KK's Priest added to this weekend's Bloodstock 2023 line-up
They replace Helloween on the bill
Judas Priest offshoots KK’s Priest have joined the Bloodstock Open Air 2023 this weekend.
K.K. Downing (guitars), Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens (vocals), AJ Mills (guitars), Tony Newton (bass), and Sean Elg (drums) will perform on the Ronnie James Dio Stage on Sunday 13th August, taking a place vacated by Helloween.
Unfortunately, Helloween have pulled out at the eleventh hour after frontman Michael Kiske contracted laryngitis.
The German power metal band said in a statement: “The heavy storms in Slovenia (our thoughts are with the flood victims) and cloudbursts in Wacken couldn't harm us - we played all our scheduled shows and celebrated together with our loyal fans.
“Much more difficult for us is now to inform you that we have to cancel the upcoming festival gigs at the Hellsinki Metal Festival in Finland and Bloodstock Open Air in the UK due to an acute laryngitis our singer Michael Kiske is suffering of.
“We did make this decision with a lot of consideration and with heavy hearts but Michael's condition unfortunately does not leave us any other choice. Thanks for your understanding."
Commenting on their last-minute slot, KK’s Priest said: "KK and the band are extremely delighted to be able to add Bloodstock to our summer 2023 European festival run and we consider it a real bonus to play in front of our English fans.
“We're certain it's going to be a great evening of metal. We're very much looking forward to it and we'll see everybody there ready to rock!"
KK’s Priest join a Bloodstock line-up that boasts headliners Killswitch Engage, Meshuggah and Megadeth plus In Flames, Biohazard, Employed To Serve, Royal Republic, Sacred Reich, Heaven Shall Burn, Sepultura, Fit For An Autopsy, Crowbar, Candlemass, Tribulation, Seething Akira, Ugly Kid Joe, and many more.
You can check out the times for the Planet Rock Signing Tent RIGHT HERE.
KK’s Priest hit the road in October 2023 on their debut full UK tour.
The Priests, Killers & Witches Tour opens at Birmingham O2 Institute on Saturday 7th October and visits Glasgow, Nottingham and Manchester before concluding at the 2,000 capacity London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Thursday 12th October.
Special guests at all five dates will be early Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno, who will sing songs from the band’s first two albums ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Killers’, plus Swiss rockers Burning Witches.
Tickets are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets now.
18 rock bands named after songs by other bands:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".