L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat take a bite out of the Big Apple

Two Hollywood favorites give Times Square a Sunset Strip makeover

Author:
Paul Gargano

Johnny Martin / L.A. Guns

Two Hollywood favorites give Times Square a Sunset Strip makeover

The calendar may have said it was Monday night in New York City, but it felt like Friday night in Sony Hall on June 6, when L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat co-headlined the packed Times Square club. Currently on the road with the Tom Keifer Band through the end of July, the two Hollywood institutions are spending a lot of their Sonic Slam off nights together - and judging from the response in NYC, it’s a can’t-miss night of music in its own right.

Faster Pussycat took the stage first, making a triumphant return to the city that never sleeps, and their first visit with guitarists Sam “Bam” Koltun and Ronnie Simmons. Taime Downe’s man-in-black stage persona lies in contrast to the more affable nature of Guns frontman Phil Lewis, but their sets mesh almost poetically. Pussycat delivered grit and grime with their new singles “Nola” and Johnny Thunders cover “Pirate Love,” while their L.A. stage mates countered with the frenetic and hyperactive opener “Cannonball” from latest release Checkered Past and the full throttle overdrive of “Speed” from 2017’s The Missing Peace.

Guitarists shared the spotlight in both sets. Tracii Guns yet again showed his chops as arguably the most underrated player to emerge from the ‘80s Hollywood scene, and former Faster six-stringer Ace Von Johnson and bassist Johnny Martin complimented each other perfectly, occupying the other side of the stage like they were born to be there. For Faster Pussycat, Koltun and Simmons are electric, in a few short shows together already demonstrating a chemistry that might go down as TaIme Downe’s most formidable guitar coupling ever.

L.A. Guns packed their 13 song set with 10 tracks from their first three albums - including “Over the Edge,” “It’s Over Now” and “Kiss My Love Goodbye” from their brilliant third album Hollywood Vampires, four from their self-titles debut, and three from sophomore release Cocked & Loaded.

In addition to their two new singles, Faster Pussycat represented all four of their full-length studio releases, including seven cuts from their self-titled debut and Wake Me When It’s Over, opener “Jack the Bastard” from Whipped! and “Number 1 with a Bullet” and “Shut Up & Fuck” from 2006’s hidden gem The Power and the Glory Hole. Set favorite “Bathroom Wall” even featured bassist Danny “Enjoy Me” Nordahl taking over vocals for a mid-song detour through the Supersuckers staple “Pretty Fucked Up.”

Today’s Sunset Strip is a far cry from the halcyon days of yore, but it was flashback Friday for New York City - guitars, grit, grime and glam. It was a night of rock the way we all love to live it.

FASTER PUSSYCAT SETLIST

Jack the Bastard

Cathouse

Slip Of The Tongue

Don’t Change That Song

Ain’t No Way Around It

Pirate Love

Number 1 With A Bullet

Nola

House of Pain

Bathroom Wall / Pretty Fucked Up

Shut Up & Fuck