LA Guns played Count’s Vamp’d with support act Mursic on Friday, December 6, 2024. It was the first in a weekend of two back-to-back shows. This article only covers the Friday show.
12 months a year, you can always count on Danny and Korie Koker and all the good people at Count’s Vamp’d to deliver when it comes to rock and roll entertainment! Rarely does a week go by I don’t venture out to this spot to rock out and have a great time. The vast majority of the concerts I attend are in this spot, and with good reason. It’s got a great atmosphere, fantastic staff, enthusiastic patrons, and of course, a ton of local, national, and international talent rocking the stage, covering a pretty diverse spectrum of sounds. In recent years, it’s been tradition for 80s rockers LA Guns to perform on back-to-back nights at Vamp’d. I knew I wanted to catch at least one night, so I ventured out for the Friday gig (and if I hadn’t been under the weather, I probably would’ve gone to both gigs!)
The show on Friday was kicked off by a support act called Mursic, who I’d never seen perform before (the Saturday show featured a different opening act, Fever Dog, who are awesome, and I feel bad I missed those guys!) But it didn’t take long for these Mursic guys to get my attention. The band had plenty of chemistry and a tight sound, running the gamut from the louder, harder, and heavier stuff to slower and more melodic pieces. What really made these guys stand out for me, however, was the use of keyboards. This is an underrated art form not enough bands these days engage in, but here it truly helped the band to achieve a fuller sound. Used effectively, keys can truly help a band to stand out and make something all their own. That was certainly true for Mursic, who rocked the house good with this opening set. It was a damn good way to kick off this evening at Vamp’d, and I’ll have my eyes on these guys for the future.
Okay, seriously… how many times have I covered LA Guns on here? Among the kings of the Sunset Strip back in the day, the union of British vocalist Phil Lewis (formerly of the band Girl, which also featured a pre-Def Leppard Phil Collen) and guitarist Tracii Guns made for some damn fine records and live performances. Over the years, due to clashes within the band and its members, there have been varying versions of the band; for many years Phil (who’s been a Vegas resident for the past decade) and Tracii had separate versions! And when drummer Steve Riley (RIP) parted ways with the group, he had another version, appropriately called Riley’s LA Guns. Any LA Guns history lesson is enough to make someone’s head spin, so I’ll shut up now. After all, you likely came to know how the performance was.
Since Tracii and Phil reunited, they’ve made several new records. Any vintage act recording new music is rare enough, but what’s even rarer is a group who manages to create new music that’s on par with the stuff that they made back in their heyday. LA Guns is the rare act that falls into that category, having put out a whopping FOUR new studio albums since these two guys got back together. And according to their on-stage banter, a fifth is one the way. LA Guns’ current lineup also features former Faster Pussycat member Ace Von Johnson, Johnny Martin, and former Odin and BulletBoys drummer Shawn Duncan (Shawn is the brother of Vegas resident Jeff Duncan, best known as a guitarist in Armored Saint).
If I keep going back to cover LA Guns and their various releases and concert dates, they must be doing something right. That they are. Age is just a number, and this is a band that’s tighter than ever, with one of its strongest lineups in years. Phil Lewis’ unique vocal style continues to dominate any house of rock where he plays, and Tracii Guns belongs on more “Greatest Guitarist” lists. The rhythm section ain’t bad either. These guys have stage presence to spare, and it shows in every performance they do. Both in the band members’ on-stage performances themselves, and with the enthusiasm of any crowd they play to – even famed rock singer Sebastian Bach was in the crowd on this evening, standing up front by the stage rocking out! This is that rare band I always look forward to seeing play live, and even go out of my way to see. They’re that good. No pre-recorded bullshit, no backing tracks, no unnecessary theatrics. It’s a ROCK SHOW. Plain and simple. Phil, Tracii, and everyone they share a stage with have never forgotten. And bless them for that.
And how about the setlist? The group had three classic albums in their late 80s/early 90s heyday, four albums with the reunited Phil/Tracii lineup (again, a fifth is on the way), and a bunch of stuff in between, including stuff that was recorded by varied incarnations of the band that may or may not have included Phil and/or Tracii. Classics like “Electric Gypsy,” “Sex Action,” “Kiss My Love Goodbye,” “Over the Edge,” “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Rip and Tear,” and “Never Enough” got blistering live renditions on this fine evening at Vamp’d. Newer albums were represented by tunes like “Speed,” “Cannonball,” and “Like a Drug.” A few deeper cuts were sprinkled in as well, and even a surprise instrumental excerpt version of AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells,” though I wish they’d done the whole song and not just an intro of sorts.
I do have a few minor nitpicks with the setlist. First and foremost, if the band is going to represent the newer albums (something I welcome with both open arms and ears), why not include “You Betray” from the group’s most recent album, and arguably their best song since reuniting? The 1988 debut record (in this fan’s eyes, the best) sadly only got represented with two tracks; cuts like “No Mercy” and “One More Reason” were sadly MIA (though those two got performed at the Saturday night gig, which featured a slightly varied setlist). “Malaria” and “Sleazy Come Easy Go” from 1989 sophomore album COCKED AND LOADED were also unfortunate omissions. I also wish the band wouldn’t ignore the 2012 HOLLYWOOD FOREVER album, though this is somewhat understandable as Tracii Guns didn’t play on it.
LA Guns are still blazing, as this gig at Vamp’d so beautifully demonstrated. These guys remain one of my favorite bands to see on a live stage, and the fact they’re still recording damn good new music is the icing on the cake. If the opportunity arises to catch an LA Guns show near you, don’t hesitate to do so. They’re one of the purest and most entertaining rock bands from the Decade of Decadence still going strong today.
PHOTO CREDIT: Live photos by Dave Childers, used and watermarked with permission. All Rights Reserved.