One might be the loneliest number, but the fact that there is now only one version of the L.A. Guns rather than two should at least help end the confusion about what ex-band member, reality TV contestant or other band affiliate is actually part of which version of of the 80’s hair metal band.
In an interview with The Musician’s Voice Tracii Guns, the former guitarist of the original L.A. Guns as well as the current guitarist of the 2006-now version of the band, announced that he is done with his (the 2006) version of the band. In the interview he states:
I think I’ve kind of done it to death, I think the band has done itself to death. Without real room to grow and to move and to be able to exceed the fan base’s expectations — they really love their old L.A. Guns, and I get it, but I’m older and I continue to study music and recording and a lot of different things.
Apparently Tracii, too, has been confused by the whole doppelganger situation, and acknowledges that fans might have run into the same troubles:
[B]eing in L.A. Guns is just not worth the trouble, with two different versions of the band running around, and neither band does the other band any good, and I think it’s disappointing for the fans, ultimately. You’re dealing with people who have supported you and your music for, God, I don’t know… over 20 years… at least over 20 years. I would like to be able to go into each gig with a clear conscience, put out records with a clear conscience and know that I’m doing my best and I’m not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes.
So just to summarize, the lineup of the remaining version of the L.A. Guns is now as follows: Phil Lewis (lead vocals), Steve Riley (drums), Stacey Blades (lead guitar), and Scotty Griffin (bass guitar). The Tracii version of the Guns had him (lead guitar), Scott Foster Harris (lead vocals), Eric Grossman (bass guitar), and Doni Gray (drums).
Let’s see if things will stay the way they are or if we are up for more lineup changes in the future. Otherwise it might just not be confusing enough for the bands’ fans who have certainly become used to Tracii’s lineup mind tricks over the years. But we still have two versions of Great White, at least for the time being.
[via Blabbermouth]
