METALLIAN - London

October 17th, Anno 23

Non Stop Rock - 1985 - Shrapnel
Don’t Cry Wolf - 1987 - Axis
Playa Del Rock - 1990 - Noise
Call That Girl – 2018 - Shrapnel

Members

Vocals

VVSI, Jagwire, Rated X, Steel Prophet>>NADIR D’PRIEST [ANTONIO NADIR MUNOZ]>>Rated X, D’Priest, Steel Prophet

Guitar

Sister, Tear Garden>>Lizzie Grey [Steve Perry]>>Solo, Spiders 'N Snakes - Frankie Jones - Roadrunner>>Sean Lewis>>Ultra Pop, D’Priest - His Witness>>RONEE PETA

Bass

TKO>>Brian West>>D’Priest - BILLY THE FIST [WILLIAM EDWARD DAGSHER]

Drum

Chastain>>Fred Coury>>Chastain, Guns N' Roses, Cinderella, Arcade, Solo, Poison, Lynch Mob, Night Ranger - Derek Shea - Tina Turner, Guiffria, Craig Goldy>>ALLAN KRIGGER>>D’Priest, Craig Goldy

Keyboard

The Cult, Jagwire>>Vince Gilbert>>D’Priest - The Babys, Joe Lynn Turner>>ERIC RAGNO

History & Biography

London was one of the '80s glam bands - think Kix or Hollywood Rose - that was meant to go places, but never did. The band's history is complex, convoluted and a cautionary tale all at the same time. The group was occasionally too pop for most rockers. The group would eventually adopt its singer’s monicker to avoid its loaded name; alas to no avail.

The group was mantled in Los Angeles by Lizzie Grey and featured Blackie Lawless and Nikki Sixx at first in 1978. Sixx and Grey came from Sister. Nigel Benjamin was the 1980/1981 singer. He died in 2019. Fans would notice a song called Public Enemy #1 credited to a 'L. Grey' in 1982 on Mötley Crüe’s Too Fast For Love album. This line-up would not last and the respective members would go onto other ventures. Several members would come and go - Blackie would reappear as would Fred Coury, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler - before members dissipated. The band’s debut album would feature future Cinderella drummer Fred Coury, who would (of course) be replaced by Derek Shea for the second album. With success missing, Grey would go on to form a solo career in 1988 leaving D’Priest and West behind as London’s only dwellers. The group was henceforth managed by Eric Greif who had previously worked with Mötley Crüe and would go on to manage Death. A last album, for the time being, was issued through Noise Records foray into American hard rock. Tim Yasui, who worked at Metal Blade and had drum lessons from Carmine Appice, and would go on to manage Cleopatra Records was drumming for the band. He was brought in by Sean Lewis. He and Lizzie Grey would go on to play in Spiders And Snakes. Yasui would be back in the band between 2007 and 2009. He had been with Lewis in Ultra Pop.

With member changes being consistent D’Priest would try his hand at Rated X before changing the band’s name to D’Priest. The group would decide to reform years later in 2006 with only D’Priest in the line-up from the original days. Nadir and Sean Lewis (who had played with Lizzie in the band’s final line-up and recorded and toured for Playa Del Rock) were back together since 2007. The band played clubs in Hollywood (Key Club, Whiskey, Cat Club, etc.). At this stage Lewis was a practicing attorney in Tennessee. As of 2008, the band was cutting track for a Cleopatra Records' compilation due for release in 2009. London (based in Los Angeles) would reunite for its first concert in over 20 years at Paladino's in Reseda, California on February 14th, 2009. The ‘80s glam band would release a new album, entitled Call That Girl, on October 12th 2018. The band was playing at the Whisky A Go Go to promote the record. Lizzie Grey died of Parkinsons in 2019.

The band can be seen in the infamous The Decline Of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years.

Reviews

Interviews

London