Interview with Quiet Riot Guitarist Alex Grossi
By Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello, Alex! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
CV: Legacy bands have a unique position of carrying weight: as their name and existence often enter a room long before they do. Being that Quiet Riot is considered the band that "broke" Heavy Metal into the mainstream, what level of pressure, if any, does that type of pedigree place on the band in 2023?
Alex Grossi: I wouldn’t call it pressure as much as I would call it a responsibility. We have a responsibility every night when we go out onstage to honor the legacy of not only the QUIET RIOT band and brand, but that of Kevin Dubrow, Frankie Banali & Randy Rhoads. The great thing about this version of the band is that Rudy, Jizzy, Johnny and myself are all on the same page to collectively do so.
CV: With so many artists and bands using backing
tracks to perform, AI to record and retirement as a way to cash in, has Rock
lost its place in the modern music landscape or just lost its way? Is it still
relevant, or is what we’re seeing today just a normal progression of
the industry itself?
AG: I
don’t think Rock has lost anything, I think it is more of a matter of things in
general naturally evolving as they do - that being said , there is no question
that the bar has been significantly lowered when it comes to the level of
musicianship needed to make a real record and perform live. Pro-tools, auto
tune, AI etc., have made it to where you don’t need to be as proficient as you
used to be to produce and perform music.
CV:
Many veteran bands seem to steer clear of writing and releasing newer music;
opting to hold the fans' attention by only keeping their back catalog
and hits alive and kicking. Some look at new music as a curse, considering
audiences have no interest. What's your take on such a sentiment? Is new music
for more established bands taboo when it comes to new fan interest
and maintaining their established audience?
AG: I
think it really varies from band to band - it’s important as a musician to always
remain creative and evolve, but the reality is that for bands that have a older
catalog of hits, you need to for the most part keep that as the majority of
your live show.
AG: I don’t think we consciously worry about being relevant, it’s really like chasing your tail after a while - at this point I would say a lot of these bands have become timeless & a lot of people are bringing their kids out to the shows, so I guess that’s a good sign as far as “relevancy” goes ….
CV: In the coming years, do you feel more
and more established acts will look to go the independent
route instead and eliminate the middlemen; in this case, the labels,
bookers, and PR people, who some feel, get in the way?
AG: For the most part, if you are an established
band with decades of history you really don’t need a label at all anymore. In
the 70s and 80s you HAD to have one in order to get your records in stores, on
the radio and on MTV - nowadays you don’t - and if you are a band like us,
there is really nothing a record label can do that we can’t.
Look at it this way, if you as a band have 1,000,000 social media
followers, why would you need a label who’s only got 50,000 followers to help
“get the word out?” You don’t. The metrics of things these days make things
really transparent….
CV: Comparatively speaking, then and
now, how have you noticed that the 2020 pandemic and the
shutdown have changed the music industry? How has that changed affected the
business forever, in your opinion?
AG: If you look at where touring is at now, I think
the pandemic made bands work smarter and really streamline things. Tour costs
have gone way up, especially buses - so now you are seeing more and more bands
rolling with smaller crews and more scaled down production.
CV: What's your favorite part about being a musician?
AG: Not having to ever go to work.: )
CV: In addition to lots of tour dates, what more can fans expect to see coming
from you and Quiet Riot in the remainder 2023 and beyond?
AG: I have
been writing material for a project with Jacob Bunton…he just did the Mick Mars
record & is just a fantastic writer…I am really looking forward to getting
this materiel released next year.
CV: Thanks again, Alex, for taking the
time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
Check out
Alex at:
Alex Grossi Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alex.grossi.10?mibextid=LQQJ4d
https://www.facebook.com/ALEXGROSSI1976?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Alex Grossi
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/alexgrossi1976?igshid=MXhieWV0NzlsODlpZw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Quiet Riot Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/quietriot?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Quiet Riot
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/quietriotband?igshid=MWdodjVlemZzeWtiaw==
QUIET RIOT Official: www.quietriot.band
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