Babymetal recruit Rob Halford for awards show performance

Rob Halford with Babymetal

Babymetal have announced they will be joined on stage by Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards.

The Japanese group will perform live at the annual event, set to take place on July 18 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.

In a Twitter post, Babymetal say: “Metal God and Fox God will join in July. Babymetal announces AP Music Awards performance with Rob Halford.”

So far, it is not known which tracks will be played or what role Halford will take in the performance.

Halford posed for a photograph with Babymetal backstage at Rock On The Range last year and he has also praised other pop stars in the past.

The self-styled Metal God has previously spoken of his desire to work with Lady Gaga. He said: “I’ve been a huge fan of Gaga since she first burst on the scene. I just love everything that lady represents.”

Babymetal have a number of dates remaining on their 2016 world tour, in support of second album Metal Resistance. The tour includes an appearance at Download on June 10.

Babymetal world tour 2016 remaining dates

Jun 02: Pratteln Z7, Switzerland
Jun 03: Vienna Rock In Vienna, Austria
Jun 05: Nijmegen Forta Rock, Netherlands
Jun 07: Cologne Live Music Hall, Germany
Jun 08: Stuttgart Longhorn, Germany
Jun 10: Download Festival, UK
Jun 11: Paris Download Festival, France
Jul 12: Seattle Showbox Soho, WA
Jul 14: San Francisco Regency Ballroom, CA
Jul 15: Los Angeles The Wiltern, CA
Jul 17: Bridgeview Chicago Open Air Festival, IL
Jul 24: Niigata Fuji Rock, Japan
Aug 6-7: Rock In Japan, Japan
Aug 12-13: Rising Sun Rock Festival, Japan
Aug 13-14: Rock In Japan, Japan
Aug 21: Osaka Summer Sonic, Japan
Sep 19: Tokyo Dome, Japan

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Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.