MusicMondays208 is ready to throw rock and roll horns up to a fantastically unique tribute band, "Defenders of the Faith - DOF honoring Judas Priest”
Gerrad Anthony (Lead Vocals) has been a huge fan of Judas Priest since he was a teenager. Gerrard found himself getting back into playing music after a 20-year hiatus from playing guitar in the 80’s. He was frankly told, at a local Boise band audition in ‘2002, “You sing better than you play guitar.” Later that winter, Gerrard met Tim "Ripper" Owens (Rob Halford's replacement after he “temporarily” left Judas Priest from ‘1992 – ‘2003) at a live music club while on Christmas vacation in his hometown of Erie, PA. “After meeting Ripper, I decided right then to shift my energy to singing" Gerrard said. A couple years later, he shaved his head and auditioned for a local cover band that turned into a very successful venture you may have heard of called “Pilot Error.” But sadly, this venture ended almost as fast as it started. “almost as quickly as I was hired, they ousted me in favor a singer/guitarist who was much further along in his career and skill set. I was crushed and didn't play or even listen to music for a year after that” Gerrard added. He eventually came out of his “funk” and focused his talents on Judas Priest. Fast forward to 2007, Gerrad was ready to get serious and recruited members of local metal band “Frantik” to play a one gig stint for a graduation party. This one-night gig turned into what would become Defenders Of the Faith. Currently the band is made up of Tim Allan (Drums), Doug ONeill (Guitar), Jeffery Fultz (Guitar) and David Holtz (Bass).
Gerrard added, “We chose the album title "Defenders of the Faith" for the band name because I figured that's what I was trying to do. Carry the flag for not only Judas Priest, but old-school metal in general.” This band truly does extremely well-paying homage to their music roots, they don’t dress like other tribute bands that try to emulate the 80’s. “We maintain our own persona, try to give you the flavor of a live Priest show and just nail the music”, Anthony added.
The band has faced some hardships much like any other band. The biggest challenge the band faces is member turnover, mostly due to the high caliber of musicianship the band requires, and the fact that most guys eventually want to play their own music, or they’re a part of several other bands. “We all have families and/or full-time jobs, so we're limited a bit, okay, a lot. But even with our weekend warrior status, we know we can become recognized as one of the best Priest tributes on the planet. We're looking to get into the casinos and rock festivals as much as possible, in addition to playing nice clubs”.
If you want to experience a band that is truly dedicated to achieving the authentic Judas Priest tone, look no further than Defenders Of the Faith. We here at MusicMondays208 were completely blown away when we saw them perform, at the Boise Knitting Factory, when they opened for Blistered Earth this past Oct 5th. The band carry themselves as unique individuals who are presenting the 80’s heavy metal to a modern era audience. Whether you are an old school Judas Priest fan or new to the concert scene, Defenders Of the Faith has what you want.
“DOF is about brotherhood and respect for each other .... playing the music we love and presenting it to Priest fans in such a way that it takes them back to a place in their lives when metal was pure joy! We want the women up front and the guys right behind them slamming beers. There's nothing better than having wall to wall fans singing along and having a blast right along with us with the horns up !!!” The band added.
Their website http://defendersofthefaith.net
Their Facebook Defenders of The Faith