Riot’s story is one of what might have been, and to some degree, a band being (or not) in the right place at the right time. What this 6 CD live collection does offer is unique, and often raw, insights into the growth and development of an influential hard rock and heavy metal band, as they graduated from small clubs in 1976 through to huge festivals in 1980.
Riot formed in 1975, in New York City, when Kon-Tiki guitarist Mark Reale and drummer Peter Bitelli teamed up with bassist Phil Feit and vocalist Guy Speranza. Recording a four-track demo, they added Steve Costello on keyboards, and were subsequently picked up by New York producers Billy Arnell and Steve Loeb, who owned the independent label Fire-Sign Records.
Adding second guitarist Louie Kouvaris, whilst replacing Feit with Jimmy Iommi on bass, they released their debut “Rock City” in 1977. But by 1979, on the verge of splitting up, they were thrown a lifeline by highly influential New Wave Of British Heavy Metal DJ, Neal Kay, who set about promoting Riot in the UK. Re-engerized, the band issued second LP, “Narita” in 1979, at which point Kouvaris was replaced by their roadie, Rick Ventura.
Signing to major label Capitol Records, this subsequently led to a UK tour in 1980 supporting Sammy Hagar (from where the Bristol show here was taken), and eventually a slot at the legendary “Monsters of Rock Festival” at Castle Donington the same year, on a bill featuring Saxon, Judas Priest, Scorpions and headlined by Rainbow.
Mastered from tapes in the collection of the estate of founder member and guitarist Mark Reale, “The Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1” captures the band at their formative, early club stages in 1976, where much of their repertoire included songs by the bands that had influenced them, such as their covers on Montrose’s ‘I Got the Fire’, ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ and ‘Rock Candy’, to UFO’s ‘Shoot Shoot’ and Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star’, included amongst Riot originals, ‘Angel’, ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Tokyo Rose’. This 6 disc set concludes with their aforementioned Castle Donington slot in 1980.
Riot would release their most successful album, “Fire Down Under”, the following year, but that’s another story…
Tracklisting:
DISC ONE
RED FOXX, NEW JERSEY 1976 (FIRST SET)
1. ANGEL
2. TEENAGE LOVE AFFAIR
3. DESPERATION
4. ROCK CANDY
5. SWEET FELICIA
6. ROCK CITY
7. SWEET JANE/FOX ON THE RUN/DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH (MEDLEY)
8. COUNTING ON YOU
9. TWENTY FLIGHT ROCK
10. I GOT THE FIRE
11. TEASER
DISC TWO
RED FOXX, NEW JERSEY 1976 (SECOND SET)
1. KEEP PLAYIN’ THAT ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
2. TEENAGE LOVE AFFAIR
3. SWEET FELICIA
4. GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT
5. SHOOT SHOOT
6. COUNTING ON YOU
7. ANGEL
8. ROCK CITY
9. SWEET JANE/BE MY LOVER/FOX ON THE RUN/DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH/BASS SOLO/DRUM SOLO (MEDLEY)
10. I GOT THE FIRE (EXCERPT)
DISC THREE
THE AGORA BALLROOM, PAINESVILLE, OHIO 1978
1. ANGEL
2. OPEN FIRE
3. WHITE ROCK
4. 49ER
5. KICK DOWN THE WALL
6. OVERDRIVE
7. ROCK CITY
8. STARLINER
9. SOLOS
10. WARRIOR
11. HIGHWAY STAR
DISC FOUR
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 1980
1. ANGEL (EXCERPT)
2. WHITE ROCK
3. WAITING FOR THE TAKING
4. NARITA
5. OVERDRIVE
6. ROCK CITY
7. ROAD RACIN’ (EXCERPT)
BOSTON 20th SEPTEMBER 1980
8. WAITING FOR THE TAKING
9. OVERDRIVE
DISC FIVE
COLSTON HALL, BRISTOL 22nd APRIL 1980
1. ANGEL
2. DO IT UP
3. ROAD RACIN’
4. NARITA
5. TOYKO ROSE
6. WHITE ROCK
7. OVERDRIVE
8. ROCK CITY
9. WARRIOR
DISC SIX
MONSTERS OF ROCK, CASTLE DONINGTON
16th AUGUST 1980
1. ANGEL (EXCERPT)
2. WHITE ROCK
3. WAITING FOR THE TAKING
4. OVERDRIVE
5. ROCK CITY
6. ROAD RACIN’
7. WARRIOR
**PLEASE NOTE: Whilst every effort has been made to produce the best possible audio, limitations in the material drawn from various, non-standard, and unoffical sources means that the quality may not be up to the standard usually expected. All tracks have been included for their historical importance, and to present an alternative anthology of RIOT live on stage from 1976-1980.
