We Got REALLY Close to an Iron Maiden + Judas Priest Tour

For years, metal fans have held out hope that Iron Maiden and Judas Priest would one day tour together and Ian Hill, the latter's recently retired bassist, reveals that it almost happened this year.

Iron Maiden's Run For Your Lives 50th anniversary tour extended into 2026 after launching last year. In North America, Megadeth served as direct support with a small handful of extra support from Anthrax. But it turns out that Judas Priest initially received an invite for a "four-week" North American trek with Maiden.

How the Iron Maiden + Judas Priest Tour Almost Happened

In a new interview with Metal Pilgrim (the YouTube channel led by Ukrainian fan Vladyslav Stadnyk), Hill opened up about the circumstances that contributed to his decision to retire.

While the 74-year-old last stepped onstage with Judas Priest on Sept. 18 in Belgium, unfortunately having to sit out the final show three days later in London, he nearly hung up his bass for good even earlier.

"It is funny, because the last couple of tours have been a bit of a struggle, because this trouble is basically my shoulder and my thumb — [I've got a] great big lump on my thumb, which is all arthritis. I've been struggling with that for the past couple of tours or so. And it doesn't go away, unfortunately, and it's one of those things that just gets worse as time goes by," Hill explains, noting, "And I almost retired at the end of the last tour."

With an alluring tour offer being dangled in front of him, it seemed worth powering through one more time.

The bassist continues, "It's funny the way it came about. Iron Maiden said, 'Do you fancy doing a four-week tour of America this year?' And I said, 'Well, yeah, that sounds okay, a four-week tour of America, quick four weeks.' Then they pulled out."

Heavy metal history buffs may recall that Iron Maiden supported Judas Priest on tour in 1982. Maiden had a new singer — Bruce Dickinson — and had just released The Number of the Beast while headliners Priest were touring in support of Screaming for Vengeance.

How Ian Hill Sustained a Snapped Tendon

Additionally, with an appearance booked at Bloodstock Festival in England over the summer, other surrounding tour dates got put on the books. But a heavy schedule without many days off pushed Hill's body a bit too far.

"We did six shows in eight days," he says, "That was running up to Brussels, so that's when the tendon snapped. Because we were averaging maybe a day on, a day off, day on, day off, so the crew could get to the next gig and what have you. And, of course, it was recovering on the days off. Obviously, I wasn't doing anything, so it recovered. And then, of course, you go on stage and you aggravate it all over again. But then it was sort of, like I say, six shows in eight days, and I'd never had time to recover. And right before the encores on the Brussels show, I just felt a snap and a real sharp, searing pain, and I thought, 'That's it. That's the end of it.'"

Still, Hill finished the set, even if it meant resting his elbow on his stomach to help reach the bottom of the bass neck.

"From the elbow down, everything was fine. It worked a treat, but I just could not move my shoulder," he admits, "And that's why I had to miss the London show. I physically could not play the bass."

Watch the full interview with Metal Pilgrim below.

What Ian Hill's Retirement Statement Said

Last week, Ian Hill shared a lengthy statement announcing his retirement from the band and that he's looking forward to spending time at home with his family after more than half a century in one of metal's most trailblazing bands.

In his place, Uriah Heep bassist and Richie Faulkner's Elegant Weapons bandmate Davey Rimmer has been welcomed into the band.

His full statement reads:

Hello everyone, for a long time now, when asked "how long can you continue" - I've always answered "until my performances suffer"....
I hate to say it, but that time has come.
For some years now, I've been struggling with the onset of the evil arthritis, which is now in an advanced state in my left shoulder and right hand, established in my right shoulder, and present in both knees. I've been fighting this with painkilling pills, gels, and recently with cortisone injections in my shoulder and hand.
Although, I was able to put bass lines to the songs for the new album, there were questions whether I'd be able to complete the recent European tour without incident, so we asked our good friend Davey Rimmer from Uriah Heep, and of course Elegant Weapons, to learn the set list to stand in for me if I had to pull out, which I did for the London show. This was due to me snapping a tendon in my left shoulder (as if I didn't have enough problems with it!) just before the encores during the Brussels show two days before. This led to me not being able to lift my arm enough to reach the neck of my bass. So we had to call Davey to stand in for me, who put in an incredible performance at such short notice!
I've seen specialists, who suggest I might get away without surgery, but even if I don't there's no guarantee either way that I'll have enough strength in my shoulder/arm to complete a whole stage show.
In view of all this, and the fact that I've neglected my family life for fifty seven years, I've decided to retire and spend the remaining years making up for it, and doing things with them before it involves one of ‘em pushing me around in a wheelchair.
The obvious choice for my replacement is Davey. He's a great bassist, and a genuinely nice bloke who'll fit the job perfectly, and I wish him the very best of luck!
There's not a day goes by where I don't give thanks for the incredible journey I've lived through, and it just remains for me to say that I love you all, and thank you for the life you've let me live X
IAN HILL

See how we ranked every Judas Priest album below.