There Are Now Only 1.5 L.A. Gunses

Once upon a time there was a band called L.A. Guns.

Then they went through a bunch of line-up changes so the point where they were barely recognizable as the same band anymore.

Then they got something resembling their classic line-up together and made a couple of their best albums.

Then there was another split, this one leading to the creation of two separate L.A. Gunses — one led by founder/namesake/guitarist Tracii Guns, and one led by singer Phil Lewis and drummer Steve Riley.

And then they patched things up and suddenly there was only one L.A. Guns again.

But then, in 2019, Riley started his own new version of L.A. Guns with bassist Kelly Nickels, so there was two L.A Gunses again.

This bizarre story has now taken another strange twist: Guns and Lewis have reached some sort of settlement/agreement with the second second L.A. Guns. So now the Guns/Lewis band will continue to be called L.A. Guns, while Riley/Nickels band will be called Riley’s L.A. Guns. Which seems to be the result of a lawsuit between Guns and Lewis and Riley, but still seems like a real diss to Nickels, who was also an original member of the band.

In any event, there are now 1.5 L.A. Gunses.

So.

Riley’s-But-Not-Nickels’ L.A. Guns have unveiled their logo, and it’s basically the L.A. Guns logo, only it also says “Hollywood, CA,” in case the band’s name didn’t make it clear enough where they’re from.

I assume at some point Mick Cripps will try and start his own version of L.A. Guns, which he’ll have to call L.A. Cripps or something, thus resulting in another .5 L.A. Guns, or 2 L.A. Gunses in total once again.

While we wait for that to happen, below you can listen to “Nothing Better to Do,” an old, catchy L.A. Guns song sung by Nickels. It features the lyric “I hooked up with a band/ Second baddest in the land,” which has taken on new meaning now.

Incidentally, Tracii Guns’ new project with Michael Sweet from Stryper, Sunbomb, are releasing their debut album,  Evil and Divine, on May 14. Listen to the most recent single, “Better End,” here.