It is actually kind of hard to fathom that internationally-renowned hard rock band Quiet Riot, one of the breakout metal bands of the early 1980s, with songs that have become ingrained in pop culture, and with thousands of tour dates to its resume, has never played a show in Italy. This is all the more remarkable when you consider the obvious Italian ancestry of long-time members drummer Frankie Banali and guitarist Alex Grossi.
But this seeming oversight has been rectified in typically hard rocking fashion and preserved for posterity with the recent release of the band’s first live album since the 2012 release of the classic lineup’s set at the 1983 US Festival – One Night In Milan 2018, through Frontiers Records. The album was recorded during Quiet Riot’s incendiary set at the annual Frontiers Festival in the Italian City last summer, and features a gritty, energized performance from the veteran band, as they plowed through songs from their extensive repertoire, with a special focus on the hits that made the band a household name in the 1980s from albums such as Metal Health, Condition Critical and QR III.
For Banali, who has been the only constant member of the band since he joined in 1982, and who has seen a veritable platoon of musicians come and go through the lineup, the chance to play in Italy was one that gave him particular satisfaction. He asserted that the band’s sudden success after the release of Metal Health, particularly the singles/videos for Cum on Feel the Noize and the title track, meant they were unable to make it over to Europe as much as they would have liked back in the day.
“I have been to Italy many times, but not for performing, when I was a kid and things like that. But here’s the reality of the situation: Quiet Riot was fortunate enough when we released the Metal Health record in 1983, we toured almost non stop. It came out on March 17 of that year and by the time Nov. 15 came around we found out it was going to be number one on the Billboard charts, the effect that had on us was that for the rest of 1983, all of 1984 and much of 1985, we were in such high demand in the United States that we didn’t go out of the U.S. much,” he explained.
“We did a short tour, a handful of shows opening for Judas Priest and we did the Dortmund Festival in Germany and that was it for 1983 as far as Europe was concerned. We did some dates in South America in 1984 and we didn’t even get to Japan until 1985 and then by that point, when interest in the band wasn’t as heavy, there wasn’t any interest in Italy any more. So that is the reason why we have never played Italy.
“But there was no doubt that for me personally playing in Italy and going through to Milano was really important. So much so that I went a week early just to get acclimated and take it all in and just enjoy that personal moment for myself. So, yeah, playing in Italy was a wonderful thing for us.”
Banali said that the band was approached to play the festival first, with the idea of recording the show coming up during in the negotiations with Frontiers.
“We agreed to the terms of the show and then they asked me if I wanted to record a live album. And I gave it some thought because the only time we had recorded our set live before was in 2003 when we did the Live in the 21st Century video. Other than that, and the US Festival stuff that was released by Shout Factory well after the fact, we had nothing live. My one condition with the label was that for them to not ask me to take any of the tracks into the studio to fix anything. I told them that I would not fix lead vocals, background vocals, guitar, bass – nothing – because I wanted it to be a true live record and not what a lot of people these days call a live record,” said Banali.
“That was the whole point of it and it’s one reason why it’s called One Night in Milan, because that’s exactly what it is. It was one night in Milan and how Quiet Riot performed on that night, because that’s what you can expect to hear from us live on any night. And it was great to be able to do it that way because I have an incredible amount of confidence in the guys in the band. Alex Grossi has done a great job with the Quiet Riot songs and he has been in the band for more than 14 years [he joined initially in 2004 and came back to the band in 2010 when Banali reformed it three years after the death of original lead singer Kevin Dubrow in 2007 when he folded the tent for a little while]. Chuck Wright has been a part of Quiet Riot for decades [off and on since 1985] and is a consummate professional bass player. And now we have James Durbin singing, and he has the type of vocal range you need to be able to song those iconic Kevin Dubrow vocals.
“James has the style and range that can to justice to those iconic songs, but the other aspect of it is that James is really comfortable onstage as a performer. He is very energetic, and he is also a lot younger so he can be very energetic. All of us know that Kevin Dubrow loved being onstage and he was a great performer, so I am really lucky to have all of these working together within Quiet Riot.”
Banali is thrilled with the way that former American Idol star Durbin [he finished fourth in season 10] has fit into the lineup, given the obvious difference in age and level of experience between he, Banali, Wright and Grossi.
“James is well into his second year with the band. He did the vocals on the Road Rage record [released in Aug. 2017], so he has one Quiet Riot studio record under his belt. We also have the new live album so there’s also that one under his belt and we’re working on new material for a future studio record. And it really is working out great with James. He is a really nice guy and an incredible singer and fantastic performer. We’re all getting along very well,” he said, adding that credit for bringing the charismatic and dynamic 30 year old into the band goes to guitarist Grossi.
“I was never a watcher of the American Idol type TV shows, but a friend of mine told me there was a rock guy on, and this was season 10, which is something I wanted to see because, really, rock singers were not well represented on American Idol. So, I watched it and saw James and when he did the song with Judas Priest, I was very impressed. This kid has a set of pipes and he looks good and he looks like he would probably be a very good onstage performer.
“But then it was out of sight, out of mind and it wasn’t until late in 2017, with the circumstances of having to replace a singer that he popped back on the radar. Alex Grossi was already working with James on a side project that they had, so she said, ‘what do you think about checking out James.’ And I said yeah, absolutely. And I took over from that point. I send James a new track – just the music, no lyrics, no melody or nothing, just a soundtrack that was finished. And he turned it rich back around very quickly and added what came to be a great group vocal and great melodies, and that song ended up being Can’t Get Enough for the Road Rage record. And the rest is history. He’s been a great addition ever since.”
One Night in Milan features a set list that would be pleasing to any of the band’s hardcore, long-time fans, but which also acts as an excellent introduction to the band’s musical catalogue, as it throws in a few lesser known tracks such as Terrified, Freak Flag and Run For Cover, alongside stalwarts such as Condition Critical, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Slick Black Cadillac, Party All Night, and the aforementioned Metal Health and Cum On Feel the Noize.
Banali said on that night of that show, as with most shows Quiet Riot plays in venues around the world, he was heartened to see a multi-generational audience enjoy the material.
“We are really fortunate that the older fan base is still with us. So, I see faces that I have been seeing for decades out there, and they are still as supportive. And then we went through the period where we had those fans, but we also had their younger brothers and sisters that were turned onto the band,” he said.
“And what is equally gratifying is I am seeing fans out there who were not born when the Metal Health record came out, or many of the records that followed, and they are actually out there in the audience and they know the songs and are singing along and they are in many cases more excited and spontaneous that the fans we have had for a long time. I think Cum on Feel the Noize and Metal Health have transcended into being not just the soundtrack of our generation, but also the generations that have come after us because of things like placement in movies and commercials and classic rock radio.
“No matter who is in the audience, the great thing about it is, when we play a show, I see everybody out there with smiles on their faces, having a good time. It’s almost like we’re taking them away from whatever else is going on in their lives – good, bad or indifferent – and placing them in sort of a comfort zone where they can just let loose and enjoy themselves. You can’t put a price on that.”
One of the reasons Banali believes that Quiet Riot has been able to continue down the sometimes long, winding and obstacle-laden rock and roll path is that as a collective, all four band members ensure they are on top form for every show, regardless of the venue or size of the audience.
“We’re still doing a number of festivals, especially in Europe, where we’re playing to crowds in that 20,000 to 70,000 range. But for the most part, it’s clubs and theatres and those types of venues. And here’s the thing, I have no prejudice against a big audience or a small audience. My position has always been that even if only 10 people bought a ticket, they still deserve the same show that we did for 375,000 at the US Festival. I don’t believe in the stigma that there’s something wrong if you’re only playing clubs. I have never bought into the notion that it’s only acceptable to play big shows,” he said.
“We were fortunate enough to have been incredibly successful in the music business back in the day when we played, I can’t even count how many huge venues and huge arenas. Having said that, I appreciate jazz musicians who playing in a small club to 50 or 200 people. So why should that be any different for a rock musician.”
Quiet Riot already has a busy touring year ahead of them, with more bookings coming in every day. They have some Canadian shows this summer, including July 11, in Welland, Ontario as part of the Hair in the Fair Festival, as well as shows in Kelowna and Vancouver B.C. and Saskatoon in August. For more information on tour dates, as well as news of any new music, visit https://www.quietriot.band.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for a quarter of a century. Besides his journalistic endeavours, he now works as a communications and marketing specialist. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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