JUDAS PRIEST - Broken Up! Page 2
By Martin Popoff

"Top Of The Pops, everyone used to mime on there," explains Hill. "Basically because there were so many acts on it, it would have been logistically impossible to have everyone playing live. You'd spend a week trying to record it. But Old Grey Whistle Test was live. You would set up in the afternoon, do soundchecks. And I think there were only a couple of bands on. It wasn't too much of a nightmare getting in there with changeovers. There are pads put on the drums and you use plastic cymbals. And then there was a playback, not too loud. We were never really good at miming, I must admit. We were a live band and we hated doing it. It was against our philosophy. On the two occasions when we did Top Of The Pops, we were playing our hometown, Birmingham, on the same evening. And on both occasions we were late. They forgave us the first time, but I don't think they ever forgave us the second time, the following tour, when exactly the same thing happened. They say, we'll get you on first, we'll record your part first, and you'll be able to get back. Because obviously, the recording was in London at the BBC studios there. And the last time, they had helicopters and aircraft standing by but the weather was bad. It was a nightmare really (laughs). We were a good couple of hours late. But the audience, God bless them, they sort of sat there and waited for us."

And with respect to the Turbo tour concert? "I can remember that tour vividly," recalls Hill. "It was a great production. That was one of the reasons we used the tape. We wanted to portray a full Priest production show in all its glory. And that was one of the best tours, with the robot, lights, lasers. Sometimes there were problems. A large robot would come out in the back of the stage, behind the drum riser and it would actually pick up Ken and Glenn. And on a couple of occasions, things would happen and they would be left hanging up in the air. There were a few hairy moments."

JUDAS PRIEST - Broken Up! Page 3