Bad decisions. We all make them. We all blame them. They define a lot of situations in life. But when it comes to getting your rocks off, sometimes you’ve got to be bad to be good. Bad Decisions is also the title of The Last Vegas’ new album, the first full-length record the band has recorded in their native Chicago, so, despite their punned moniker, they do not hail from Sin City. Their music, however, is what you’d get if you tossed some ’70s Aerosmith and ’80s Guns N’ Roses in a tumbler, shook it hard, and poured it on the rocks. At once instantly familiar, yet infused with their own unique take on rock music. Accessible yet arena-sized at once, The Last Vegas aren’t your dad’s or your big brother’s rock ‘n’ roll band. They’re yours.
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In fact, vocalist Chad Cherry referred to the bands sound as something entirely new – Skynyrd Punk, calling to mind the classic rock stylings of a band like Lynyrd Skynyrd mixed with a raw aggressive edge. “There’s active rock, classic rock, sleaze, glam, Warped Tour rock, metal and so many genres, but we are a straight up, loud, ass kicking rock ‘n’ roll band” Cherry added. The Last Vegas, who formed in 2005, were thrust into an enviable position when Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx took interest after seeing them play in Los Angeles. Sixx, taking the band under his wing, released the 2009 album Whatever Gets You Off on his label while also adding them to the two month Motley tour that followed. “It was great working with a master of rock ‘n’ roll, he has similar tastes and style to ours,” said Cherry.
All five members come from a background of punk rock and pre-Internet touring, when handing out photocopied fliers was how you let music fans know you had a show coming up. “We’ve been in bands for so long, we appreciate the DIY ethics” said guitarist Adam Arling. “We wanted to boil the tunes down and get the message across, using fuzzed-up guitars and drums punching you in the face. How do you make it sexy as well as crushing? We tried to create some kind of sonic street fight. That’s what we wanted.” The band members all reside in a large loft where you can skateboard and/or record 24 hours a day thanks to the studio equipment. While they all often scatter, when together they are constantly writing songs, fighting or making bad decisions, sometimes all at the same time. According to their singer, it’s like the bands own little psychotic artist commune. Drummer Nate Arling chimed in about the democratic nature of The Last Vegas in the songwriting sphere. “Everyone is a songwriter, it’s not just one person writing,” he said. “Being able to live and hang together helps to foster that creative, collective spirit.” Overall, The Last Vegas and their Bad Decisions embody the classic American rock sound. Influenced by the blues, metal, and rock from the ’60s through the ‘90s, with even a little early ’00s garage rock a la Turbonegro and the Hellacopters thrown in, the end result is something unique and wholly their own. The Last Vegas aren’t your dad’s or your big brother’s rock ‘n’ roll band. They’re yours. They are just blue collar American dudes with an iron clad and indisputable work ethic, unfuckwithable song writing skills and an appreciation for rock that will not only fill your ears or the room, but an arena.
