Nöthin' But A Good Time: The Uncensored Story Of ‘80s Hair Metal premieres exclusively on Paramount+ today, September 17. In support of the docuseries, Poison frontman, Bret Michaels, spoke with USA Today, and an excerpt from the feature follows.
While Poison hailed from small-town Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg) - rare East Coast infiltrators to the Hollywood scene, along with Skid Row, Bon Jovi and Cinderella (the latter two notably absent in the docuseries) - the band knew they had to drive cross-country and move to the mecca of metal.
The primary form of promotion in a pre-internet world were flyers, and bands sniffing the Sunset Strip would make thousands per show, stapling them to telephone poles and slipping under car windshield wipers.
It was a cutthroat competition, as Michaels recalls in the documentary, with band members staying up overnight to make sure their flyers were the most prominent on the poles. Poison stumbled upon a victory when the local Sir Speedy print shop unloaded a stash of neon green paper on the band, helping their promos stand out and unwittingly giving Poison its signature color.
But the promotional side of the business was exhausting for the young bands seeking to indulge in the holy trinity of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.
“It was a combination of innocence, hard work and passion,” Michaels says now. “Poison’s work ethic was unstoppable. When everyone else was renting a limo to pull up to the club, we’d pull up in a windowless (Chevrolet) Chevette at the Whisky because all of our money went into promotion.”
Read more at USA Today.
Directed by Jeff Tremaine (jackass, The Dirt), the three-part series showcases the notoriously wild ‘80s hard rock phenomenon and features interviews with those who lived the scene, including Bret Michaels, Stephen Pearcy, Nuno Bettencourt, Dave “Snake'' Sabo, and Riki Rachtman, along with Corey Taylor and Steve-O, among many others.
Based on the acclaimed book “Nöthin But a Good Time: The Uncensored History Of The ‘80s Hard Rock Explosion” by esteemed rock journalists Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock, the series delivers a fresh and shockingly candid behind-the-scenes look at one of music’s most iconic eras. Each episode showcases the insanity and blazing ambition that has enthralled generations of music lovers and continues to influence culture to this day.
“This docuseries is a celebration of the most outrageous decade in rock n’ roll. It’s my love letter to the ‘80s,” said Tremaine.
Nöthin' But A Good Time: The Uncensored Story Of ‘80s Hair Metal is executive produced by Jeff Tremaine and Shanna Newton for Gorilla Flicks; Eric Wattenberg, Scott Lonker and Will Nothacker for Wheelhouse’s Spoke Studios; Erik Olsen; and Bruce Gillmer and Michael Maniaci for MTV Entertainment Studios. Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour serve as co-executive producers.
