to talk to K.K and the others, just a short hello-and-see-ya. Just another interview to add to my “rearview mirror”….:

KKDowningSwedenRockINterview2.mp3
Listen on Posterous

Matt LaPorte (JOP) R.I.P….

The bad news just keep coming in…

I got the sad news around 6 a.m this morning (CET) that Matt LaPorte (guitarist of Jon Oliva’s Pain, JOP and formerly also Circle II Circle) has passed away. He didn’t even make it to see his 41st birthday.

I remember Matt as a guy who kept to himself most of the time, at least during the JOP-tours. You never really saw or heard much of him, but when you did, he liked to kid around and he had a special sense of humor. It took me a while to figure out when he was being serious and when he was joking, quite an unusual guy.

One thing that nobody would ever argue against, was his talent. As a guitarplayer he dazzled not only Jon Oliva, but also guitar-fans everywhere he went.

His bandmate John Zahner (Savatage, JOP, Crimson Glory) wrote the following in his statement this morning:

No words can describe the whole that is left in my life without this amazing teddy bear of a man.

     He is the heart in Metal. I will Love him forever.

       My friend Matt R.I.P.

Morrisound Recording (Tampa) wrote the following on Facebook earlier today:

Our good friend Matt LaPorte has passed away. I think I’ve worked on somewhere around ten albums with Matt. Always a pleasure. He was very talented, funny, creative, and a very caring guy. I have no idea what happened last night, but everyone here at Morrisound is deeply saddened by this. Rest in Peace, Matt. There will always be another 8 or 10 tracks armed and ready. — Jim


 I just talked to him three days ago. This is incredibly sad. He was an incredibly talented guy with a bizarre sense of humor that I will miss. – Ryan

My condolences go out to Matt’s friends and family… He will be missed.

Matt

 

K K Downing retires from Judas Priest

I’m in shock… Went for a walk at lunch and checked Facebook on my phone before I went back to the office.
One of the headlines in the news feed said: K K Downing retirement press release

I’m at a total loss for words right now. Will have to get my thoughts together and try to accept yet another sad fact about the band  that’s #1 in my book and always have been.

Not only did I have to accept that this tour will be the last with Priest. Now I also have to accept that the man who’s been in the band from the beginning, who founded Judas Priest – is gone and we won’t see him on stage again.
We get to say goodbye to Judas Priest – but not to all of them. Doesn’t feel good at all.

What the reason is, I don’t know. As usual just a bunch of secrecy around the band. It’s always been like that – just shut up and come up with something diplomatic to say.
What REALLY happened will be left for fans to speculate on.

I’m just speechless.

 

 

Just BELIEVE

Tommy Clufetos from Ozzy‘s band Twittered about an interview he had done that was on Youtube. Went to check it out. It just put a smile on my face – the guy seems to truly love what he does, he’s down to earth and thankful for what he’s got.

It’s that sincerety and love for music and the business that he’s a part of, that I get so inspired by. I love that quality in his band-pal Gus G as well. Basically, anyone who has that love and passion for music, dispite the ups and downs they’ve been through, gets my attention and “horns up”. :-)
Rob Halford said it when I did my first interview with him on the Painkiller tour – “I live, breath, eat, sleep heavy metal – you’ve got to give everything when you make your music”.

I guess that’s also the reason why musicians never seem to grow old. There is no AGE when you talk about musicians, and I think it’s because they are doing that they want to do.
Unhappy, bitter people age faster. But those that have the fire within them, they stay young forever.

I saw a few new pics of David Coverdale and thought that this guy certainly doesn’t care about botox and face lifts – but the thing is…. eventhough David’s face shows the signs of aging, his presence doesn’t.

I was thinking the same thing years ago, that he may be looking older, but he ages gracefully and he is young and vibrant because the enthusiastic young man David still lives in that same body – and when he talks or takes the stage – it’s unmistakable.

David Coverdale

When you love something that much, when you are a creative person who can lose yourself in your music to the point where you forget about the world around you – it keeps you young.

And did it ever occur to you that if you put a “regular” man age 60 next to a rocker age 60 – you will see ONE major difference…. One of them will still have his HAIR. And it most likely won’t be the “regular dude”.

Maybe the strength lies in the hair, just like the story of Samson and Delilah, but seriously, I think that the secret for a long and happy life – is to love what you do, appreciate what you’ve got, be passionate and creative and live life to its fullest.

I admire and respect people who do and most importantly, I love being around people who have that fire within them, because it inspires me on an everyday basis.
Thank god for those who BELIEVE….!

BRUCE DICKINSON – part two

As promised – more from the Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)-interview that I did at Monsters of Rock – Donington back in 1992.

The interview that I got cause Bruce accidentally spilled coffee (or tea, I don’t remember for sure anymore) over me. One of those more unusual situations that I won’t ever forget. :-)

In this segment, he mentions that he thought “Somewhere In Time” was the weakest Iron Maiden-album that he wouldn’t have released if it had been up to him. He also mentions Skid Row as good competition on the Donington bill, but adds…. well, you’ll have to listen for yourself.

And someday I will tell you the story about “The Cameraman from Hell” that was supposed to film the interview I was doing with Iron Maiden the next day – for the TV-show “RockShow” that he was the host of to begin with – but he forgot to charge the battery….and also forgot that the outlets in the UK are different from the Swedish. My god.

It created the most awkward situation, right in front of Iron Maiden whose facial expressions I’ll never forget.

Next time…! :)