FRANKIE BANALI Says Decision To Sit Out QUIET RIOT Shows Was 'Very Painful'

October 28, 2019

Earlier this year, QUIET RIOT played several shows this year without drummer Frankie Banali, marking the first time ever that the band performed without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.

Frankie returned to the stage with QUIET RIOT this past Saturday night (October 26) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. The show marked the drummer's first performance with the group since he announced he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.

Speaking to Sonic Perspectives, Frankie said that "having to make [the] decision" to sit out QUIET RIOT shows was "very painful" for him. "Immediately after I was diagnosed on April 17th, two days later I started working on the mixes with engineer Neil Citron for the 'Hollywood Cowboys' record," he said (hear audio below). "And a couple of days after I had my first biopsy, I flew to Florida and did a festival with the band. And then again on May 5th, I did the M3 festival. After that, my oncologist and my medical team and the surgeons said that it would be impossible for me to fly. And that was a really difficult decision for me to make, because I had always prided myself to not only be the only drummer that's played on every single QUIET RIOT record since 'Metal Health', but I had never missed a show in my entire life, and that was a very difficult decision for me to make. But I couldn't think of just myself — I had to think of the bigger picture — so I decided to move forward, even though I wouldn't be able to perform."

At some of QUIET RIOT's recent shows, Banali was replaced by Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE).

Banali resurrected QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after the death of founding member and singer Kevin DuBrow.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist James Durbin. Pearl returned to QUIET RIOT in September.

QUIET RIOT's new studio album, "Hollywood Cowboys" — featuring Durbin on vocals — will be released on November 8 via Frontiers Music Srl.

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