A Good Reason to Talk About INXS

Call it a hunch, or fate, or just a mere coincidence, but I've been listening to a lot of classic INXS lately. I can't explain why, but I've found it very comforting to have "Never Tear Us Apart" many times on repeat. 

After original lead singer Michael Hutchence died in 1997, the remaining members of INXS were left with a difficult decision to either pick up and move on...or call it quits. The band forged ahead and eventually used reality television to find a new, permanent lead singer instead of transitional vocalists used between 1997 and 2004.

Rockstar: INXS was on CBS but I never watched the show. I tried to get into it once, but I just couldn't. I didn't think the competitors were that great and I found the entire concept tedious. Yes, I found Rockstar: INXS more tedious than American Idol.    

So, what does any of this have to do with Glam? Turns out a lot.

Paul Black is the original singer of L.A. Guns and for the past couple of years he's been reunited with Tracii's version of the band. As L.A. Guns, they played some big shows including Rocklahoma 2007. Well, Paul is out and now Marty Casey is in. Marty (clearly) didn't win the Rockstar: INXS prize.

Marty has been up in Canada with L.A. Guns for awhile, helping the band write their new album. Now here's something weird: on April 9 I was supposed to interview Jeremy Guns about the band's new album. After he got to Canada, he cancelled the interview. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I'm wondering if something was amiss even at the beginning of the recording process?

At any rate, I have no idea what the future holds for Paul Black but I do know that L.A. Guns are forging ahead with their new album and tour and that also includes an appearance at Rocklahoma. You better believe I'll be in the media tent when the new L.A. Guns make their press call. I want to get a close look at Marty Casey. 

Still don't recognize the name Marty Casey? Don't feel bad. Here are some clips of him singing during the Rockstar: INXS contest:

Here's "Trees"

Here's "Creep"

Here's "Don't Change" (with INXS)

As if a new signer wasn't enough, the band also has a new guitarist. Look at the picture: that other blond you see if Alec Bauer. I don't have the down low on him, but I'm digging.

**What are your thoughts on the newest incarnation of Tracii's L.A. Guns?

Comments

[Chey]

paul black is NOT the original singer. He lost out to drugs and that was his problem. I love Marty though. I think its cool but it won't last. i was reading up on Tracii everyone says that he is extremely difficult to work with. I mean not egotistical but just a regular asshole. i don't know, maybe i will start listenin to that version of the band with marty. phil is one of my favorite frontmen so it was be hard to top.

[Joe]

Yeah I'm a Phil Lewis fan also..I love L.A. Guns (Phil Lewis band) last studio album..Tales from the strip..It rocks!..But I'l give this a listen too =)

[Red6ixx]

Phil lewis will allways be the voice of LA guns in my opinion - i just wish the lads could sort out there differences and we could have 1 real version of LA guns with Tracii and Phil.

[Xavier]

I hope this new record is very good, but anyway, to me LA Guns will be always the voice of Phil Lewis.....

[aXe mAn]

This is not the REAL L.A. Guns to me. I prefer Lewis on vocals. But we'll see what happens with this I guess.

[rob]

this is not L.A. GUNS. L.A.GUNS. will always be phil, traci, mick, kelly and steve. by the looks of that pic, looks like this is going to be a " modern" rock band. traci guns = sell out.

[Randy]

Tracii needs to give it up. Come up with a new name for the band. Tales From the Strip is the best LA Guns record ever released. Probably because it didn't have Tracii. The songwriting is consistant. Tracii is all over the place and it's never very good. Listen to the last Brides of Destruction album. Sounds like a bunch of wanking. There is no sense of style there.

[Valentine]

Chey, Paul Black actually is the "original" singer - at least in that he was the singer that wrote would would later become a large portion of their first album. Paul did lose out because of drugs and label pressure... They brought Phil in when a lot of the basic tracks were already recorded.

I don't care for Paul's voice - I agree that, to me, Phil Lewis is the voice of LA Guns... I like the 80's version best, too...

Tracy needs to change the name of the band and get on with it. And the new singer, Marty, is going to find it really hard to be the singer of LA Guns... You CAN'T replace the singer of a popular band that has many records under it's belt with a new guy and still use the same name... The voice it too identifiable with the name...

[Rob Rockitt, Hard Rock Hideout]

I don't like the idea of two bands running around with the name L.A. Guns. Tracii needs to let it go.

Call them selves the U.S. Guns or California Guns or something else.

Not sure how Marty Casey will sound with Tracii's lineup, but its definitely an improvement over Paul Black.

I still prefer the Phil Lewis led L.A. Guns, and will continue to. I have see them live twice in the last year, and the band sounds as good as they ever have.

[Christian]

Never tear us apart is not CLASSIC INXS. Don't Change, sure is. I grew up listening to those guys.

Tracci is a joke. Sorry,but he kind of is.

[Kenny Ozz]

This just again proves that Phil wins in the LA Guns war. I mean come on!! The dude that LOST rockstar INXS?? Maybe the next singer can be Clay Aiken or Bo Bice. Oh, and Randy, "Tales from the strip is the best LAG record ever released" ???? What are you smoking dude?? That record may be their WORST effort to date!

[Vicky]

Jesus. You guys are brutal sometimes. Let me just say one thing. Tracii Guns is one of THE nicest guys I have ever met in my life. I've been in the music business for 20 years and I've met a LOT of rockstars. He is funny, interesting, laid back and totally sweet. He's not a sell out or a joke. He's trying to modernize LA Guns, and that's his prerogative to do so.

Paul Black was fired because he played 2 shows in Mexico without Tracii's permission. Serves him right. I met him while they started recording up here, and he was the only one in the band that I couldn't get a read on. He didn't seem very friendly to be honest. Tracii, Jeremy, Alec and Chad, and their management people Jodi and Kris were fucking awesome people. (I'm working with them up here. Won't say in what capacity, because it doesn't really matter.)

I grew up listening to LA Guns, and yes, when I think of them, I think of Phil Lewis being the singer. However, shit happens sometimes. When Tracii started Brides of Destruction with Nikki Sixx, Phil Lewis and Steve Riley decided to go on without him. I don't know how Steve managed to finagle 50% of the rights to the name, but I think it's bullshit. It's Tracii's band, and he should own 100% of the rights to the name. (Hopefully he'll put a stop to the second LA Guns soon enough.)

Alec aka Big Al was the Guns tech for about a year. (That's all the story you'll probably find on him Allyson.) He's a sweet kid and super excited about being a member of the Guns gang.

Why don't you all wait to hear the new material before bashing it? Am I stoked that a reality star is the new lead singer? Not really. But he has a good voice and seems like a nice guy.

[Kenny Ozz]

Dont get me wrong Vicky, ANYBODY will be better than Paul Black. Im just saying that it appears to be lame.

[Vicky]

I just feel bad that people are bashing Marty without even giving him a fair shot.

[Vicky]

Also, the CD is being produced by Steve Thompson. Which is a VERY good thing.

Click here to see who he is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Thompson_%28musician%29

[Liz]

I agree that there are too many LA Guns floating around, and when bands split, I fully support the new name and reformation idea. In my opinion, I feel everybody should rest the LA Guns name and start fresh, but then...we wouldn't have anything to gossip about, now would we! We couldn't call them glam if there wasn't any drama!

I watched Rockstar INXS the whole season, and was totally stoked by Marty Casey. He's a great singer, he looks good, and even writes some pretty good songs on his own. I'm excited to hear the new album and I hope its completely different from anything they (Tracii, or Paul, or Phil, or whoever the heck at this point) has done! They're great musicians! Listen to the album with an open mind!!

Oh, and Randy...I LOVE that Brides record. I love Nikki and Tracii's collaboration on it, and the fact that it's all over the place. I think it's a great thing when side projects are messy and fun, and done for the sake of making music and not pleasing a label...which is one of the reasons why the band never made it off the ground! Perfect in my books.

Finally, who really knows/cares if Tracii is an asshole to work with whilst sharing a creative space such as a band? Every one of us can slag someone (and depending on who you're talking too, every musician is an asshole at some point), but if the opportunity ever came up that maybe you got to play with Tracii...would you say no?

[Randy]

I'm sorry Kenny Ozz, you're opinion is the only one that counts. To you that is. i prefer it. You don't like it, I don't care.

[KixRules]

Sorry Vicky,
It seems most of us do not agree with you. Tracii LEFT LA Guns after Phil and Steve begged him not too. What were they supposed to do, nothing? They kept LA Guns alive and when BOD went under, Tracii thought he should just take everything back? No F'n way! And what he has done to the name of LA Guns by having Paul Black butcher classic songs is horrible. Now he is bringing in a losing contestant of a reality show? WTF? The sad thing is he is most likely a much better singer than Paul Black, but who cares! It's not LA GUNS, will not sound like LA Guns and should not be called LA Guns! Phil and Steve's version is LA Guns and I can't wait to see them when they hit the east coast soon. Hopefully they also get some festival gigs next summer instead of this rip off version that is playing ROK this year...Needless to say I will not be watching them at ROK when they come on this year (And LA Guns is one of my favorite bands of all time!) It is really sad!!!!!!!!!