Gig review: L.A. GUNS – The Islington Academy, London, 25 March 2017

Having recently reunited after a ten year break, L.A. Guns vocalist Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns have just finished a UK tour which found the still popular band rolling back the years and sounding as good, and fresh, as they did 30 years ago. This is, hands down, the best gig I have seen for years.

The band may feature no other original members but that really doesn’t matter as they deliver a set that contains everything you would want in an L.A. Guns show- a rejuvenated Guns agrees as he does not stop smiling throughout the 90 minute gig. Then we come to Phil Lewis- a man who doesn’t appear to have aged at all, and neither does his voice which could wipe the floor with most of his ‘80’s peers- in fact, there are not many that still sound this good decades later.

The show kicked off with a rousing rendition of “Hollywood Tease” and within the 14 song set included the lies of “Sex Action”, “One More Reason”, “Malaria”, “Never Enough”, “Ballad Of Jayne”, “Electric Gypsy” and “No Mercy”, amongst others, before triumphantly closing with a barnstorming version of “Rip And Tear”- featuring the members of support band Stone Trigger, who themselves are a great young Irish band that are worth keeping an eye on as they were very well received tonight.

With Lewis and Guns having put together a solid and competent new line-up of L.A. Guns, and with a new album in the works, this really is a very welcome comeback, and one that I hope continues for a long time.

Review by Nikk Gunns

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)