2019.07.11 - AL.com - Guitar hero Tracii Guns talks L.A. Guns, Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin

https://www.al.com/life/2019/07/guitar-hero-tracii-guns-talks-la-guns-axl-izzy.html

Excerpts about Axl and Izzy:

You mentioned Axl Rose. What's your most vivid memory from the first time you ever jammed with Axl, back in the day when you guys were first coming up?

Well, we spent so much time together that before I ever jammed with him we were at a soundcheck together where Hollywood Rose (a GN’R precursor band) and L.A. Guns were playing together. That was the first time I heard him sing, and it was him just checking the mic. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I was like, “Oh s--- who is this guy?” [Laughs] And that’s a very vivid memory.

Earlier you also mentioned Izzy Stradlin. Izzy's such a reclusive dude. Everyone I've ever interviewed that worked with him, played with music with him, talks about how cool he was. What made Izzy so cool?

What makes most cool guys cool is a certain insecurity. They don't want to be judged, they don't want confrontation so they choose their words carefully and when they finally put out an idea, it's a great idea and well thought-through. And he's certainly one of those guys. Even when we were teenagers Izzy was the coolest guy in town. I got in a fight with him and it was the coolest fight I'd ever been in, you know? [Laughs] He was so methodically about the way he bitch-slapped me, it was awesome. There's certain people that have personality like that and you can equate cool with careful, and I believe Izzy's a very careful person. And he's very well read, he's a smart guy and that's why he's probably always been kind of out of the public eye other than onstage because he knows better.