Why Slash Hated 80’s LA Music Scene

Slash has lived in Los Angeles since he was about 5-years-old, and his band Guns N’ Roses emerged from the LA music scene. Despite that, the guitarist admits he wasn’t exactly a fan of the scene which gave birth to many of the ‘80s biggest rock acts.

In a new interview with the Classic Rock magazine, Slash revealed his despise saying:

“I fucking hated the whole scene, man.

“At least if you were in the U.K., you had some cool bands that represented the ’80s, 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 bullshit. And [GNR] were coming up in the midst of all that.

“Everybody was fucking 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.”

Slash noted that he had great respect for artists that came up through the LA music community before his band even arrived, adding:

“I have wonderful memories of L.A. from when I was seven years old all the way up to when I was 12. I was kind of raised in the L.A. 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 ’80s 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 ’80s, at least there was a scene. Right now there is no L.A. scene. But there was a huge scene going on in the ’60s and right through the ’70s. It was really identifiable and really musically revolutionary. And in the ’80s it just turned into this other thing.”

Slash recently released his latest album 4, with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. The group is currently touring the U.S. in support of the album, while Guns N’ Roses are scheduled to hit the road in May.