Before Guns N’ Roses became one of the biggest rock bands in history, there was Tracii Guns—the “Guns” in Guns N’ Roses. In an exclusive interview with VRP Rocks, Tracii reveals how he and Axl Rose came together, the early days of the band, and the real story behind the formation of G’N’R.
Tracii on teaming up with Axl Rose for L.A. Guns:
“We did our first gig together – L.A. Guns, Hollywood Rose – at a place called Madame Wong’s West, and upstairs was Poison’s first show. And Gilby Clarke was the soundman, so talk about a very small group of people… The first time I heard Axl sing was at that Hollywood Rose soundcheck, and I was like, ‘Damn.’ And my singer (Mike Jagosz) was really good; he had that Klaus Meine (Scorpions) kinda vibe. Axl was more like Dan McCafferty / Robert Plant / Janis Joplin… he had that thing. We did the gig and I got to know Axl a little bit better, and we hit it off just like Izzy (Stradlin) and I had.”
“Izzy had the opportunity to play with a band called London, so Hollywood Rose was on hiatus. And then my singer got into a fight with our manager, so he was gone. We had all these gigs (booked) so I asked Axl, ‘Do you wanna do L.A. Guns while Hollywood Rose isn’t doing anything?’ and he was like ‘Yeah, of course, let’s do it.’ That L.A. Guns was crazy. That band was all the metal, all the punk, all the attitude, nobody posing. It was all about W.A.S.P. and Van Halen; there was no Rolling Stones influence in that version of L.A. Guns. It was an all out attack.”
It was almost 40 years ago that L.A. Guns established themselves as the undisputed sleaze kings of the Sunset Strip, and, eventually, the world. At this point in time, most bands in their position would be content to lay back, rest on their rock ‘n’ roll laurels and trot out the hits on endless repeat for the fans.
Instead, L.A. Guns, in true down ‘n’ dirty form, are grinding with the April 4 release of their 15th studio album, Leopard Skin, on Cleopatra Records. The new single, “Lucky Motherfucker”, is available now on all digital outlets. Pre-orders for the album are available now in digital format here. CD/vinyl pre-orders can be placed at this location, and a link for the Jason Wisch-directed video for “Lucky Motherfucker” can be found below.
“The song title ‘Lucky Motherfucker’ kinda says it all,” founding guitarist Tracii Guns says. “Because I don’t know how many other bands that have been around almost 40 years are still out there not just touring consistently, but putting out records consistently, and the thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger from year to year.”
He continues. “So the work ethic is yielding what it’s supposed to, you know what I mean? The fans stay excited, we stay excited, and we keep making records. And as long as we have that opportunity and there’s a place for this music in the world, there’s no reason to ever stop.”
“There’s the saying, ‘a leopard never changes its spots,’” Tracii Guns says. “But even so, they have a million different spots. And they’re all unique. It’s the same with L.A. Guns. We can’t shed our Leopard Skin, but there’s a lot of different spots in this band.”
Those spots run the gamut from early anthems like “Electric Gypsy,” “Rip And Tear” and “Over The Edge,” to indelible ballads like “It’s Over Now” and “The Ballad Of Jayne,” to more recent classics like “Speed,” “Cannonball” and now, the ten tracks that comprise the new album.
Not only is Leopard Skin hot on the heels of 2023’s Black Diamonds album, but is also their fifth studio effort in seven years, since the core team of guitarist and band founder Tracii Guns and singer Phil Lewis reunited in 2017. Leopard Skin, like the last few L.A. Guns records, reconvenes the tight-knit lineup of Guns, Lewis, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson and studio drummer Adam Hamilton, but beyond that it is its own unique beast. True to form, it’s a hard-and-heavy, tough-as-nails L.A. Guns set. But the music also presents the band at their funkiest, rowdiest, most classic-rock-worshipping best. And it’s clear they’re having a helluva lot of fun playing it.
Explains Tracii, “When we started doing records again in 2017, I wanted to be really aggressive. We hadn’t put out anything new in a lot of years, and we needed to be focused to have an impact. This one was a different approach. Musically, it was more about James Brown and soul music, with some ’70s sensibilities – things like Joe Walsh and the Rolling Stones and the New York Dolls. And the process was more organic. It was, ‘Here’s a riff, go for it. Let’s see how many riffs we can build after this riff, and then going into the next riff.’”
The results speak for themselves. You want a four-on-the-floor AC/DC-style stomper? Cue up anthemic opener “Taste It.” Slippery funk-rock? Try out “Lucky Motherfucker” or “Don’t Gimme Away.” Rollicking ‘70s-style glam? Drop the needle on “If You Wanna.” Swampy, slide guitar-laced grooves? Crank up the Zep-tastic “The Grinder.”
Where does that position L.A. Guns in 2025? Tracii returns to Leopard Skin. “The song title ‘Lucky Motherfucker’ kinda says it all,” he says. “Because I don’t know how many other bands that have been around almost 40 years are still out there not just touring consistently, but putting out records consistently, and the thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger from year to year.”
He continues. “So the work ethic is yielding what it’s supposed to, you know what I mean? The fans stay excited, we stay excited, and we keep making records. And as long as we have that opportunity and there’s a place for this music in the world, there’s no reason to ever stop.”
Tracklisting:
“Taste It”
“Lucky Motherfucker”
“The Grinder”
“Hit And Run
“Don’t Gimme Away”
“I’m Your Candy Man”
“Runaway Train”
“Follow The Money”
“The Masquerade”
“If You Wanna”
“Lucky Motherfucker” video:
“Taste It” video:
Tour dates:
March
10-15 – Miami, FL – Monsters of Rock Cruise
April
22 – Warrendale, PA – Jergels
23 – N. Tonawanda, NY – Riviera Theatre
25 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
26 – New Bedford, MA – The Vault Music Hall
27 – Millersville, PA – Phantom Power
29 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head on Stage
30 – Ardmore, PA – The Ardmore Music Hall
May
1 – Leesburg, VA – Tally Ho Theater
2 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
4 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
6 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery Atlanta
9 – Fort Myers, FL – Buddha Live
10 – Dania Beach, FL – The Casino’s Stage 954 @ Dania Beach Entertainment Center
11 – Mount Dora, FL – Mount Dora Music Hall
13 – Largo, FL – Central Park Performing Arts Center
15 – Jefferson, LA – Southport Music Hall
16 – Cedar Park, TX – The Haute Spot
17 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
18 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Midtown
23 – Omaha, NE – Barnato
24 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
July
18 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky a Go Go
19 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky a Go Go
26 – Beaver Dam, KY – Beaver Dam Amphitheater
Photo by Robert Cavuoto
The post TRACII GUNS Looks Back On AXL ROSE Joining L.A. GUNS In 1984 – “That Band Was All The Metal, All The Punk, All The Attitude, Nobody Posing” (Video) appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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Tracii on teaming up with Axl Rose for L.A. Guns:
“We did our first gig together – L.A. Guns, Hollywood Rose – at a place called Madame Wong’s West, and upstairs was Poison’s first show. And Gilby Clarke was the soundman, so talk about a very small group of people… The first time I heard Axl sing was at that Hollywood Rose soundcheck, and I was like, ‘Damn.’ And my singer (Mike Jagosz) was really good; he had that Klaus Meine (Scorpions) kinda vibe. Axl was more like Dan McCafferty / Robert Plant / Janis Joplin… he had that thing. We did the gig and I got to know Axl a little bit better, and we hit it off just like Izzy (Stradlin) and I had.”
“Izzy had the opportunity to play with a band called London, so Hollywood Rose was on hiatus. And then my singer got into a fight with our manager, so he was gone. We had all these gigs (booked) so I asked Axl, ‘Do you wanna do L.A. Guns while Hollywood Rose isn’t doing anything?’ and he was like ‘Yeah, of course, let’s do it.’ That L.A. Guns was crazy. That band was all the metal, all the punk, all the attitude, nobody posing. It was all about W.A.S.P. and Van Halen; there was no Rolling Stones influence in that version of L.A. Guns. It was an all out attack.”
It was almost 40 years ago that L.A. Guns established themselves as the undisputed sleaze kings of the Sunset Strip, and, eventually, the world. At this point in time, most bands in their position would be content to lay back, rest on their rock ‘n’ roll laurels and trot out the hits on endless repeat for the fans.
Instead, L.A. Guns, in true down ‘n’ dirty form, are grinding with the April 4 release of their 15th studio album, Leopard Skin, on Cleopatra Records. The new single, “Lucky Motherfucker”, is available now on all digital outlets. Pre-orders for the album are available now in digital format here. CD/vinyl pre-orders can be placed at this location, and a link for the Jason Wisch-directed video for “Lucky Motherfucker” can be found below.
“The song title ‘Lucky Motherfucker’ kinda says it all,” founding guitarist Tracii Guns says. “Because I don’t know how many other bands that have been around almost 40 years are still out there not just touring consistently, but putting out records consistently, and the thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger from year to year.”
He continues. “So the work ethic is yielding what it’s supposed to, you know what I mean? The fans stay excited, we stay excited, and we keep making records. And as long as we have that opportunity and there’s a place for this music in the world, there’s no reason to ever stop.”
“There’s the saying, ‘a leopard never changes its spots,’” Tracii Guns says. “But even so, they have a million different spots. And they’re all unique. It’s the same with L.A. Guns. We can’t shed our Leopard Skin, but there’s a lot of different spots in this band.”
Those spots run the gamut from early anthems like “Electric Gypsy,” “Rip And Tear” and “Over The Edge,” to indelible ballads like “It’s Over Now” and “The Ballad Of Jayne,” to more recent classics like “Speed,” “Cannonball” and now, the ten tracks that comprise the new album.
Not only is Leopard Skin hot on the heels of 2023’s Black Diamonds album, but is also their fifth studio effort in seven years, since the core team of guitarist and band founder Tracii Guns and singer Phil Lewis reunited in 2017. Leopard Skin, like the last few L.A. Guns records, reconvenes the tight-knit lineup of Guns, Lewis, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson and studio drummer Adam Hamilton, but beyond that it is its own unique beast. True to form, it’s a hard-and-heavy, tough-as-nails L.A. Guns set. But the music also presents the band at their funkiest, rowdiest, most classic-rock-worshipping best. And it’s clear they’re having a helluva lot of fun playing it.
Explains Tracii, “When we started doing records again in 2017, I wanted to be really aggressive. We hadn’t put out anything new in a lot of years, and we needed to be focused to have an impact. This one was a different approach. Musically, it was more about James Brown and soul music, with some ’70s sensibilities – things like Joe Walsh and the Rolling Stones and the New York Dolls. And the process was more organic. It was, ‘Here’s a riff, go for it. Let’s see how many riffs we can build after this riff, and then going into the next riff.’”
The results speak for themselves. You want a four-on-the-floor AC/DC-style stomper? Cue up anthemic opener “Taste It.” Slippery funk-rock? Try out “Lucky Motherfucker” or “Don’t Gimme Away.” Rollicking ‘70s-style glam? Drop the needle on “If You Wanna.” Swampy, slide guitar-laced grooves? Crank up the Zep-tastic “The Grinder.”
Where does that position L.A. Guns in 2025? Tracii returns to Leopard Skin. “The song title ‘Lucky Motherfucker’ kinda says it all,” he says. “Because I don’t know how many other bands that have been around almost 40 years are still out there not just touring consistently, but putting out records consistently, and the thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger from year to year.”
He continues. “So the work ethic is yielding what it’s supposed to, you know what I mean? The fans stay excited, we stay excited, and we keep making records. And as long as we have that opportunity and there’s a place for this music in the world, there’s no reason to ever stop.”
Tracklisting:
“Taste It”
“Lucky Motherfucker”
“The Grinder”
“Hit And Run
“Don’t Gimme Away”
“I’m Your Candy Man”
“Runaway Train”
“Follow The Money”
“The Masquerade”
“If You Wanna”
“Lucky Motherfucker” video:
“Taste It” video:
Tour dates:
March
10-15 – Miami, FL – Monsters of Rock Cruise
April
22 – Warrendale, PA – Jergels
23 – N. Tonawanda, NY – Riviera Theatre
25 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
26 – New Bedford, MA – The Vault Music Hall
27 – Millersville, PA – Phantom Power
29 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head on Stage
30 – Ardmore, PA – The Ardmore Music Hall
May
1 – Leesburg, VA – Tally Ho Theater
2 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
4 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
6 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery Atlanta
9 – Fort Myers, FL – Buddha Live
10 – Dania Beach, FL – The Casino’s Stage 954 @ Dania Beach Entertainment Center
11 – Mount Dora, FL – Mount Dora Music Hall
13 – Largo, FL – Central Park Performing Arts Center
15 – Jefferson, LA – Southport Music Hall
16 – Cedar Park, TX – The Haute Spot
17 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
18 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Midtown
23 – Omaha, NE – Barnato
24 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
July
18 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky a Go Go
19 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky a Go Go
26 – Beaver Dam, KY – Beaver Dam Amphitheater
Photo by Robert Cavuoto
The post TRACII GUNS Looks Back On AXL ROSE Joining L.A. GUNS In 1984 – “That Band Was All The Metal, All The Punk, All The Attitude, Nobody Posing” (Video) appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
