Rock legends, come and some go, whilst others stand the test of time and go forth forever. KK downing is the pinnacle of that. A man that has been in the rock industry for so long whole a different generations know his name and where he came from (Judas Priest). KK’s Priest is made up of some of the most talented artists I have had the pleasure of working with. Along with KK Downing, (Guitarist) he is joined by his long time co singer from Judas Priest, Tim “Ripper” Owens, (lead singer) Sean Elg (drummer) Tony Newton (bass guitar) and A.J Mills (guitarist). An extraordinary bunch of musicians all with their own styles, brought together to create something great. Working along side multi award winning artists was an honour. Over the space of the evening I had all access around the KK Steel Mill enabling me to create a miniature documentary about the band and their debut show.

LEGENDS

When I had the news that I had been given the green light to capture the KK Priest debut show, my first thought was to create a brief on how I would  create for the documentary. I Knew the venue would have photographers and videographers, so I wanted to do something different, something that would stand out, something people would remember. After a lot of thought I followed my instinct, to create a short film. This show was local history, a rock legend, KK downing, had returned home to the West Midlands with his new band. I had to document it, not only create something for band, but for the fans to enjoy. It had to be something impactful, not just pieces of footage put together that didn’t tell a story, I wanted people to see what I would see, follow my chronological events of the show, so it started with the set up. The merchcahndise stand made it real for me, I had been to many music concerts before, but never worked one of this scale. To see the vast amounts of stock, from T-shirts, posters, stickers and badges, ready to be sold. There was no room for losing track of time, I starting pressing the shutter, capturing the environment and people, taking it all in photographing the set up, and speaking to staff about the buzz of the show, I was locked in and ready to go all out.

In no time at all, capturing video to help set the scene and documenting the; set up of the venue, it was time to meet the band. I would be lying if I said nerves wernt’t taking over, this was by far the most high profile event I had ever photographed, and it was finally hit me as I prepared to meet the band. I had a job to do, so I pushed that feeling down, knowing it would affect the end product I had worked so hard to get. I have always used a camera as a shield of sorts, but once I bring the camera up, all my worries, and doubts disappear. The room was tiny, so all the space I could get was crucial. Making use of tight, medium, wides and detailed shots I set out to capture a visual story. The guys relaxing, chatting and all around enjoying themselves it was great to be a part of.  This moment, the band were just themselves, not the rock legends that everyone knows. All regular people enjoying the experience as much as I was. Recording stories and capturing moments was extremely important here; hearing stories of the bands beginning and how it started during covid was extremely interesting. Finding out where people were and what they were doing within the band before the world stood still. It was time to meet the first of two members of the legendary British heavy metal band, Judas Priest.

The Ripper, Tim Owens a previous member of Judas Priest. A rock legend, I had the opportunity to sit down and conduct an interview with. Throughout this interview I learnt about the Rippers life, before and after Judas Priest, along with all the different awards the band had won over the years; All leading up to him joining KK’S Priest. Time was of the essence as we moved on to the next stage of the evening; The show was getting closer. Tailgunner and Paul Dianno, the support for the main event was ending. It was time to meet KK Downing, the original member of Judas Priest; a legendary guitarist of British rock history. Holding an all access pass to capture and document the behind the scenes footage and getting to know the band and their stories, was a true honour; photographing and creating a documentary for “Napalm Records”.

THE RIPPER

To Watch the full documentary filmed for the debut show of KK’s Priest, click on the picture below!