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While enjoying a short break from touring in support of their latest release, ‘Tales from the Strip,’ Phil Lewis shared his inspiration for some of the songs on the album, as well as, his contentment with the current band line-up of Stacey Blades burning on guitar, Adam Hamilton manhandling the bass and Steve Riley beating the hell out of the drums. L.A. Guns has had their share of ups and downs over their 20-year career, but still manages to produce record after record of glam-rock grooves that get you on your feet and your volume knob turned up to 11.
I think of L.A. Guns as a bottle of soda. Once they get shakin’ Phil is the sweet and sexy effervescence that explodes as soon as tab is pulled, and there is always a legion of fans waiting to drink it all in, myself included.
It was my distinct honor to have the opportunity to ask Phil some “loaded” questions concerning the production of ‘Tales,’ his artistic frustrations and his thoughts on former guitarist and collaborator, Tracii Guns. So, let’s pull the cork out of a fine bottle of cabernet and sit back with the original Hollywood Vampire himself, Mr. Phil Lewis...
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Hey, Phil how are you?
I’m great thank you.
First off let me congratulate you on “Tales from the Strip” taking the top spot on GlamMetal’s Top 10 of 2005.
That’s absolutely awesome, thanks so much. That’s really good. It means a lot to us for obvious reasons. This is the first record we’ve done without Tracii. We were under a lot of pressure, but, personal pressure. It wasn’t like we had people breathing down our necks or anything. It was just something that I reeeeally, really wanted to get right. If it hadn’t of been as good as it was, then maybe, I dunno, it wouldn’t have even come out. I knew that while we were making it that we were on to something really good.
In a recent interview GM came across you stated that you weren’t 100% happy with the outcome of the record due to the fact that you felt “rushed” in the studio. Is this true?
Well, yeah. I mean, ya know, I guess that’s a typical artist’s dilemma, cause ya know, you never really truly finish something. This was such a rush job. We had a month to record and mix it, so basically by the time it came to mixing we had to do 2 songs a day, which is crazy. Some of the songs suffered for it, um…because of the lack of time; “Crazy Motorcycle,” definitely. I was really, really trying to get a Ministry thing goin’ there, with the Jesus built my hot rod, ya know? Just that one song, it took them like six months to do that song, so, ya know I felt that it was a bit of a pity. But overall I’m real pleased with it, and I’m absolutely delighted with the reaction. Very, very few people have said anything negative about it.
That’s great! You also mentioned that you‘re not interested in putting out another LAG album until you’re signed to a major label, is that the case?
Not necessarily a major label, but a label that is gonna be a little more…um….I don’t wanna offend Mike Varney, because he’s a good guy and gave us the opportunity, well a couple of opportunities to put records out. I just would like to have a release with a company that’s got a little bit more power, I guess, in the industry. A company that maybe has it’s own publicity dept., marketing dept. It doesn’t have to be a huge company. Like Spitfire would be great, Sanctuary would be great. I just don’t want to waste another record. I don’ think of “Tales” as being a waste. I think of it as being a demo. I think it’s a great demo for us to take around to potential companies and show them what we can do. I just don’t think we need 2 demos. I think one demo record is fine. Once again, Mike Varney has been reeealy cool, the deal’s on the table. We can go and record anytime, but I don’t want to.
What about following the recent trend of selling a single here and there as a downloadable MP3?
Yeah, well, we’re always writing and recording. It’s not like we’re short of material, and maybe we’ll do something like that this year. Maybe like an EP, 3 or 4 songs and make it worthwhile.
All right, lets touch on some of the songs off ‘Tales.’ I’ll name a song and you tell me a few things that come to mind about that particular one. We’ll start with “Hollywood’s Burning.”
The whole record is a series of stories that are set in West Hollywood. The songs were written here, we recorded them here…everything… the whole thing, ya know? I just wanted to bottle it. Not so much conceptual, but like with a central theme. Where I live is between two fire stations in West Hollywood. I hear a lot of sirens a lot. I mean really, really a lot, like 24/7. Doesn’t matter what time, what day. Christmas day they were screaming up and down Santa Monica Blvd. At one point, I was sitting there trying to work on a song and it was so frustrating! Every five minutes…a fire truck. And it’s not just one fire truck. It’s like, the fire truck, the paramedics, the ambulance and maybe a cop. It’s a whole procession! It makes it really, really hard to concentrate. I thought to myself, if every time I heard a siren, there was really a fire- then Hollywood would be in ashes. There would be nothing left! Mostly they’re false alarms or some little old Russian lady has fallen down and hurt her hip or something. So, instead of trying to fight it and getting frustrated by it, I just decided to write a song about it.
 Speaking of “fire,” with the addition of Stacey Blades on guitar, there seems to be a new fire within the band. Especially on songs like “Gypsy Soul” and “Original Sin.” He really burns on the guitar.
He’s absolutely fantastic. He’s great. If there’s any doubters out there that think that he ain’t no Tracii Guns, well that definitely puts that to rest because he can play anything that Tracii can and he’s basically a better songwriter as well. Well… better for what we wanna do anyway. Tracii’s more into the punk, the ‘Misfits’ kinda thing. I was never that into it anyway, that whole agro-rock thing. That’s not really what I’m into. It’s not what L.A.Guns was ever about. So, yeah…I’m really, really happy with the line-up. For a band, that at last count, had like 27 members, I feel really good that this has been the same line-up, now, for the last 3 gettin’ on 4 years.
On the song “Skin” there’s a lot of screaming for you. It really works for the song. What did you do to condition your voice for recording it?
I had to take a day off before I went in to sing it, because it definitely is a challenge. It’s a hard song to sing. It’s a song that was written by Spike from the London Choir Boys. The music was anyways. I asked him if I could use the song, but I wanted to change the lyrics. He was fine with that. He’s happy with it. I’m happy with it. It’s another one of those songs that could’ve done with a little bit more mixing, a little bit more time, but uh, a wanted to put like, sort of a sexy stripper-esque type song on the record and that worked really well.
It’s a little off the beaten path of typical L.A. Guns, and I love it.
I do too. It was a lot of fun doing it. I love Spike and it was a great chance for me to do justice to some of his work. I’m glad to say he was happy with it. 
Speaking of other people’s work, I was told it was your idea to cover Saxon’s “Wheels of Steel” on ‘L.A. Guns Rips the Covers Off’, which was released prior to ‘Tales.’ Any particular reason you picked that one?
Cause it’s a great song. I grew up listening to it as a kid. It was a song that I could see us pulling out live once in awhile and just taking people’s heads off.
Back to Tracii for a minute, what are your thoughts regarding him joining Quiet Riot and are you surprised it only lasted through one rehearsal?
I think that they all needed just to chill-out a bit, and play a couple of band practices before they started making these global announcements. Especially Tracii, now because he’s in such a precarious position, it doesn’t do him any favors, at all. I was out doing a thing with my little side project with Keri Kelli, Robbie Krane and Bobby Blotzer, called “Angel City Outlaws.” We were playing at the beginning of December when I heard about it. The consensus was it was a bit of a joke, and it probably wouldn’t last very long. We didn’t expect it to last this short amount of time! (laughs). I wish Tracii the best, I really do. He’s a good musician and he deserves better. I’m not sure that Quiet Riot was the best thing for him. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.
(Jokingly) Maybe he could hook up with Axl Rose somewhere down the road?
He tried that. Axl laughed at him. He wrote an email to Axl. Axl’s assistant wrote back and said thanks… Axl thanks you for giving him a good laugh and you’re out. Ya know, that’s gotta hurt.
Did you ever have any interaction with Axl back in the day?
Yeah, way back when I first joined the band in ‘86 & ‘87 we did some local shows. He’d come, hang out, get on stage and sing Zeppelin songs with me. It was really nice, but the thing was, both of the band’s records came out at the same time. Both successful records, so we weren’t really in L.A. at the same time. We’d be on tour. They’d be on tour. There really wasn’t a chance to form any kind of friendship. We were gone. They all seemed like good guys though.
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On the subject of temperamental rock stars, you once told me you were friends with Courtney Love. Your daughters are friends. Have you ever considered writing with her at all?
No, of course not. She’s into all that… REM, Smashing Pumpkins crap, and I’m a rocker. I think she has kind of a distain for old school, and I’m not real good friends with Courtney, to be honest with you…uh…our daughters are good friends. Courtney was never around much for Frances. It was always nannies. I always dealt with nannies during the week, or the weekend nanny. The few times we did interact, she was cordial and nice and everything, but I don’t want you to make the mistake of thinking we’re great buddies and our kids hang out while were jamming and smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. It was never like that.
Okay, just wanted to clear that up. Do you guys have any plans for maybe a tour package lined up for this summer?
Yeah, we’d love to get out on a package. The tour I really, really would love to get on, that I think would be so much fun, and that I think we’d be compatible with is this Poison 20th Anniversary Tour, that is being talked about at the moment. I hope that we get a shot at that, at least one of the slots on that package, because, that looks like a lot of fun.
Do you know of any other bands they are considering, and how many bands might be included on the bill?
I don’t know too much about it at this stage, but I imagine it’ll be a three or four act bill as usual.
Did you film or record any of the shows from your most recent tour that may end up on a DVD at some point?
No. But we are filming and recording this Whiskey show on Friday, which I’m 90% sure will be released as a DVD, providing we don’t suck. (laughter). We haven’t played since October! We may come out of the gate fresh and hungry, or I may come out and forget the words to “Sex Action.” (Laughter) We’ll just have to see how it goes.
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Tell me more about your side gig, “Angel City Outlaws.”
I got a call the end of last year from Bobby and Keri and they asked me if I’d stand in. I guess they had Jani Lane and it was becoming clear that Jani wasn’t gonna be around much to do what they wanted to do. It’s nothing major, it’s just a bunch of guys getting together playing our favorite songs, something to do on downtime. It’s really great to go out and play and hang out with musicians other than my band mates.
So, either musically or personally is there something you’d still like to pursue or accomplish in your career?
I don’t have great aspirations; I never really wanted to be an actor or anything like that. My other passion apart from music is photography. It would really be great, it would mean a lot to me if I could get somewhere near the recognition as a photographer as I have as a musician.
I’m wondering why then, some of your work wasn’t incorporated into the cover art of past LAG records?
Well, that was one of the things that really bugged me about Mike Varney from Shrapnel. He was like, “No, no we gotta have a professional photographer.” I dunno if he was expecting I was gonna show up with this crappy little instamatic and take cheap shots or something, but um …that was something that really frustrated me about the last record. Always, anything to do with Shrapnel, the artwork is always such an appalling let down.
Mike insists he wants to have a say in at least one aspect of the record, because he’s not involved in the writing or the recording. That’s one of his stipulations. That’s maybe another one of the reasons I don’t wanna do another record with him. And, I don’t mean that in a “bitchy” way. Full props to him, I think he’s great. Ya know, every time we hang out, he’s all, “Phil, I’m so sorry.” I mean he understands my point of view. I don’t keep it a secret. But that’s something that I should be doing. It would really, really enhance a Guns record, big time, if I was allowed to be in charge of jacket design and sleeve design and photography and graphics. Actually, in the next couple of days, I’m gonna’ have a friend come over and we’re gonna’ work on designing some new T-shirts for the summer. It’s definitely time for us to come out with something new. We’ve had the old shield and the cross now for a couple of years. It’s time for change.
It’s good and bad though, because it’s a recognizable image and people like to hold onto that. But, you’re right. Change is good too.
Yeah, definitely.
I would just like to tell you, Phil, that L.A.Guns has long been one of my favorite bands and every time I need to get my blood pumpin’ I throw on an LAG record, and I think ‘Tales’ is an awesome album, and contains some your best work to date.
Thank you very much. I appreciate that, and I hear it a lot and it really makes up for the sort of “indy status” the band has sort of dropped to. I know people love us. I know we’re making great music. I also know we aren’t selling millions of copies of records like we used to. Ya know, if we had released ‘Tales’ or ‘Waking the Dead’ as our second record instead of ‘Cocked and Loaded’ I think it’d really be a different story. I really regret not having Andy Johns as our producer in the early days, because we really wanted him badly. We were on the same label as Cinderella. They were making these great sounding records, and we were making these sort of tinny, FM radio sounding, slickly produced…well not the first one, but, ‘Cocked & Loaded’ and “Hollywood Vampires.” It’s really too bad that we didn’t have the mentality and teamwork that we have now, back then. Well, I’m not bitter about it. It’s great as a musician, to be recognized and get compliments like you just told me. It means everything, to be honest with you.
The fact is, there are good bands out there, putting out great stuff. It’s just… you gotta search it out. You gotta find it, because we’re being spoon-fed the crap, ya know? (on the radio)
That’s it! The public wants what the public gets, right?
Exactly.
Well, thanks, that’s inspiring and it’s very encouraging and it really makes me feel like the band has a good future.
I would agree with that comment, for sure. One last thing, I know you are a wine connoisseur. Tell me what’s your favorite bottle of wine, so we can be sure to have a bottle on hand next time you’re in town?
Oh, that’s lovely! I’m a red wine drinker. I like Cabernet. I like Merlot. My favorite wine is called Sequoia Grove. It’s from Napa. It is red velvet! It’s like liquid velvet. It’s so…so amazing. You just cannot believe how a liquid can have so much flavor. I mean I don’t drink it to get fucked up. I drink it cause I really, really like it. Getting fucked up is just like a pleasant… (as we both laugh) side effect. Any cabernet or merlot is real good, but not just for me, but if somebody was interested and wants to check it out I don’t think they’d be disappointed. It’s not vastly expensive. It’s about $25-30 a bottle, and it’s really, really worth it. It’s not like I drink bottles of that every night, that’s for real like... special occasions.
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Well, anytime LA Guns comes to town, it’s a special occasion.
Oh, that’s great! Hey, we’re headed up that way at the end of February. In fact, we’ve got
Albany on the 24th, Clifton, NJ on the 25th, Farmingdale on the 26th and Hartford on the 27th.
Cool, we’ll mention those shows on the site. Phil, take care, and we’ll talk with you again soon.
Thank you.
Talking with Phil Lewis, for me, was one of those moments that are filed under, “Holy shit, I got to shoot the breeze with Phil freakin’ Lewis!” He & L.A.Guns have inspired many nights of rock n roll debauchery from 1987 right through to last Friday night! If you ever find yourself in a crappy, lifeless mood, simply throw on a Guns record, any one within reach will do. I promise, you’ll get more excited than Michael Jackson at a boy scout convention! (I know that’s a lame joke, but it’s late and my memory foam pillow is calling. Until next time boys and girls…Ciao!
Be sure and check out upcoming tour dates and log on to LAG’s message boards at their website: www.laguns.net
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