Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill had to sit out of a show last night (Sept. 21) for the first time since he joined the band in 1970 and Uriah Heep‘s Davey Rimmer filled in.
The show took place in the band’s home country of England at the Eventim Apollo in London. It was their last scheduled show of 2026 and was the first time Hill ever had to miss a performance since he joined the group over five decades ago, according to a note on Setlist.fm.
Priest shared a statement regarding Hill’s absence on social media prior to the show that read:
Ian has a badly damaged tendon in his left arm so unfortunately he won’t be able to play at our Hammersmith Apollo Eventim show on Monday 21st September… our good friend Davey Rimmer (Uriah Heep) will be playing with us so the show will go on…
Ian sends his grateful appreciation to our fans for your caring and understanding…
The show did, in fact, go on and the band played a 17-song set to close out their touring for 2026. And there was a bit of familiarity onstage as Rimmer also plays bass in Elegant Weapons with Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner.
The University of Florida Health notes that tendon injuries often occur in those who make the same repeated movements every day (such as playing an instrument) and can take three to four months to heal depending on the type of injury and the severity.
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Priest’s next scheduled performance is June 23, 2027 at the Tons of Rock festival in Norway so hopefully it’s ample time for Hill’s arm to make a full recovery. We wish him the best.
See the fan-filmed footage from the band’s performance last night below and the full setlist underneath.
Judas Priest, ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin” (Live Sept. 2026)
Judas Priest, ‘The Ripper’ (Live Sept. 2026)
Judas Priest Setlist – Sept. 21, 2026 (London, England)
1. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
2. Metal Gods
3. Breaking the Law
4. The Ripper
5. The Sentinel
6. Desert Plains
7. Lightning Strike
8. Turbo Lover
9. Steeler
10. Delivering the Goods
11. Panic Attack
12. Victim of Changes
13. No Surrender
14. Painkiller
15. Electric Eye
16. Hell Bent for Leather
17. Living After Midnight
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Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
