Riot: Live In America – The Official Bootleg Box Set Vol. 3 1981-1988 – 6CD Box Set
Riot

In some respects, Riot’s story is one of what might have been, and to some degree, a band not quite at the right place at the right time. What this 6 CD collection of live recordings and demos does offer is a unique and raw insight into this influential and cult hard rock and heavy metal band, as they cemented their reputation as a live draw across America in the 1980s.

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 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 led to a UK tour in 1980 supporting Sammy Hagar, and eventually a slot at the legendary inaugral Monsters of Rock heavy metal festival at Castle Donington the same year, on a bill featuring Saxon, Judas Priest, Scorpions and Rainbow.

Officially licensed from the archives of the Mark Reale estate, “Live In America: The Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 3 (1981-1988)” kicks off with a show recorded at the legendary Long Island club My Father’s Place in Roslyn, NY on 15th September 1981, whilst the band was promoting the Elektra Records release, “Fire Down Under”. The album is featured almost in its entirety, including ‘Swords And Tequila’, ‘Feel The Same’, ‘Outlaw’ and the title track. As a bonus, CD1 finishes with rare basement rehearsal tapes of ‘Warrior’, a cover of Montrose’s ‘I Got The Fire’ and ‘We’ll Make It’.

A little over two years later, Riot found themselves at Wolfgangs in San Francisco, on 27th December 1983, with the band supporting the independently released “Born In America” LP. ‘Wings Of Fire’, ‘Running From The Law’, ‘Devil Woman’ and ‘Vigilante Killer’, as well as the title track, feature from the new record.

Less than a week later Riot could be found playing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA on 2nd January 1984, performing a set that is unsurprisingly very similar to one captured at Wolfgangs on CD2, closing with the classic, ‘Altar Of The King’.

A five year gap separated the release of 1983’s “Born In America” and 1988’s “ThunderSteel”, during which time they did play at famed Los Angeles club, The Roxy, with a set featuring ‘Hard Lovin’ Man’, ‘Outlaw’ and the self-explanatory “heavy Metal Machine’. CD4 finishes with two bonus demo tracks, ‘Liar’ and ‘Warrior’ both from 1988.

By the time they hit Hallettsville in Texas in August 1988, they’d released the “ThunderSteel” album, from which ‘Fight Or Fall’, ‘Flight Of The Warrior’, ‘On Wings Of Eagles’, ‘Johnny’s Back’, ‘Bloodstreets’, ‘Run For Your Life’ and ‘Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)’ were taken. Classics ‘Fire Down Under’, ‘Outlaw’ and ‘Swords And Tequilla’ represented something for the older fans.

This anthology finishes with a CD of some rarely heard Riot demos, including ‘Buried Alive’, ‘Faded Hero’, ‘Medicine Man’ and ‘Breathren Of The Long House’.

This 6CD set features a poster that includes informative liner notes from Classic Rock magazine’s Malcolm Dome. 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 from 1981-1988.

DISC ONE  – LIVE AT MY FATHER’S PLACE, ROSLYN, NY, USA 15TH SEPTEMBER 1981

1. SWORDS AND TEQUILA

2. FIRE DOWN UNDER

3. FEEL THE SAME

4. DON’T BRING ME DOWN

5. DON’T HOLD BACK

6. OVERDRIVE

7. NO LIES

8. ALTAR OF THE KING

9. OUTLAW

10. ROAD RACIN’

11. ROCK CITY

12. WARRIOR REHEARSAL IN MARK’S BASEMENT

13. WARRIOR

14. I GOT THE FIRE

15. WE’LL MAKE IT

DISC TWO – LIVE AT WOLFGANGS, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 27TH DECEMBER 1983

1. HARD LOVIN’ MAN

2. WINGS OF FIRE

3. VIGILANTE KILLER

4. YOU BURN IN ME

5. GUNFIGHTER

6. RUNNING FROM THE LAW

7. DEVIL WOMAN

8. BORN IN AMERICA

9. LOAN SHARK

10. SANDY SLAVIN DRUM SOLO

11. LOAN SHARK (CONTINUED)

12. MARK REALE SOLO

13. HEAVY METAL MACHINE

14. SWORDS AND TEQUILLA

15. WARRIOR 16. OUTLAW

17. ALTAR OF THE KING

DISC THREE – LIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO 2ND JANUARY 1984

1. HARD LOVIN’ MAN

2. WINGS OF FIRE

3. VIGILANTE KILLER

4. YOU BURN IN ME

5. GUNFIGHTER

6. RUNNING FROM THE LAW

7. DEVIL WOMAN

8. BORN IN AMERICA

9. LOAN SHARK

10. GUITAR SOLO

11. SWORDS AND TEQUILA

12. WARRIOR

13. OUTLAW

14. ALTAR OF THE KING

DISC FOUR

LIVE AT THE ROXY, WEST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CA
16TH APRIL 1986

1. HARD LOVIN’ MAN
2. OUTLAW
3. VIGILANTE KILLER
4. RESTLESS BREED
5. BORN IN AMERICA
6. LOANSHARK
7. SHOWDOWN
8. RUNNING FROM THE LAW
9. SIGN OF THE CRIMSON STORM
10. HEAVY METAL MACHINE
11. GUITAR SOLO
12. SWORDS AND TEQUILLA
13. ALTAR OF THE KING
14. LIAR (1988 DEMO)
15. WARRIOR (1988 DEMO)

DISC FIVE

LIVE IN HALLETTSVILLE, TEXAS
21ST AUGUST 1988

1. FIGHT OR FALL
2. FIRE DOWN UNDER
3. SIGN OF THE CRIMSON STORM
4. ON WINGS OF EAGLES
5. BURIED ALIVE
6. FLIGHT OF THE WARRIOR
7. OUTLAW
8. BLOODSTREETS
9. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
10. DRUM SOLO
11. JOHNNY’S BACK
12. SWORDS AND TEQUILLA
13. THUNDERSTEEL
14. ANNA (A PLACE CALLED TOMORROW) (DEMO)
15. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN (DEMO)

DISC SIX

DEMOs

1. BURIED ALIVE (INTRO) (1987 DEMO)
2. BURIED ALIVE (INTRO) VERSION 2 (1987 DEMO)
3. FADED HERO (INSTRUMENTAL DEMO)
4. GOOD LOVIN (INSTRUMENTAL DEMO)
5. MEDICINE MAN (INSTRUMENTAL DEMO – 2 VERSIONS)
6. SANTA MARIA (INSTRUMENTAL DEMO 1994)
7. SHENANDOAH (INSTRUMENTAL DEMO 1994)
8. COVER ME (INSTRUMENTAL ROUGH MIX)
9. THUNDERSTEEL SOLO (MARK REALE WRITING DEMO)
10. BREATHREN OF THE LONG HOUSE (MARK REALE 4-TRACK DEMO)