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A recent interview with Rob Halford on ULTIMATECLASSICROCK.com:
Long before Rob Halford of Judas Priest became known as the “Metal God,” he was just another young struggling musician who had his own dreams of future success. Now more than four decades later, he’s reflecting on those experiences at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The camp gives fans a chance to live out their rock ‘n’ roll fantasies, learning the ins and outs of performing, playing music and more — all taught by rock stars who’ve been through it all.
After 2014’s successful run, Hell Bent for Vegas, Halford and members of the legendary British heavy metal group are returning for a second round. This time, they’ll head out on the highway to Hollywood on Aug. 4-7 for Vol. 2 — Hell Bent for Hollywood, and the veteran vocalist is looking forward to sharing some of the wisdom he’s accumulated over the years.
“Being in a band is very much like being in any kind of teamwork organization, if you want to look at it in that respect,” Halford tells Ultimate Classic Rock. “It’s all about working together, learning how to be in a band and that incorporates so many nuances of emotions, getting along with each other and getting your points across and being accepted, how to deal with rejection, how to deal with failure. These are all life lessons that you get from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. So it can be quite deep at a certain level, although the top side of it is that it’s so much fun. That’s the other reason why we decided to do it again: We had such a great time last time.”
After spending so many years sharing their music from the concert stage, Halford is grateful for the opportunity to give back in a different way.
“I think that’s important, especially when you’ve had such an amazing time as we have in Priest,” he says. “We’re always looking for these kinds of opportunities, more than ever now. It’s just such a great display of joy and affection and love and support that you’re involved with through the whole thing. It was the first time for all of us the last time we did this in Vegas, and no matter what you’re told by your fellow musicians, to experience it for the first time yourself is just remarkable. To see what can be achieved in such a short space of time as well is quite amazing. Somebody who didn’t know how to play guitar can be taught the basic rudiments in just a few hours to play the songs that need to be played.”
For both Halford and the fans, the Fantasy Camp experience is one that is different than the interactions they’ve shared previously.
“[There are a lot of] great fans who have either seen a band like Priest live or listened to our music. To actually kind of be with each other, face to face, it’s a thrill not only for the fans of Priest, but also for us, because you get to kind of experience a different side of your fan base. This is what’s so cool about it. Because you don’t necessarily have to have an ability to play an instrument — that’s what you’re actually taught at the Fantasy Camp, which is great, you know? I always thought that the fans that were coming in were already kind of proficient musicians and you don’t have to be a proficient musician. You don’t even have to be a musician. That’s one of the many joys about it. So you’re actually involved in something quite bigger than the music itself and so that’s really appealing not only for us, but I would imagine for all of the other musicians who have been involved with the camp over the years.”
The event will culminate with the camp attendees getting the chance to jam with four members of Judas Priest — Halford, guitarist Richie Faulkner, drummer Scott Travis and bassist Ian Hill — at the legendary Whisky a Go Go, a room that holds special times for Halford.
“If my old metalhead memory serves me well, that was one of the first venues that Priest ever played when we came to America,” he says. “The Whisky is a legendary venue. It’s the equivalent of what CBGB’s was in New York City, which is now sadly gone. The Whisky is just this remarkable small building that just has a stunning history of rock ‘n’ roll. I haven’t been in the Whisky forever, so going back there will be a thrill and a treat as well. I think we’ll all be a bit of the deer in the headlights.”
Halford also recalls that his group might have also shared the Whisky stage with Van Halen, a band that blew him away — especially hearing young Eddie Van Halen for the first time. “It was stunning. I have a great memory of a couple of people that were looking after Priest in the very early days, they came into my house one night and they said, ‘You’ve gotta listen to this cassette, man. It’s this band and they’re new from America and you’ve got to check out this guitarist named Eddie Van Halen,’” he says.
“I didn’t have a cassette player in the house, because I was poor, so I sat in the car and listened to a cassette and the opening of Eddie’s ‘Eruption,’ and you just sit there going, ‘Oh, this is a game changer.’ There are specific guitar heroes of mine that have always been revolutionary, and Eddie was definitely one of those guys. So to go from sitting outside my house in the car listening to Van Halen to actually opening up for them at that time at the Santa Monica Civic, not too long right after that memorable night, was a real thrill. And America at that time, was really rumbling heavily with the roots of what would be the American versions of metal and hard rock that was coming over from the U.K.”
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ROCK AND ROLL JOKE OF THE DAY:
What's the similarity between a drummer and a philosopher?
They both perceive time as an abstract concept.
ROCK AND ROLL FACT OF THE DAY:
1990, Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose married Erin Everly, daughter of The Everly Brothers Don at Cupid's Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. They divorced in January 91 after a stormy nine months of marriage.
They both perceive time as an abstract concept.
ROCK AND ROLL FACT OF THE DAY:
1990, Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose married Erin Everly, daughter of The Everly Brothers Don at Cupid's Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. They divorced in January 91 after a stormy nine months of marriage.
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Bring the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp experience to your next corporate event through Team Rock Stars. Some of the biggest and most successful companies have already benefited from Team Rock Stars, and, just like our campers, they reengage Team Rock Stars again and again. Why are they so pleased with the results of this unique program?
• A true learning experience that engages, informs, and develops soft skills such as collaboration, communication, leadership, innovation, conflict resolution, influence and persuasion.
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• Adding a Team Rock Stars component will enliven your meeting and create new behaviors that increase productivity, improve employee engagement and drive business performance.
• With Team Rock Stars, everyone is a star—no musical experience is necessary.
• A true learning experience that engages, informs, and develops soft skills such as collaboration, communication, leadership, innovation, conflict resolution, influence and persuasion.
• Participants return to work after a Team Rock Stars event with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm, increased passion, and stronger engagement in their work.
• Adding a Team Rock Stars component will enliven your meeting and create new behaviors that increase productivity, improve employee engagement and drive business performance.
• With Team Rock Stars, everyone is a star—no musical experience is necessary.
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