L.A Guns

Being full of cold I’d made the decision early to self-medicate, so by the time show time arrived I was in the zone. This tour is being billed as ‘Reloaded’ due to the fact that Phil & Tracii are back in cahoots. Coming on stage, L.A. Guns immediately had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Having listened again to their debut album before the gig, I was impressed by how well it stood up after all these years, and clearly they know it too as almost half the album was played during the set. The songs had a real groove to them, and at times were much heavier than the recorded versions. Tracii could not have looked less like a glam metal guitar hero – now sporting a beard and plaid shirt, he played brilliant guitar that was more Jimmy Page than Eddie Van Halen.

Phil’s voice was in fine form, the band were rock solid, with second guitarist Michael Grant in particular oozing Hollywood cool. Yes it was as though time had stopped in 1989, but nostalgia is what we came for and we got it in spades. They played a dozen songs in about 80 minutes, including an instrumental during which Tracii played theremin of all things. Perhaps not a gig that is going to trouble my top 10 then, but a great, slightly drunken Tuesday night reliving the old days with a like-minded crowd.

Here’s the thing though. Before he joined L.A. Guns Phil used to sing in a band called Tormé, the band put together by former Gillan guitarist and all round legend Bernie Tormé. Their Back To Babylon album was a favourite of my teenage self so I took along my red vinyl copy figuring when will there a better chance of getting it signed? Surely the band would be out soon after the set ended to press the flesh, work the merch stall, pose for photos and sign shit? Surely? Well, no sadly. I asked the tour manager if there was any chance he could get it signed for me but was told no, Phil had already left the building and gone back to his hotel! Hah. Bullshit. Let's be honest here, the days of limos and hotels are long gone. I asked members of the support band, I asked L.A Guns' drummer and no-one seemed prepared to help a brother out. The longer the wait went on the more I became determined to get this fucking record signed. After waiting for well over an hour, and by now outside the venue I noticed guitarist Michael chatting to the three remaining fans. I had a word, explained what I was after and like the true gent he clearly is he led us round to where the tour bus was and disappeared with my record. While we waited there was just chance for the tour manager (The Bullsh!tter) to shout at us, before Michael returned with my signed record in hand. I’m sharing this tale because my take on this is – who the FUCK do these people think they are? I could see Tracii sitting on the bus – too busy to come say hi to your fans? Everyone too scared to step to Phil? By all means act like Billy Big Bollocks when you’re packing out arenas in 1989, but when you’re playing to 120 people in Norwich in 2017, and the only place you need to be is on the bus for the drive to Buckley (no, me neither) then maybe you need to remember who you are, and who put you where you once were.