LA Guns @Count’s Vamp’d 12/29-12/30
LA Guns two nights at Count’s Vamp’d in Vegas 12-29 & 30
When I found out that the new and improved reunion of LA Guns were coming to play at my fave rock club, Count’s Vamp’d for two nights at the end of 2017, I was stoked!! I saw them earlier in the year there and it was fantastic show. The new album “The Missing Peace” was just released and the band was ready to rock with this awesome new line up with Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis back together for the first time in many years. That night they blew me the hell away!
I used to see both guys in their own versions of LA Guns 1 & 2 as I would call them, many times over the years. Even saw them in 1988 twice when they were coming up, as I loved this new kick ass sleaze rock band. Years later, they would tour, it seemed back to back every year, sometimes twice a year and I would see both versions each time. They were good but now they are great!! The chemistry of Phil and Tracii together, is what was “Missing” and these two guys light up when they are onstage together. Then they have the rest of the band, who are not original members, but they were part of each guy’s band before and they were kept on, which completes the circle of where they are in the present moment. They are now the complete package with incredible guitarist Michael Grant, who is so full of youth and piss and vinegar, and who is the perfect yin to Tracii’s yang. I am talking a perfect balance. Then you have mighty bass player, Johnny Martin who is one cool cat. I dig his onstage antics and posture which makes him one of my fave cats to shoot. When he and Michael are together, they exude total Bromance. They have a blast together. The truth is, the whole band is in a huge Bromance. I really hope it stays that way, because they are amazing to watch! They are rounded out by their incredible drummer, the kid in the band, Shane Fitzgibbon. Never have I seen a happier more exuberant drummer onstage. You know he feels blessed to be there rocking with all these cats.
The two nights they played together kind of blurred into one with two set lists that were a bit changed up each night. They did play my favorite song off the new album both nights, “The Floods Not the Fault of the Rain”, which to me is LA Guns masterpiece! They played all the greatest hits from the LA Guns catalogue with quite a few new songs off “The Missing Peace.” “Speed” goes over well live as a kick ass rock anthem, where we could all scream “GO FAST” along with the band! My second fave song off the album, “The Devil Made Me Do it” is a balls out rock anthem as well and gets you really going with upbeat energy. I was so happy they played that. I really would be stoked to hear the entire new album live because I feel that is the best thing they have done in their career. The guys hit it out of the park with this album and I am so proud of them that they pulled off one of the best albums in 2017! Also, the chemistry of this band is so amazing that you can feel it. They are having the time of their lives and want to share with you. That is how it felt, both nights. They put on an energetic show and are so in the pocket with every song. Perfect balance, like I said. Each guy has his own spot in this band that makes it magical. I would see LA Guns every time they come here because they still make me feel good about rock n roll being alive and kicking!!!
