QUIET RIOT Frontman: 'My Credibility Is Not As High As Some People's Who Are Liars'

Brian Rademacher of Rock Eyez recently conducted an interview with QUIET RIOT frontman Kevin DuBrow. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Rock Eyez: In a recent press release sent out from your camp, you mention that you would not take part in the Dakota film [about late OZZY OSBOURNE/QUIET RIOT guitarist Randy Rhoads] directed by Peter Margolis, because of untruths and personal gain, and also inaccuracies in the film. Tell me a little of what you know about the movie that changed your mind?

Kevin DuBrow: It's all in the press release. It's all there, and everything is listed.

Rock Eyez: You also say in that press release that you want to keep the memories and feelings private about Randy, but you were going to work on that project?

Kevin DuBrow: Yes, and I did some investigation and it was not what I was told, and I felt it wasn't in anybody's best interest.

Rock Eyez: So why don't you do a book as others did, and donate the funds to a charitable cause?

Kevin DuBrow: Because I live in the present, I am quite happy doing QUIET RIOT 2007. Some people have nothing to do, and earn a living off of things from twenty- thirty years ago. We have a new album out "Rehab" — and we work all the time.

Rock Eyez: So you don't like talking about the past?

Kevin DuBrow: No, I don't mind, I just don't want to dig a hole about the past. Sometimes you have to do some damage control. There were a lot of great positives that happened. I mean, sometimes you have to deal with the wreckage of the past. Sometimes there are inaccuracies, and you wake up in the morning and you say, "What the hell happened here?!" (Laughing)

Rock Eyez: Have you read Rudy's [Sarzo] book "Off the Rails", and if so, what you thought of it.

Kevin DuBrow: I don't want to discuss him in any shape or form. I made Frankie a promise, months ago...I'm fifty-one, and I will never mention his name for the rest of my life in an interview. Because life is too short, and there's too much trouble and there's too many good things going on to sit and stew in negativity.

Rock Eyez: If you could change anything in you music career, would you?

Kevin DuBrow: Absolutely, but I can't. (Laughing) What I should do is to make up for it in the future music we do. Certain people I worked with in the past were unable to do certain things I wanted to do, so we had to adapt to the people who we were working with. That was the nice thing about the "Rehab" album; it turned out just the way I wanted it to. I'm really happy with it. There are certain aspects of "Condition Critical" that are just embarrassing, but I don't listen to them.

Rock Eyez: Do you have kids?

Kevin DuBrow: No

Rock Eyez: Are you married?

Kevin DuBrow: Nope, and I'm not gay either.

Rock Eyez: Do you feel you missed out on that part of life?

Kevin DuBrow: Sometimes, Most of the women I dated were psychos. Nice, pretty, beautiful, tall blondes or nuts. I went through years and years of completely gorgeous women that are completely crazy.

Rock Eyez: How about now?

Kevin DuBrow: I'm single now, and gun shy.

Rock Eyez: So what about the women now? What do they do, shake your hand and walk away?

Kevin DuBrow: We do meet-and-greets, they say "Hi. How are you? It was a great show." I say, "Thank you for coming" and go back to the hotel and go to sleep. I'm a happy camper; I have two cats, I have a good life, I have some good friends, and every once in a while, you wake up, go on the Internet, and see some adoration. (Laughing) You get a little shell-shocked by being ambushed when you had nothing to do about anything. You see your name mentioned when you didn't talk to anybody about it. You say, "What the hell happened here?" I had to put out a press release on something I didn't even start. Like in the Eighties, I said them dumb things. I started that stuff myself; that was my own screw-up. This time I woke up, I see my name on the Internet, and said, "What the fuck?" I had to put out a press release for damage control, because I couldn't believe what was going on. I told them I wasn't going to do the film weeks ago, and they are just telling people now in their own way. I felt like I got ambushed. All I want to do is get on with my life and enjoy myself. I have a great friend in Frankie Banali, I really enjoy playing with Alex and Chuck, and sometimes you wake up and say, "What happened here?"

Rock Eyez: Does it stump you that people around the world actually care what you have to say?

Kevin DuBrow: Frankie says one of the reasons why people like to talk with me is because I'm controversial, and it helps people sell magazines or look at their sites. A lot of times people interpret that what I have to say is the untruth for some reason. My credibility is not as high as some people's who are liars. So having to deal with that, I tend to clam up, which is my current status. I'm not going to be doing a lot of talking as I used to. When I get up in the morning and I see an article about me on Guitar World magazine, posting negatives, and I have nothing to do with any of it, it makes me want to not do interviews. When I am promoting "Rehab" or an upcoming gig — cool, but then again, I look on Blabbermouth and go "WHAT?" I don't want to be taking my time doing press releases. There's other ways to spend my day productively.

Read the entire interview at Rock Eyez.