Never Enough

I have no idea what got me thinking the other night about Los Angeles “sleaze metal” band the L.A. Guns. Whatever it was, next thing you know I’m pulling out 20-year-old CDs and getting all misty-eyed and nostalgic.

The first time I saw L.A. Guns play live was in 1988 at a place called – if memory serves – the D’Anza Theater, in Riverside, Calif. It was literally a converted theater, with maybe 200-300 max capacity. I don’t think the place was even full. I know by the time the lights came up at the end it seemed like there were maybe 50 people left. I remember seeing the guys from the band at the Carl’s Jr. across the street earlier that day. Nothing like a cheeseburger before you go onstage.

During the course of the next decade, I saw the Guns two or three more times – once opening for AC/DC. The last time was in 2001, at a place called the 19th Hole, a dive bar in Houston that, despite its name, was at least two miles from the nearest golf course. The Guns were on a triumphant “reunion” tour and played a killer set of all their old hits. After, while the crowd milled around waiting for Faster Pussycat to take the stage, the members of L.A. Guns sat at a table signing autographs. As a longtime fan, I had to queue up. I went through the line, each band member scribbling his name on my 8x10 B&W glossy pic. At the end of the table was Tracii Guns himself. While he signed his name, I told him I’d been a fan for a long time and that I’d seen L.A. Guns play back in 1988.

He just kind of looked at me. “That’s a long time,” was the only thing he said.

Tracii Guns is so fuckin’ rock ‘n’ roll.

Sex Action.mp3 ~ from L.A. Guns
Rip and Tear.mp3 ~ from Cocked & Loaded
I Wanna Be Your Man.mp3 ~ from Cocked & Loaded
Over the Edge.mp3 ~ from Hollywood Vampires
Killing Machine.mp3 ~ from Vicious Circle
Man in the Moon.mp3 ~ from Man in the Moon
Crazy Bitch (Buckcherry cover).mp3 ~ from the "Crazy Bitch" single
My Michelle (Guns ‘n’ Roses cover).mp3 ~ from Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom (UFO Cover).mp3 ~ from Rock Bottom
Steam Rock Fever (Scorpions cover).mp3 ~ from Rock Bottom
Revolution.mp3 ~ from Here Come the Brides, Brides of Destruction [London LeGrand, Tracii Guns, John Corabi, Nikki Sixx, and Scot Coogan]

Labels: covers, glam, hair metal

posted by aikin @ 8:20 PM