Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing has offered more words of support for David Ellefson who was fired from MEGADETH in May after sexually explicit photos and video of the bassist leaked online along with allegations that he had been grooming a fan, which he vehemently denied.
Ellefson performed a full-length set of PRIEST classics with Downing, former PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens and ex-JUDAS PRIEST drummer Les Binks in November 2019 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. A couple of months later, Downing, Owens and Binks announced the formation of a new band called KK’S PRIEST, along with bassist Tony Newton, a founding member of the long-running British hard rock act VOODOO SIX. At the time, it was assumed that Ellefson‘s non-involvement with KK’S PRIEST was down to the fact that his main priority was MEGADETH, which was working on a new studio album.
When asked in a new interview with Tales From The Road if Ellefson will participate in any KK’S PRIEST activities now that David is no longer a member of MEGADETH, Downing responded: “Dave, when we played together [two years ago], people called it the MEGAPRIEST performance, which we did. And I loved that, but it was MEGADETH and JUDAS PRIEST — it was like a hybrid — so that didn’t really work for me. And plus Dave was still in MEGADETH, and I didn’t wanna interfere with that. And they were going out on the road with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, then they were gonna do their own tour, with LAMB OF GOD supporting.
“So, obviously, I recruited another great bass player, Tony Newton, and I’m really happy with Tony. But if I was looking for a bass player now, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask Dave [to join]. Whatever sh*t happens with him, it’s behind closed doors. Everybody else does it. And if you turn the clock back 10 or 20 years, it would just be called rock and roll. So, that doesn’t bother me at all. But we’ve been, obviously, together now for over a year and a half, and Tony‘s great — he’s great in the studio, and he’s got lots of attributes. And he’s a bass giant. So we’re good to go.”
“But I hope things really do work out well for Dave, because he’s loved all over the planet,” Downing added. “He’s a gentleman and a great bass player. And I wish him well.”
Ellefson has recently announced new project THE LUCID. The band feature SPONGE vocalist Vinnie Dombroski, BANG TANGO guitarist Drew Fortier and FEAR FACTORY drummer Mike Heller alongside Ellefson.
Ellefson has said about the new musical direction: “It’s cool stuff, and it’s very different. It’s, obviously, not thrash metal, hence the name LUCID. The name kind of feels like what the music sounds like.”
