LA Guns reload in El Paso

LA Guns reload in El Paso

As a photojournalist from time to time, I do get to cover a band that I’m a fan of and that was certainly the case last Sunday night here in West Texas when LA Guns brought their 2026 Lucky MF’r Tour to 11:11 EPTX, yeah, one of my new favorite venues to work in.  Needless to say, the stars were lined up perfect evening of kick ass rock and roll.    Truth be told, it was the cover of Cocked and Loaded for me that caught my attention over 20 years ago, I mean how cool is that chick straddling a cocked Model 29, I almost got it as a tattoo, but that’s another story.  Also, this does make the second time I’ve seen LA Guns, the first was over 20 years ago in St. Petersburg at Jannis Landing, after that I was hooked.

  The band has kicked out 16 albums in 37 years, the most recent in April of 25, Leopard Skin.    Lineup changes and multiple record labels read like a revolving door over the years, not to mention that there were two LA Guns at once both producing music at the same time.  This story is not that uncommon, but in the Good News Department, the one is gone and what we have now is the one we always wanted, Tracci and Phil back together again.   The current lineup is as follows,  Tracci Guns on guitar, Philp Lewis doing vocals, Johnny Martin on Bass, Ace Von Johnson on guitar and Shawn Duncan doing the honors on percussion.  To say this hard rock/glam metal band is a tight group, well that’s the understatement of the year.

On the evenings card, we have 3 locals in support, all cover bands.  Personally, I have never seen such a thing, a cover opening for a national, much less 3 of them.   Zodiac Hellhounds, Kaos and Thunder 79 are power houses in our local scene and never fail to deliver, in my opinion, all 3 did a fantastic job.  I know most of these guys playing and that made in even more fun for me to shoot and let’s not forget, they’re opening for LA Guns, yeah, pretty excited to say the least.   LA Guns hit the stage at 10:30 and opened with Cannonball, Electric Gypsy and Sex Action.  A 15-song set list was over before it began.  For me, it was like going down memory lane as these tunes were all I listened to in 2016 during my time in the French Quarter.  Never Enough, One More Reason, Electric Gypsy and of course Sex Action.   The audience, while not as large as expected, roared and screamed as the band played hit after hit, I too, couldn’t help myself as the fan I am of this epic band.  As the 90-minute set was nearing its end, you could tell that the boys were firing on all 8 cylinders, yeah, its great to have Phil and Tracci back again, true rockstars.   As it should be Rip and Tear wrapped up the evening and the house lights were brought up.   In closing, what a fucking night of serious rock and roll, the fans here in El Paso are still talking about last Sunday, that’s the impression LA Guns leaves, mind and hair simply blown back.  The boys are out there on the road touring the country, check those listings and get to the show.   Thank you so much and of course I’ll see you at the next rock show.

Story and Photography by Tim Schumann

Set list-

Cannonball

Electric Gypsy

Sex Action

Like A Drug

Speed

One More Reason

Show No Mercy

Over the Edge

Hit and Run

I Wanna Be Your Man

Kiss My Love Goodbye

Lucky Motherfucker

Never Enough

The Ballad of Jane

Rip And Tear