Recently talking with Classic Rock’s Paul Elliott, guitarist Slash discussed the ’80s LA hair metal scene and the reason he hated it.
About living in LA and the LA hair metal scene, Slash said:
“Actually, I have wonderful memories of LA from when I was seven years old all the way up to when I was twelve. I was kind of raised in the LA music scene and it was great. I watched it go through these music trends in my short little lifetime up to that point. But what it turned into in the eighties was something that was unrecognizable from an integrity point of view and a creative point of view.
“The whole thing had just sort of been diluted. I have to say, in hindsight, that at least it was exciting in the eighties, at least there was a scene. Right now there is no LA scene. But there was a huge scene going on in the sixties and right through the seventies. It was really identifiable and really musically revolutionary. And in the eighties, it just turned into this other thing.”
He added:
“I f**king hated the whole scene, man. At least if you were in the UK you had some cool bands that represented the eighties, at least from a rock’n’roll and metal point of view. You had some really cool, credible music coming out. But in Los Angeles it was just bulls**t. And we were coming up in the midst of all that.
“Everybody was f**king converting to the industry standard to get a record deal and get girls, this whole thing. Where our band was coming from was the antithesis of all that, and it’s something I’m really proud of.”