QUIET RIOT Covers AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell' At Italy's FRONTIERS ROCK FESTIVAL (Video)

QUIET RIOT played a cover version of the AC/DC classic "Highway To Hell" during the Frankie Banali-led band's April 28 appearance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below. The concert was filmed for a forthcoming DVD.

Asked by Italy's Linea Rock what he would say to anyone claiming that the group's current lineup is not the "real QUIET RIOT," the drummer said: "I think first of all, it's important for everybody to understand that I have been involved with QUIET RIOT since 1980. The bass player that's with us, Chuck Wright, has been a part of QUIET RIOT on and off since we recorded 'Metal Health'. Alex Grossi, our guitarist, has been in the band for 14 years. The new singer is James Durbin, who was on 'American Idol' during the tenth season. I think it's also important to understand that in the history of QUIET RIOT, there have been nearly 40 different members. It hasn't just been myself and Rudy Sarzo, who is my dearest and closest friend and a big supporter of me doing QUIET RIOT, and Kevin DuBrow, who of course passed away, and Carlos [Cavazo]. That was the iconic lineup, but if you look at any band these days, they're not all original members either because people have left, people have passed away, but you're going to get a wonderful representation of QUIET RIOT."

Durbin told the Noise Pollution web site that he has been embraced by QUIET RIOT fans so far. "The reception has been all good," he said. "I haven't encountered a single unsatisfied fan at any of the gigs we've done together, which is pretty awesome. It's a non-stop, in-your-face, nostalgic 75-minute rock and roll show, so there's no phoning it in. If I didn't want to be on that stage singing these songs, I wouldn't, and I think the fans get that energy from us. Because we certainly get that energy back from them."

He went on to say that he keeps to DuBrow's musical vision while singing QUIET RIOT's classic songs. "I stay pretty true to the way Kevin DuBrow did it for all those years," James said. "I personally love watching QUIET RIOT's set from the US Festival in '83. It was raw, live and real, and if it worked then, why change it?"

QUIET RIOT's latest album, "Road Rage" — the band's first with Durbin — was released last August via Frontiers Music Srl.

Durbin, who became known as the "metal guy" on 2011's season of "American Idol" after performing "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" with JUDAS PRIEST, hooked up with QUIET RIOT after the dismissal of Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE). Nicols was with QUIET RIOT for just a few months, but long enough to record the vocals for an early version of "Road Rage".