Richie Faulkner shares ongoing recovery efforts as Judas Priest continues touring

Guitarist Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest was asked if he and his colleagues are prepared to resume touring in a recent interview with Charlie Kendall’s Metalshop, as per Blabbermouth. This was his response.

We’re always ready. The Priest machine is always ready. It’s never off the road for too long. We got off the road in October, and we were not going out until July. But I was getting e-mails the other day from the tour manager about flights. And [I thought], is it that time already? We’ve just got off the road, and now we’ve gotta [get back out there] again. Even though we had a few months off, it goes so quickly these days. We’re gonna be back out on the road before you know it. But I think with Priest, everyone seems excited to do it. And I think with Rob [Halford, Priest singer], he says if he can do it, why not do it? Why not carry on? And he’s doing great. Everyone’s doing great. Everyone’s healthy. So why not? They love what they do. So why not?

While performing at the 2021 Louder Than Life event in Louisville, Kentucky, Faulkner also once again discussed the health problems and physical difficulties he has encountered in the nearly five years since suffering an aortic aneurysm and total aortic dissection. Given what he experienced, Richie responded as follows when asked what he needs to do to get ready for a Priest show these days.

I have to have a physio on the road with us. We have a German guy called Bastian that comes out on the road with us, and I do physio with him every day, three times a day — morning, before the show and after the show. And he works on my right side. Long story, some collateral damage from what happened affected my right side. So we’ve gotta keep the right side running and moving properly and stuff like that. So, yeah, it is a regime of, I’ve gotta watch my diet and physio every single day, and that’s just what it takes to keep it moving for me. And that’s just life. Consider myself very grateful. There’s a lot of people out there with a lot worse than I have, and they have to deal with a lot of things every day. I’m still able to do what I do. I have to work at it, but that’s fine. I consider myself very grateful.

Upcoming shows:

• Saturday, July 25, 2026 – Mönchengladbach, Germany – Bobfest 2026
• Sunday, July 26, 2026 – Halle, Germany – MESSEHALLE
• Tuesday, July 28, 2026 – Warszawa, Poland – TORWAR I Hala Widowiskowa
• Friday, July 31, 2026 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air 2026
• Sunday, August 2, 2026 – Ostrava, Czechia – OSTRAVAR ARENA
• Tuesday, August 4, 2026 – Bratislava, Slovakia – NEPALA ARENA
• Thursday, August 6, 2026 – Neu-Ulm, Germany – WILEYSPORTPARK
• Sunday, August 9, 2026 – Burton Upon Trent, United Kingdom – Bloodstock Open Air 2026
• Wednesday, August 12, 2026 – Tilburg, Netherlands – O13
• Friday, August 14, 2026 – Bremen, Germany – RE-LOAD FESTIVAL
• Sunday, August 16, 2026 – Carhaix-Plouguer, France – MOTOCULTUR FESTIVAL
• Tuesday, August 18, 2026 – Salinas De Pamplona, Spain – NAVARRA ARENA
• Thursday, August 20, 2026 – València, Spain – Roig Arena
• Sunday, August 23, 2026 – Sankt Goarshausen, Germany – LORELEY AMPHITEATRE