Judas Priest's Rob Halford has admitted he had a "diva moment" when he heard Metallica had been booked for Glastonbury.

The frontman of the English heavy metal band revealed that while he approved when the US rockers were announced as headliners for this year's event - which sparked controversy as some claimed their metal sound didn't fit the festival's "hippy" vibe - he was slightly put out that his band wasn't on the bill.

"Metallica are our best friends," he said. "But I did have a diva moment when I heard.

"If people are finally going to accept metal, it should at least be British."

Rob - whose band release their 17th album Redeemer Of Souls this month - is now hoping that the festival's organisers Michael and Emily Eavis might consider booking Judas Priest for the 2015 event.

The star also cited Black Sabbath as evidence of a turning tide. Priest's fellow Midlands rockers had their first number one album last year and Rob believes there's a growing need for people to hear great quality metal music.

"There's only one Black Sabbath making Sabbath music, and only one Judas Priest making Priest music. We got to number one on the iTunes metal chart the day we announced this album, so there's definitely an appetite for it," he said.

The new record comes six years after the band's previous album, Nostradamus.

"We've been very busy," Rob said. "People think when you've been away for six years you've just been sitting on you're a**e watching Coronation Street and eating crisps, but we never stopped. We haven't stopped since we got together actually."

:: Judas Priest release their new album Redeemer Of Souls on July 14.