Marc Diglio of XYZ: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview

Photo by Bridget Diglio

When one thinks of ’80s hair and glam metal, downhome blues doesn’t often come to mind. But if you peel back the layers of Aqua Net and remove the fishnet stockings, deep within the sound of XYZ, aka the Unofficial House Band of the Sunset Strip’s Whisky a Go Go. XYZ was unique from the jump, and Enigma Records knew it, scooping up the genre’s latest hot ticker band due to its immense songsmith and smooth-moving musicianship, which was accented by the low-key guitar theatrics of Marc Diglio.

In Diglio, XYZ had a prime talent capable of blues riffing, ’70s-based soloing, and feel for days. And that’s deeply apparent on classic cuts like “Inside Out” and “What Keeps Me Loving You.” But sadly, XYZ was late to the game, and grunge buried their second record, Hungry (1991), despite it debatably being even better than their 1989 self-titled debut.

As for Marc Diglio, for the last 30-odd years, he laid low, and leaned even harder into his blues roots. But then, much to XYZ’s fans’ surprise, Diglio and XYZ’s original drummer, Paul Monroe, reentered the fold. While we can’t know what the future holds, the word is the band is milling away in the studio, and so the hope is that new music, shows, and more will come.

Looking back on where it all began, XYZ’s Marc Diglio settled in with ClassicRockHistory.com for a rare career-spanning interview covering his journey through rock from start to finish.

What drew you to the guitar initially? Was there a certain sound you were most attracted to?

What initially drew me to the guitar was the first time I heard Jimmy Page. Zeppelin was very important at that stage in helping me understand rock ‘n’ roll. Not too far after about 1980 or so, I heard Van Halen, and that was a game changer for me.

I also had the privilege of being exposed to blues guitar players such as B.B. King, Albert Collins, and so on, which really resonated with me. Southern rock was also big at the time, so the Allman Brothers and Skynyrd played a big role in shaping my studies.

Tell me about the development of your riff writing process. Did it come naturally for you?

Well, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of music theory, so in the beginning, it was all about trial and error. If it sounded good to me, then I just went with it. As time went on, I trusted my ears more and could pull ideas from my head. I was terrible at learning solos note for note as a kid, so I wrote more songs than I did learning them. I think that helped me more; it kinda forced me to create.

When did solos enter the picture?

Guitar solos fascinated me from the beginning, and as I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t that good at learning them, so I got as close as I could. Back when I was trying to learn them, there were no computers, tabs, YouTube, and so on, so you had to try to lift the lines from the albums. I used to remove the belt from my turntable and spin the album by hand to slow it down so I could hear the fast stuff. Developing your ears was all you had.

Tell me about the music scene you were exposed to.

It was the early ’80s, and hard rock was huge: ACDC, Scorpions, Black Sabbath, Dio, Priest, and Maiden. Great albums were coming out. If you wanted to play in a band, those were the types of covers you learned.

I met different musicians through friends or at school, and soon, we were putting together projects, getting the bands tight, and eventually playing out. It was very exciting; I felt at that time like I had found what I was looking for.

How did you end up in XYZ?

I had mentioned to someone that I was going to move to California, and they gave me their phone number. I remember contacting them and meeting a lot, getting to know each other, and seeing if it was a good fit. Eventually, I ended up moving into their apartment and working songs every chance we had.

Was the band’s chemistry immediate? 

Yes, we were on the same page for sure. Terry [Ilous] and Pat [Fontaine] ‘s songwriting skills were more advanced than mine then, so I was learning in the beginning. After a few years of writing tons of songs together, we started to develop a formula. A lot of the stuff we wrote back then ended up on a record called Forbidden Demos.

Tell me about the early days of writing and rehearsing.

Some stuff made it to our first album [XYZ]. Rehearsals were exciting; we couldn’t wait to hear what the material sounded like in a live setting: loud drums and cranked guitars. I remember the incredible work ethic we had. We were always fine-tuning things, trying to take it to the next level. It was 24/7; everything else in life came second.

What are your memories of the Sunset Strip leading up to becoming staples at the Whisky a Go Go?

Yeah, it was pretty amazing, so alive. The weekends were off the charts; sidewalks were packed with people, the streets were full of cars, and different bands were everywhere playing at Whisky, the Roxy, and Gazzarri’s.

All the celebrities were hanging out at the rainbow, with so much energy. We played at all the clubs in town, most of all the Whisky. They ended up putting our logo up on the outside, which I don’t believe had ever been done before. We played a lot of gigs there; I don’t recall the very first.

When did XYZ begin to attract major-label interest? 

We showcased for a lot of major record companies that didn’t pan out. But I recall we attended an open mic night at the Troubadour and played three songs, “Inside Out,” “What Keeps Me Loving You,” and one other. Someone from Enigma Records asked for a demo tape, and in those days, you always had one on you. It wasn’t long after that we received a call from them to come by and meet.

Tell me about signing your record deal with Enigma.

After a lot of meet and greets with them, I received a call from Pat, who said Enigma offered us a recording contract. It was like a dream. I couldn’t believe it was happening! I was working a construction job then and recall finishing my last day, taking a bus to Beverly Hills, and walking down the street with my work tool belt to an attorney’s office to sign the contract. I believe I still have the actual pen I used.

How did Don Dokken end up producing XYZ’s first record?

So, the process of finding a producer came next; I’m not sure how Don’s name came up, but we played for him and made enough of an impression on him to have him accept the role. I was a big fan of Dokken and especially loved George Lynch, so I was very excited to work with him. We got along great in the studio and learned a lot.

What guitars, amps, and pedals most impacted your work on that record?

I was playing Charvels and Jacksons at the time. The amps were 1970s Marshalls and some custom-made preamps. I didn’t use a lot of pedals, but I did use a Boss Overdrive, Cry Baby Wah, and some Delay and Reverb.

Was there a solo or song that you’re most proud of?

I would have to say “Inside Out” seemed to be my favorite; it really captured the best of us. But we were proud of most of the work.

What memories from the supporting tour stand out most?

Hearing yourself on the radio for the first time is crazy, so was seeing the album chart in Billboard. It happened so fast. We went on the road with Ted Nugent as an opening act for the ’89 Whiplash Bash tour. We went from small clubs to arenas. The experience was priceless; we learned so much from Ted.

When we peeled off that tour and went on our own, people commented on how much better we were and how we matured. There were two shows that I’ll never forget; one was on New Year’s Eve at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The other was Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT. Coming home for the first time in years and seeing all my friends who showed up was unforgettable.

Did Enigma Records properly support XYZ?

When we came off the road, we found out Enigma ended up filing Chapter 13, so we suddenly found ourselves back to square one. But then, thankfully, we were picked up by Capital Records for the second record [Hungry]. I’m not sure if they were all in, but music was just beginning to change, so maybe they saw it coming. It’s hard to say.

What led to your departure from XYZ? Did you contribute anything to Hungry before leaving?

I’ll start with your second question. Yes, Hungry is all me writing and playing. I left after the Foreigner tour. As I said earlier, there was a change in the air; Seattle was onto something new, and something told me it was going to be big. I felt I needed some time to process things and see where the scene was going. Years went by before I knew it. I never walked away from music, just the music business.

How did you ride out the ’90s and 2000s after leaving? Was it tough to be taken seriously during the grunge era?

I spent time with family and did things I never had a chance to do. I was living life. As I mentioned, I have a passion for blues music, so with no musical agenda, I started studying blues music and learning about all the many important people who contributed to the blues.

I taught myself how to play slide guitar, learned a different phrasing, played many blues jam nights, put together a few projects, and just became a fan of the music. I spent a lot of time exploring vintage gear as well. When grunge peaked, I was a big fan of the sound. It was great; it wasn’t what I wanted to do personally, but it was a very creative period.

Did you keep in touch with your former XYZ bandmates in that time or consider a return before now?

Yes, we kept in touch on and off, mostly about how you we’d been, how our families were, and stuff like that. We sometimes discussed getting back together, but it never panned out.

What’s brought you back into the XYZ fold now? What is the band working on?

It started with a phone call just about catching up, and then the next thing you know, we were working on song ideas. It’s in the early stages now, but there’s some good stuff already. Paul Monroe, the original drummer, is also on board.

Is a new album or full-scale tour in the cards? It’s a great time for your era of music in terms of revivals.

I’m not sure where this will go. We have been working together remotely, swapping ideas, but when things are ready, we’ll be recording in Denver, Colorado, at Joey Shapiro’s Avalanche Recording Studio.

Describe the player you are today vs. the ’80s regarding sound, approach, mindset, and gear.

I’ve matured as a person and as a player. I needed to move on and grow as a guitar player, so I started playing blues in the last 15-20 years. I’ve adapted to the less is more thing and how to play through the chord changes, trying to be more musical in my phrasing. There’s nothing wrong with blowing on good old rock ‘n’ roll, but as I said, I need something new to strive for.

The transition has made me a better player today. I play mostly Gibson and Fender guitars. I’ve assembled a collection of Strats, Les Pauls, Semi-Hollows, and Teles. I have a few amps for different colors: Fuchs ODs 50, Marshall Bluesbreaker, 1966 Fender Super Reverb, and a David Bray 45/50.

Over the years, I have had so many different pieces you hold on to them until you’re ready to try something else. Until this recent XYZ project, my sound has been much cleaner, with way less gain than back in the day. There’s still not a lot of pedals to get the sound; I’m relying more on the amp to do its thing.

Do you have any regrets or anything you’d change?

We all have a few, but the past has been written, and you can’t change that. I look forward to staying on my path and enjoying life. Andrew, at this time, I want to thank you for reaching out to me and for this opportunity; it really means a lot! I’ve been off the radar for a long time but saw an amazing fan base grow over the years.

I want to personally thank everyone for the amazing comments, the guitar covers, and the lesson episodes. I feel honored and blessed! I’m always available for collaborations, writing, producing, and lessons. Please go to my Facebook page to reach out; I have an Etsy store for merch, and a Reverb store for gear.

Links To Marc’s pages

Photo by Bridget Diglio