Surprising Glam Metal Guitarist Almost Joined Guns N’ Roses

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Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi recently discussed Guns N’ Roses in an interview with Alternative Nation about his Hollywood Scars project.

I see you played with several member of Guns N’ Roses, how did this come to be?

Hollywood is a big city, but also a small town, and if you have a good work ethic you will get called. When I played in Kevin [Debrow]’s solo band, they did a little tour with Steven Adler from GNR, and I was hired to play guitar for both acts. I showed up on time every night and played the songs extremely well. When you do that kind of thing, you get a good reputation.

Around the time Kevin passed away, Steven and I formed Adler’s Appetite where we would play all of Appetite for Destruction top to bottom. We have been working together for 14 years and counting. I also had a little project with Dizzy Reed called Hookers and Blow, and a band with Gilby Clarke called Hotel Diablo. I even auditioned for them in 2006. I was supposed to take Buckethead’s spot, but they ended up hiring Bumblefoot. You should hear Bumblefoot play guitar when you have the chance. He is a monster.

We interviewed him twice for the site. Really cool guy.

Really cool down to Earth guy. You can name any song and he will be able to play it in a second. He has that Rain Man thing with guitar that not everyone can do.

What bands would you say are the major influences on your sound?

Well James [Durbin, Hollywood Scars and Quiet Riot vocalist) has more modern influences like Shinedown. I’m more influenced by bands like GNR and Motley Crue and bring the heavy riffs to the table. I’m a sucker for a good ballad, so our first single is a song called “Till Death,” and we actually have Dizzy Reed from GNR playing piano on it in a similar way to how he did on “November Rain”. We go from heavy to soft, and have really catchy simple beats. I think it’s a fun easy listen. All five songs are short songs, no Dream Theater type prog stuff there, just meat and potatoes rock.