Guitar World's Paul Riario Shows Some Cleavage Circa 1988

Just in case you’re wondering why this guy looks somewhat familiar, or isn’t this some dude in Skid Row? Well, that’s me, Paul Riario from Guitar World, and yes, I lived on the “Wild Side” during the Eighties hair metal invasion. Back then, I used to open for some of the bands that appear in this feature, as well as being in many of my own bands that were “trying to make it.” 

Here, I’m playing with one of my original bands with the unfortunate name “Cleavage,” circa 1988. We had a minor hit called “15 Get Ya 20.” If you dig it up on YouTube, that’s me on guitar and background vocals on the recording — and incidentally I won some award for the solo from Kramer Guitars at the time. But what I love most about this picture are the middle fingers raised high toward me — and me shooting it right back (Ah, those were good times). As you can see, the love for me hasn’t changed all that much!

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Paul Riario

Paul Riario has been the tech/gear editor and online video presence for Guitar World for over 25 years. Paul is one of the few gear editors who has actually played and owned nearly all the original gear that most guitarists wax poetically about, and has survived this long by knowing every useless musical tidbit of classic rock, new wave, hair metal, grunge, and alternative genres. When Paul is not riding his road bike at any given moment, he remains a working musician, playing in two bands called SuperTrans Am and Radio Nashville.