L.A. Guns

Biography

L.A. Guns (1983-present): a Glam Metal band from Los Angeles, California, USA.

F

irst formed in 1983, L.A. Guns was started by Tracii Guns (guitar) and Rob Gardner (drums) as founding members, along with Mike Jagosz (vocals) and Ole Beich (bass). Guns, Gardner and Jagosz met at Fairfax High School and previously played in a band called Pyrrhus with bassist Dani Tull. This lineup recorded the band's debut EP, Collector's Edition No. 1 (1985), before Jagosz was replaced by Axl Rose. The same material would later be released as a bonus disc with the compilation album Hollywood Raw in 2004.

Rose fronted the group Rapidfire before going on to form Hollywood Rose, a group formed following the introduction of guitarists Izzy Stradlin and Chris Weber to each other by Guns. Following the breakup of Hollywood Rose, in 1984, vocalist Rose joined L.A. Guns. However, Hollywood Rose reunited, briefly, with Rose, Stradlin, Weber and Steve Darrow returning while L.A. Guns drummer Gardner also joined the group. Weber, who left to move to New York City, was soon replaced by Tracii Guns. The group changed their name to Guns N' Roses (combining the names of L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose) with the lineup composed of Axl Rose, Tracii Guns, Izzy Stradlin, Ole Beich and Rob Gardner.

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Beich was eventually replaced by Duff McKagan while Guns left the group (after a falling out with Rose), being replaced by Slash. McKagan went on to book shows taking place between Sacramento and Seattle, which was dubbed "The Hell Tour". During this time, Gardner quit the group and was replaced by Steven Adler with this line-up becoming known as the "classic lineup" of Guns N' Roses.

In 1986, Guns reformed L.A. Guns with Mick Cripps, Paul Black, Nickey Alexander and Robert Stoddard (ex-The Dogs D'Amour; vocals), briefly became guitarist for the group.

Initially, the group were to be called Faster Pussycat but soon re-adopted L.A. Guns. The Faster Pussycat name was not wasted and would re-emerge as a different band's name as several of that band's members over the years were also in L.A. Guns. After writing material and playing shows, the group signed with 'PolyGram'. Black was soon replaced by former Girl vocalist Phil Lewis while Kelly Nickels (ex-Faster Pussycat) was added. The self-titled debut followed. Soon after the album was completed, Alexander was replaced by ex-W.A.S.P. drummer Steve Riley.

Cocked & Loaded (1989), their sophomore effort, peaked at 38 on the Billboard 200 to eventually go Gold.

Due to the popularity of Seattle's grunge movement, the group decided to go on hiatus and let the movement pass. During this time, Guns participated in the short lived supergroup Contraband, put together by Alan Kovac featuring vocalist Richard Black (of Shark Island), Michael Schenker (of Scorpions, U.F.O. and Michael Schenker Group), Share Pedersen (of Vixen) and Bobby Blotzer (of Ratt). Their one-off 1991 self-titled album peaked at 187 on the Billboard 200, achieving moderate success with the single All the Way from Memphis, which peaked at 12 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The act would disband soon after.

Regrouping in the mid-1990s with drummer Michael Gersema, L.A. Guns released Vicious Circle (1995). The album proved to be their worst to date as it failed to chart.

A major line-up shift followed the fourth album. Former drummer Riley was invited to rejoin the group for the subsequent tour. Lewis and Cripps left. Lewis subsequently going on to form Filthy Lucre; Chris Van Dahl would replace him, while Johnny Crypt replaced Cripps. 'PolyGram' soon after dropped the group. Nickels would be the next to leave and Crypt switched to bass. The now four-piece lineup completed recording of the Pantera-influenced album American Hardcore (1996), released through 'CMC International'. This album also failed to chart.

The group changed singers once again, recruiting Ralph Saenz (ex-The Atomic Punks) for the recording of the Wasted EP (1998) before adding former Love/Hate singer Jizzy Pearl the next year. Shrinking Violet (1999) followed through 'Perris Records'.

A compilation album of re-recorded songs and new material, Greatest Hits and Black Beauties (1999) and the live set Live: A Night on the Strip (2000) followed with the "classic" lineup of L.A. Guns reuniting in support of the releases.

In 2000, L.A. Guns re-recorded and re-released Cocked & Loaded, now retitled Cocked & Re-Loaded, on 'Deadline Records'. Both Cripps and Nickels would leave on the eve of the 2000 summer tour, replaced by Brent Muscat (ex-Faster Pussycat; guitars) and "Muddy" (bass).

For Man in the Moon (2001), Cripps returned to the lineup, replacing Muscat, and recorded keyboards. Ex-Pretty Boy Floyd guitarist Keff Ratcliffe was also added.

After more line-up changes, Waking the Dead (2002), would be released under the membership of Lewis (vocals), Guns (guitar) and Riley (drums) with new member Adam Hamilton (bass).

Despite the departure of Guns soon after, the group continued and toured in support of Waking the Dead with the membership of Lewis, Riley, Hamilton, former guitarist Brent Muscat and new guitarist Keri Kelli (ex-Big Bang Babies, ex-Slash's Snakepit). Tales from the Strip (2005) and Hollywood Forever (2012) followed after Hamilton was replaced by Scott Griffin who, in turn, left to be replaced by Kenny Kweens in 2009 before returning soon after.

In 2006, former L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns formed The Tracii Guns Band with former L.A. Guns members Paul Black and Nickey Alexander as well as Brides of Destruction live bassist Jeremy Guns. The group announced a tour of the US with plans to perform songs from all three acts. With Tracii Guns owning the rights to the name (along with Steve Riley), he changed the name of his The Tracii Guns Band to L.A. Guns in the summer of 2006, creating a conflict, as there were now two groups touring under the "L.A. Guns" moniker. This conflict would continue until he scrapped the whole project by 2012.

Hollywood Forever (2012) would follow under the reformed membership of Phil Lewis (vocals), Stacey Blades (guitar), Scott Griffin (bass and keyboards) and Steve Riley (drums).

On March 9, 2014, original singer Michael Jagosz died at aged 48.

Lewis and Guns teamed up with Johnny Martin (bass), Shane Fitzgibbon (drums) and Michael Grant (guitar) to release The Missing Peace (2017).

Ace Von Johnson (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) was the new member for The Devil You Know (2019).

In January 2020, Guns and Lewis sued Riley over the use of the L.A. Guns name when it was discovered he was using it during live performances. On April 23, 2021 it was settled in court with Guns and Lewis retaining the name, while Riley was forced to assume a new name: Riley's L.A. Guns.

Renegades (2020) and Checkered Past (2021) would follow.

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