Then my mom got remarried and I moved to Westchester, which is north of the city about forty-five minutes outside of the city. I was born in Manhattan and then my parents split up. I’d like to start by asking about your earliest introduction to music. Guns and Guns N’ Roses, to learn more about the origins.Īndrew: I appreciate you making some time, Rob. I recently sat down with Rob Gardner, co-founder of legendary rock acts L.A. The original lineup of the storied hard rock act consisted of Rose, Guns, Stradlin, Gardner, and Beich. Guns and Hollywood Rose, then merged to form Guns N’ Roses in March of 1985. In the aftermath, Weber left the band and was supplanted by Guns. The lineup that evening featured Rose (vocals), Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar), Chris Weber (lead guitar), Steve Darrow (bass), and Gardner (drums). 31, 1984, for a New Year’s Eve celebration at Dancing Waters in San Pedro, California, with Gardner replacing Johnny Kreis behind the drum kit, respectively. Guns enlisted the help of charismatic frontman Axl Rose - then known as Bill Bailey - of Rapidfire and Hollywood Rose fame, in the interim.
In need of a singer to replace Jagosz, L.A. 1, at Westlake Audio in Westlake, California before external forces prompted a reconfigured lineup. The new-look quartet managed to record an EP, entitled Collector’s Edition No. The initial incarnation of the hard rock powerhouse also included Jagosz and bassist Ole Beich. Guns, poised to be among the next wave of virtuoso guitarists to emerge from a crowded Los Angeles rock scene, and the multifaceted Gardner remained an inseparable unit, forming L.A. However, friend Raz Cue provided unexpected financial backing, which inspired Gardner and Guns to modify their vision and evolve. Singer Mike Jagosz, whom Gardner had known from his previous school, and bassist Dani Tull teamed with Guns and Gardner to round out a four-piece band called Pyrrhus. Once the pair learned of their respective musical aspirations, a jam session transpired that would subsequently parlay into a sizeable commitment.
A rising sophomore at Fairfax Senior High School, Gardner struck up an immediate friendship with classmate Tracii Guns, forging a bond that would ultimately alter the course of music history. Gardner, a self-taught drummer who initially honed his chops in marching bands, relocated from New York to Los Angeles as a young teenager. Those skills can be found in spades on ‘Checkered Past’, which is arguably one of the most vital and exciting releases in their chequered career.Though his name has been relegated to a mere footnote in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll history over the years, Rob Gardner proved to be an integral ingredient to a formula that spawned two iconic rock acts in the 1980s. However, despite having the songs to back up that image, they have also written moving and powerful numbers such as ‘The Ballad Of Jayne’ that prove there have always been serious songwriting chops on display. Guns were never pretty poster boys, but more the sort of outfit you would be terrified to bump into in a dark alley.
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When absorbed as a whole, listeners will also discover that the tracklisting is divided into ‘suites’, where one sonic style is explored across a set of songs before moving on to another, which makes for a remarkable listening experience.įeeling as inspired and excited as when they first started out, but with years of accumulated wisdom and experience (not to mention a renewed and stronger artistic and personal relationship), Guns and Lewis have also maintained the creative peak that began with 2017’s ‘The Missing Peace’.Ĭheckered Past’ shows off a band totally reinvigorated and ready to wow their followers with epic, slower songs, while others will make them dance and/or bash them over the head!įrom their self-titled 1988 debut right up to the aforementioned and widely praised comeback records, Guns and Lewis have always delivered solid rock ’n’ roll to their fans. The current incarnation of their band was also touring non-stop right up until the worldwide pandemic, and the cohesiveness of a well oiled unit – not to mention the stunningly unique vocals of Lewis and mind-bending guitar skills of Guns – are on full display on what is a must hear album for fans both old and new. Heavier songs are mixed with bluesier, boogie inducing tracks and dark, introspective ballads that sometimes hark back to their first three records but always continue to push the band forward.
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