Saxon's Biff Byford says Judas Priest were 'crazy' to consider touring as four-piece
He reveals he's discussed it with guitarist Andy Sneap
Last updated 1st Feb 2022
Saxon frontman Biff Byford says Judas Priest were ‘crazy’ to consider touring as a streamlined four-piece on their 50 Heavy Metal Years tour.
Back on 10th January, Judas Priest shocked their legions of fans when they announced they were hitting the road this year as an “even more powerful, relentless four-piece heavy metal band” with producer and touring guitarist Andy Sneap no longer performing live.
Sneap then released his own statement saying Judas Priest’s move to withdraw him from the tour was “incredibly disappointing”, and Priest fans widely criticised the band for ditching their trademark two-pronged guitar attack.
Just five days after the initial announcement, Judas Priest made a U-turn and welcomed Sneap back into their touring fold.
Biff Byford has worked with Andy Sneap on four Saxon studio albums (‘Sacrifice’, ‘Battering Ram’, ‘Thunderbolt’ and ‘Carpe Diem’), and he was asked in a recent interview with SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk what he thought about the Judas Priest line-up saga.
“I was talking to Andy (Sneap) about it. Andy lives quite close to where I live, so we talk all the time,” Byford said. “He was really disappointed because he loves Priest.
“Andy is a child of the '80s, really, so he loves Priest. But he didn't take it too bad -he was just really disappointed. And then, a week later, he was back in!”
Asked why he thinks Judas Priest decided to tour as a quartet, Byford said: “Maybe they'd been drinking. I don't know. Maybe they were having a party in the room once and somebody said, 'Hey, that doesn't sound bad with one guitar.'
“Sometimes these things are like that. One guy says one thing. Maybe some engineer was in there saying, 'Have you heard this?'
"I don't know why," he continued. "I thought it was a little bit crazy when I heard it. I was, like, 'Really?' It's crazy. It's like Thin Lizzy having one guitarist. It's impossible."
Saxon unleash their 23rd studio album ‘Carpe Diem’ – Latin for ‘Seize the Day’ – on Friday 4th February 2022.
They follow its release with a 14-date November 2022 UK tour where they’re joined by special guests Diamond Head.
Planet Rock has a 24-hour ticket pre-sale to Saxon’s tour that starts RIGHT HERE at 10am on Thursday 3rd February 2022.
Saxon’s UK tour dates:
NOVEMBER 2022
Ipswich Regent Theatre – Fri 11th
Southampton O2 Guildhall – Sat 12th
Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion – Sun 13th
Cardiff St. David’s Hall – Mon 14th
Bath Forum – Tue 15th
Cambridge Corn Exchange – Wed 16th
Newcastle O2 City Hall – Fri 18th
Blackburn King George's Hall – Sat 19th
Aberdeen Music Hall – Sun 20th
Glasgow Barrowland – Mon 21st
Hull City Hall – Tue 22nd
York Barbican – Wed 23rd
Leicester De Montfort Hall – Fri 25th
London Roundhouse – Sat 26th
Buy Saxon pre-sale tickets
The real names of famous rock stars, including Biff Byford:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.