I’m sitting in the bar of the Marriott Pavilion Hotel in downtown St. Louis. It’s—what?—about 2 a.m. With me are Rob Halford and K.K. Downing of Judas Priest. I am not dreaming. We are having an amicable conversation. I am not dreaming. I thought their show was damned good. I am not dreaming.

I ask Halford if he feels embittered by criticisms that have been levied against Judas Priest. -Straightforward stuff like: “They’re a bunch of creeps.”