NEPA Scene Staff

Quiet Riot, The Sweet, and House of Lords bring ‘Blockbuster’ hits to Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on June 29

Quiet Riot, The Sweet, and House of Lords bring ‘Blockbuster’ hits to Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on June 29
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From a press release:

Bang your head! It was announced today that Magnus Productions and the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre will present The Blockbuster Hit Parade Tour featuring rock bands Quiet Riot, The Sweet, and House of Lords on Friday, June 29 at 8 p.m.

Tickets, which are $29.50, $39.50, and $59.50, plus fees, go on sale this Friday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at the Kirby Center box office (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100. A Kirby Member pre-sale begins this Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m.

Quiet Riot is a rock & roll phenomenon. Famously described as the first heavy metal band to top the Billboard pop chart at No. 1, the Los Angeles, California quartet became an overnight sensation thanks to their monster 1983 smash album “Metal Health.”

Driven by the irresistible double whammy of the title track’s muscular bass line and a raucous rendition of the old Slade chestnut “Cum on Feel the Noize,” the album stormed up the U.S. charts, duly reaching the No. 1 spot and going platinum five times over in the process. The sales of “Metal Health” have now exceeded the 10 million mark worldwide to date.

Quiet Riot returned to the studio to record 1984’s “Condition Critical,” which went on to sell over two million copies in the U.S. and included another chart-ready Slade cover in “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” and the self-penned “Party All Night.”

Quiet Riot is led by drummer and founding member Frankie Banali, who has the distinction of being the only member of the classic lineup to have recorded on every Quiet Riot release. Nearly three years since the loss of his friend and bandmate Kevin DuBrow – and with careful consideration, soul searching, and the blessings and support of DuBrow’s family – Banali decided to continue the musical legacy of Quiet Riot with bassist Chuck Wright, guitarist Alex Grossi, and vocalist James Durbin.

Legendary rock band The Sweet shot to the top of the charts in the 1970s with such hits as “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox on the Run,” “Love Is Like Oxygen,” “Little Willy,” “Hellraiser,” “Teenage Rampage,” “Blockbuster,” and “Action.”

In 1975, “Fox on the Run” (the band first self-penned single) reached the No. 2 spot in the U.K. and Top 5 in the U.S. charts. The album “Give Us a Wink,” released in 1976 and featuring the Top 20 single “Action,” attained gold status in America and continued the group’s move towards album-oriented rock.

The Sweet bounced back onto the charts in 1978, scoring another Top 10 hit in both the U.S. and the U.K with “Love Is Like Oxygen.” After Brian Connolly’s departure in 1979, The Sweet carried on as a three-piece outfit for three more albums before disbanding in 1981.

In January 2008, Steve Priest assembled his own version of The Sweet in Los Angeles. He enlisted fellow Brit Stuart Smith, an old friend and a classically-trained former axeman for the bands Sidewinder and Heaven & Earth, on guitar. L.A. native Richie Onori, Smith’s bandmate in Heaven & Earth, was brought in on drums. The keyboard spot was manned by ex-Crow and World Classic Rockers alumni Stevie Stewart.

House of Lords debuted in 1989 with the release of their self-titled album, a record which is still regarded as one of the best arena rock releases of the ’80s. The colossal sound, the soaring vocals of James Christian, and instrumental capabilities of the band (which featured ex-Angel and Giuffria keyboardist Gregg Giuffria, along with luminaries Lanny Cordola, Chuck Wright, and Ken Mary) were reminiscent of such frontrunners as Whitesnake, Deep Purple, and Van Halen and immediately brought the band to the attention of the music media and fans.

House of Lords’ 11th studio album, “Saint of the Lost Souls,” was released on March 24, 2017. The album was recorded with essentially the same lineup as previous albums, the only change being bassist Chris Tristram, who started with the band in November of 2016 after replacing Chris McCarvill.

The band has toured relentlessly in Europe and the States in support of their releases and has now become a true staple of the hard rock scene on both continents. House of Lords stands for superb hooks and majestic atmospheres that bring back the memories of their stellar debut album, monumental guitar riffs, and a production to die for. All these ingredients are found on “Saint of the Lost Souls,” which shines from the first second to the last.