L.A. Guns at the Bowery Electric

The original L.A. Guns formed in Los Angeles in 1983 and gained popularity when the Sunset Strip was the rock center of America, producing Van Halen, Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Skid Row, Poison, Faster Pussycat, Ratt, W.A.S.P., Warrant, Dokken and many other guitar-ripping and hairspray-drenched hard rocking bands. Since then, the L.A. Guns changed line-up an estimated 45 times, and for a while there were even two different bands simultaneously touring under the same name. The L.A. Guns recorded 10 studio albums.

The present roster of the L.A. Guns, led by vocalist Phil Lewis (who was in the band from 1987 to 1995 and then 1999 to the present), brought back the aura of the Sunset Strip heyday to the Bowery Electric tonight. New guitarist Michael Grant removed his shirt to put more muscle in his playing, while bassist Scott Griffin and drummer Steve Riley, both of whom have an on-and-off-and-on-again history with the band, rocked the rhythm section. The band played songs from the early albums and last year’s Hollywood Forever album with sheer rock and roll energy. In  true rock and roll fashion, most if not all of the songs were about women. Meanwhile, a dozen or so pretty women jockeyed for prime position at the lip of the stage, perhaps in the hopes of making an impression on the musicians. It was 1984 again and it was fun.