L.A. Guns and Electric Hound at The Whisky
Phil Lewis of L.A. Guns at The Whisky
L.A. Guns, Electric Hound, The Whisky, July 21, 2017
The work week had spun to its dizzying conclusion, and it was time to head to world famous Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip for an epic night of rock and roll. The legendary L.A. Guns were headlining with a staggering 7 bands in support, making for a long yet gripping night of local discovery and sonic intrigue. In addition to the many glorious classics from L.A. Guns vast catalog of auditory entreaties, the band would also premiere the rapturous new song Speed from their upcoming manifesto entitled The Missing Peace on Frontiers Records Srl. And it was certainly exciting to see local favorites Electric Hound in direct support, easily proving why they one of the very best unsigned best rock and roll collectives on our local music scene today.
Other bands and artists on the bill included Michael Baja, Motherride, Scultone, Not My Master, Ragbone, and Suzi Kory – unveiling rip-roaring sets to the early arrivals. Of course all this would prove that too much of a good thing would result in another gloriously memorable night within the hallowed walls of the Whisky!
Electric Hound at The Whisky
Electric Hound
In the direct support slot for L.A. Guns at The Whisky was power trio Electric Hound, who took to the stage and proceeded to unleash an absolutely devastating performance. Many in attendance were already familiar with the hard rocking pups of Electric Hound due to their appearance at last year’s Hair Nation Festival at Irvine Meadows. It was very clear to see why Electric Hound won a coveted slot at the Hair Nation Festival after participating in a Battle Of The Bands completion at The Whisky. One of the judges being L.A. Guns own Tracii Guns, who was clearly swept away by the unexpectedly rock solid late night performance of this young yet tremendously gifted band! And in this present day and hour, Electric Hound was a true force of nature to be reckoned with. Consisting of three wickedly charismatic and wildly talented brothers ready to rock your world, Electric Hound is well on their way into the big leagues – especially if tonight’s performance is indicative of greater glories ahead. Kicking off their high energy set with the one-two punch of Pick Your Poison and Nobody’s Home, Electric Hound infinitely won over the very packed and appreciative crowd hell-bent on the seeing the almighty L.A. Guns.
Ted Cendejas makes for a tremendously effective front man, delivering the classic hard rocking vocals and pulsating bass lines with passion and conviction. George Cendejas unveils wondrously ferocious lead guitars interludes, enveloping The Whisky with a mesmerizing wall of sonic bliss. And then there’s drummer William Cendejas, bringing it all home with a skillful vengeance – all with a killer smile on his face. By the time we arrived at the closing songs Beg For Your Love and Shoot To Thrill, it was very obviously that Electric Hound has made a grand number of new fans who would be checking them out again in future days ahead. A tremendously tight, star making performance to be sure!
Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns at The Whisky
L.A. Guns
As we approached the midnight hour within the wilds of The Whisky on the Sunset Strip, it was time to the main event of the evening – an appearance by the one and only L.A. Guns – featuring the dynamic duo of Phil Lewis and L.A. Guns – together again and ready to enrapture the world once more! The entire band arrived onstage and proceeded to blow the roof off the venerable establishment with a fiery rendition of their classic song No Mercy. L.A. Guns were loud as hell, in your face, and ready to annihilate the jammed packed to the rafters house with a set that could probably be heard in the San Fernando Valley! Even professional grade earplugs could not stop the wonderful audio artillery the band was spewing forth. Presenting a set that was nothing short of an absolute triumph, incessant touring and a newfound passion for their art has rendered L.A. Guns 2017 the not-to-be-missed performance of the year – and beyond! Electric Gypsy, Bitch Is Back, Sex Action – the crowd favorites kept blasting through with powerhouse intensity. Of course there was an upcoming album to promote entitled The Missing Peace – with the recently unveiled Speed arriving with maximum overdrive impact.
The reunion of Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis has definitely set the music world on fire, and it’s tremendous to see both of these massive talents coming together again delivering the goods while genuinely enjoying their time together onstage. Lewis remains a skilled front man who can sing classics such as Never Enough and The Ballad Of Jayne with a dynamic amount of ardor and persuasion – making these standards alive and refreshing even after singing them in concert a thousand times over! Tracii Guns presents all the thrills and chills on epic lead guitar, with solos that are absolutely fascinating to witness. Michael Grant on guitar and vocals exudes a stage presence and massive talent that adds tremendously to the L.A. Guns legacy while bassist Johnny Martin and drummer Shane Fitzgibbon pummel the senses as a euphorically tight rhythm section. Packing a stadium sized performance into the intimate confines of The Whisky; L.A. Guns will surely be on tour throughout this great big world for a very long time devastating concert venues of all shapes and sizes! Be sure to catch up with this iconic band the next time they show up to rage and roll into your town!
(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)
