Former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks has launched a new band called Les Binks' Priesthood. The group, which was put together specifically to play the material from Les's era with Judas Priest, also features guitarists Simon J. Pinto and Gus Mark, bassist Paul Smith and vocalist Adam Shepherd.

Talking to K.K. Downing’s Steel Mill, Bink’s stated, “I've been working with these musicians individually in various settings over the past few years in live performances and often had audiences ask for Priest songs because of my association with band. So I decided to put my own band together specifically to play the material from my era with Judas Priest and, naturally, I called upon their services to help me achieve that.

"I wanted to focus on the material from four albums, beginning with Sin After Sin. Although I didn't play on it, I was recruited to tour and perform the songs live to promote the record in the U.K., U.S.A. and Japan. My first studio album, Stained Class, which saw me contribute to the writing with 'Beyond The Realms Of Death', my second studio album, Killing Machine, re-titled Hell Bent For Leather in the States, and Unleashed In The East, the live-in-Japan album. Initially, it was just for a one-off gig at the Legends Of Rock event held in Great Yarmouth each March, but we seemed to have created a lot of interest in the band and have been encouraged to play more dates, festivals, etc."

Binks went on to say, “I deliberately didn't want to perform material I wasn't involved with beyond my period in the band as there are many tribute bands doing that and I didn't want to be labelled that way, but, of course, Eddie, who runs the 'Legends Of Rock' event, specifically requested some later stuff, so to keep the peace, we threw in 'Breaking The Law', 'Living After Midnight' and 'You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

(Photo by: Yellow Mustang Photography)