The big riffs, the bigger hair, and the even bigger personalities. Behind the glitz, glam, and gallons of Aqua Net, there’s a treasure trove of rock ‘n’ roll madness that didn’t always make the headlines. From wild improvisations to feline mascots and ahead-of-their-time internet escapades, these tales will give you a fresh look at LA Guns, Alleycat Scratch, and Cinderella. Here are three things you probably didn’t know about these bands.
1. LA Guns: Borrowing The Gear
November 1991, Birmingham NEC. LA Guns are fresh off the plane from Japan, ready to tear it up on their first-ever UK tour with Love/Hate and Skid Row. But disaster strikes: their gear is impounded by Her Majesty’s Customs (cheers, lads). Do they throw a rockstar tantrum? Do they cancel? Hell no! Tracii Guns and co. borrow Love/Hate’s equipment and rip through their set like the seasoned pros they are. Sure, it wasn’t perfect – but it was raw, real, and totally rock ‘n’ roll. The kind of performance legends are made of.
The set-list, although incomplete, included : Over The Edge, No Mercy, Wild Obsession, Hollywood Tease, One More Reason, Some Lie 4 Love, Sex Action and Rip And Tear.
2. Alleycat Scratch: Enter Crotch the Cat
Hair metal and mascots don’t often go hand in hand, but Alleycat Scratch wasn’t about playing it safe. Meet Crotch the Cat, their cheeky, graffiti-styled feline mascot who loomed large on a massive stage backdrop. With a name like that, you’d expect a band with some attitude – and Alleycat Scratch delivered. Their live shows were a riot of pyro, flashing sirens, and full-throttle energy, like an arena-sized Kiss or Mötley Crüe show crammed into a sweaty club. Crotch may not have been able to shred, but the band’s commitment to over-the-top theatrics earned them a special place in glam rock history.
3. Cinderella: Drummer Auditions Go Digital?
Here’s a story you probably didn’t see coming. By 1994, hair metal’s glory days were fading fast, but Cinderella wasn’t about to go quietly. After parting ways with drummer Fred Coury, the Philly glam giants turned to a surprising new tool to find their next skinsman: the internet. Yep, Cinderella put the word out on early online forums, long before everyone and their dog was sharing cat memes and audition tapes on YouTube. They brought in Kevin Conway for an audition, but he didn’t quite have the magic. Enter Ray Brinker, a veteran with solid chops who eventually joined the fold. Ahead of their time? Absolutely. A sign of the hair metal apocalypse? Maybe.
So there you have it: borrowed amps, cartoon cats, and internet auditions. Just another day in the wild, wonderful world of hair metal. Whether it’s sheer grit, tongue-in-cheek flair, or pushing the envelope before anyone knew there was an envelope, these bands proved they had more going on than just killer tunes and tease-up locks. Rock on!
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