I’ve got a few hidden vices just like anyone else, and now I am going to reveal one of them to you, the trusted reader. If there was any musical scene or stereotype I’d want to be associated with it would have to be '80s heavy metal: the glam, the girls, the booze, the air-headed accents, the whole lot, and everything that came with it. Luckily, tonight I got to live my dream at last or got as close as I could possibly get. L.A Guns ruled the scene back in the '80s, they never achieved the stadium success of their peers like Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses but they’ve always had a loyal following around the globe.

Tonight was their first time in Australia and they were supported by a few local acts who gave head banging justice to the sounds of the evening. The Ride-Ons looked like a bunch of retired rockers from the same era, sure they probably all work at Billy Hyde and Allan’s Music during the day and their bass player looked like Charles Bukowski. But that didn’t matter because their songs about "guitar men" and "manning up" did the trick. It seemed it had been a while since they graced the stage as the drummer kept notifying the crowd of how many songs they had left; maybe their glory days were behind them now and this was a quick comeback gig, I wasn’t sure. It was mindless rock and roll that was required for the evening but with the closing song of their set "Where You Going, Where You Been", their final swansong for the night couldn’t sum up the band better.

Next up were a band called Hell City Glamours and they might have looked like the Ride-Ons twenty years earlier. As for their music – well they could have been the highlight of the night. Following what seemed like a full-blown sound check, I couldn’t help but wonder why three drum kits needed to be used for the night, the long set up was worth the wait though. These youthful rockers perfectly captured the sound of the '80s sunset strip if not made it better. "I’m Not Here to Help You Baby" kicked things off, with duelling guitar work, open-mouth drumming, a craziest bass player leaping about the stage and a flamboyant front man. They had all that’s required in the mix for a Rolling Stone cover shoot, it’s really a shame that they are over two decades late. If it wasn’t all Animal Collective and electronics, this could have been the finest Australian export of the '80s. If its one thing heavy metal fans have, its total passion and that’s what these guys had throughout all of their songs. They didn’t mind spitting beer on the crowd either.

After a bizarre orchestral opening that you might expect from a U2 concert, LA Guns took the stage, the frontman kicked the mic stand over into the distance and karate kicked in the air with the first note. Hit songs like “One More Reason” and “Sex Action” were sung by new vocalist Jizzy Pearl, who seemed like he fitted the band well, especially on their latest album “Shrinking Violet” which certified his debut in the band. Still, all that was required for the night was the roaring guitar work of band founder Tracii Guns. You could argue that the sounds of the night were dated, you could even say that age and heroin abuse had hit hard upon these heavy metal warriors. But if you were a fan, you knew what you were in for and this was a night of much needed rock and roll.