Don’t Take It So Hard

Little specific trivia exists for "Don’t Take It So Hard" by The Last Vegas from their 2012 album Bad Decisions, but the song captures the band’s raw, sleazy rock vibe. In a 2012 review, MetalSucks compared it to Young Heart Attack, a band that vanished after one album, noting its departure from the album’s earlier Guns N’ Roses-inspired tracks. The song’s gritty energy, with Chad Cherry’s Axl Rose-like vocals, channels a Led Zeppelin-esque swagger, making it a standout for its shift in style. The band recorded Bad Decisions in their Chicago loft, a chaotic space where they skateboard, write, and record 24/7, which likely fueled the track’s unpolished edge. Cherry once described their sound as “Skynyrd Punk,” blending Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic rock with punk’s raw aggression, a mix evident in this song’s driving rhythm and fuzzed-up guitars.

The Last Vegas formed in Chicago in the late 1990s, born from college jam sessions that evolved into a full-fledged band by 2003. Frontman Chad Cherry, guitarist John Wator, guitarist Adam Arling, bassist Danny Smash, and drummer Nate Arling brought together influences like Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, Cheap Trick, and Skid Row. Their early days were DIY, handing out photocopied fliers for gigs in a pre-Internet era. They debuted with Lick ‘Em and Leave ‘Em in 2004 on Get Hip Records, followed by Seal the Deal in 2006. A big break came in 2008 when they won a Guitar Center contest, opening for Mötley Crüe. This led to their major-label album Whatever Gets You Off in 2009, produced by Nikki Sixx and DJ Ashba, cementing their glam-punk-metal sound.

You can connect with The Last Vegas on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans also gather on the The Last Vegas Fan Club on Facebook, a community for sharing updates and memories. No prominent fan websites appear active, but the band’s social media keeps the Zoo Freaks vibe alive with posts about gigs and throwbacks to their sleaze-rock roots.