Tracii Guns Band
Hometown: Los Angeles, Ca.
http://www.tracii-guns.com
also
Lyden Moon,
Wrath
Friday May 12, 2006
Vnuks Lounge - Cudahy WI
First off let me say this. Vnuk's has done a WONDERFUL job with their remodeling of their location and making a great location for club shows. The sound was really very nice for a bar and in all honesty I must say it sounds a gajillion times better than any of the three rooms at the Rave. You could actually hear EVERYTHING cohesively. The only real complaint I could come up with is that seating to relax is limited. But a helluva nice place. Oh yeah one other thing Vnuks has over the Rave is toilets that won't back up. Gotta give them props for going that extra mile and getting the Toto. I can't count how many shows I have bleached my boots after getting home from the Rave. In fact nothing sucks more than coming home and walking in snow in socks because the boots are too sticky from evil knows what to walk on my floors. So props to Vnuks for one helluva remodel. From a south side dive bar to a great concert venue.
Wrath - Their show wasn't bad at all. There were some sound issues. It almost sounded as though one of the guitars were off. They did 5 songs, all originals and had three solos. I personally would have enjoyed a few more songs over the solos. Michael Brigham did a nice clean solo. AJ could have slowed his down more. He was doing a Deville Solo showing off how fast he could go. Speed isn't always what matters. One thing I just cant help but comment on. Brigham has to be a bastard child of Dave Mustaine. Either that or he is channeling him on stage. From how his hair looks to how he interacts with the crowd to even how he plays, I swear he is a Dave less the anger. Not that it's a bad thing, but just something that struck me. All songs performed were originals and pretty darn decent. Heavy however Brigham actually sings. It's a lovely thing to see. These guys are competing in the
Emergenza Semi Finals at
The Rave Bar June 2, 2006. Old Skool thrash fans give these kids a shot.
Lyden Moon - Lyden Moon is a phenomenal guitarist. Plain and simple. His shows are always hard for me to comment on because I am always focused on vocals and well there aren't any in his shows. Moon only does instrumentals. Transitioning between songs with bluesy, jazzy, classical and rock feels, he has always put on one helluva show. I first saw Moon a while back opening up for
Michael Angelo Batio's band C4. Moon makes it all seem effortless. And he can make everything sound cool, including the Charlie Brown theme Song. Joel Thierfelder on bass and Mark Altergott on Drums round out the group. Moon really should be bigger than he is, however I think the lack of vocals does hurt him career-wise. Musically, it makes the group a wonderful change. Moon hits people from every genre of music with something to enjoy, and I strongly suggest if you are a Midwesterner to give this man a shot. He has shows in Illinois and Wisconsin in the next few months. Moon and his band put on one helluva performance. His most recent CD (#4 to be exact)
Fire It Up is on sale now being released in 2005. This is someone to see if you are a guitar freak.
Tracii Guns Band - The line up for this band is 3/4 the original LA Guns line up. Tracii (obviously) on lead guitar, Paul Black on Vocals, Nickey Alexander on Drums, and the fourth member, well that's Tracii's son Jeremy Guns on bass. I had a hard time with the singer. Perhaps I'm just so used to the way Phil Lewis sounds on the songs. Black did grow on me, and what he lacked sound wise he more than made up for as a showman. This man worked the crowd like one of the best. It was a small show attendance wise, but the band seemed to really have a blast and that transferred into the crowd. Lots of old time fans there who really had a blast.
Tracii as always, was phenomenal on guitars. I must say, having the band introduced and hearing the bassist was Tracii's son was hard. Rock Stars can't grow up and do things like normal people. They just can't! Of course that also reminded me I am no longer a wild child either. I did like the selection of songs. Lots of the older stuff- "No Mercy," "Sex Action," "Rip and Tear," "Electric Gypsy," "One More Reason." All the old harder songs. Naturally their big song "Ballad Of Jayne" was played. For a short while Tracii appeared to be having a
Brides of Destruction flashback. A few shorts of Crue songs were played. The coolest part of the evening to me is it brought back to mind the days of early glam metal. When THE place to be was the Sunset Strip. That was the feel of the place. A time I missed here in WI but watched on MTV with jealousy. I must say the band were all incredibly nice, hanging out with the fans (which is always a plus of club shows) and I finally after many years attempting got to meet Tracii. He was a helluva nice guy and a doll. It's always wonderful when the band remembers the fans who put them there, and he does. They still have many dates left. Give the Guns a shot.
Upcoming Dates:
Tue 16th - Eck's Saloon, Denver, Co.
Wed 17th - In The Venue, Salt Lake City, Ut.
Thu 18th - The Bouquet, Boise, Id
Fri 19th - Ash Street Saloon, Portland, Or.
Sat 20th - El Corazon,Seattle, Wa.
Sun 21st - Spokane, Wa. -
Tue 23rd - San Francisco, Ca.
Wed 24th - Los Angeles, Ca.