Bassist Rudy Sarzo, who has played with Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, and Whitesnake, to name but a few, is featured in a new interview with Matt Wake of Alabama Life & Culture. An excerpt reads as follows:
Coming back to Quiet Riot and getting ready for this tour, did you have to relearn any of the material? Or is that music just embedded in your DNA?
"It’s such a multi-level question. The challenge was actually - and here’s the tricky part - I am not the same bass player. I am not the same musician. I’m not the same human being. It’s kind of like taking a photo 40 years ago and trying to mimic the expression that you have on your face for the rest of your life. No, you don’t. Every time you go into a studio, that’s a snapshot of that moment. And then in my case, 40 years later, you’re playing the same songs again.
I was a member of The Guess Who right before I came back to Quiet Riot and before that I had played with Blue Oyster Cult. Which is not necessarily known as ‘80s metal. I’ve played in so many genres. So all of that is part of my DNA now. Now, if I would’ve been a lifer, meaning a guy that’s only been in one band, that kind of musical path, what happens is you really don’t have as many of those outside influences, musically.
But going back to the energy and physicality involved in what we do (in Quiet Riot), I work out. I get on the treadmill, I work on my cardio and all of that just to be able to sustain a high-level show that 40 years ago you would go out and on tour, get on a tour bus and do it every night. And that was your workout. You didn’t have to go to the gym. So the more shows we do, the more we become that band that people were familiar with from watching us going on tour for months and sometimes a year and a half."
On this 2022 Quiet Riot tour, your back with the band doing these classic songs. What do you hope the people who come to these shows get from them?
"That’s an interesting perception. Because for me, is not what they get, is what I’m capable of giving. Because they’re not gonna get anything unless we give as a band, we present something for them. And my mission, when I go on stage, or even when we have the conversation like this, is to actually celebrate the memory of Frankie Banali, Kevin DuBrow and Randy Rhoads. And to celebrate the musical legacy of Quiet Riot, what we were able to accomplish and touch people’s lives with our music and how they touched us. You know, it’s all collective. You can’t have the success Quiet Riot has experienced without a loving audience. We love the audience, the audience loves us back, which to me is the ultimate experience of being in a band. And you’ve really got to appreciate it and realize the blessing that it is to be able to do this, for so many reasons."
To read the complete interview, visit this location.
Catch Quiet Riot - featuring bassist Rudy Sarzo, vocalist Jizzy Pearl, guitarist Alex Grossi, and drummer Johnny Kelly - on tour at the following shows:
May
20 - Pompano Beach, FL - Pompano Beach Ampitheater *
21 - Albertville, AL - Sand Mountain Ampitheater *
22 - Grantville, PA - Hollywood Casino *
26 - Morton, MN - Jackpot Junction Casino *
27 - Norwalk, CT - The Wall St. Theater
28 - New Bedford, MA - The Vault
29 - Nashville, TN - Creatures Fest at Sonesta Hotel & Convention Center
June
3 - San Bernardino, CA - San Bernardino Fairgrounds
4 - Hollywood, CA - The Whisky A Go-Go
11 - Big Flats, NY - Tag's Summer Stage
18 - Lampe, MO - Black Mountain Ampitheater *
24 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Summerfest *
25 - Aurora, IL - Riveredge Park *
July
9 - Xenia, OH - Ceaser Ford Park
15 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Headwater Park
16 - Roanoke, VA - Dr. Pepper Park
20 - Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheater *
22 - Tuscon, AZ - AVA Amphitheater *
23 - Sunset Station Casino - Las Vegas, NV *
24 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
25 - Paso Robles, CA - California Mid State Fair *
29 - Kansas City, MO - Ameristar Casino
30 - Beaver Dam, KY - Rock The Dam
August
4 - Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Biloxi, MS
12 - Rockin' The Rivers - Three Forks, MT
19 - Monsters On The Mountain - Gatlinburg, TN
20 - Crownsville, MD - Noyze Of Summer Festival
21 - Des Moines, IA - Venue TBA
25 - Niagara Falls, NY - Thursdays on 3rd Concert Series
September
4 - RedNeck Raft-out - Afton, OK
9 - Hinkley, MN - Rocktember Fest
10 - St. Charles, IL - The Arcada Theater
15 - Kansas State Fair - Hutchinson, KS
16 - Hudson Falls, NY - The Strand Theater
18 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels
23 - Silver Legacy Casino - Reno, NV *
24 - The Venue - Denver, CO
October
8 - Shelton, WA - Little Creek Casino
* Live To Rock tour with Skid Row, Warrant, Winger, and Quiet Riot.
