During a recent interview with Conny Schiffbauer for Germany's WDR Rockpalast, former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing - who parted ways with the band in 2011 - was asked if he would be willing to do a one-off festival show with his former bandmates if the oppotunity presented itself.

Downing: "Well, let me see the cheque (laughs). It would have to be very, very big. No. I'm happy, I'm content. I humbly approached the guys a couple of years ago and said, 'Look, what do you think about me being back? You're thinking about being a four-piece and doing stuff....' and they said, 'No.' And so that's it. It's closure, I guess, which... it's sad."

On May 18th, KK's Priest performed at the 2024 edition of the Rock Hard Festival at the Amphitheater in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Pro-shot livestream video of the band's full show courtesy of WDR Rockpalast can be viewed below. 

Setlist:

"Hellfire Thunderbolt"
"Strike Of The Viper"
"One More Shot at Glory"
"The Ripper" (Judas Priest)
"Reap the Whirlwind"
"Night Crawler" (Judas Priest)
"Sermons of the Sinner"
"Burn in Hell" (Judas Priest)
"Beyond The Realms Of Death" (Judas Priest)
"Hell Patrol" (Judas Priest)
"The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" (Fleetwood Mac)
"Breaking the Law" (Judas Priest)
"Victim of Changes" (Judas Priest)
"Raise Your Fists"

Heavy metal fans, prepare for the most electrifying tour of the year! Heavy metal frontrunners KK’s Priest - featuring Judas Priest alum and Grammy Award winning/nominated musicians K.K. Downing (guitar) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (vocals) - and Teutonic metal originators, Accept, will join forces this fall 2024 for an unmissable North American tour. Both bands are touring in support of their brand new albums, out now via Napalm Records.

The massive run will begin on August 31 in Los Angeles, CA, visiting a slew of major cities in the US and Canada - such as Toronto, ON, Montreal, QC, New York, NY and Nashville, TN - before coming to an end in San Francisco, CA on October 7. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, May 9 at 10 AM, EDT, so get your tickets quickly before it's too late - these will go fast.

KK's Priest's K.K. Downing says: "It's time!!! Let the full European metal assault commence, KK's Priest / Accept. Not since 1983 have we shared the same battleground. From Germany, from the UK, let the Flying Vs clash, let the metal fly! All in the name of defending our beloved heavy metal music, let the people come from all walks of life to witness the battle royal. There is no doubt that we warriors of metal will give every ounce of our energy and our power in order to deliver up our very finest performance. This is a spectacle not to be missed, and this is possibly the one and only time in history for you to witness this iconic duel. Who will be the victor? You will be the judge, let the music begin from early August to early October... The arena awaits!!"

Accept's Wolf Hoffmann says: "This tour with KK’s Priest is a dream come true for Accept and for me personally. Accept supported Judas Priest back in the early 80s - it was our first ‘real’ international tour and Priest had been a huge influence on us. I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with KK on this very special tour. It’s going to be epic! Don’t miss it!"

Full Metal Assault Tour 2024:

August
31 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go-Go

September
1 - Los Angeles, CA - The Rainbow Backyard Bash 2024
3 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
5 - East Moline, IL - The Rust Belt
6 - Green Bay, WI - Epic Events Center
7 - Des Plaines, IL - Des Plaines Theater
8 - Detroit, MI - District 142
10 - Toronto, ON - QET
11 - Montreal, QC - Rialto Theatre
13 - New York, NY - The Palladium
14 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
15 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur Theatre
16 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
18 - Lititz, PA - Mickey's Black Box
20 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater
21 - Providence, RI - The Strand Ballroom
22 - Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho Theater
24 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
26 - New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore
27 - Little Rock, AR - The Hall
28 - Dallas, TX - Tannahill's
29 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre

October
1 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
2 - Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
4 - Riverside, CA - Fox Performing Arts Center
5 - San Diego, CA - The Magnolia
6 - Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades
7 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom