“The rock scene is still alive and still good for me and good for Faster Pussycat.” — Taime Downe

“It is wonderful to be back here, and I’m always proud of The Zeros.” — Sammy Serious

“The first Enuff Z’Nuff was a great band. I miss them every day.” — Chip Z’Nuff

LOS ANGELES – The rock scene in Hollywood is alive again, but don’t just take our word for it. The proof was right there on the Sunset Strip this past week with a four-night run beginning with Enuff Z’Nuff on Thursday, followed by Faster Pussycat on Friday and L.A. Guns on Saturday — all at the Whisky – capped Sunday with the 51st annual Rainbow anniversary party featuring Geoff Tate from Queensryche, Lizzy Borden, Faster Pussycat (again), the Zeros, the Hard Way and others. 

Every night was a crowded celebration of lipstick and leather, of glitter and guitar, of hard rock and hairspray.

“The scene is still going on strong,” Chip Z’Nuff said. “Four nights in a row? I mean, who cares who’s driving the bus, let’s just get to the picnic. It shows you the fabric of what we do for a living has still got some breath.It’s absolutely incendiary.”

It was even more crowded for Faster Pussycat the next evening, then L.A. Guns on Saturday, but what a capper on Sunday as more than a thousand  crowded the parking lot, strutting cleavage, swilling cocktails and munching on $13 pizza slices.

Taime Downe did double duty with Faster Pussycat and could only marvel at Glam rock’s enduring popularity.  

“This thing was great, it was awesome,” Downe said. “I had a great time. We were here at the Rainbow today and at the Whisky two nights ago, and both times it was awesome. It’s killer. The rock scene is still alive and still good for me and good for Faster Pussycat.”

Faster Pussycat drummer Chad Stewart strongly agreed.

“It’s pretty great, I gotta say,” Stewart said. “It’s nice to see the rock scene is alive and well in Los Angeles. There are a lot of people here today, and there were a lot of people Friday at The Whisky. We’re having a great time. And we’re doing another huge tour that starts June 3rd.”

The week coincided with the NAMM convention in town. There were rockers everywhere just like back in the day when the Sunset Strip was the launching pad for just about every great American rock band.

“Back in 1988 and 1989, I couldn’t even walk down the Sunset Strip,” Z’Nuff said. “MTV was playing our video and ‘New Thing’ was on every day, and all the radio stations were playing us. It was absolutely incredible, the love that we received from all those fans out there. You know, you can’t bottle it up and keep it. All you can do is just kind of embrace those memories.” 

Chip has perspective. 

“Look at the bands who were first playing the Sunset Strip in those days – you had Poison and Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses and Van Halen. It was a great potpourri of wonderful rock and roll.”

Like Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z’Nuff is using the week as a springboard with more tour dates beginning with a run supporting Joe Perry.

“I’d like to believe it’s the songs that have kept us going. We have 20 albums which is pretty exceptional for this day and age not to sound immodest,” Z’Nuff said. “That’s one thing, plus we still have good fans out there. But most importantly, it’s the band touring. We’ve played shows everywhere around the country. We haven’t stopped. We’ve played everywhere, OK? At least 150 shows a year since I took over lead vocals in 2013. The common denominator has always been to go out and play as many shows as we can.”

Z’Nuff sounds a lot like original singer Donnie Vie, especially on the big hits like “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle” that saw Stewart and Budderside’s Patrick Stone join in for background vocals.

“You are what you eat, and I was around Donnie for 29 years of my life,” Z’Nuff said. “I consider him one of the greatest vocalists of our generation. So to be compared to.him even a little bit is very gratifying.”

Z’Nuff is the only original just like Downe is the only one left from prime-era Faster Pussycat. L.A. Guns features original guitarist Tracii Guns and singer Phil Lewis. 

“The first Enuff Z’Nuff was a great band. I miss them every day,” Z’Nuff said.. “I still get to listen to those records, and that’s very special, but the band right now, I’m telling you, they’re beasts out there.”

Meanwhile on Sunday the Zeros nearly stole the whole day with a spectacular performance – only their second show since a long layoff since the Whisky was painted purple in 1989.

The band absolutely rocked to a packed late-afternoon crowd that featured singer Sammy Serious, bassist Danny Dangerous and hot new guitarist Finn Zevo from Queeny Blast Pop.

“It is wonderful to be back here, and I’m always proud of the Zeros,” Serious said. “I’m telling you today. It’s a blast from the present actually. There’s a lot of people I know here. It’s very refreshing. There’s a big resurgence because you’ve got people from the scene who were here back in the day, and you’ve got newer people coming in who are just catching onto the scene. We’re hanging out, doing our thing, and we’ll see what happens.”

Zevo has helped breathe new life into the Zeros.

“It’s been great. It’s awesome.  I’m back full strength,” Zevo said. “I just need to get in a little better shape and I’ll be fine, but I think the scene is coming back. It’s coming back right now, man. This place is packed. People are aching for it. The Zeros are back.”

Reach Gerry Gittelson at gerryg123@hotmail.com.