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Since the release of their latest album, "Tales From The Strip," L.A. Guns have been touring, non-stop, since early June. The band recently spent the summer performing with WASP, on the American Metal Blast Tour and most recently has wrapped up a tour in Europe.
In late 2002, Tracii Guns left the band to form Brides of Destruction. Many fans wondered what would become of the 80's rockers. With the backbone of the band still intact, consisting of front man Phil Lewis and drummer Steve Riley, L.A.Guns are alive and well, and are true rock and roll survivors. With the addition of bass player Adam Hamilton and guitarist Stacey Blades, L.A. Guns are back on track, and ready to prove that this line-up is the strongest yet.
When you think front men, singer Phil Lewis conjures up the image of a sexy Englishman who took America by storm in the late 80's, with his energetic stage persona and raspy, passionate vocals.
L.A.Guns was born of the Sunset Strip metal scene in 1986, and has never looked back. Though there have been many comings and goings in the line-up, the core of the band has been together 15 years, and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
Phil Lewis says, "L.A.Guns are a third generation band. We are descendants of Motley Crue and Ratt.”
Their current album, "Tales from the Strip" finds Lewis singing of LAG's climb to the top, as each story is a mini-novel in itself. Although drummer Steve Riley says, "This is not a concept album," after speaking with Phil Lewis, the album is indeed autobiographical to some degree.
In this exclusive, candid interview for Glam-Metal, Phil Lewis gives his fans an in-depth look at the making of “Tales,” touring and the music industry today.
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Hi Phil, I hear that LA Guns just got back from Europe? How did the tour go?
Yeah! We played Italy, Germany, Switzerland, England, Greece too. We have been keeping busy. This summer we were out playing most of America. We were out with our friends, WASP.
How did the American Metal Blast Tour go?
It was very good. It was six weeks. Then we had like two weeks off. Then we went back out and did another three weeks. Pretty much went around the whole country.
Wow, It’s good that you are keeping busy.
Yeah! Well, ya know, we are happy with our new record. We wanted to go out and promote it as much as we could.
What is your favorite country to perform in Europe? How do American audiences differ from European fans?
You know it changes. I was starting to think Germany was kinda dull. I changed my mind since the last time that we played there. We had a really good time. Italy is always good. I am sorry this time we didn’t play Spain. That is usually a really good time as well. I think the band's favorite place to play is London. If you can put on a good show in London, it is a good thing.
I noticed at your past few shows there has been a whole new generation of LA Guns fans. How do you feel about the younger fans discovering LA Guns for the first time?
I think it is really great that there are 16-year olds that are into it. I don't blame them, ya know. The music that they are being spoon feed right now is bloody awful. If I were a kid, I would be looking for new music. I see a lot of them in me, when I was a kid. I was like that. I didn't want to listen to the crap they were playing on the radio in London, when I was growing up.
What kind of music do they play on the radio in Europe? Do they still play a lot of heavy metal? What kind of format is being played over there?
To be honest with you, most of the time I spent in Europe watching MTV, or the European equivalent VIVA, it was a lot more interesting then what they show over here.
Yeah, it is really bad over here for metal, these days on MTV.
Radio over here is pretty dull. We are fortunate enough to get Steve Jones Jukebox, which we get between noon and 2 p.m. over here in LA. In other parts of the world, I don’t know whether you can get it on-line. He does not have a format at all. He plays what he likes. He plays like Pat Boone, Dio. It is very interesting. I think over here, in America, radio IS DEAD. Those fairytale days are over. We all know that. But it doesn't stop us from making some quality music, as best as we can. Basically what we do is live. The new kids and older fans are just as receptive to the new material as they are the old stuff.
Phil, let's talk about the new album, “Tales from The Strip." In my opinion it is LA Guns best album since the early days. Steve told me it is not a concept album, but it seems autobiographical. 
Thank you. It is not a concept album, but it does have a central theme. And the central theme is little tales from The Strip. Like “Tales from The Crypt,” you get three stories in a half hour show. I like to think that each of these songs on the record is in some way like a 3 or 4 minute story. It is all about Hollywood. It is not necessarily about back in the day. It could be what is going on in 1986, when I first got here. It wasn't like we were trying to write a record about back in the day. I mean I am living here right now. I am not sitting in a balcony reminiscing. That is what is going on right now, like “Hollywood Burning” The whole band, we live and breathe in Hollywood. We decided that we were going to write a record about the stuff that we knew about.
Right, I understand. You didn't want to change your whole sound and be something that you are not.
It is a decision that I made in the last few records that for the band to stick with it's guns so to speak. We want what it is that we do best. We are not going to incorporate drum loops. That is not going to work for us.
Phil, how did you go about writing the album? Did you write lyrics first or the music?
We did a section of the finished song like “Vampire” and everybody adds their part. For the most part, it was pretty much music first. The music inspired the lyrics. Sometimes it was easy. It is funny, it is typical of the way we record. The stuff that we record last, usually ends up first on the record.
What is the single off of the new CD?
I am not sure there is a single. I suppose if I were a suit and I would have to decide what the single would be, (Laughter) I would probably go with “Hollywood Burning.” That song would probably get played in a perfect world. That song would come over best, immediately on the radio. My favorite song is “Electric Neon Sunset.” It is a bit more progressive.
The present line-up of LA Guns is very good. How do you feel about the latest evolution of the band?
Yeah it is. We worked really hard to get to this. We all focused on what we had to do and who we are. It is a lot easier now. We don't have arguments.
You are living in Hollywood now. How has the LA Sunset Strip music scene changed since you first started back in the day?
I would say Motley Crue started it all. Then later Ratt. Then we are like a third generation Hollywood band like Guns n’Roses, Faster Pussycat. We are pretty much descendants of Motley Crue and the people in Ratt. It was good to be part of that kind of legacy.
What is your most memorable moment from the 80's?
I'm English obviously, I moved over from London in 1986, when I joined the band. That tour for me was the most amazing way to see America. It was a dream, the band was doing great. We got played on the radio. People were coming out seeing us. They were incredibly friendly. I must have liked it, cuz I am still here.
How did you meet Steve Riley?
The original drummer, who was in the band before I joined, left. He didn’t want to go on tour. We would need to go on tour indefinitely. We needed to find someone like a machine. Fortunately we found Steve.
Oh yeah, he is a great musician, really dedicated. Who inspired you to become a musician when you were growing up?
I liked the Beatles, Elvis. It changes all the time.
What about Robert Plant?
To be really honest with you, I am not a huge Led Zeppelin fan. It comes in phrases. Sometimes I am really into it. Sometimes I am not. Maybe it is because they did that dreadful Cadillac Commercial, I dunno. (Laughter)
That is too funny. Now Phil, did you sing in the choir in school?
Yeah, I use to yell my head off. That was pretty much my introduction to music. Singing, really. Reading the words and putting a melody to music.
What do you attribute to LA Guns longevity?
Well we know how fortunate we are, to be able to do what we love the most and pay our bills. We will do this as long as we can, however we can, that is our moderation. I am glad that you like the new album. We have been playing a lot of the new stuff live.
What are your future touring plans?
We will take some time off for the holidays. Then we will do some fly-in shows. The Limelight in New York is open. We will play there in December. Not a full tour till next year.
Yeah, last time I saw you perform was with Dokken a year ago. That was a cool show.
Yeah, Don has been a really good friend to us. He is the real thing. One thing about being in a band like LA Guns, we will be hanging out with Don or Stephen Pearcy, it is so normal hanging out. Then it occurs to me that both of these bands have sold millions of records. They are mega stars.
One thing that is safe to say, the bands of today will not have a long career span like Dokken, LA Guns did.
No, they don’t have the record sales like we did.
Phil, is their anything else you would like to say to your fans at Glam-Metal about the new album?
If you can't afford a plane ticket to Hollywood than this is the next best thing!
Visit www.laguns.net
Check out GM’s review of “Tales from the Strip” here
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