Saxon frontman Biff Byford is featured in a new interview with Metal Rules. During the chat he discussed original guitarist, Paul Quinn, announcing his retirement from touring. 

Byford: "A change always makes a difference. I mean, he’s only stopped touring. He hasn’t stopped doing albums with us. He’s just tired. I can’t say any... he’s doing his own thing now. I mean, he played with us in Barcelona the other day, so. He may well play some more shows with us. We love Paul, and he’s a fucking brilliant guitar player. But he just wasn’t happy with that intensity that Saxon has in our music, and it was just getting a bit too much for him. I just think he just thought, 'I’m not giving 100%...' And he wants to give 100%. So I think that’s what was his decision. He couldn’t give 100% anymore, and he’s just going to play blues music, which is where we first started, me and him.

I was playing bass guitar with him at the beginning. And maybe in a couple of years, I’ll join his band, and we’ll play blues together again. We’ll go back to where we started. But the thing is that bands move on, and this is the thing. It’s like a family, isn’t it? It’s like we move on. And we always love Paul, and if Paul wants to get involved in songwriting and being on an album, he can even do some shows with us. We can have three guitars on stage. I’ve already told him that. It’s up to him. There’s no animosity whatsoever from Saxon towards Paul, and there’s nothing hidden there. He just decided he didn’t want to tour anymore. I mean, we’re going to South America in a couple of months. It’s a grueling thing. He’s just tired of all that, flying and playing and sweating and all that stuff. The thing is, he can’t handle the long shows and the heat, and his playing hands are stiff. So he’s just going to play blues. That’s his plan."

Read the complete interview here.

Quinn was back on stage with the band on Saturday, July 8 at the Barcelona Rocks festival in Barcelona, Spain. Fan-filmed video can be viewed below.

Saxon played their first show with Brian Tatler (Diamond Head) replacing Paul Quinn in Athens on Friday, July 7 at Rockwave Festival. Fan-filmed video can be viewed below:

Saxon will join Judas Priest for the "Metal Masters 2024" European. Also on board are Uriah Heep, with Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons appearing on the date in Milan, Italy.

Tour dates:

March
24 - Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
25 - Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
27 - Westfallenhalle - Dortmund, Germany
29 - 02 Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
30 - Tauron Arena - Krakow, Poland

April
1 - Stadthalle - Vienna, Austria
3 - St Jakobshalle - Basel, Switzerland
5 - Halle Tony-Garnier - Lyon, France
6 - Mediolanum Forum - Milan, Italy
8 - Zenith - Paris, France