Richie Faulkner believes replicating KK Downing’s style would be inappropriate and disrespectful to both Downing and himself. In a recent appearance on Ernie Ball’s series String Theory, he explained how he plans to continue K.K. Downing’s legacy.Noting that it was a challenge for him to find his own style as he had played in cover bands in the past, Faulkner said:
“On the new record, I’m not gonna be playing KK Downing licks – it would be inappropriate and disrespectful to him and myself. After three records in, I should be creating my own voice by now. It is a conscious thing, purely because it’s always been a challenge for me to have my own voice on the instrument. I’ve played in cover bands, so you copy, emulate… So, it’s always been a challenge to find (his own sound), but one that’s, I think, a healthy challenge.”
K.K. Downing On Sharing The Stage With Richie Faulkner
After his troubled departure from Judas Priest in 2011, K.K. Downing performed with Judas Priest once again at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2021. Downing joined Faulkner and former drummer Les Binks as well as Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill and Scott Travis for a three-song performance of the band’s hits ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin,’ ‘Breaking The Law’ and ‘Living After Midnight.’
In October 2022, he spoke to Metal Talk about sharing the same stage with his replacement Faulkner. Stating that he did not feel awkward at the time, Downing said:
“Yes, I managed to have a chat with him and we shared the stage and even jammed together. It could have been awkward, but it wasn’t. I’ve nothing but respect for him. I know he’s working on other projects outside Priest, and I wish him well. The only potentially awkward moments were because I like a lot of room and have always raced around the stage, and we had to avoid each other!”
In the interview, he also revealed doubts about going to the ceremony for Judas Priest. But then he said that he joined them because he wanted to be with the band he had such a long history with. He continued:
“Initially, I thought it’s a lot of fuss. Can I really be bothered with going all the way over to Los Angeles to play three songs and break the ice with the guys? But when I reflected on it, it was the band I started 50 years ago, and I would probably regret it if I didn’t go. So I accepted the invitation.”
You can watch the full interview below, where Faulkner talks about K.K. Downing for Ernie Ball.
