‘The Ballad Of Judas Priest’ Co-Director Says Involving K.K. Downing In Documentary Was ‘Tricky’

The Ballad Of Judas Priest, the official documentary tracing more than five decades of the British metal legends, made its North American premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto on Sunday, April 26.

Following the screening, co-director Sam Dunn took part in a Q&A session where he discussed some of the challenges behind assembling the film — particularly when it came to involving former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing. The documentary was co-directed by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello alongside Dunn.

According to Now Toronto, Dunn explained that securing Downing’s participation was not straightforward. “The big one for Tom was getting K.K. Downing involved. It was tricky at first attempt, because, obviously, he’s not in the band [anymore]. There’s still some animosity there, and, genuinely, it took some work to get K.K. on board. Frankly, I don’t know if Morello, if he hadn’t have been there, it might have been a much, much bigger challenge. Tom Morello‘s a massive fan of the band, a big fan of K.K.‘s playing, so he really connected with K.K. and got him over the line. So, that’s a whole other story that wasn’t in the film.”

He added that lingering issues between Downing and the band still shaped how the filmmakers approached that part of the story. “There’s still outstanding legal issues with K.K. and the band. This is the honest answer. And, so there’s a lot of caution exercised on both sides around what got said. We had to move through it without digging into all the details because it’s still fresh, still raw.”

Dunn also addressed the absence of former vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens, who fronted JUDAS PRIEST between 1996 and 2003: “No. Controversial response, JUDAS PRIEST fans. Again, so much story. We wanted to obviously reference Tim, but it’s tricky. Not to get in the weeds, but in a story of this scale, when you’re into the second, third, or third quarter of the story, it’s like what to [include] and what not to [include] become big questions. The exploding heart, [PRIEST guitarist] Richie Faulkner‘s heart exploded on stage [in 2021], and he almost died. We were, like, ‘Okay, that’s pretty interesting, pretty dramatic, but no.'”

The discussion around Downing’s involvement comes months after Rob Halford also commented on his participation in the documentary. Speaking to Germany’s Metal Hammer in February, Halford emphasized the importance of including the band’s former guitarist despite past tensions.

“I think that the love and respect that we still have for each other is still there,” Halford said. “And the fact that he’s as important to JUDAS PRIEST now as he was then in telling the story, it had to be that way. It had to be that way — because he was there at the very beginning, before I even personally joined the band. So his value and the work that he created in his time with JUDAS PRIEST — the fact that we still play a lot of songs that K.K. wrote with myself and with Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] — it’s really important and vital. And I think it sends a message out to the fans and to everybody else in the metal world that even though there is a separation from being included in the band, or not in the band, when we go out in today’s world, that’s irrelevant. The fact that we still do have this respect for each other is important.”

When the topic turned to a potential reunion with Downing, Halford suggested that the situation ultimately comes down to personal motivation. “Well, I think what he said in the documentary was simple and straightforward and eloquent, that he wasn’t feeling certain things.”

He continued: “When you go to work with music, you really have to wanna get on that stage. You can’t hold anything back. You have to be there for the right reasons. If you’re not up there for the right reasons, then you don’t really have the right to be on that stage. You can’t just be going through the motions. If you’re just going there ’cause you want the check at the end of the tour, it’s none of that. It’s just a really potent internal feeling that makes you wanna get on that stage and give yourself with that amount of honesty and conviction to your fans. And if you’re not feeling that, then you do what K.K. did.”

Downing originally exited JUDAS PRIEST in 2011, citing internal conflicts, management issues, and concerns about the band’s performance quality. He was later replaced by Richie Faulkner. Years later, Downing revealed that he had sent two resignation letters at the time—one a measured farewell and the other far more critical—something he believes contributed to his absence when the band later considered line-up changes following Glenn Tipton’s retirement from touring.

Despite tensions, Downing did reunite with the band for a performance during their 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. However, his reflections on that experience painted a more complicated picture.

In a 2023 interview with Chaoszine, Downing said he felt sidelined during the event, claiming he wasn’t permitted to walk the red carpet alongside the band. “[PRIEST‘s] manager told us that we were guests of the band — me and Les [Binks, former PRIEST drummer],” Downing said. “I’m going, ‘F**k off.’ If anything, I’m a guest of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but I’m there to accept my own award in my own right. I’m not a guest of anybody.

“And then they were gonna dictate the songs and what was gonna [be] play[ed]. So I said, ‘Oh, f**k. Should I bother doing this?’ You know what I mean? ‘Can I be really bothered?’ And then people were saying, ‘You’ve gotta go. It’ll never happen again, obviously, in your lifetime. You deserve this.’ And anyway, so I decided, ‘Okay, I’ll go.’ But, obviously, we were kept separated and not allowed to walk the red carpet together, which is all very sad, but that’s the way that they wanted it.”

Still, Downing noted that not all interactions that night were negative. He spoke positively about Faulkner, saying: “Richie was great. Richie came into our dressing room. Richie was really — he was fine. Obviously, I am the real thing, aren’t I? [Laughs] What can I say? [Laughs] What can I say? But, no, Richie‘s great; we get on well. And [PRIEST‘s current touring guitarist and producer] Andy Sneap‘s great; he’s an old friend. As for the other guys, I don’t care less about them. If they couldn’t have just, like, at our age, just one time, just — you know what I mean? It was, just forget about it… But [it was] not to be, so [I] can’t help that.

“But anyway, I went there and, yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed it, really,” he added. “I rented some equipment, and luckily I had a couple of brand new guitars over there that I’d never seen or played. So, yeah, it was easy and fun. It was an experience, to be honest.”

Downing also described a brief exchange with Halford at the ceremony, though he admitted he was initially reluctant to engage. “Rob came over to me, and I [initially] didn’t wanna speak to him, because he left the band for 14 years and I was instrumental in reinstating him back in the band, having him back in. And then he tells me that I can’t rejoin the band. How does that work? I don’t know how that works.”

He added: “It’s Glenn [Tipton] and [PRIEST‘s longtime manager] Jayne [Andrews] who make all the decisions [for the band], and, I hate to say it, but Rob is just… I really think that… The only reason I spoke to Rob [at the Rock Hall] is because I think he’s being controlled. That’s the only reason. I don’t believe that Rob voted not to have me [back] in [PRIEST]. I think he was forced to. I think Rob would have voted me in. But it was their choice. And now Richie‘s off doing his own thing with [his side project] ELEGANT WEAPONS and everything. So it’s not looking great for him, really, is it?”