Rob Halford on Touring with Alice Cooper

Judas Priest's tour with Alice Cooper kicked off on September 16th (Corrosion of Conformity opening). Thursday, October 2nd, WCSX welcomes the show to Pine Knob. In a recent interview, Rob Halford spoke about what it is to be touring with Alice Cooper and why they're a strong match.

For Halford, this tour is both a celebration and a statement. It’s a chance to reconnect to both his own roots and to the fans who’ve followed Priest over decades. The “metal memories” piece he mentions in a recent interview signals that it isn’t just about what they play, but about how the shows will feel: intense, emotional, energetic.

It wasn't easy in today's music culture. "“A little bit corporate, and blah, blah, blah,” is Rob Halford official explanation. He further explained, "Yeah. I wish it was a lot easier [laughs]. Back in the day, it was so easy to put these two together."

Rob continued, "Will this ever happen again? I don't think so. So if you wanna see an event where you've got The Metal Gods, and you've got the original shock rocker, 'cause he started it all, baby."

Here's chunk of the Judas Priest show (fan-shot but the sound is pretty good) from a couple of years back at the Masonic Temple:

"I don't care, as long as we get to play, as long as we get to see our beautiful metal maniacs again. See the people that have given us this great life in rock and roll and just party. It's a reunion, and it's such a great, great way to celebrate both bands, rather all the bands." Rob Halford went on to say that he and Alice switch. The tour has 30 stops so 15 and 15. I'm quite sure that playing in his home town of Detroit, Alice will have the closing/headlining slot.

Aside from the obvious metal music match up, theses two are neighbors for years now. The two have lived near each other in Paradise Valley since Rob made it his American home base back in 1986. Alice Cooper, and avid golfer, has had a home in the same city since 1983.

In a recent interview with Meltdown, Halford praises Cooper as "a beautiful man, a great friend, and just an unbelievable performer.”

They've also worked together for charities, collaborating for Cooper's Solid Rock Foundation.

This also isn't the first time Rob Halford and Alice Cooper have toured together. They also split a co-headlining gig, the 'Operation Rock N’ Roll' tour in 1991. That tour was the basis for their friendship that continues to this day.