I Feel Like Durbin Should Have Kept His Mouth Shut

So James Durbin is the new singer of Quiet Riot. Whatever you or I think about it, he's the guy. So okay. I'm sure he'll do a good job for the band on the road. Whatever. But when you're interviewed about your new gig, maybe don't mock posters on Blabbermouth (who are likely your ticket buying audience) by calling them "supreme scum." From an interview with California Rock News, here's a quote:

"I'm aware of Blabbermouth comments. I don't really know what kind of creature that is on the other end of the interweb there that gets a jolly from thinking that they're being funny or crushing people's dreams or hopes or anything. But I think it's pretty ironic that somebody spends all their time either on their phone or on their computer — wherever it is. I assume many of these people have jobs they're extremely unhappy with. It doesn't mean they're living in their mom's basements or whatever, but chances are they're pretty unhappy with the course of their life. But, yeah, if I had to give them a description or anything, it would probably be a bottom-feeding crotch goblin. They fit the description. They eat the dingleberries from the bottom. They're just the supreme scum." I am a fierce supporter of free speech - say what you want, with feeling! But have a little common sense. I feel like this was just an inviting an Internet attack. But hey, Durbin probably got people to talk about him and that's all life seems reduced to anymore, right?

New QUIET RIOT Singer JAMES DURBIN Blasts 'Supreme Scum' Who Post Negative Comments On https://t.co/YW9Iv0jiIx https://t.co/R21AqEWB4y pic.twitter.com/prNdgJ6BpW

— BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) March 6, 2017

Comments

[Dj]

I like Durbin, he's got so much talent and a killer voice, he got Zakk Wylde and Priest on national TV. Hes great for rock and metal, had Mick Mars on his album and wears his influences on his sleeve, citing Skid Row and Hardcore Superstar as influences and he's got a big reach and can definitely song the old QR stuff. But I still stand by my opinion of QR dying with Kevin. If I were Benali I'd start a whole new different band with Durbin and even play some QR stuff, but they're entitled to do what they want with the name, so let's see how this goes.

[Dj]

And Durbin was spot on with his comments, people throw so much negativity out there all the time without a rational thought. There's no such thing as being outspoken because people say the most ridiculous shit for absolutely no reason, I think it's cool that he kind of called that out in a way.

[Gary]

I'm giving him credit for using crotch goblin, (which of course made this 11 year old moron in a 53 year old guys broken down body laugh heartily) 😂👍

[Darktown]

Between this and the Blotz / Ratt thing, it's pretty stupid. From the outside looking in, it does look like just real bad decisions being made. The thing I keep thinking over and over is what audience are you trying to target?? (IE: best bang for the almighty dollar) Do you pull fans who know the songs but not the players? So who cares, play the hits? By employing someone young do you try and pull a new younger audience (Who,and I could be wrong, but disposable income isn't in a big supply) or try and target old farts similar to me? And if so why?
Personally I won't be paying any amount of money to see QR, Blotz Ratt or a Jack Russel-less Great White, amongst other incarnations of bands that have the original roadie from the 80's as the only original member. I am bias as I have seen most of these bands back in the day but I still think: Okay, whose your target audience by doing certain things???????

[oper8n]

I also chuckled at crotch goblin. Was it his Tourette's kicking in? I believe he also has high functioning autism.
Also unsure of the target demographic. I would see them if they were part of a festival I was attending.

[Metalboy!]

Haha!!, Darktown... "...bands that have the original roadie from the 80's as the only original member" describes this situation the best.

And if he's looking for the real crotch goblin, all he has to do is turn around when he's on stage and let look behind the drum set.

This is the definition of "sh*t show"!

[Ace Steele]

"Crotch Goblin" would be a better album title than "Road Rage".
I'm with Metalboy... As stellar a drummer as FB is, he's become quite the douchenugget.
The absolute worst of Kevin's old personality, lives on in the soul-less timekeeper behind the kit.

[Jack T Ripper]

🔥 ❄️

[Metalboy!]

Thanks, Ace! It's true, Banali is a great drummer... What a waste of talent, but since the players find themselves here, maybe they can make something out of it, with Durbin's talent and almost forgotten star power.

Durbin did trend as Yahoo!'s top story, after all, as someone here pointed out in previous comments. As DJ observed, maybe they can do something with it but alas, Rhoads & Dubrow it never will be.

[Bob]

and how about Benali's wife coming out and calling QR's last few singers egotistical assholes. Complete classlessness all around. I'm sick of all of the nonsense surrounding QR. FB is a very good drummer, and does a half-decent Bonham imitation these days, but in an effort to keep QR's name out there, he and his wife have absolutely dragged it through the slime and the mud.

[Him]

The question of whether or not QR is relevant has been sporked to death (the issue of how long it has been since they were relevant is equally settled).

I agree with Dj and others, though, when they give Durbin props for calling out the knuckle-dragging, mayo encrusted, D&D divining, keyboard jockeys who populate so many of the metal websites out there. Sure, some are just being provocative (and misogynistic and homophobic and sexist and . . .) just to get a rise out of people. I get it. They think they are following in the lineage of Lenny Bruce, right? But there are a host of others on these sites that have no finesse when it comes to snark, even offensive snark. They do seem to be using the comments section as a form of projection, as a way to scratch a personal itch without actually doing anything other than making themselves feel good by making others feel bad.

So I circle back to an oft-repeated observation: this site is rare. We poke fun. We criticize. But we rarely see the IQ drop you see at other sites like BM (the rare exception is when the adults on this site decide to fling stuff at each other re: political preferences). And that is a good reason to thank Allyson, yet again, for giving us this forum.

[Metalboy!]

Right on almost all counts, HIM, but it's not just that simple... The situations arise to "fling stuff at each other" aren't so simple.

The exchanges are the direct result of trollism, and, FYI, it usually stems from one such troll casting the first stone.

Oh, and most have never heard of Lenny Bruce, unfortunately.

[Manny]

This kid can sing, but I have to agree with which audience they are targeting. Quiet Riot was a good band, that for people of certain age ( along with Twisted Sister) acted as the gateway band to introduce them to heavy metal ( and to me Slade).

Kevin DuBrow, love him or hate him or feel indifferent about him, was the heart and soul of the band. Banali is a talented drummer, and Quiet Riot name should have rested in peace with DuBrow. But that is easy for me to say because to me its a name, a band associated with certain memories of a period and time in my life, for him the name is his ways of possibly making a decent income and he dedicated his whole life recording and performing under that band name.

[Him]

I take your point, Metalboy! But we all have a choice of when to fling and when to sing. And I get that too: it is a choice.

We, as friends (I consider you more than an Internet acquaintance even if I have never met you), agree to disagree on the places and spaces where flinging is necessary. Not all of them. Some of them. And yet we continue on in most ways. That, to me, is a good thing.

You engage in some pitched battles. So do I. So I guess it is a matter of perspective when it comes to the question of which rocks to hurl. Luckily, we seem to mostly find similar stones of equal weight, argument-wise. But I am not going to begrudge you a choice lob. And I know you won't denigrate--within reason--my decision to opt out of the fun when it doesn't suit me.

Final thought: more people _should_ know who Lenny Bruce is!!!!