Judas Priest announces tour dates with Whitesnake

For the past few years, Judas Priest has unquestionably ruled the U.S. summer concert scene, having been a part of both the top-grossing Ozzfest and Metal Masters tours. And this summer, Priest has done it again, by uniting with Whitesnake for a series of stateside shows.

Priest will be celebrating the '30th Anniversary' of the classic album 'British Steel' (it was originally issued in April 1980), by performing the album in its entirety for the very first time ever live on stage!!! In addition they will be playing some old favorites.

Along with 1982's 'Screaming for Vengeance' and 1990's 'Painkiller,' 'British Steel' has long been considered one of metal's all-time classics. It was with this release that Priest truly broke through to the masses, with a pair of tracks that have become fixtures on rock radio - the enduring anthems "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight." But like all classic albums, there is not a single weak track detected on 'British Steel,' as evidenced by such standouts as the perennial concert highlight, "Metal Gods," as well as "Rapid Fire," "Grinder," "United," and "The Rage," among others.

Produced by Tom Allom, 'British Steel' was recorded at the Tittenhurst Park in England - which is a mansion owned at the time by former Beatle Ringo Starr, and previously owned by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. In 2001, the album was remastered and reissued with extra bonus tracks, and also, was the subject of an in-depth study as part of the popular 'Classic Albums' DVD series.

Judas Priest - singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis - remain as popular as ever to this day, confirmed once and for all upon the release of 2008's 'Nostradamus,' which became their highest-ever charting album in the U.S. Two years earlier, the group was the inaugural inductees into the 'VH1 Rock Honors.'

The forthcoming summer dates with Whitesnake are surely not to be missed by metalheads from coast tocoast, especially now that fans will be reintroduced up close and personal to the mighty 'British Steel.' Along with Priest, Whitesnake is certainly one of the most instantly identifiable names in all of hard rock. Priest and Whitesnake toured together in 2005 (in Mexico and South America), resulting in such a well-received and great package that since then, both groups have been planning to work together again. This summer, U.S. fans will finally get their wish.

"The opportunity to perform live on stage in its entirety the whole of 'BRITISH STEEL' is a dream come true for all of us! We're really excited and looking forward to presenting the album live on stage - fans will be able to enjoy a taste of true heavy metal when it was in its early, raw state!" said the group in a statement. "Plus, we will of course be throwing in a few other Priest classics!"

2009 CONFIRMED TOUR DATES [more to be announced]:
* INDICATES PERFORMANCES WITH WHITESNAKE
July 1st The Family Arena St. Charles, MO
July 2nd Summerfest (Harley Davidson Stage) Milwaukee, WI
July 3rd Taste of Minnesota at Harriet Island * St. Paul, MN
July 7th Comcast Center * Mansfield, MA
July 8th CMAC * Canadaigua, NY
July 9th Molson Amphitheatre * Toronto, ONT
July 11th PNC Bank Arts Center * Holmdel, NJ
July 12th Nikon at Jones Beach * Wantagh, NY
July 14th Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre * Cleveland, OH
July 15th DTE Energy Music Theatre * Clarkston, MI
July 17th Moondance Jam * Walker, MN
July 18th Rockfest/Cheppewa Valley Music Cadott, WI
July 21st PNC Pavillion @ Riverbend Music * Cincinnati, OH
July 29th California Mid State Fair * Paso Robles, CA
July 31st Sleep Train Pavillion * Concord, CA
August 1st 98 Rock Jamboree @ Sleep Train Amp* Marysville, CA
August 2nd Gibson Amphitheatre * Universal City, CA
August 4th SDSU Open Air Theatre * San Diego, CA
August 5th Pacific Ampitheatre/OC Fair * Costa Mesa, CA
August 7th Dodge Theatre * Phoenix, AZ
August 8th Thomas & Mack Center * Las Vegas, NV
August 10th Sandia Casino Albuquerque, NM
August 11th Red Rocks Ampitheatre * Morrison, CO

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: www.judaspriest.com