Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate and L.A. Guns

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

Hardrock Haven recently chatted with Love/Hate and L.A. Guns frontman Jizzy Pearl about the re-release of his three books, “I Got More Crickets Than Friends,” “Angst for the Memories,” and “Unhappy Endings.” Jizzy also talks about his writing process, the current state of music, and a variety of other topics. For more info about Jizzy’s current music and writing ventures, be sure to visit http://www.jizzypearl.com/.

Part One:

Part Two:

L.A. Guns Acoustic LIVE!

February 19, 2011 at Hotel Café, Hollywood, CA.

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

Announced as a special acoustic performance to be recorded for an upcoming live release, Tracii Guns’ L.A. Guns booked two nights at Hollywood’s famous Hotel Cafe. A small and intimate club, it served as the perfect venue to capture a more laid-back performance by one of L.A.’s most important metal bands. It’s always interesting to witness unplugged performances by heavier bands, but L.A. Guns proved that they are more than just distortion and power chords.

Opening act Stiletto Ghetto — who won the gig through an online contest — unfortunately didn’t do a whole lot to get things moving. Their songs weren’t inherently bad, but the dull performances and sour notes only served to make the audience eager for the announcement of “We’ve got one more song for you.” Perhaps nerves mixed with the acoustic setting could be to blame, but unfortunately the shortcomings overshadowed anything that would have drawn new fans.

Hitting the stage at a shockingly unrocking 8 p.m., the current incarnation of L.A. Guns included Tracii, fan-favorite vocalist Jizzy Pearl, drummer Chad Stewart and bassist Danny Nordahl (where’s Jeremy?) along with former bassist Muddy Stardust on guitar, legendary keyboardist Tony ZigZag, and percussionist “Tito Puente” (aka Doni Gray). Mick Cripps was mentioned as a guest, but he didn’t appear (perhaps his role was saved for the second night). Dropping the usual rocker garb for more dressy digs, there was certainly an air of sophistication, at least as much as can be created by rockers known for songs like “Sex Action” and “Sleazy Come, Easy Go.”

The set predominantly comprised more acoustic-friendly L.A. Guns songs, as could be expected, but this also gave the band a chance to dust off some long-lost classics that maybe wouldn’t fit so well in the usual high-energy electric sets. “Crystal Eyes,” “Dreamtime,” “One Way Ticket” and “It’s Over Now” worked excellently unplugged, and reminded fans that L.A. Guns have always had significantly more depth — musically and lyrically — than many of their contemporaries.

A few heavier songs were given the acoustic treatment, with crowd-pleasers such as “Never Enough” and “Electric Gypsy” (retitled “Acoustic Gypsy” for the night) being particularly effective. “Decide,” from the terribly underrated Shrinking Violet record, sounded dark and eerie, though it suffered a small loss of bombast without the electrics. Of course, being such a strong song, it feels like nitpicking to even point that out.

The show did boast the debut of one new, original song, introduced as “the Country Bear Jamboree” by Tracii, but it’s officially called “Little Soldier.” It showed a very different side of LAG, delivering a full-on country flavor and, apparently following in the footsteps of other rockers, gone a bit country, Ricky Warwick and Robin Zander. Nevertheless, it was a fun song and showed off the diversity of the band members’ writing.

Performance-wise, things were tight, and perhaps most importantly, everyone looked to be having a great time. It seems almost rare these days for a band to enjoy what they’re doing, but it was clear that everybody involved was having a blast.

While Tracii’s guitar playing was as strong as ever (albeit extremely quiet due to a strange mixing choice by the engineer), the gold star for the evening goes, without question, to Jizzy Pearl. Having been in the business for more than 20 years, Jizzy seems to have bucked the trend suffered by most of his compatriots and has retained the range he had back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. His tackling of an Otis Redding cover (deemed risky by a fellow vocalist in attendance) was superb, channeling Janis Joplin’s wail in both screechiness and power. Perhaps even greater, though, was hearing Jizzy sing the classic L.A. Guns songs as they were recorded. Other LAG vocalists have been known to change melody lines to compensate for lack of — or faded — vocal range, but Jizzy sang them true, in all their high-pitched glory. After the show, Jizzy noted that he felt “very naked” performing in the acoustic setting, but he absolutely rose to the occasion and exceeded expectations, which were fairly high to begin with.

Assuming the second night went as well, or even better, the forthcoming record culled from the show should be on every metal fan’s must-have list. Of course, the true hope is that it simply will be an enjoyable holdover for an all-new L.A. Guns album, also rumored to be released this year. At least it’s good to know the band is in top form and ready to go. And hopefully they got any desire to countrify out of their collective systems. This is the ultimate L.A. Guns line-up and hopefully will remain constant for a long while.

Set list (in a rough approximation of order):
Crystal Eyes
One Way Ticket
Dreamtime
Decide
Never Enough
It’s Over Now
Over the Edge
Otis Redding cover
Little Soldier
Electric Gypsy
Sex Action
Love Hurts
The Ballad of Jayne

Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

Legendary guitarist and founder of L.A. Guns, Tracii Guns, recently took some time out of his touring schedule to chat with Hardrock Haven about a little bit of everything: from the band’s first-ever EP release back in 1985, to the recent reissue of 1999′s Shrinking Violet. He also talks about the current state of rock, his innate guitar playing ability, and even tempts us with tales of long-lost Axl Rose-crooned early recordings.

The 50-plus minute audio interview is available in two parts:

Click here to listen to Part 1

Click here to listen to Part 2

(Thanks to Tracii for indulging one long-time fan’s desire to discuss obscure L.A. Guns trivia, and to Rhonda Saenz for setting everything up.)

Jizzy Pearl of L.A. Guns

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Singer Jizzy Pearl of L.A. Guns checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about the deluxe reissue of Shrinking Violet; how they hooked up with Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label; a recent tour of South America; when we can expect some new music from L.A. Guns; quitting FaceBook; his solo work and writing; downloading; a few words about Dio; and a whole lot more.

With Jizzy Pearl in tow, L.A. Guns are picking up where they left off when he originally recorded Shrinking Violet with the band over 10 years ago. Tune in now to get to know their enigmatic and talented singer, and pick up the deluxe reissue of Shrinking Violet today!

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

L.A. Guns Shrinking Violet Deluxe Reissue

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

Helming the band since its very inception, Tracii Guns is and will always be the man behind L.A. Guns. From the early Michael Jagosz-fronted metal of Collector’s Edition No. 1, to the radio-friendly Phil Lewis years, through the heavy-as-hell Chris Van Dahl-voiced American Hardcore period and beyond, Tracii has always been there. Back in 1999, after a period of stylistic experimentation, Tracii enlisted former Love/Hate vocalist Jizzy Pearl to fill the recently vacated lead vocal spot, and the resulting album was the oft underappreciated Shrinking Violet. A powerful combination of emotional heaviness and Led Zeppelin-inspired riffs, Shrinking Violet boasted some of Tracii’s darkest and most epic writing, taken to new heights by Jizzy’s versatile and powerful vocals. Favored Nations has luckily realized that this album deserves another shot at notoriety, and has thus reissued it in a “deluxe edition” (well, sort of, more on that later).

Released on the heels of the somewhat disappointing Wasted EP, Shrinking Violet was very much a return to form for the band. Instead of taking things in another new direction (as was done on American Hardcore), Tracii instead blended all of the best bits of the previous L.A. Guns albums into one very solid record. Adding Jizzy Pearl was also a stroke of genius, as his range and gritty delivery suited the songs to a T; harsh enough to keep things heavy, but smooth enough to carry the melodies. It seemed that a perfect balance had finally been struck.

The opening bars of “Girl You Turn Me On” are chill-inducing, and the song is as classic a Guns song as has ever existed. The mellow “Dreamtime” acts almost as a musical sequel to 1991′s “I Found You,” with an extremely emotional delivery from Mr. Pearl. Conversely, “I’ll Be There” reaches American Hardcore heights of heaviness, and simply pummels the listener into submission.

“Big Lil’ Thing” and “California” are more traditional LAG fair, and “Bad Whiskey” sees the guys veering into classic blues territory. One of the most outstanding moments on the record comes at the end of the spectacular “Barbed Wire,” where Tracii lays down an inspired and beautiful acoustic solo over the final notes. Many shredders seem to have problems when it comes to acoustic soloing, but clearly this is not a problem for TG.

As noted earlier, what makes this reissue a bit strange is the omission of several songs, two of which happen to be some of the best tracks on the original album. “Decide,” though present here in a pretty spectacular live version, was perhaps the strongest, darkest song to come from these sessions. Certainly drawing from Kashmir-era Zep, the track varies from subtle, gloomy verses to powerful, epic choruses. Luckily not removed entirely, new fans need to experience the original version in order to fully appreciate the somewhat stripped-down live version.

Also missing from the reissue is the suggestively titled “It’s Hard.” A mix of slow, hardcore riffs and rough garage rock, it seems tragic that the label has left it off. Not getting to know its blazing prechorus is a tragedy for new fans. It’s a good thing original copies are plentiful on ebay…

The final track to be left behind was the cover of Zep’s “How Many More Times,” and though an excellent version and a fun way to close the original album, it makes sense that perhaps licensing was the cause of leaving it off.

To compensate for the removed tracks, Favored Nations has added five live tracks recorded in San Angelo, Texas last July. Minus the aforementioned “Decide,” the songs are rather obviously selected, as they are some of the band’s most well-known classics. While they sound great, and Jizzy arguably out-sings the originals, they don’t quite pack the punch necessary to replace the dropped songs. If anything, they will do little more than leave fans jonesing for a release of the entire show. Drummer Chad Stewart is also an excellent addition, bringing his own powerful style while still retaining the feel of the original tracks. If anything, these bonus track surely leave fans jonesing for a release of the entire show.

While it’s great to have Shrinking Violet available once again, the reissue could have used a bit more of a deluxe treatment to make it totally worthwhile. It does serve one major purpose, though, that being whetting everyone’s appetite for an album of all new Tracii/Jizzy/Jeremy/Chad songs. Judging by the quality of Tracii and Jizzy’s previous output, and the quality of the current incarnation’s live performance, it will no doubt be an instant classic. Until then, though, do yourself a favor and check out this forgotten gem.

Genre: Hard Rock

Current Lineup:
Jizzy Pearl (v)
Tracii Guns (g)
Jeremy Guns (b)
Chad Stewart (d)

Track Listing:
1. Girl You Turn Me On
2. Shrinking Violet
3. Dreamtime
4. Barbed Wire
5. I’ll Be There
6. California
7. Cherries
8. Big Lil’ Thing
9. Bad Whiskey
10. Decide (live)
11. Rip And Tear (live)
12. Never Enough (live)
13. The Ballad Of Jayne (live)
14. One More Reason (live)

Label: Favored Nations

Website: www.lagunsofficial.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10 (reissue); 9/10 (original)

Dakota Rock Fest 2009 Live!

July 24 & 25, 2009 W.H. Lyon Fairgorunds, Sioux Falls, SD.

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Friday’s Lineup
4:00 pm JUKEBOX ZEROES
5:00 pm GOODBYE THRILL
6:00 pm TALON
7:00 pm ESCAPE
8:00 pm FAR CRY
9:00 pm DRAW THE LINE
10:00 pm HEAD EAST
11:15 pm APRIL WINE

Saturday’s Lineup
10:00 am PAISTY JENNY
11:00 am APPETITE FOR DECEPTION
12:00 pm ESCAPE
1:00 pm TANGO DOWN
2:00 pm ENUFF Z’ NUFF
3:05 pm BOMBAY BLACK
4:10 pm L.A. GUNS
5:25 pm DRAW THE LINE
6:30 pm FIREHOUSE
7:45 pm DOKKEN
9:00 pm SKID ROW
10:15 pm BRET MICHAELS

The second annual Dakota Rock Fest—aka Eastern South Dakota’s Biggest Rock Formation—stepped up its draw this year by bringing one of the hottest musicians/TV stars on the planet to Sioux Falls, S.D. Bret Michaels closed the festival on Saturday night, and his star power brought tens of thousands of spectators—those who love him for his numerous hits as Poison’s frontman, and then, those who want to do more than love him for his cable TV smash hit “Rock of Love.”

Like last year, Dakota Rock Fest 2009 featured area acts (Jukebox Zeroes and Nebraska’s Paisty Jenny), new Hard Rock bands carrying on in the tradition of Poison, Motley Crue, Ratt, etc. (like Tango Down, Bombay Black, Far Cry) and then multi-platinum ‘80s giants like Dokken, Firehouse, Skid Row, and Bret Michaels.

The promoters also signed on tribute bands for Aerosmith, Journey, and Guns and Roses. By far, the GNR tribute band Appetite for Deception lived up to their namesake, with the other two struggling to mirror their heroes.

Dakota Rock Fest went even farther back than the ‘80s, closing out Friday night with Head East and April Wine. It was obvious that Saturday’s/Bret Michaels’ crowd was a bit more spritely than those who stayed to see April Wine on Friday.

The organizers (Leisinger Entertainment) welcome feedback and actually listen to their customers, so this year’s VIP access was even better than last year. For $150, it’s all you can drink and eat, while having access to mingle with the bands in the VIP area. It’s by far one of the better priced festivals in the nation.

For some reason, the bands that truly seemed hungry and happy to be playing this year were the lesser-knowns, like Far Cry, who blew the crowd away with their songwriting, musicianship and live energy. Tango Down did the same, offering up a mix of Firehouse and Ratt-like compositions that pulled the crowd in even if they didn’t know the songs. As always, Bombay Black owned the masses with their blend of infectious, snarky, heavy and fun Hard Rock.  Paisty Jenny one-upped them all, bringing on three gorgeous bikini-clad women (see pictures below) to dance around and wake up the crowd as they sang “Jack/Coke a little bit of Bud Light!” on the track “Take It Like a Shot,” while their somber “Better Man” showed another facet to this talented foursome.  

Unfortunately, maybe because of a tech glitch at the start of their set, the band who seemed the most uninterested was Dokken. They opened with “Breaking the Chains,” and lead singer Don Dokken stopped the set and said, “Trust me, this song sounds a lot better when you can hear the guitar.” While he tried to slough it off, professionals have short fuses, and by the time the guitar was back in the mix, Dokken was forced to nix a song or two from their set. After that, Dokken seemed comfortable singing an entire octave below the original melody line on some of the songs, making them sound droning. Without Jeff Pilson in the band to match the harmonies and backing vocals the great Dokken hits mesmerized with, and with Don himself comfortable sleepwalking through the harder vocals spots, Dokken as a band struggled mightily, and the crowd echoed the lack of energy accordingly.

The biggest surprise was L.A. Guns, who now have Jizzy Pearl on lead vocals. Just thinking about it, Pearl makes sense. Forget his hired-gun status in Ratt; Pearl sang the best drinking song of all time, “Black Out in the Red Room” with his band Love/Hate, and he’s the perfect mix of sleaze, grit and melody to replace Phil Lewis. They played a new original song, and it may have been the highlight of the set, although “Ballad of Jane,” “Sex Action,” “Show No Mercy,” etc. were all highlights. Traci Guns is a talent, and with Pearl able to once again record new music, look out for the newly invigorated L.A. Guns.

Bands like Skid Row and Firehouse are incapable of playing a bad live set, no matter the circumstances, and the crowd ate up their stage time. Enuff Z’Nuff, while excessively talented and armed with some of the most melodic Hard Rock you’ll ever hear, followed the combustible Bombay Black, so their set lacked a bit of energy in comparison.

By Saturday eve, the crowd seemingly doubled in size from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and a large number of those attendees were female. If you needed proof that Michaels’ name alone can fill up a festival, well, should have been there. Regardless of how you feel about Michaels, he is a performer first and foremost. He mixed his set with hits from his new solo album and of course the Poison mainstays. He always lays it out for the crowd, he’s a consummate showman, and his set capped off Dakota Rock Fest to perfection.

Dakota Rock Fest 2009 Photo Gallery

Photos by John Kindred/Derric Miller.

Dakota Rock Fest 2009 Video Gallery

(Congratulations to Leisinger Entertainment for another successful Dakota Rock Fest and thanks for bringing quality Hard Rock outdoor entertainment to Sioux Falls.)