When I went to N.C. State our college radio station WKNC stood out from the other college radio stations in the area. While WXYC at Chapel Hill played what was called “college rock” at the time, WKNC played hard rock and heavy metal. They even played Chainsaw Rock which tore apart the normal hardness. The rotation bin in the broadcasting studio smelt of hairspray and sweaty spandex. One of the bands that got plenty of airplay was L.A. Guns. The band led by guitarist Tracii Guns were known for having once merged with Hollywood Rose to become the original Guns N’ Roses. Tracii Guns left the band after issues with Axl Rose. Slash joined and Axl kept the Guns N’ Roses name. Traci restarted L.A. Guns with vocalist Phil Lewis from England. Their self-titled first album went gold in 1988 along with their follow up Cocked & Loaded. Their song “The Ballad of Jayne” hit the Top 40. Then they put out Hollywood Vampires after metal fell out of vogue. But L.A. Guns didn’t give up the rock as they kept playing live and releasing records over the decades. L.A. Guns – Live From The Guild Theater capture them at the Menlo Park, California venue on July 10, 2025.
The band’s logo is above them and covered in leopard print. This was because the band was touring in support of their new album Leopard Skin. The concert mixes a few new tracks with all their classic hits that played on WKNC. You’ll feel the power of “The Ballad of Jayne.” Phil’s voice sounds good after all these years on road. Tracii Gunns tears into his guitar for the entire set. He’s on that stage for a purpose. He’s ready to rock out the entire crowd that’s packed up front. Things get really fun when Tracii Gunns breaks out his Theremin for a jam moment. Joining Tracii and Phil on stage are guitarist Ace Von Johnson, bassist Johnny Martin, and drummer Shawn Duncan.
L.A. Guns – Live From The Guild Theater show us that Tracii Gunns and Phil Lewis can still bring the hard rock to the masses. This is one of those shows that’s so worth recording so it can be revisited. If you want to know about L.A. Guns, experience their early hits and enjoy their latest music just crank up this concert and watch them rock out that crowd in Menlo. You’ll be headbanging along.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. You get to see it all happening on the stage including the theremin solo. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. While the levels sound good, you’ll want to crank up the volume so your neighbors think L.A. Guns are playing in your living room.
Track Listing:
1. Intro – Taste It
02. Cannonball
03. Electric Gypsy
04. Sex Action
05. Hellraisers Ball
06. Hit and Run
07. Like a Drug
08.Speed
09. One More Reason
10. Theremin Jam
11. Over the Edge
12. Guitar Solo
13. I Wanna Be Your Man
14. Lucky Motherfucker
15. Never Enough
16. The Ballad of Jayne
17. Rip and Tear
Cleopatra Entertainment presents L.A. Guns – Live From The Guild Theater. Starring Traci Gunns, Phil Lewis, Ace Von Johnson, Johnny Martin, and Shawn Duncan. Running Time: 83 minutes Rated: Unrated. Release Date: September 4, 2026.
an ad for WKNC back in 1987
