Writing Keeps L.A. Guns Rocking
That's the way to survive, according to L.A. Guns drummer Steve Riley.
L.A. Guns has survived, Riley said, because the pens still hit the paper.
"That's the survival technique, to keep writing and not just keep trying to go to play shows," Riley said. "We keep putting out new material; that's something that's a must for us. We just can't live off the old stuff.
"If the fans want to hear it, we'll play it, but we've got to keep doing new stuff," he said. "We've always wanted to make a living playing music, and L.A. Guns has never been a band who cared if we played in a club or in an arena. We just want to play."
The '80s brand of metal has survived because of its dedicated fan base.
This stuff is like a religion for us, the people in it. We don't follow trends or look at fads or follow what's on the charts in Billboard. We are following a lifestyle ... that dangerous spirit of rock 'n' roll.
The CD's title refers to the Los Angeles Strip, where L.A. Guns, Guns N' Roses and other metal greats got their start.
"That's where the pulse was coming from. ... It was a huge scene, and we're proud of it," Riley said.
"... It was one of the biggest music scenes that this country ever developed," he explained. "It ruled. It was all over the radio, on TV, in arenas.
"A lot of people who missed it are now wondering what the hell it was like. It sounds like it was unbelievable, and it was," he said.
"It's not a concept album, but it has a common thread in it about what had gone on on the L.A. Strip," Riley said.
Writing that new material "is in our blood."
"We've just got to keep writing new stuff," Riley said. "I know the album sales and the radio is not going to be what it used to be, but we've got to keep writing. It's a must for us."
