L.A. GUNS Bassist KELLY NICKELS On Late 1980s Sunset Strip Rock Scene: 'I Wouldn't Say It Was A United Front'

November 3, 2020

Bassist Kelly Nickels, a member of L.A. GUNS' "classic" incarnation who currently plays for Steve Riley's version of L.A. GUNS, was asked in a new interview with Australia's Heavy if there was a sense of competition between the bands on the late 1980s Sunset Strip rock scene or if there was more of a "united front" between all the acts. He responded (hear audio below): "I wouldn't say it was a united front. We were all kind of indirectly maybe trying to outdo each other and stuff, hoping to draw the bigger crowds and sell more records and everything. You were kind of focused on what you were doing that you didn't really pay attention to other bands that much. I knew who was happening and who people were talking about, but I didn't go see them or hang out with them. I was worried about my own shit."

Asked if he thinks the rock world will ever encounter another influential scene like that again, Nickels said: "I don't know. There are not too many scenes coming around anymore, I don't think. That really helped. Fashion was big, and the music, and there was a pulse coming out of there. I don't know if you'll ever see that again. Hopefully something will come and give it some kind of focus. But it's hard to say. It just comes from everywhere now."

Steve Riley's version of L.A. GUNS will release its debut album, "Renegades", on November 13 via Golden Robot Records. The LP's arrival was preceded by three singles: "Crawl", " Well Oiled Machine" and the title track.

Riley's version of L.A. GUNS is not to be confused with the band led by guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis, which issued two well-received albums, "The Missing Peace" and "The Devil You Know", plus the live release "Made In Milan", under the L.A. GUNS name over the last three years.

Riley is joined in his version of the group by Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, Nickels and guitarist Scott Griffin (who played bass for the band from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014).

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