In a new conversation on the All Exce$$ podcast with Danny Zelisko and Tim Richards, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has reflected on the past year and on the impact the Coronavirus has had on the world.
On making sure life returns to normal as quickly as possible following the pandemic, Halford advises that the public "listen to the scientists, not the politicians".
With Judas Priest set to hit the road on September 8 for the rescheduled North American leg of their 50th-anniversary tour, Halford comments on the travel requirements now required from passengers, saying: "I think you'll still have to show proof of vaccination and a test before you get on the plane. But you'll be able to get off the plane, because that plane is gonna be the safest place in the world to be.
"Once you get on it, and then you're safe and then get off and then go back into the world, hopefully you don't have to go through the hoops and stuff that you have to right now when you get to either end.
"I think that you do what you've gotta do. You listen to the scientists, not the politicians, and we've got through this."
Being sure to hail said scientists for their work, he says: "Considering the severity of this pandemic, the way that the scientists worked so effectively and so brilliantly to getting a vaccine so quickly, it's remarkable.
"It's absolutely remarkable the way technology has advanced so much and they do a lot of this stuff on computer — DNA and virus, blah blah blah. It's just a blessing that this vaccine has been able to be created so quickly.
"Every single one of us has been affected by this pandemic. Every person on the planet, one way or another, has been affected, and we've all had to make the necessary safety changes that we need to make."
Focusing on his own personal experience of the pandemic, Halford credits the teleconferencing software program Zoom as being a helpful tool to maintaining good wellbeing. Speaking to co-hosts Zelisko and Richards, he muses "It is a joy to be able to see each other like this, you know, it's been a life-saver during this pandemic. I zoom all the time with my family and the band!
"It's been a great way for us mentally to get through the difficulty of not being able to do what we love to do".
Lastly, the Birmingham vocalist weighs in on the UK's 'Freedom Day' which happened on July 19 – the date the country's government removed all restrictions, from wearing masks to social distancing, and opened up the hospitality and entertainment sectors. Halford explains: "It's gonna be called Freedom Day in the UK, when all the festivals open up all the nightclubs and all the bars fully open up.
"That really again reemphasises the sheer horror that this Covid pandemic has created in everybody's life. But particularly in music because music is water, right? We gotta' have music and we gotta' have shows and for us to be not able to do that for over a year has been very tough, not only for the fans, but for the industry."
Listen to the full episode below and be sure to catch Judas Priest at Bloodstock Festival 2021.
