Firstly, what are you up to right now?
   Right now, I'm frontman for an 80's tribute band called "Lickitty
Splitt" in Las Vegas. We're doing all the "big boys"....Jovi, Poison
etc......& having a blast doing it!

How would you describe the Atello sound?
    Good question! It's definetly a more "polished" sounding hard
rock....I like a lot of dynamics....accents...spoken parts, breakdowns,
etc...I'm not a big fan of the usual verse, chorus, verse stuff.

How did you get involved with the band?
    "ATELLO" was formed after a band I was in with bassist Ralph Heiss,
called "PERSIA"disbanded...At that point we had a lot of strong material
that I was too emotionally attached to to just let go....all of which
became our debut CD "The Big Payoff."

What caused the band to part ways?
    Ask four members of the band THAT question & you'll get four VERY
different answers!!! From my perspective, we were pretty much "beating a
dead horse"....the record companies didn't know what to do with us, yet
the crowds loved us...It just got to a point where I was wondering if it
was worth all the work....

Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?
      OH MY GOD YES!!!! It was a nightmare!!!! We played at a place in
Asbury Park called "The Saint"...
if there were 5 people in the room (including the staff) it was a lot!
They didn't know what to make of us!

What are your favorite Atello tracks?
   HANDS DOWN my favorite track is Grip On My Heart".....It's really hard
to choose favorites, they all represent something different to me....but
"Grip" was when I felt I hit my stride as a songwriter.

What are your favourite all time songs?
        We'd be here all day if I started answering that! But I can tell
you I'm a HUGE old school R&B fan.

What was the first record you ever bought?
      AM radio was HUGE when I was growing up in Brooklyn & I was
constantly listening to the radio...chances are it was a Top 40 hit, I
know I had a TON of 45's (remember them?).

Which album was it that got you into metal and can you explain why?
      That's an easy one! Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet"....TOTALLY
changed my life! It was unlike anything I had heard up to that point & I
remember thinking "I can do that!".....Now, one of my most popular songs
live is "Wanted Dead or Alive."

What would be your dream band line-up?
   Hmmmm...let's see (another good question by the way!).
Drums: Peter Criss/Bass: Billy Sheehan/Guitar: Nuno Bettencourt/Keys:
David Bryan
Let's round it out with The Tower of Power horns & a killer background
vocal line up!

If you could do a cover for a tribute album to any band, which song of
which
band would you pick and why?
    Like I said earlier...it would have to be Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or
Alive"....each time I sing it, especially the line "I've been everywhere
& I'm standing tall" I totally feel alive & know why I continue to do
what I do.

What do you think of the position of metal and music in general today?
Two words: HOR-ROR!
 
Which other bands stand out for you at the moment?
   I really like Matchbox 20 & John Mayer.....as far new stuff goes...

Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us? 
    One day I'll write a book......

what do you see in the future for Larry Atello?
     If only I knew! I CAN tell you that I'll be singing until the day I
die! Now that pressure is off of NOT having to get a record deal, I'm
just glad to be a working musician.......