There’s no doubt you remember LA Guns from their Sunset Strip heyday, but perhaps you’ve forgotten them over the years.  If you caught their show at Vinyl inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino last night, you won’t forget them again.
LA Guns delivered a stadium worthy performance to a rock hungry crowd and the result was Hollywood Heaven delivered directly to Sin City.
Without introduction, the band launched into opening number Sexaction and tore through an intense 12 song set featuring Never Enough, Electric Gypsy, Ballad of Jayne, Kiss My Love Goodbye, Rip and Tear, No Mercy. They also did one of the best covers of Black Sabbath’s Fairies Wear Boots I’ve ever heard. It was dark and powerful with a standard LA Guns feel. Kudos to the band for covering this amazing Sabbath tune and not the infinitely over played Iron Man.
The bands give-it-your-all energy combined with the absolutely perfect sound quality and mix inside of Vinyl was total rock bliss.
Phil, Steve, Scott, and Michael were symbiotic in their performance. A definitive band of brothers, which is encouraging to see considering the virtual revolving door of musicians in the LA Guns camp. Here’s hoping this lineup sticks because it certainly works.
With old school 80’s bands, you always run the risk of looking and sounding out dated. LA Guns were neither of these. They’ve bridged the gap from “then til now† seamlessly.
Michael Grant, Guns most recent addition in 2012, is a non-stop shredder, all the while bending so far backwards you fear his head will hit the drum riser. He’s that good. And that flexible. Drool.
Frontman Phil Lewis’s vocals are as strong and gloriously raspy as they’ve ever been. Coupled with his classic English swagger, he is a constant reminder that you’re at an LA Guns show. It’s different. Embrace it. You know you want to.
Holding things down are the  rhythm section of Scott Griffin on bass and Steve Riley on drums. Griffins’s smoldering bass lines and intense good looks had all the rock girls weak in the knees with the time honored rock star persona we refuse to give up.  Riley, a consistent member of LA Guns since 1987, is a monster behind the kit.
An amazing start to 2014! This show did exactly what it was supposed to do; it made me forget the petty rock star squabbles played out in the press and the mean spirited, back and forth Twitter arguments of days gone by. It just let me rock and there’s nothing better than that.