JUDAS PRIEST
… according to Rob Halford. And he’d know, because he’s the Metal God. He’s also a national treasure, a gay icon, and Dolly Parton’s BFF (well, kinda)
Tuyo, the theme song from Narcos, wafts lazily in the background of the dimly lit studio, as Rob Halford, Judas Priest’s iconic frontman, glares through the dark lenses of his aviator sunglasses, his head crowned by a shiny leather cop hat. The photographer snaps away. Dressed to the nines in his black biker coat, hands adorned with fingerless, studded gloves, Rob looks like he’s ready to rain hellfire and brimstone upon a stadium full of surging, wild-eyed headbangers. Then things get weird.
“Are you ready for a kitty cat?” inquires Travis Shinn, the photographer.
“I’m always ready for a kitty cat,” Rob replies, with palpable excitement.
This is no saucy volley of double entendres, but an exchange that introduces a heart-melting spectacle. A tiny, orange tabby kitten is handed to Rob, and his stoic metal façade crumbles, revealing a man bursting with unadulterated joy.
It’s obvious to every metalhead with an internet connection that Rob loves kittens. On Instagram (727,000 followers and counting), he posts an inordinate amount of feline memes, poses in kitty t-shirts, and often tags LA nonprofit Kitten Rescue. However, today’s photoshoot is at a recording studio in Rob’s hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, so we’ve called in local organisation the Arizona Animal Welfare League (see Hell Bent Fur Leather box, page 40) to brighten Rob’s day.
Kiwi, the tabby, gazes deeply into the Metal God’s face before suddenly turning fugitive. After a swift rescue, he’s replaced with Hazel, a shy black kitten with saucer-sized eyes. She purrs her way into Rob’s embrace, finding solace in his snowy white beard. The room is now a symphony of coos and clicks, as Travis immortalises the love fest. Rob, lost in the moment, lavishes Hazel with affection, in a scene that’s oddly tender and starkly different from the metal fury that he’s known to command.
“I love all creatures,” Rob says wistfully, after the last kitten has been whisked away. “Animals were here before we were, weren’t they? Ha ha! So there’s the respect right there.
They’re such an important part of your life, whether you’re an owner of a dog, cat, lizard, snake… You develop a bond to this living, breathing creature. They’re companions, they have empathy. Particularly when there’s some kind of challenge going on in their person’s life, like a bereavement, they snuggle up to you. It’s a very profound moment.”
We retreat to a snug back lounge in the studio – a hallowed ground where Rob’s etched countless tracks into the annals of metal history. His longtime partner, Thomas, delivers a steaming cup of coffee to h
