Greenville, SC – L.A. GUNS brought more than 25 years of rock n’ roll to a packed house at The Firmament on Friday, April 19th. With The Darbies and Stardog at the ready and fully engaged as support, it was an electrifying evening fueled by charismatic swagger, searing riffs, and vigorous rhythms.
South Carolina locals, Stardog, fired up the stage first with their hard-revving set showcasing their lively sound. Artie Joyner (vocals), Beau Long (guitar), Scott King (drums), Mark Foy (keyboards), and Mike Davis (bass) made the temperature begin to rise as they entertained the growing audience entering the venue. The band clearly made new fans as they played through songs off their 2014 debut EP, Black Mountain Rain, and their 2nd EP, Lucky 13.
Photo Credit: © Carrianne Stoker-Postier 2019
Next up was Los Angeles-based, high-energy rockers, The Darbies. The band gave a time-bending performance, like bringing all things classic rock n’ roll full tilt into a modern,masterfully-swirled vibe. Ronny ignited the stage with his scorching guitar riffs, Nico passionately set the pace on drums, Joe delivered a vibrant flow on bass, and the magnetic stage presence of lead singer Jani Jaakko seemed to make his melodies dance. The band is proving that the heart of rock n’ roll is beating fervently. The Darbies recently finished recording on their first studio album with the LP set to be released this year. Check out their first single, “End Of The Love”, HERE.
The venue was now packed as giants of the 80’s Hollywood glam genre, L.A. Guns, took over. No strangers to the stage, Tracii Guns (guitar) and Phil Lewis (vocals), along with their current lineup Johnny Martin (bass), Ace Von Johnson (rhythm guitar), and Scot Coogan (drums), were geared to rock classic fan favorites along with grittier new tunes recently released on the album, The Devil You Know.
The intro began to play with “Diary of a Madman” by Ozzy Osbourne; off-stage you could hear Tracii begin to slice into the song. With anticipation at the tipping point, the band stormed the stage and dug into “No Mercy,” followed by “Rage” and “Sex Action.” Tracii swept in using a violin bow across his guitar during an intro solo to “Over The Edge” before the band continued their launch into “Electric Gypsy,” “The Devil You Know,” and “Kiss My Love Goodbye.” L.A. Guns covered a mixture of songs from their career, including ones from their most recent album. Of course, they were not about to send anyone home without “Never Enough,” “Ballad of Jayne,” and “Rip and Tear.”
The current edition of L.A. Guns is a powerful workhorse that certainly thrilled the Greenville crowd. For all the changes that have existed in and around the band over the years, there is something powerful about moving forward and also being in the moment. The chemistry between Phil and Tracii continues to glow and that freedom of living in the now may very well give a recharged L.A. Guns a fresh dose of ripping and tearing on their rock n’ roll journey!
Show Date: 4/19/2019
L.A. GUNS Photo Gallery
The Darbies Photo Gallery
Stardog Photo Gallery
