L.A. Guns – Live in Concert
Cleopatra Records
http://cleorecs.com/store/shop/l-a-guns-live-in-concert-dvd/

Rating: C+

L.A. Guns were part of the M3 Rock Festival on May 12, 2012 in Columbia, Maryland.  The show was shown on HDNet, however, not all of the concert was shown!  Meaning, that this is the entire show including tunes that were not broadcast, behind the scenes footage and interview segments with Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Stacey Blades and Scotty Griffen.

The concert is okay…the band sound like the band but they don’t reinvent the wheel, nor do they set the world on fire.  It would be best described as a meat and potatoes live performance from one of the Sunset Strip’s iconic hair metal bands. 

The included CD actually comes off better as, for whatever reason, the band, captured on video, are not as exciting as they were on CD.  The music comes off better when you’re not looking at them.  Not that they are bad, boring or stiff or anything like that.  Bottom line is watching the video they just seem a little uncomfortable.  Taking that visual out and listening only the CD and that aspect is lost and one can concentrate more on the tunes.

There is something really cool lurking in the bonus videos, however.  The band and legendary producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stone, Van Halen) are captured on video working on the band’s latest CD Hollywood Forever, which is a great collection of music.  Watching the band work with the master of thinking outside of the box is most interesting.

While this one is not going to set the charts on fire, it is a fine representation of the band in 2012. 

"Live In Concert" track listing:
Live At The M3 Rock Festival
01. Sex Action
02. Never Enough
03. You Better Not Love Me
04. Sweet Mystery
05. Revolution
06. Sleazy Come, Easy Go
07. Electric Gypsy
08. The Ballad Of Jayne
09. Rip N Tear

Studio Videos
10. You Better Not Love Me
11. Araña Negra
12. Requiem (Hollywood Forever)

The Making Of Hollywood Forever
13. The Beginning
14. Bookends
15. Writing Songs
16. Working Together
17. Time Crunch
18. Phil s Songs
19. Hot Rods & Strippers
20. Treasure Chest
21. Vinyl Spider
22. Hot Take

By Jeb Wright