The Gun Club

Rock band from Los Angeles (CA, USA) formed in 1979 by Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Brian Tristan (aka Kid Congo Powers), with Don Snowden and Brad Dunning completing the lin-up. The band was initially called The Creeping Ritual.

In 1980, Snowden and Dunning quit the band, and were replaced by Rob Ritter and Terry Graham (the rhythm section of the The Bags). Powers accepted an invite to join The Cramps, and his place on guitar was taken by Ward Dotson. The new band went on to record the group's classic first two albums, "Fire Of Love" & "Miami". Ritter left the band in 1982 just before "Miami" was released - which is the reason the band is seen as a trio on the LP cover. Dotson soon quit as well.

Ritter taught his basslines to former Bags band-mate Patricia Morrison before leaving so she joined in his place. Graham quit, and gave his place to Dee Pop. The next release, the "Death Party" EP, came from an improptu recording session that featured Jim Duckworth, and a bassist friend of Pop. For their next album - the only release to feature Morrison on bass - "Las Vegas Story" out in 1984, Kid Congo Powers returned on guitar, and Terry Graham on drums. After some successful tours, Pierce started to travel around the world and the band came to a halt for a period, as he started to work on his solo album.

In 1987, Pierce staged a comeback for The Gun Club with Kid Congo Powers, Pierce's girfriend Romi Mori and Nick Sanderson joining him. The band put out the well-received album "Mother Juno" the same year. Three more albums followed, and in 1995 a new line-up was formed including Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Wayne Kramer, Mike Martt, Kid Congo Powers and Romi Mori.

On the 31st of March 1996 the band sadly came to an end due the death of Jeffrey Lee Pierce. They were notable as one of the first bands in the punk rock subculture to incorporate influences from blues, rockabilly, and country music. The Gun Club has been called a "tribal psychobilly blues" band, as well as initiators of the cowpunk and punk blues sound.