Classic BANG TANGO lineup in RIP Magazine – Photo: Glen LaFerman
“Kyle Kyle who I will never get on a stage again with got pissy with me over a god damn pick indorsment I landed for the band.”
— Mark Knight / Bang Tango
July 5th 2026 — Former Bang Tango guitarist Mark Knight has unloaded on a few of his old band-mates over the weekend, and this wasn’t the first time either.
All of this is very ironic… and we’ll show you why a little later in this article.
It seems that with this latest post from Knight, perhaps the original group will never reunite again… however, that was said more than once in the past… but for now, let’s talk about what happened yesterday.
In a Facebook blog shared on July 4th while the rest of America celebrated our 250th Birthday, Knight was giving fans a bit of an update about what happened more than 6 years ago when Bang Tango tried to run it back with the all original lineup.
The classic members did reunite in 2019 and played their first full show back together on January 25th 2020… but… as 2020 unfolded, timing was not on the band’s side as the world-wide Pandemic put a damper on their plans… but perhaps… it wasn’t just the global shut-down that made Bang Tango implode.
Knight wrote to fans over the weekend with the following: “Hey you all Mark here. I just want to clear some things up here on this page.
I adore Bang Tango and all the work we did. Unfortunately things got sticky with the band members, it happens. After the reunion in 2020 old habits and arrogant behaviors resurfaced once again.
Personally I got gaslighted by a couple members, I am sure you can guess who. Stevens quit again because of issues we had in the Unsung Heroes.
Joe went mia and then had a stroke which basically knocked him out to perform live again.
Kyle Kyle who I will never get on a stage again with got pissy with me over a god damn pick indorsment I landed for the band. He also took shots at me personally and said I was surrounded my woman because ya I have a wife and at the time two young girls.
I know you all love the band and ya we made so serious magic but I just don’t see it possible to ever happen again. I loved this brotherhood like no other and am so grateful for what we accomplished and my still life long friendships with Tigg Ketler and Kyle Stevens…”
The post above was shared on July 4th right HERE, but it appears that it has now been restricted or deleted altogether by Knight.
Bang Tango first reunited with all classic members back in 2019… then on their first show back it was sold-out at the “Whisky-A-Go-Go” (January 25th 2020)… but sadly their reunion plans that followed never came to fruition.
Metal Sludge has reported on Bang Tango‘s unfortunate updates over the recent years which saw all of the group’s reunion plans fall by the wayside for a myriad of reasons.
Metal Sludge published an update in December 2021 after guitairst Knight appeared on the Waste Some Time with Jason Green podcast with our story: “MANGLED TANGO … Mark Knight on why Bang Tango canceled M3 Rock Festival: “There were some ego issues with other bands” and said “No” to the Monsters of Rock Cruise.”
In that interview with Green, Knight basically said Bang Tango pulled out of M3 simply due to their placement in the lineup and ego issues with other bands.
Talking about the band’s first big festival style booking (which they pulled out of) at the M3 Music Festival, Knight said: “What are you gonna do, like, turn every gig down because you’re not at the top of the bill, it’s like c’mon. You know, it’s understandable, because they had booked us higher up, and then they knocked us down and then that type of stuff happens, and unfortunately it did happen with us, and there were some weird feelings about it and it just didn’t work out.”
“Then the M3 thing, which was ridiculous, because we… we honestly had been booked on that. Then there were some, you know some ego issues with other bands (on the bill) and placement, and set times, and this and that, that people weren’t too happy about in the band”, says Knight about their decision to pull out of M3.
To his credit, Knight sounded disappointed and stated, “my bags were packed, really honestly, but I did understand the reasons for some of the guys not wanting to do some of these things (gigs)”, adding he was excited to do these gigs but it’s clear that someone else in the group wasn’t thrilled to be on a boat or hanging with a bunch of hairbands for the day or week.
“It wasn’t appealing to (some) people, to get on a boat and play amongst that group” said Knight.
The irony of yesterday’s post, which was shared on July 4th 2026… is that Knight posted something very similar, on the exact same day back in 2019 before the above mentioned reunion later that same year.
Knight took to his Facebook on July 4th 2019 which was covdered by Sleazeroxx, and the guitarist state the following: “Just to make myself clear this isn’t about the bass player or any other current members mouthing off about Bang Tango original members! This all is about Joe Leste and his over blown ego! He surrounds himself with yes men for years that are sub par musicians except for a few! They worship him for what he has done and a pay check. The original guys won’t play that game. That is the core of the matter to why Bang Tango the real Bang Tango will never reunite! Happy Fourth of July! MK… ….”
Ironically, just over 6 months later, the classic members of Bang Tango were on stage together.
Then on November 26th 2021 Knight took to social media again to announce his departure from Bang Tango… it seems this was posted during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Knight told fans in 2021 the following: “Just wanted to say I am no longer part of the band Bang Tango! My best to them, and whoever may carry the torch! Time To move on, time to get going, what lies ahead I have no way of knowing.”
In a follow-up post that same Thanksgiving weekend of 2021 Knight added: “Just to make this clear! This is no heart breaker story! Bang Tango original reunited and did one show. It was a sold out gig at the whisky a gogo. After that we turned down a couple high profile shows because of silly reasons I rather not get into! Time moved on and the pandemic stopped the reunion gig offers. Then some in fighting manifested and just like that the band kinda broke up. Some of the guys may carry on and my best to them! Me and Tigg Ketler are doing the Unsung Heroes.”
Now, 7 years later to the day, Knight has shared a similar message on July 4th about members, ex-members, failed reunions and it’s essentially Ground Hog Day in the Bang Tango camp once again.
Metal Sludge has also reported on the sad medical scenarios that have plagued singer Joe Leste after he had suffered a stroke back in August of 2023.
Metal Sludge continue to wish Joe Leste the best of health going forward and a full recovery.
For fans wanting to keep up on all things related, note that there are more than 1 Bang Tango page on Facebook… it appears that the Bang Tango page found >HERE< is run by Mark Knight, while the Bang Tango page found >HERE< appears to be run by Joe Leste and Kyle Kyle.
Lastly, according to a Google search about how long it had it been since the original Bang Tango had performed together before that last reunion show… the answer was as follows: “When Bang Tango’s classic 1980s lineup reunited in January 2020, it had been roughly 14 years since all original members performed together. The quintet’s prior all-original reunion was a single comeback show in 2006, and before that, they had not performed together since the band’s initial split in the mid-1990s.”
Ready, Set, Tango.
Metal Sludge for more Breaking News, Updates and Features along with both New Interviews and Classic 20 Questions.
