QUIET RIOT Bassist: 'We Are Like A Band Of Brothers'

Blasting-Zone.com recently conducted an in-depth interview with QUIET RIOT bassist Chuck Wright. Several excerpts follow:

Blasting-Zone.com: How did you become reunited with QUIET RIOT?

Chuck Wright: "It all started with a couple one off shows I did with Kevin [DuBrow, vocals] and Frankie [Banali, drums]...then the Bad Boys of Metal tour this past summer. Kevin contacted me and said he was going to do it, but I'd have to play bass for everybody. I said 'Hey great.' (laughs). I ended up playing for over three hours backing BANG TANGO, Steven Adler (doing GUNS N' ROSES material),Jani Lane (WARRANT) and then Kevin. We'd do some of his solo material and a lot of QUIET RIOT tunes. It was quite a long evening for me. When you do something like that, you have to be at 110 percent for each set...so at the end of the night, I was wiped.... Then there was the traveling... We had a thing we called the 'Daily Tidbits Of Buffoonery' with that tour. There was always something going wrong...like the trailer coming off of the bus on the freeway, the drivers always getting lost, Adler almost setting the bus on fire by falling asleep with a lit cigarette...there was always something. We went through four buses in three weeks."

Blasting-Zone.com: Oh, wow.

Chuck: "Once they were able to get back the use of the name QUIET RIOT, the next logical step for me was to rejoin the group. We actually had our first gig with (BEAUTIFUL CREATURES guitarist) Alex (Grossi) on New Year's Eve. It was so much fun. Playing again with Kevin and Frankie is just awesome...we have something that I call the psychic connection (laughs). We've been playing together for so long...off and on since 1981."

Blasting-Zone.com: How is the songwriting process for the next record progressing?

Chuck: "This is some of the best stuff yet... I've heard some of Frankie's ideas and I've heard some of the stuff Kevin and Alex have been working on in Vegas... I've been working on my own as well... If it turns out like I envision it will, it'll be the best record we've ever done. There's going to be some really great music on it."

Blasting-Zone.com: It would seem that for the first time in a very long time, everyone is getting along with each other.

Chuck: "The vibe is unbelievable. I know Kevin said the last few years of the reunited 'Metal Health' era were hell for him, but this line-up is just great. I just wanna get out there and start playing...we're going to Spain and South America soon...at that point, I just hope the ball keeps rolling fast and hard."

Blasting-Zone.com: Have you ever felt overshadowed by the accomplishments of the "Metal Health" era?

Chuck: "It probably would have been like that if I had been more of a noticed member of the group... People don't normally read the fine print and realize that I played bass on 'Bang Your Head'... I don't think it's really been a problem."

Blasting-Zone.com: Is it true you felt you were treated like a sideman when you were last in QUIET RIOT?

Chuck: "Yeah...pretty much... HOUSE OF LORDS was more 'my' band. Back then in '87, I was basically a sideman with QUIET RIOT even though I was able to contribute musically... We're more like a band of brothers in this 2005 version. It's a good vibe...definitely a good vibe."

Read the entire interview at this location.