“Don’t ever leave that kind of F#@king money on the table! What the F#@k is wrong with all of you?”
— Tracii Guns to Skid Row on their decision to not reunite with Sebastian Bach

Metal Sludge — In a recent podcast interview L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns talks about why Skid Row should reunite with Sebastian Bach.

Guns was a guest on The Chuck Shute Podcast and has plenty to say about a laundry list of subjects, including the on-going saga between Skid Row and their former singer Sebastian Bach.

The California native and L.A. Guns founder, leader and chief songwriter breaks it down like this; “I hate to bring up Skid Row and Sebastian (Bach) because I love all those guys. Love them together and love them separate, but the guys in the band, their point of view is that Sebastian to them is a shit head and then Sebastian‘s point of view is like, ‘Well they wanted a David Lee Roth type of guy.'”

Guns then adds; “My point of view is don’t ever leave that kind of f#@king money on the table. What the f@#k is wrong with all of you? Seriously, no joke. I’m not making a joke or a funny ha-ha-ha.”

“They think they don’t like Sebastian that much. Rachel and Snake, it’s so wound up in their head, how much toxic Sebastian is, that they’ve amplified it over and over and over and over again,” says Guns.

Guns himself has had a storied history with his own band L.A. Guns, which found him in a decade’s long battle against most of his former band-mates along the way that eventually came to legal blows with the guitarist filing a lawsuit against Steve Riley in 2020.

Guns had talked openly for years alleging Riley had stolen money from him.

In a 2008 article from Bravewords Guns states: “Steve Riley stole $157,000 dollars from me, and Phil Lewis is a piece of shit. So there you go. You wanted the answer, well, there it is.”

In a 2019 interview with The Blairing Out Show at NAMM, Eric Blair inquires about Riley, Guns replies with: “Oh. He’s doing the M3 [Rock] Festival. Yeah, yeah. He’s a piece of shit. That’s what I think of it. [Speaking directly to the camera] You owe me a lot of money you fuckin’ ugly fuck [laughs]. And fuck you.” (as transcribed on Sleazeroxx)

Most fans of the group are aware there was a long-lasting feud between the 2 different L.A. Guns camps, with 1 side featuring Guns and his crew, while Phil Lewis and Steve Riley had their own version but in 2016 after a near 15 year stretch, the guitarist and singer called a truce for what it’s worth.

Then a few short years later, saw Riley team up with classic era bassist Kelly Nickels to forge forward with yet another new lineup of L.A. Guns... it was at that point that Guns had seemingly had enough and filed a lawsuit.

In the end Guns appeared to have come out on top, retaining the rights to his band L.A. Guns, but allowing Riley and Nickels to go forward using the name Riley’s L.A. Guns.

Riley forged forward with Nickels and released new music in addition to playing some live shows as Riley’s L.A. Guns, but sadly the drummer passed away in October of 2023.

In the recent extended interview Guns elaborates a bit more about the dynamic of a band making it work, even when there are parts of the puzzle that seem to not always fit together the best.

“It’s the music business, it’s not the friends business. You’re lucky if everybody is friends, and you’re still doing good business. But you’re really lucky, if you do amazing business, and you don’t have to be friends,” says Guns.

“If The Who could do it, if The Eagles could do it, if Guns N’ Roses could do it, why are you too cool, you’re not cooler than them.”

“I don’t care how many snotty people are on the internet talking shit about all of them, people are going to go see Skid Row with Sebastian Bach.”

“But my whole ulterior motive for this, is if Skid Row got back together, then L.A. Guns could open for Skid Row. But that’s my whole reason for trying to get Skid Row back together hahaha,” laughs Guns.

Guns talked with Shute for a solid 2 1/2 hours and the interview covered a lot of ground with all kinds of highlights which we have noted below.

0:00:00 – Intro
0:00:20 – Playing with Gilby Clarke
0:02:18 – Old & New Music & Tribute Bands
0:06:30 – Embracing Your Influences
0:07:29 – New L.A. Guns Songs
0:10:49 – Writing Music
0:11:45 – Adam Hamilton: Drummer & Producer
0:13:37 – Touring as a Band & Member Roles
0:16:27 – Advice for Younger Artists
0:19:55 – Relationship with Singer Phil Lewis
0:20:55 – Vicious Cycle Album
0:24:46 – Deep Cuts & “Let You Down”
0:28:48 – Fan Reactions To Songs
0:30:20 – Mental Health, Anxiety & Trolls
0:33:33 – Brides of Destruction, John Corabi & Nikki Sixx
0:37:05 – Attitude Towards People
0:40:30 – Peace with Old Bands & Dave Mustaine
0:43:27 – Psychology, Family, Girlfriends & Intense Relationships
0:49:33 – Run In with Guns ‘N Roses Members
0:52:05 – Band Chemistry, Skid Row & Sebastian Bach
1:00:15 – Joe Leste of Bang Tango & Other Singers
1:02:05 – People on the Internet & Other Cultures
1:05:37 – People From Different Backgrounds & Commonality
1:08:25 – Michael Sweet & Religion & Acceptance of Differences
1:12:05 – Believing Lies, Immigration & Travel Issues
1:18:25 – Podcasts, Headlines, Context & Value of Information
1:21:35 – James Hetfield, Metallica & Personal Issues
1:24:45 – Duff McKagan, Sobriety, Drugs & Being Healthy
1:32:10 – Mystique, Followers, Clarity & Transparency
1:33:35 – Food Trucks, Budget Cuts & Living Wages
1:40:30 – Healthcare System & Caring for People
1:43:03 – Ozempic, Diet & Pharmaceuticals
1:54:10 – Mental Health, Anxiety & Drugs
1:58:09 – Cigarettes & Addiction
2:03:45 – Bravado & 80s Music Scene
2:06:57 – Contraband Supergroup & Richard Black
2:10:37 – Nikki Sixx & Egos
2:12:40 – GnR, Eazy E, NWA, Hip Hop & AC/DC
2:15:05 – Ballads & Music Business
2:18:08 – L.A. Guns Rarities & Unreleased Songs
2:19:30 – Unreleased GnR Music & Izzy Stradlin
2:25:45 – New Record
2:27:00 – Outro

The Chuck Shute Podcast (episode description): Tracii Guns discussed his musical journey, including his time in LA Guns, Guns N’ Roses, and various collaborations. Guns emphasized the importance of music in his life and his preference for older music. He praised tribute bands and shared insights on songwriting, noting the impact of his song “Let You Down” during the pandemic. Guns also reflected on his relationships, including his time with Axl Rose and the challenges of managing a band. He advised emerging artists to protect their vision and maintain open-mindedness. Guns also reflects on his experiences with anxiety, addiction, and the evolving music industry, stressing the importance of song structure and the impact of his work with various bands. He mentions Izzy Stradlin’s reclusive nature and brilliant songwriting, noting Izzy’s reluctance to seek unwanted attention. Tracii also talks about his upcoming album release, its availability in physical formats, and the unique cover art created through AI and hand painting.

Stay tuned to Metal Sludge for Breaking News, Updates and Features along with both New Interviews and Classic 20 Questions.