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When Labelle returns to Los Angeles on Thursday to play at the Nokia Theater, you can be sure that the crowd will be great and the performance will be affected. Its all due to Nona Hendrix.

Last fall, Verve Records released “Back to now,” the long anticipated return of the three extraordinary women who jumped out of a girl group in rock ‘n’ roll legend with a string of great albums in the years 1970 and an indelible hit, “Lady Marmalade.” Made in league with old friends Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and Lenny Kravitz spiritual heirs and Wyclef Jean, “Back to Now” is a strong cup of adult rock and soul.

I talked to Hendryx, the main songwriter and most daring “sexy sexagenarian,” about how the reunion is underway. They had much to tell about their tumultuous weekend in Harlem’s Apollo Theater, where she was during their recent break, and how it feels to be back stage with her sisters in song.

So, what was not quite as planned in the Apollo show, I hear. The sound was halfway through the show!

Nona Hendrix

“Yes. When it happened, it was very surreal. A storm has the power, and we had a long break, and when we realized we did not came back and sang a few songs a capella with a gospel choir.”

Oh bugger! Did you panic when it happened?

Experience helps in situations like this, because we face many situations where there was not even a stage when we arrived and we had to do the action, or not see the band, and we have a show. Our first few moments were like, ‘Wow, what happened? ” Instead, “This is a drag. Can this be fixed? No? Okay, what do we do?”

I said, “Let’s just go out there and tell people what happened and say that we can do a couple songs.” We thought that our microphones were working, at least, but by the time we go back even that was gone. We had to sing really loud. We have tried to people to come from the balconies so that our voice can reach. But she said: “Go!” And the public was so sweet. It felt like that in our mother’s lap.