Back-4-More with Kevin DuBrow, 1/13/05

 

BACK-4-MORE with…

Quiet Riot singer KEVIN DuBROW!

Kevin DuBrow is no stranger to Sludgeaholics, and Sludgeaholics are no strangers to Kevin DuBrow. He’s pretty much a metal legend, but being a Sludgeaholic himself, he’s always happy to take time out of his busy schedule to talk to us. Why, we’ll never know, but he’s done a 20 Questions, a Rewind, and a 3-Wind with us in the past. He put out a solo album last year and was recently the Mystery Star in our “Ask the Stars” advice column. Now Quiet Riot has a new rarities CD out and has re-formed for an upcoming tour! Kevin’s never been one to mince words, so he talks about all that and a lot, lot more in the first Back-4-More interview of 2005. Let’s get it on!

1. What are you currently up to? You know how this works! This is your one and only chance to plug your shit.

Happily, I am back with my life-long musical love and the band I helped Randy Rhoads form, QUIET RIOT. We have just released our first ‘real’ live album called “LIVE AND RARE” VOL. 1. It was recorded during our heyday in the early 80’s. Frankie Banali and I will be on the Syndicated “ROCKLINE” radio show with Bob Couburn on Jan.26. We are about to begin our first European tour in 20 years and we will be part of the summer 2005 ‘Rock Never Stops’ tour with Cinderella, Firehouse and Ratt.

2. So, Quiet Riot has reformed (again), and you’ve got a new CD of rarities and live shit that just came out. Who’s playing in Quiet Riot this week, what’s on the CD, and what compelling reason can you give for people to go out and buy something like that?

QUIET RIOT 2005 is myself, Frankie Banali on drums, the guy who played Bass on “Bang Your Head”, Mr. Chuck Wright and everybody else’s first choice for guitar the very talented and creative Alex Grossi. The combination of Chuck and Frankie is in my opinion one of the best rhythm sections out there. The reason to buy this CD is if you are a Quiet Riot fan, you will like it! It was recorded at a time that line up was playing well. Also the 3 unreleased demo tracks are really good. It gives you an idea of what we were like before someone tried to “produce” us.

3. Let’s cut to the chase. What the fuck happened with Rudy Sarzo? From what we can recall, you were out on tour, then all of a sudden there was an announcement that Quiet Riot had called it a day. Why did you guys just kind of split up without warning?

As much as I can be counted on for honesty on these sort of questions and you know how much I love to vent, I feel that to bad rap someone who’s reputation with the public is as good as his and knowing that my reputation is shall we say ‘less than perfect’ would be just another way to make me look bad. I will say this; He has a reputation for being a good guy and a good player. I have a reputation for being difficult and unfriendly. Neither of these reputations are accurate or deserved.

Kevin and new Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi

4. What’s the deal with Carlos Cavazo? Why isn’t he involved in the latest incarnation of Quiet Riot? Did he get fat like Frankie used to be, or is there some far more provocative reason for his absence?

When Frankie and I decided to reform QUIET RIOT, we approached Mr. Cavazo to see if he was interested in participating. He was not. You’ll have to ask him for his reasons. He is currently playing in some band as far as I know. Also Carlos is unable to get fat. He is the only guy I know that comes out of a 7-11 with a shopping bag full of junk food (we call it the stoner’s buffet!) and not gain a pound! And just for the record I have no problem with Carlos and wish him the best of luck.

5. Rank the following singers on a scale of 1 to 10. One being someone who sounds like they gargle battery acid, and 10 being good enough to land first chair in a choir of angels.

Joe LeSte =4. Joe has a good heart, is a nice guy, but as a singer he could do a lot better if he took it more seriously.

Klaus Meine = 8. Makes great records and is the role model for Don Dokken whom I also think is a really good singer. When you hear him on the radio he is immediately recognizable.

Taime Downe =I have met Tamie a number of times but I’ve never really heard him sing.

Jeff Scott Soto =9 1/2 – He’s just great. He has soul, tone, chops, feel and everything you need to be a really good singer. He also happens to be a great guy.

King Diamond = Seen photos but never heard him sing.

Jaime St. James =6 – He is very underrated and another really nice guy. Also his ex girlfriend that he used to bring to my house was soooo hot!

Steve “Sex” Summers = This is the Pretty Boy Floyd guy, right? Very nice to me when they supported us but I never heard him either. Sorry Steve!

Kenny McGee = 4 – Kenny is a really funny person, a good front man but when I produced his band Juliet in 1987 his vocal ability was just O.K. I’m sure he is much better now.

Noddy Holder = 8. Noddy has a classic rock vocal tone which is undeniable. Excellent songwriter but contrary to popular misconception I was not a big SLADE fan and owned none of their albums. But I am grateful to them for “Cum On Feel The Noize”

Glenn Hughes = 10+10+10! In my opinion Glenn Hughes is the best singer to walk the earth. I cannot say enough about how great he is as a singer, songwriter and bass player. His new album coming out in a few weeks is called “Soul Mover” and it is amazing! If you are a singer you need to listen to Glenn to see how it’s supposed to be done. If you’re not a singer you need to buy his albums because they are the real deal and contain truly great music. Along with Frankie Banali, Glenn is one of the best people I know.

Kevin DuBrow and Glenn Hughes

6. You spent a good chunk of last summer on the Bad Boys of Metal tour, in which everyone shared the same backing band, the same tour bus, and probably the same chicks. How did that go? Was it a professional tour of seasoned performers, or was it a debacle akin to an on-the-road frat party? How did you deal with all the varied personalities stuck on the same bus together?

It was one of the most untogether and unpleasant tours I have ever done. I was the one in charge because no one else had a clue. The tour manager and roadie were totally useless. Yes, there were some ‘seasoned’ performers but their choice of ‘seasoning’ had a high alcohol content! I think the word ‘pickled performers’ is more accurate! It wasn’t like a frat party because the 3 main guys didn’t like each other that much. With one of those guys I think “fat party” is more accurate! The way I dealt with it started off good but as the tour continued I lost my patience with all the shenanigans and buffoonery and I turned into an Army Sergeant. I like a party as much as the next guy (sometimes more!) and this was not the way I wanted to act, but it was the only way I could keep the tour going. But having said that the band I assembled was top notch and played great every night. I think I cleared my Karma from that tour!

7. Why do you think Jani Lane quit after only 8 shows into the Bad Boys of Metal tour? Allegedly, Jani told a fan last month that he quit because you were mean to Steven Adler. Do you think there’s any validity to that? Or is that just the drink talking?

We all know about Jani’s problems and what kind of guy Jani is. I tried my best to accommodate his lifestyle to make the tour work. Unfortunately I was not successful with him. I don’t know if anyone could be. I myself have had a lot of past experience at shall we say “living the rockstar lifestyle” so I can tell you he didn’t sleep much and enjoyed a liquid diet. That wasn’t my problem because I did my show and he did his (well, sort of). As far as the comment that Jani supposedly made about my being mean to Adler, let’s just say that Adler’s behavior was such that we could have all been arrested because of him. Because of him we missed a show. Aside from my personal feelings about him I think that when someone’s addictions and stupidity can infringe upon mine and others freedom or lack thereof and affect our earning ability, I take issue with that. And I did so very aggressively. And what does my dealing with Adler a.k.a. “Corky” have to do with Jani Lane staying or leaving?

8. What do you remember most about writing or recording the following songs:

It’s Not So Funny = This was the first time Randy Rhoads double tracked a lead solo in the studio. We were all amazed as to how good it sounded. This technique later became sort of a trademark for him on the studio Ozzy albums.

Killer Girls = It was us trying to be The Sweet. It didn’t really work. We actually recorded a new arrangement of it for the Condition Critical album that is somewhere in Sony’s vault’s unfinished.

Love’s A Bitch = One of my favorite QR tunes. Great to sing live, great drum groove. Check out the original demo of this on the new “Live and Rare” CD.

Danger Zone =Recorded for Metal Health, the producer ruined it so we left it off until they re released it. The live version on “Live and Rare” is more representative of how it was supposed to sound.

Mama Weer All Crazee Now =Originally intended for Metal Health, we should have left it off the Condition Critical album. We got a rash of criticism for doing a second Slade song which I always felt was unfair. Van Halen did 2 Kinks songs, The Beatles and Stones did multiple Chuck Berry songs and the list goes on and on.

Cold Day in Hell = This is the way we are supposed to sound, I think. It’s heavy, dark and has great drums from Frankie and fine Bass from the late Kenny Hillery.

Razamanaz = A great Nazareth song I covered on my solo album. Nazareth vocalist Dan McCafferty is great and it was a little tough to get the right approach.

9. How the hell did Jen Hilton, our February 2004 Sludgette of the Month, wind up on the cover of Quiet Riot’s new “Live and Rare Vol. I” CD?

Purely by coincidence. Frankie put the CD deal together and hired an independent graphic artist to do the artwork who happened to know and worked with Jen Hilton in the past.

10. Yes or no, has Kevin DuBrow ever:

Set a hotel room on fire =No, that was Chuck Wright.

Seen Mike Fasano’s nutsack = If I did I probably blocked it out as a traumatic event!

Seen Jani Lane naked =I tried not to look!

Passed a kidney stone = Passed a recent driving test.

Jacked off in a coal mine = Jacked off on a coal miner’s daughter. (repeatedly)

Shit in a cave =About a half hour ago..

Barfed in a well = I never barf, but if I did I’d do it well.

Visited the Bunny Ranch = No but I fuck like a rabbit!

Had sex while wearing the QR mask = No, but I have had some girls wear it while I gave them the 3 minute miracle!

Drove drunk = Unfortunately yes, but I never got caught and when I do drink I always take taxi’s now.

11. How weird is it that MVD is releasing a new Quiet Riot DVD (“Live in Japan 1989″) that features only one member (Frankie Banali) from the current Quiet Riot lineup?

That was a back catalog released by whoever owns it and had nothing to do with me.

12. The press release for Quiet Riot’s 1995 CD “Down To the Bone” stated the following: “Kamikaze Records felt so strongly about the potential of the new (Quiet Riot) single and its departure from QR’s original sound, that they launched a nationwide ‘Guess the Mystery Artist’ contest 2 weeks prior to the release of the album.” Did that actually fool anybody, and how well did that plan ultimately work out for you?

Radio seemed to like it at the time and it actually got airplay and only a very few figured it out. Once the rest found out it was indeed QUIET RIOT, they did a total about face on it and lost the single. Did it work? Nope, but we got an”A” for effort!

13. Let’s set the record straight. What exactly is the reason that the original two Quiet Riot albums haven’t been released on CD yet? People have been waiting over 20 years for them! Who’s ass do we need to kick to get them reissued?

I could put them out if I really wanted to, but at this time, why? I mean, new music is so much more fun to work on, Frankie has a lot of things lined up for us and their are other parties involved that I really don’t have a lot of enthusiasm for dealing with. Maybe someday………….

14. Of the following, which do you prefer and why?

Olive Garden or Chili’s = Chili’s. Olive Garden doesn’t even use garlic!

Billy Idol or Billy Morris = I like them both but Billy Morris is my guy. Fine guitar player, a true blue good guy and was the only saving grace on the dates I did with Jani Lane’s so called ‘Band’ in the early part of 2004. By the way, Frankie Banali plays drums on Billy Idol’s “Mony, Mony”.

The Love Boat or Fantasy Island = Fantasy Island- It reminds me of when we first made it big, only the triple X version.

The Bellagio or Caesar’s Palace = Caesar’s Palace- Better shops and I love lobster at The Palm!

“Little Angel” or “Mama’s Little Angels” = “Mama’s Little Angels”- Anything Randy Rhoads played on is preferable.

XM Radio or Sirius =I have neither but will get one soon. I understand they play a lot of Quiet Riot.

Hernia checks or prostate exams =After the 2000 Poison tour I give myself a double hernia trying to get abs like Brett Michael’s. No fun. I just had the prostate exam this week and I liked that a lot less!

Terrified or Alive and Well = Terrified. Alive And Well was produced really well by Bob Marlette but the Bass playing and songs were so much better on Terrified.

Kevin Curry or Adam Curry = Kevin Curry. He played great guitar on my solo album, “In For The Kill”. He is very old school and gets a monster 70’s guitar tone. He is also a really good guy and easy to work with.

Penn and Teller or Siegfried and Roy = Siegfried and Roy- I met Penn Gelette once and he was most unpleasant.

15. This is your fourth interview with us. Remember back in 1999 when we first hit you up for 20 Questions, but you turned us down because you thought our interview was ‘rude?’ Here it is, 2005, and we’ve talked to you four times. Nothing we’ve ever asked you has been *that* bad, has it? Has the press you’ve gotten from Metal Sludge paid off in increased fan base, ticket and album sales, and shit like that? What words of encouragement could you offer to artists who consistently turn us down year after year because they’re afraid of us?

I have had long talks with Adler (well sort of long), Lane and Glenn Hughes about Metal Sludge when they were first offered your 20 Q’s. I told them that just because you guys ask some questions that they may not be comfortable with, just answer them the way you feel comfortable with. Tell them what you want them to know. Make it fun. I do. I love doing these Sludge things. The are like writing a song. I want them to be funny and edgy. Sludge is the most read site for 80’s type fans and it has definitely helped me and Quiet Riot a lot.

16. Speaking of which, we’ve never done more than 4 interviews with any given artist. We don’t really have anything past these silly ‘Back-4 More’ interviews we do. This may, in fact, be the last time we interview you! Does that make you sad?

If that’s true, yes. But knowing you guys you’ll come up with “Jive Times Five”

17. You may not be aware of this, but you and Quiet Riot once shared the stage with our 2003 Sludgeaholic of the Year, C.C. Banana! During his debut appearance at Jones Beach in 2001, Banana hopped up on stage during “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” and rallied the lifeless crowd by pumping his fist in the air to the beat. Would you like to take this opportunity to thank him, or are you pissed that he upstaged you guys?

That particular show was the only night Quiet Riot was off our game on that particular tour. But upstaged us? Not a chance! He would have been ‘Bananas Flambe’

18. A hypothetical question. For $10,000 in cold, hard cash: As you’re exiting your pad one day, a man pulls up in a slick black Cadillac, opens the window, and hollers for your attention. You go on over to see what he wants. He proceeds to tell you that there’s a can of gasoline, a GPS tracking device, and a dead body in the trunk. He wants you to drive the car out to the desert far away from habitation, douse the car in gasoline, and burn it with the body still inside the trunk. He says someone will pick you up, who will give you a suitcase filled with the $100k in small, unmarked bills, and will drop you back off at your place. The dead person in the trunk isn’t anyone you know or related to anyone you know, and you are guaranteed not to get caught by the authorities. The entire excursion will only take about 3 hours out of your day. What do you say, Kevin? Would you do it?

No. But, if it was one particular person I would think about it.

Kevin hanging out in the desert somewhere

19. We forgot to bring this up in your 3-Wind, and we almost spaced it off this time around. Luckily for you, we remembered this tidbit and were able to add it at the last second! Back in August 2002, Quiet Riot was slated to appear in Tulsa, Oklahoma on the Rock Never Stops tour. At that show, Paul Shortino filled in for you, announcing to the crowd that you were too sick to perform, so the rest of the band flew him out at the last moment. Poor Paul received such last-minute notification that he even had to use a music stand to read lyrics from sheet music! On the very same night, you were spotted at a Motley Priest show at Pinkee’s in Las Vegas. A report from a fan at the show stated that you were seen hanging off to the side of the stage with a drink in your hand, and even joined Motley Priest for their rendition of “Metal Health.” Obviously, you weren’t really sick. What’s the deal?

First off, a drink in my hand doesn’t mean it was alcohol. Second, I had been sick for quite a while and that evening was one of my first chances to get out of the house. It’s been well documented that my attendance at some of our shows at that time was becoming sporadic due to a situation in Quiet Riot that had become intolerable for me. Also I’m a really big Motley Priest fan!

20. How long until you’re asked to join the cast of “Surreal Life?” And if VH1 called you today, would you do it?

They have called twice. But the first time it was through Obi Steinman so I’ll say no more. The second time nothing ever came of it. I’d love to do it. My brother Terry is one of the Doctors on “The Swan” so it would be 2 for 2 in my family for reality shows!

Look out Jani Lane! Kevin and Frankie Banali as “Celebrity Chefs” at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando

21. Fuck, Kill and Marry: Of the following people, which one would you fuck, which one would you kill, and with which one would you want to enter into holy matrimony?

Steven Adler, Ashlee Simpson, Dana Strum

I’d like to fucking kill Dana and Steven but give Steven a little time and he’ll take care of that himself!. Ashlee Simpson would be like marrying Milli Vanilli!

22. Don’t you think it’s time to retire that mask thing already?

No.

23. The Last of Kevin DuBrow:

Last movie you saw in the theatre = The Aviator

Last sporting event you attended =Kevin DuBrow’s world champion ping pong playoff’s in my garage.

Last concert you watched from the audience = Three Dog Night. They were great!

Last new song you heard on the radio that you dug = “Fall To Pieces”- Velvet Revolver

Last chain restaurant you ate at =Claim Jumper

Last time you appeared on television =VH-1’s Metal Moments

Last time you waxed your chest = Some chick poured hot wax on my chest last night. Does that count?

Last time you did big fat rails = Had some big fat snails about a month ago. Does that count?

Last time you talked to Carlos Cavazo = Sept 16, 2003

Last time you got drunk = I’m drunk right now. I’m currently on the Jani Lane all Booze diet.

Kevin and Michael Lardie on New Years Eve

24. Once again, it’s time for Metal Sludge’s Word Association. You of all people should know how this works.

Michael Lardie = Great guy, really funny, brilliant musician and a very, very smart guy. I don’t make new friends easily but Michael is on my short list.

Kelly Garni = I adore Kelly. He is a true friend and he is my closest connection to Randy Rhoads. Great photographer. He also still plays a mean Bass guitar!

Alex Grossi = I can’t say enough about young Alex. People will be amazed when they see and hear this version of Quiet Riot. Writing songs with him has been a wonderful creative experience. He is a diamond in the rough.

Marilyn Manson = I saw his show once and thought it was great. But for this sort of thing I prefer Type O Negative.

Kenny Hillary = I have a special place in my heart for Kenny Hillary. We made a connection early on and he was a great player and a super funny person. I think about him all the time and wish he was still here.

Jeff Martin = I love Jeff. During the Bad Boys debacle he was one of the only people that made me laugh and defused my anger and frustration. Great drummer and great singer too!

Jen Yonts = Isn’t she Frankie Banali’s webmaster?

Steven Adler = Where do I start? For one month last year he made my life a living hell. He probably feels the same about me. I really liked him until I was on a tour bus with him after one day. The stories I could tell! If I ever see him again it will be way too soon.

Rudy Sarzo = Here’s the thing; He isn’t part of my life anymore and I’m not part of his. Believe me, this is the best thing for both of us. I am very happy with our current situation in Quiet Riot so why belabor the past. I think he is doing what he does best; he is a sideman playing someone else’s bass parts as he did with Ozzy and Whitesnake. That’s where he really shines. And I am doing what I do best — playing music with people I like and respect. That’s when I really shine.

Mick Mars = Never met him (that I can remember) Good guitar tone, strange situation for him to be in at this time. I hope his health improves and his tour does well.

Now that’s some Sludge! Bet you didn’t come to Metal Sludge today expecting to see Kevin DuBrow dishing it out to Steven Alder, Jani Lane, and Rudy Sarzo, did you?

Thanks to Kevin DuBrow for not holding back on his answers, for sending us some exclusive pictures, and for giving us an excellent Back-4-More interview to kick off 2005. As a bonus, we can finally get that fucking picture of Stevie Rachelle off the main page!

For more information on Kevin and his daily adventures, check out his Web site at www.kevindubrow.com.