Guitarist Alex Grossi fires back at suggestion that current version of Quiet Riot is a cover band
Guitarist Alex Grossi fires back at suggestion that current version of Quiet Riot is a cover band
Bang Tango guitarist Mark Knight posted a message on Facebook yesterday that sparked some comments from Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi and L.A. Guns bassist Johnny Martin.
Photo by Joe Schaeffer Photography
Back in November 2019, it was announced that Bang Tango‘s original line-up of Knight, singer Joe Lesté, guitarist Kyle Stevens, bassist Kyle Kyle and drummer Tigg Ketler were reuniting for select shows in 2020. Bang Tango‘s line-up did manage to play one show at the Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California, USA on January 25, 2020 before the Covid pandemic shut down virtually every concert venue in the modern world.
Knight posted the following message on his Facebook page yesterday: “In search of a singer that sounds like Joe Leste. I’m forming a knight’s Bang Tango! Totally joking I would never do that…. I don’t understand these bands using the brand and name out of desperation to get gigs!”
This then prompted Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi to comment, “It’s called the Music BUSINESS…. And bands aren’t built to last, but the music and legacy is – why let it die?” This prompted an individual to write back, “Alex Grossi The music never dies….but when it’s not the people who created it then it’s a cover band.”
After a few other comments, Grossi fired back, “Andy Halwen How is it a cover band if you continue to write music and push forward with a brand you may not have created, but put almost 2 decades of your life into helping maintain, with the exclusive rights to the trademark?”
Quiet Riot‘s classic line-up consists of Kevin DuBrow (lead vocals), Frankie Banali (drums), Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Carlos Cavazo (guitar) who played on the albums Metal Health (1983) and Condition Critical (1984).
Grossi joined Quiet Riot back in 2004 alongside DuBrow (lead vocals), Banali (drums) and bassist Chuck Wright. According to Wikipedia, Grossi left the band in 2006 before rejoining until DuBrow‘s death on November 25, 2007, which prompted Banali to end the band at that time. Grossi has been with Quiet Riot ever since Banali reformed the band in 2010. Banali passed away on August 20, 2020 and Quiet Riot‘s current line-up now consists of Grossi on guitar, Wright on bass, Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate, Ratt, L.A. Guns) on lead vocals and Johnny Kelly on drums but features no classic line-up members. Grossi has played on the Quiet Riot albums 10 (2014), Road Rage (2017), One Night In Milan (2019) and Hollywood Cowboys (2019).
