Did KK Quit Priest For Golf?
Bassist Ian Hill reveals why he thinks guitarist left
Hill, the band's only remaining founding member, tells the Express & Star "Ken's news came as a bombshell to all of us. I think he had just had enough.
"He'd got a lot on his plate with his golf course and I think he couldn't spend the time away – by the time it's wrapped up this tour's going to be the best part of two years. It's a long, long time to be away from things and I just think Ken couldn't handle the time away.
"All due respect to him: he gave us a long enough time to find someone to replace him. We found an excellent guitarist in Richie Faulkner.
"I'll always be a friend of Ken's and I'm sure he'll always be a friend of mine. We' been together since we were about five years old. We went through school and everything together. Still waters run deep."
In the interview Hill also revealed that the band themselves were a little nonplussed by the nature of their forthcoming Epitaph world tour and whether it was the end of the band, the end of touring or just the end of playing at festivals.
"There was a bit of confusion with ourselves, to be honest," he says. "It was never going to be the end of the band. We always thought we'd continue playing, at festivals or special gigs somewhere. But you have to wonder how many more two-years-worth of touring we've got left in us.
"We were concerned about the physical demands before we started, but to be honest we're handling it quite well – maybe it's having some young blood in the band. It picks everybody up a bit.
"It's open-ended at the moment; as long as people want to hear us we'll keep on going."