Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voicerecently spoke to JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford. Halford spoke about his latest Christmas album Celestial, his opinions on Judas Priest’s nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and his thoughts on the NEW Three Tremors featuring Ripper Owens, Sean Peck and Harry Conklin.
Watch the interview below.
When asked why he felt the need to do another Christmas album
“This is a special one for me, I’ve got my brother on drums and my nephew on bass and a couple of respective friends on guitars Jon Blakely and Robert Jones. So we kind of wrap this up as Halford family and friends because that’s exactly what it is and it just seems like a great opportunity to work with my immediate family that I wanted to do for years. I was with my family a couple of Christmas’ ago and we were listening to Winter Songs, so I said to them let’s see what we can make in terms of music in this holiday theme together. Write some new songs and add some traditional songs and I got the green light and what a great time we had. The way the record turned out was just phenomenal.”
When asked how you go about writing new Christmas songs
“You know how metal works, as far as the music you’re constantly inspired by what you’re listening to and for us I think the inspiration came from working on these wonderful traditional holiday Christmas classics. These traditional songs have been with us forever and are great songs and will always take a different interpretation. So when I was hearing the songs I said to the guys you know while they’re at this let’s see what we can come up with together in terms of originality. It was just a thrill to have an opportunity to have original tracks which are, Protected By The Light, Donner and Blitzen, Morning Star and Celestial. Those were bonus moments that came out of recording the traditional songs.”
When asked if Judas Priest wins the nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame who will accept the award in terms of band members (ex members)
“I feel we’re going to have to wait until the day quite frankly but it’s Judas Priest in every aspect, in every respect and to be nominated for the second time is a another thrill and an honor for everything that we love about Judas Priest and the fifty years that we’ll have you know I’ve been around as a metal band next year. So whatever turns out will be great for Priests and will be great for metal.
When asked about his thoughts on the NEW Three Tremors, which was his idea years ago
“I know about them and they are wonderful singers and they’re doing something really cool and special. I wish them all the success in the world with it.”
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voicespoke with former Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis, Lionheart guitarist Dennis Stratton. Stratton spoke about the upcoming new studio album by Lionheart on Metallville Records (tentatively titled “Reality Of Miracles” mid 2020 ), unpaid session work on compilations albums over the years, his time with Iron Maiden and his plans to re-record the classic Maiden song ‘Phantom of the Opera’ as it was originally intended, with multi layered back vocals and guitar harmonies as a bonus track on the new Lionheart Album.
Watch the interview below.
When asked about the backstory of the band Lionheart
“Lionheart was actually formed at the end of 1980 directly after I’d come out of Iron Maiden. Singer Jess Cox contacted me (Tygers of Pang Tang) and said do you wanted to put a band together with me? I then contacted guitarist Steve Mann , bassist Rocky Newton and drummer Frank Noon. When we got together we realized that the sort of music that we listened to was very American sounding, like Foreigner, Toto and Journey. We soon found out that the direction of the band wasn’t going to be Heavy Metal because we were fans of a more of a melodic rock, with harmony vocals. Not too long after that we realized that after some rehearsals and demo recordings. Jess Cox basically didn’t have a voice that would fit the band. So for the next four years from 1980 to 1984, myself, Steve and Rocky did session work for Def Leppard (Back Vocals), Girl and other musicians that we doing albums, while we were still trying to pull a bang together and trying to get the right vocalist and the right drummer.”
“It also took a good two or three years to get management to contact record companies with our demos. In 1984 we finally signed to CBS records in New York and Los Angeles. Then we got a singer called Chad Brown who had a great voice and we also got a session drummer in called Bob Jenkins who was working with a lot of top bands including Rod Stewart. We then went to L.A. to do the first album at Sound City studios with REO Speedwagon producer Kevin Beamish. After that we went from L.A. to New York and met the big CBS guys in New York before we went back to England and you talk about bad timing and bad luck. We were suppose to do a tour with REO Speedwagon and Kansas but when we got back to England we were then told that CBS the record companies for Kansas and REO Speedwagon they weren’t happy with the final mixes on their new album so they basically put REO Speedwagon and Kansas back in the studio to remix their albums and our tour with them was cancelled. So we sat around, exactly what we didn’t want to do. So in the meantime around 1984 we went out on tour with Def Leppard and Whitesnake as part a free band package through the early eighties and after about 1985 when the album came out we were still wondering what’s going to happen, nothing did. At the end of 1985 the band just sort of dwindled away because nothing happened and we couldn’t promote the album that we spent so much time putting it together. So we actually split up around about the end of 1986. Then I joined Praying Mantis in 1990 and I was with them for 15 years. It was just a lost love with Lionheart, it was our life, it was just something we believed in and we still do.”
When asked about the bands reunion and album in 2017
“We got asked to do a festival in Nottingham 2017, someone said we want Lionheart to get back together and just do one show in Nottingham. So we got back together and we got a singer a guy called Lee Small who was a fantastic. We did the gig and it was unbelievable. When we came off stage we had people interviewing us backstage and they were saying you got to do another album. So we did, we had two or three songs that never actually put on the first album and we decided to put them on our second album ‘Second Nature’. Then we started writing new music, we just piled in loads of suggestions, we did the album ‘Second Nature’ from start to finish in about four months and it was just incredible, absolutely, incredible.”
When asked about their upcoming new Lionheart studio album and the musical direction
“The good thing about Lionheart is we don’t pursue any musical direction on purpose but whenever we start writing we are influenced by newer different bands of the time. The main sound of Lionheart will always be harmony guitars and Harmony vocals leaning towards an American sound like Journey and Kansas but with a bit of new influences of the newer bands in our sound. When I first heard our album ‘Second Nature’ once it was mastered I sat in my in my living room and put it on, I went through a journey, one minute as I was rocking, the next minute I was laughing, the next minute I had tears in my eyes so, it takes you for a journey and that’s why I love about that album, when it’s finished you want to play it again. I never thought we would be able top ‘Second Nature’. But now I’ve heard three or four songs rough mixes from the new album and I play it to people and it sounds absolutely phenomenal. The album will be released around January, February, March 2020.”
When asked about his unpaid session work over the years like the albums with Paul Dianno ‘The Original Iron Men’
” Lea Hart was putting out a compilation album and so he had Paul Di’Anno do some vocals on some songs and then he asked me to come in and I spent a good six months singing on and playing guitar. Lea Hart had all different artists on them, the albums were called All Stars N.W.O.B.H.M. or if you look up English Steel there are about five albums that I’m actually singing on and playing guitar. We did loads of recording sessions and he started putting compilation albums together. You have about 20 musicians singers, from Saxon, Girlschool you have all different people coming down to do session work on this album. Once he got a collection of about 20 songs Lea Hart became a little bit of a crook he became greedy, so what he did is he never paid any of us. He never paid anyone for recording all this stuff but he put these albums out as like under a different name under a compilation.”
“In regards to The Original Iron Men albums, I never spoke to Paul Di’anno. Lea Hart put that together with two different session and I never knew he was going to do it. And there is me on the front of the album cover with like a tin hat on my head and I’m thinking what is he doing? It was only Pony Canyon in Japan the record company that contacted me and said do you realize that all these albums are on sale and some of them are bootlegs some of them were imports and we can’t stop it. Then later on Pony Canyon records tried to find this guy Lea Hart and no one knew where he was. I couldn’t contact him, we had people looking for him we couldn’t contact him and then when the record company finally tracked him down at the end of 1992 he tried to blackmail Pony Canyon by saying, I will stop releasing these albums if you pay me X amount of thousand of pounds and of course the were not going to pay him and so he was left to do what he liked. To be honest it made a lot of people angry here especially in the East End of London. I have seen him a couple of times because he had some dealings with Paul Dianno in Italy and basically he’s very lucky to still be walking because there were a lot of people that were very angry with him and no one got paid.”
When asked about when he was first asked to join Iron Maiden
“I was with my band R.D.B. we were the resident band at Bridge House which was well known for a live music venue. Steve Harris and Dave Murray used to come and watch me play. In around 1976 R.D.B had just singed to Quarry Management which was Status Quo and Rory Gallagher’s manager, Colleen Johnson. We were signed to Quarry Management so the next minute we’re on tour with Status Quo and we’re playing 60-70 thousand people in Germany and all over, with Status Quo. So when we came back from touring we had so much experience, it was like we grew up cause we were playing on the big stage and I’ve also been involved in recording in the studios. So when Iron Maiden signed to EMI there was only three of them in the band, they didn’t have a band, there was no band because they got rid of their drummer and they got rid of the other guitarist because they weren’t good enough. So basically when they signed to EMI, they also signed a big deal with Rod Smallwood and they need another guitarist with singing abilities and who does second guitar and who’s got recording and touring experience. So I go down and see them, they gave me the Soundhouse tapes and when I got home I’m listening. I realize It’s only one guitar, it sounds like a kid’s band that’s just starting up, it was punky. I’m used to working with two guitars and three vocals, So they asked me would I join the band, I say yes. I learnt the songs and went down to the studio without a drummer and we played Prowler, Wrathchild wherever it was. So then I say to Dave Murray I’m used to playing with two guitars in harmonies, I know you play on your own you’re a solo guitarist let’s do harmonies we need to make it sound bigger, so he said great, so I spoke to Steve I said Steve do you mind? He said no. So I went home and started working on Phantom of the Opera and I worked on Running Free and I worked on the Harmony guitar stuff I’ve been doing since I started playing and we went back to the studio. We started running through the songs and they sounded twice the size. Then I told my buddy Clive Burr I joined Iron Maiden and they are looking for a drummer are you interested? He said yes, so that day the band went from a three piece into a five piece.”
When asked about the recording of the song Phantom of the Opera
“The funny thing about Phantom was that when we were recording I would sit in the studio with the engineer on my own. I was left with the engineers so we started working on the Harmony guitars we start building the songs up Then I would put down two or three parts of the vocals and the engineer loved it, it sounding really big. So we did it and we were listening to it back and then Rod Smallwood walks into the control room and he listened to it he went absolutely mental, he went potty and he said take all that off it sounds like Queen. So we said it’s your band can we leave one of the vocals for harmony and a harmony for guitar he said yeah but no more because it sounds like Queen. So that’s what we ended up with.”
When asked about his idea of re-recording Phantom today as it was originally intended to sound, the Queen Like version
“I shouldn’t really say this but, after a quite well-known interview regarding Rod Smallwood asking me to take the guitar layers and the vocals harmonies off of Phantom because it sounded like Queen. Everywhere I’ve gone since 1983-84 when Maiden started becoming one of the big bands in the world fans would come up to me and they would say you know the interview you did where you say the The Phantom of the Opera sounded like Queen? I said yeah. Why don’t you record it now and see what it sounds like you originally had in mind. So basically I told Steve Mann a couple of weeks ago when we do the new Lionheart album why don’t we do Phantom of the Opera as it was originally intended with vocals and guitar harmonies like a big production on it. And he said we can have it as the bonus track for Japan, so we both agreed. So I’ll go speak to Steve Harris and I’ll ask him if he’s ok with that. So I’m going to ask his permission if he says yes then we’re going to record it for the new Lionheart Album as a bonus track.”
In 2017, LIONHEART released its first studio album since the classic “Hot Tonight” record from 1984. Titled “Second Nature”, it was hailed by the critics as a triumphant return for the band, and LIONHEART has now headed back into the studio to record a follow-up album.
LIONHEART is:
Lee Small (lead vocals) Dennis Stratton (lead guitar, backing vocals) Steve Mann (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) Rocky Newton (bass, backing vocals) Clive Edwards (drums)
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to MARILLION’s keyboardist Mark Kelly as the band is set to launch their new album With Friends From The Orchestra. The album is has nine classic tracks re-recorded with the string quartet, which will be released November 29 2019 on Earmusic.
Kelly spoke about the making of the new album, if there would be any possibility or co-touring Fish as a double bill and the next set of Marillion re-releases remixes.
Watch the interview below.
When asked about the making of the new album
“I’ll go back a couple of years to 2017, we played a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London which is a beautiful venue well known for classical music. So we had the idea of having an orchestra or a six piece four string players join us on stage and it went down so well we said let’s try and do this again. Because it was just a one-off we then said okay maybe we could do a tour and then we said why don’t we quickly record an album of some songs with them. So then about a year ago we went off to studio but then as it always happens with Marillion it turned into like a three or four month project and we ended up making it almost an 80 minute album. We used a selection of songs from from an old career, really the ones that we thought would work best with these extra players. The album is supposed to accompany the tour you go to see a show and you buy a souvenir from the show.”
When asked if the band would ever consider re-recording the Fish era songs with Steve Hogarth on vocals
“Yeah it’s possible you know these things are all possible, I think there would be some resistance to that from people that love the old Fish songs, the way Fish sang them. Re-recording them effectively I think some people might object to that and understandably.”
When asked about the reissues of the bands older albums in 5.1
“We’re going through the process at the moment of remixing all the old albums and doing 5.1 mixes and that’s been quite interesting and fun. We’ve just literally finished doing the remixing ‘A Script for a Jesters Tear’ and I think the remix makes it sound nice, it’s a really improvement. Also there’s a documentary that’s going to accompany the album, which tells the story of the very early days of the band from the people that were there including some ex-members. I haven’t watched it yet it’s literally being edited at the moment. The guy that’s doing it has said that it’s turned into a real labor of love and it really tells the story well. There’s a lot of great information there that people won’t know, so I think that would be one that people will like to see it’s gonna be probably released around January 2020.”
When asked if there are any unreleased music from the early days
“Yes when were recording Script album we played three shows at the Marquee Club. One of the nights has actually been mixed and released as part of a box set maybe 10 years ago but there’s one night which was the the second night of that those three nights has never been heard before and now it’s mixed and it sounds really good . I think it’s a huge improvement on the one that was released previously. ”
When asked what it was like to support Rush in the early 80’s
” When we first opened for Rush at Radio City Music Hall in 84 the audience hated us and it was five nights and every night was terrible we had people heckling us. About a year later we get a phone call from our agent saying Rush wants you to open for them on their upcoming Power Windows tour. And we said Really? They said yes Rush really liked you. We said okay we’ll do it but we’re gonna play Misplaced Childhood the entire album from start to finish so that people can’t boo us between songs and that was the reason why we played the whole album as the album was one continuous piece of music.. It was actually really good and in fact in Canada we we we we picked up over an entire audience. ”
When asked about Marillion being compared to Genesis in the early days
“I think all bands when they start off everyone is influenced and borrows more of less from other artists, some more than others. We did have a bit of a Genesis sound it wasn’t intentional this is the really fun thing I actually wasn’t even at Genesis fan when I joined Marillion. It’s one of those things you just end up getting compared to other people and especially when you when you started out nobody knows what you sound like the natural somebody said oh yeah they sound a bit like Genesis. But over time hopefully you develop your own sound and you go your own way and as you know we don’t sound anything like Genesis these days it’s just a few moments really you know in our music that sounded a lot like Genesis.”
When asked if they Marillion would ever consider co-touring with Fish’s Band and doing a sort of Marillion fest
” I’m not sure it’s what people would want, that would be a tricky one. I mean over the years we had various talks with Fish about doing a tour together and it was one point when we asked him and he said no and then he asked us and we said no, not because we thought it was a terrible idea or he thought it was a terrible idea just time wasn’t right and now I think the times has pasted. We all get along, we do see each other from time to time, I think it’s probably not likely to happen at any point in the future.”
When asked about the time frame for a new studio album
“We are working on another album, we decided that we would set aside next year to make the album. We are doing only one thing next year apart from writing and recording which is Cruise to the Edge, which is in March and that’s it. Next year will be devoted to getting the next album recorded, we will have it early 2021 that’s the plan.”
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voicerecently interviewed Grammy award wining producer, guitarist Bob Kulick who played classic albums such as Kiss Alive 2,Kiss Killers, Paul Stanley’s Solo album, W.A.S.P. The Crimson Idol, Meatloaf Bad Attitude and so many more.
Watch below.
Bob elaborated on his recent Facebook Post attacking his Brother Bruce Kulick & Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanle.
When asked about the specifics in regards to his brother Bruce’s Copyright infringement on selling Kulick Brother merch on Kiss Website without his permission
“The only way that I will contest this is through the court of public opinion, based upon my lawyers assessment it makes no sense to spend money chasing dishonorable people.
This is how it went, Bruce came to me and said I’ve found somebody who could do a design for us but you would have to pay half (which was $750.00) to get it going, so I did that.”
(The photos that were taken on my Facebook post of the Kulick merchandise were taken from from KISS Army warehouse website which Keith Leroux controls)
Keith Leloux who is one of Kiss’ confidants is also in charge of some of the concert packages where he takes photos of the people who were paying an exorbitant amount of money to be able to stand on the stage where the band Kiss is gonna stand. Keith Leroux is an arrogant person who has decided that he can do what he wants when he wants to do it and his company KISS Army Warehouse has obtained from my brother merchandise that I didn’t even have. Like for instances I don’t even have a ball cap as part of our merch standards. I don’t know when they did that? Some photos I obviously I signed but I didn’t give anybody permission to put them on KISS Army Warehouse website and have them sold without permission, with an agreement how much they are selling these for and what is my share. And since I’m out of pocket $750 who is going to reimburse that amount. I mean it’s just as simple as that you know, it’s a business selling a shirt, like selling a car. I’m not talking about suing anybody I’m not talking about legal action. I am about to play the game with these people who after 46 years have showed me very little respect for what I’ve done. I’m not paying one penny to do anything legal to these people because it’s not worth it to get into a circumstance where they will immediately do what they’ve always done which is to see whose pockets are deeper. I’m not saying there’s any money owed to me other than what’s owed to me from this merchandise, that’s all and how much could it be? I’m just being honest it’s a copyright infringement this is mainly being done not to collect the money that they owe me, this is not about that what it’s about is respect. Sometimes you have to show people that they need to respect. I’m a Grammy award-winning producer with 17 platinum or gold records I played lead guitar on a number-one hit single Diana Ross’ ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’.
When asked about the specifics of his brothers Bruce’s restraining order
“In an effort to mend the fences bury the hatchet whatever you want to call it from a bad and ugly situation that Bruce precipitated last year by disrespecting me and taking my name off of a contract that was offered to us for the Kiss cruise of last year. After a successful Kiss cruise the year before my brother was totally intimidated by the fact that as I said to him finally Bruce it’s taken all this time we finally found our band here’s the band to conquer the world with. The band that I put together Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns. My brother was shaking in his shoes when I said to him we’re gonna have to ask Paul and Gene to pay for other people to come and play with us ? Yeah I said because we deserve to have our own band, we’re stars, you’re a star Bruce act like it but he has no balls at all so I had to go and set that up, so that Paul and Gene would have to pay two other performers to come and be our band. Then we were listed as Kiss Konfidential down there with the people who were on the panel nothing, wrong with that, we did do a panel but we also played. nobody knew what we were gonna play. They didn’t even have us listed as performers. They mentioned the other performers but not us how insulting. The Kulick brothers, no rehearsal, no sound check, the guinea pigs, the first band to play on the cruise with electric instruments. Kiss only played acoustically, big difference. So there’s everybody crowded in the whole ship, like the Titanic, it was kind of tipping over from everybody standing there. What did we do? We mopped the floor with Kiss. Mopped the floor with them playing their own songs, totally kicked ass. I looked to my brother and said this is magic. I then got tours booked for this band, offers, I had record deals ready to go even if it was only to play the songs we played on the cruise. Bruce turned all of it all down. Costing me work and wasting my time.”
When asked if he should have confirmed with Bruce all these plans to record and tour first
“I mean he basically did what I would have done, show me first. If this is real, show me, so I was just like okay. A representative from Europe called and wanted to have a meeting with Bruce and his wife and Bruce was just like good luck helping Bob I really can’t be involved because I have my Grand Funk gig. Which they only do select dates and it would have been possible just like he was able to arrange the time to be able to do the cruise without it being any conflict of interest with his main gig Grand Funk Railroad. I would have thought he could have squeezed the Kulick Brothers Band an exceptional band featuring two brothers who even though they may not even like each other play unbelievable together. Why? I taught him how to play he’s got the same influences that I do, his brain works like mine does, we’re from the same parents, so we both share the same gift as guitar players, so who could play better with me than him? Nobody. ”
“As I told Meatloaf back in the day when we auditioned my brother and I. They wanted me, they knew I had played with Alice Cooper and that I’d had experience, they didn’t think my brother was that great and they told me they had somebody else they wanted to take and have me work with them. I made it clear it’s the Kulick brothers or not at all and I’ve done that for him throughout his career in mine same with Kiss. Uh-oh looks like Vinnie Vincent is leaving you should call my brother. Gene said he’s got a mustache, I said he could shave. A year later Paul Stanley calling me while I’m in London with Meatloaf, uh do you have your brother’s number yeah uh we’re thinking about having him come and fill in for Mark St John. Oh really fill in for Mark huh, why don’t you just hire him like I told you, he should be in the band what are you doing? Who got Bruce that gig with Kiss, me and the fact that his talent was like mine, somebody who could really play. So I’m insulted and hurt that after all that I’ve done for my brother that he’s selling merchandise with my name on it without paying me and not talking to me and then getting a restraining order cuz he doesn’t want to hear the truth of me calling or texting or emailing him. Hey no matter what we’re brothers the only brother I have there’s nobody left in my family our parents are gone and I dare say if my mom was alive he wouldn’t have dared done anything like this because she would have kicked his ass. My mom took no shit from anybody like me not gonna take shit from anybody. People showed their true colors, he’s an ingrate I did everything for him and he never returned the favor all those records that I produced I always made sure that I hired Bruce to play so we could have a good time and we lived those moments when we were kids. And we’d just play out of sheer love just being able to jam and listen to Leslie West play and be shown some of the licks or hidden figuring out something and showing me it was a great time before he was Kissed, before he was blessed with being in this band, blessed I’m not sure I would say blessed any longer. Bruce is still in communication with Kiss and still checks with them that is it okay, if I do this that or the other thing and they may call upon him to come in and play a bass on something or whatever it is, it’s i kind of a loose relationship where he feels that there’s still money to be milked from these people and that he’s not gonna miss any of it.”
For The Metal Voiceformer singer of Anthrax, Neil Turbin spoke with The Rods Guitarist David “Rock” Feinstein and Cousin of Ronnie James Dio on Thursday, November 7 2019 at the “Bowl For Ronnie” event at PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City. Feinstein recalls Ronnie’s sense of humour, powerful voice and how he developed as a writer.
Watch here
When asked about the early years playing gigs with Ronnie Dio And The Prophets
” Ronnie was something special, when you hear Ronnie sing you know he was singing from his heart and from his soul and his lyrics are so meaningful. In the early days when we when we started out before we made records I was in a club band with Ronnie called ‘Ronnie Dio and the Prophets’ we were a cover band. Because we had Ronnie’s voice we were capable of doing any cover song. When we would go and play bars we would blow people’s minds because we were able to do so many different types of songs. I can remember one time we played a college when we came out on stage we could hear chuckling from the audience because of our height. I mean people were actually laughing at us when we walked out on stage but as soon as the first note was struck and when Ronnie started singing there was no more laughing it was just like jaw-dropping. Ronnie was a powerhouse vocalist.”
When asked about Ronnie’s sense of humour
“Ronnie had a great sense of humour there were just times I would laugh or I would be crying because he would do impersonations of people and talk like just so funny. It’s one of the things I really miss about him. Ronnie used impersonate Ed Sullivan all the time or Alfred Hitchcock, those type of people he would talk like.”
When asked about opening for Elton John during his first tour
“We opened for Elton John at the University of Massachusetts on his first tour of the United States. This was in a cafeteria and the stage was about 12 inches high. We played and then Elton John came on and we’re standing next to the stage watching saying who is this guy? We listened to two or three songs and we left. History tells you now that Elton john was a super star. Some of the most amazing songs ever and we got to be there from the very beginning.”
When asked about Ronnie’s inspiration for lyrics
“Ronnie was a very smart guy I can vouch for that because when I went to visit him nothing would happen the whole day until he finished the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. He had a brilliant mind, he read a lot, his vocabulary was incredible and he had the imagination to create these songs, the scenarios in the songs. Family Feud was a big deal and so were sports.”
The “Bowl For Ronnie” is an evening of fun, food, a raffle drawing for prizes and memorabilia. and, of course, bowling with rockers and celebrities competing for trophies kicks off at 6:30 p.m., with open bowling and a VIP pre-party for lane sponsors, celebrities and their guests. Music for the pre-party will be supplied by DJ Will.100% of the net proceeds from the “Bowl For Ronnie” will go to the Dio Cancer Fund, which is now in its tenth year of raising awareness and much-needed funding for cancer research. Individual tickets and lane sponsorships are now on sale, and participants are encouraged to gather friends, family and co-workers for the ultimate bowling team.
Jimmy Kay from Canada The Metal Voicespoke to original RIOT Guitarists Lou Kouvaris and Rick Ventura. The two spoke about launching their new band Riot Act at the Metal Hall of Fame 2020 Gala, recording new music, their upcoming shows and the premiering of their new music video of the Classic Riot song ‘Swords & Tequila’.
Watch the interview below.
Watch the Video Premiere of Swords and Tequila here:
When asked about how they found their singer for Riot Act
“I asked a friend of mine if he knew any singers and he goes you know you could try this guy but he’s very busy playing in like three of the four bands and one was a journey tribute band. I said okay so I gave him a call and I told him the situation and he was very receptive. I told them that I was in a band playing with my partner Rick Ventura and we wanted to play the first, second and third Riot Albums, which is Rock City, Narita and Fire Down Under and we have a gigs in Greece. He said he was very interested and I had his ear for about an hour and we got along like two little birds. So then Rick and I went to his studio and we auditioned him and he was blown away by how together Rick and I and the rest of the band were. And we were impressed with him. It’s one of those things that just gels instantly and as soon as we started playing he interpreted the song so perfectly and we just had this vibe. It’s like the typical story you know you get the right bunch of guys together you hit a chord it’s like yeah…. that’s it…. We all looked at each other and go wow! ” Lou Kouvaris
When asked about the Riot Act live Set list
“It’s going to be a songs from the first three records of Riot, a good selection of stuff that some people may not or may have never have heard. Just the fact that Lou and I are playing these classic songs has never been done. I think fans will get a kick out of hearing both of us together, like I said a good selection from first three records of Riot, Rock City, Narita and Fire Down Under, ” Rick Ventura
When asked about their first official shows
“We will be officially launching the band on January 15 2020 at the Metal Hall of Fame Gala in California and then there will be a mini tour of Greece, three dates confirmed March 13th in Athens, that’ll be at the Up The Hammers Festival next one in Nicosia Cyprus that’s gonna be on the I believe the 17th on a Tuesday and then on the 20th Friday of March check our website for more dates. RiotActBand.com. ” Lou Kouvaris
When asked about recording new material and the musical direction
“Rick has plenty of ideas and I have plenty of ideas and I think in about one years time we should have an album out, “Lou Kouvaris
You know Riot was high-energy hard rock bordering on metal. The new music is going to sound like an extension or a continuation of what we’ve always done. ” Rick Ventura
When asked how fans will receive another Riot Band
“I think Riot fans will always know Riot as Guy Speranza and Mark Reale as they were an important part of Riot history as they were the writing team of Riot. Lou and I contributed songs to Riot and we were there from the beginning I think fans will appreciate us playing those classic tunes because we were the guys that played on those early records. You’re never going to bring back Guy or Mark or Rhett so it’s like not really that same band because key members are gone but we were there from the beginning so the spirit of band lives on in us and that’s what people pick up on.” Rick Ventura
“I think one thing that that will will be evident is the fact that the sound that Rick and I have is basically the true sound of what Riot was back in the day, there’s no question. You’re gonna hear that in the music video we just did with Swords and Tequila. Riot V are our friends and what they do is fantastic and we support them. I mean they gave us a thumbs up on doing this they had no qualms about what we’re doing so I’m pretty happy about that. ” Lou Kouvaris
Riot Act are:
Lou Kouvaris Guitar L.A co-wrote several of Riot’s anthem style songs on both their debut album “Rock City” and the second album “Narita” which took Japan and Europe by storm. Lou had shared the stage and toured with Journey Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Neil Young Mark Farner Neil Smith & Rick Derringer to name a few.
Rick Ventura Guitar played, recorded and wrote on the Riot albums Narita, Fire Down Under, Restless Breed, and Born in America touring the world with the likes of AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Rush and so on.
Don Chaffin-Vocalist has toured the U.S.A. opening for Godsmack, Foreigner, Disturbed, Alice in Chains, Powerman 5000, Dr. John, Steve Howe of Yes, Robbie Krieger of The Doors , Vanilla Fudge and more. Don is the Lead Vocalist for the new band RED LAMB which features Dan Spitz ( dcpic Anthrax ) and is co-produced by Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) Don is also the Lead Vocalist for Voices of Extreme (formally co-managed by Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden).
Paul Ranieri – Bass He has played and recorded with dozens of artists, recently Mondo Electro, Stratopheerius and Emmy Award winning Electric Violinist Mark Wood and is also a Band leader, Clinician, Teacher and Music Director.
Claudio Galinski – Drums as part of the Argentinian Heavy Metal scene in the 80’s with his Thrash Metal Band ULTRAJE, sharing stages with such bands as Hermetica , Horcas, Lethal and Others.
Chief Shock Video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 