With the wind in your back and the sun right above your head, try not to feel good while you're riding your bike between Venice and Santa Monica. Riding on the beach pretty close to the shoreline amongst yoggers, people on rollerblades, skateboards or other "vehicles", must be the perfect medicine for your soul. Hippies, hip-hoppers, tourists, teenagers, surfers, skaters, cops and God knows what, together with the smell of Mariujana, makes it a very "interresting" impression.
Coming from Sweden, I guess California or at least L.A must have the perfect climate. It's not too hot. For most of the time it's like the perfect Swedish summerday over there. The ones we might have for maybe three weeks a year, It's just that these guys have that kind of wheather for 335 days a year. I have to say, this year together with 1994 seems to be like an exception from the rule though. Back in 1988 Thomsson and me spent 5 weeks in L.A trying to promote Spellbound. We did some interviews and met some "important" people but to be honest, our main interrest was to hang out in the clubs and see as many gigs as possible. When we left Sweden, we hadn't heard of Guns and Roses. Let me tell you, it was this year the Guns and Roses fever exploded and it was cool to be where it all started. It was Guns and Roses everywhere! You heard the "Appetite for destruction" material, in the clubs, shops, bars, the radio, shopping malls, on the beach, in restaurants, just as I said: EVERYWHERE! Since then I've visited L.A at least 5 times for shows with The Flower Kings and I like it a lot. It's always sunny, the people are friendly and I have to say, the city or at least the parts of the city I've visited, have a nice and calm atmosphere of their own.
Back then in Sweden if you hung out partying in Stockholm, you met the guys in Treat, 220/Volt and maybe the guys in Glorious Bankrobbers to name a few. When we did the clubs on Sunset Strip, you could see a happy David Lee Roth at a table with some female friends at Rainbow Bar and Grill. (I've now heard that he's gay. If that's the case, I guess he did everything to live up to his image)? We also saw a totally wasted Vince Neil with his head (almost) leaning against the bar desk. One thing that took a while to figure out, was that even BEFORE Thomsson and me opened our mouths, people asked us: "Where are you guys from? Are you guys in a band? For how long are you guys gonna stay here? Those questions were also asked in that specific order, NO exception from the rule in that case. Later on a guy told me, they could see in a second that we didn't live in L.A because we didn't wear make-up. During our 5 week stay, we attended concerts with Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, David Lee Roth, White Lion, Krokus and Great White and more bands that I can't remember right now. We also saw numerous of clubgigs with struggling bands as ourselves, yes Thomsson and me was partying like there was no tomorrow. Everytime you had to take a leak, was a story of it's own. In the mens room you were offered both this and that but mostly cocaine. I guess the whole L.A rockscene tried to give me a line or two. I have to say, I felt like Björn Borg partying at Studio 54 back in the seventies.
Coming from Sweden, I guess California or at least L.A must have the perfect climate. It's not too hot. For most of the time it's like the perfect Swedish summerday over there. The ones we might have for maybe three weeks a year, It's just that these guys have that kind of wheather for 335 days a year. I have to say, this year together with 1994 seems to be like an exception from the rule though. Back in 1988 Thomsson and me spent 5 weeks in L.A trying to promote Spellbound. We did some interviews and met some "important" people but to be honest, our main interrest was to hang out in the clubs and see as many gigs as possible. When we left Sweden, we hadn't heard of Guns and Roses. Let me tell you, it was this year the Guns and Roses fever exploded and it was cool to be where it all started. It was Guns and Roses everywhere! You heard the "Appetite for destruction" material, in the clubs, shops, bars, the radio, shopping malls, on the beach, in restaurants, just as I said: EVERYWHERE! Since then I've visited L.A at least 5 times for shows with The Flower Kings and I like it a lot. It's always sunny, the people are friendly and I have to say, the city or at least the parts of the city I've visited, have a nice and calm atmosphere of their own.
Back then in Sweden if you hung out partying in Stockholm, you met the guys in Treat, 220/Volt and maybe the guys in Glorious Bankrobbers to name a few. When we did the clubs on Sunset Strip, you could see a happy David Lee Roth at a table with some female friends at Rainbow Bar and Grill. (I've now heard that he's gay. If that's the case, I guess he did everything to live up to his image)? We also saw a totally wasted Vince Neil with his head (almost) leaning against the bar desk. One thing that took a while to figure out, was that even BEFORE Thomsson and me opened our mouths, people asked us: "Where are you guys from? Are you guys in a band? For how long are you guys gonna stay here? Those questions were also asked in that specific order, NO exception from the rule in that case. Later on a guy told me, they could see in a second that we didn't live in L.A because we didn't wear make-up. During our 5 week stay, we attended concerts with Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, David Lee Roth, White Lion, Krokus and Great White and more bands that I can't remember right now. We also saw numerous of clubgigs with struggling bands as ourselves, yes Thomsson and me was partying like there was no tomorrow. Everytime you had to take a leak, was a story of it's own. In the mens room you were offered both this and that but mostly cocaine. I guess the whole L.A rockscene tried to give me a line or two. I have to say, I felt like Björn Borg partying at Studio 54 back in the seventies.