Just a few dates into Judas Priest's tour for Firepower -- their first since guitarist Glenn Tipton left the touring band due to his struggles with Parkinson's Disease -- the guitarist joined the band onstage. He played three songs, "Metal Gods" "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" at Judas Priest's concert at New Jersey's Prudential Center earlier tonight (March 20).

Andy Sneap, who co-produced Firepower, has been filling in for Tipton on this tour.

Tipton joined the band for a album signing event in New York City earlier in the day; Priest have been riding high on the album's early success: it debuted at number five on the Billboard album charts this week, their highest chart debut ever.

Tipton recently said, "I have good days and bad days but the disease is degenerative and I would never want to compromise the greatest metal band in the world -- it was therefore during the last rehearsals I decided to step down and have Andy Sneap fill in -- he's a great guy and I'm sure he'll do a great job."

And he said that he was hoping to join the band on stage: "I’ll still be able to write and record and on good days even join the band onstage for a few songs, with new medication and advances being made who knows what the future holds - but one thing's for sure -- it will certainly involve Priest."

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