Nasty Idols

History

Nasty Idols came together in 1987 with Andy Pierce on vocals, Jonnie Wee on lead guitar, Dick Qwarfort on bass, George Swanson on drums, and Roger White on keyboards. They played a straightforward glam metal style, drawing comparisons to Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Hanoi Rocks.

Their first show was at a local festival in Sweden, where they channeled influences like early Mötley Crüe, Kiss, Sweet, and Alice Cooper. After putting out their self-funded single Don't Walk From Love/Easy Come, Easy Go, they inked a deal with the independent label HSM/CBS Records. Their debut album, Gigolos on Parole, dropped in 1989, followed by more live dates and a growing fanbase.

First line-up changes

A lineup shift soon followed: Peter Espinoza stepped in to replace Jonnie Wee on lead guitar, and the band began cutting early tracks for their next record. In 1991, they released Cruel Intention, which earned strong reviews from several magazines. Music videos for "Cool Way of Living," "Can't Get Ya' Off," and "Trashed N' Dirty" got heavy rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball. The album later came out in Germany and Japan.

Vicious

Their third album, Vicious, arrived in 1993. It didn't match the success of its predecessor, largely because glam metal's grip on the mainstream was loosening.

Audiences were turning toward grunge, led by acts like Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Soundgarden. Many hard rock bands tried to stay relevant by darkening and toughening their sound. Nasty Idols made videos for "Heads Down (In Tinseltown)" and "Ain't Got Nothin," with the latter taking a noticeably darker tone than their earlier clips.

Nasty Idol's demise

By 1994, the grunge wave had largely killed mainstream interest in glam metal, making life tough for bands in the scene. Some musicians turned to heavier drug use as gigs and record sales dried up. Peter Espinoza left the band around this time to pursue other projects.

A fourth album, tentatively titled The Fourth Reich, was in the works, but their label went bankrupt before it could be finished. That record eventually saw release in 2002 as Heroes for Sale on Perris Records. Nasty Idols called it quits in 1995.