Originating from Glasgow and formally known as HAIRSPRAY TO HEAVEN, BLIND ALLEZ then PHOBIA in a more AOR incarnation, GUN have since made a serious impact on the Rock world by relying on strong material first and foremost.Unfortunately, their own strong material was somewhat overshadowed by the commercial success bestowed upon their cover version of CAMEO's 'Word Up'.

The band was founded by guitarist Giuliano 'Jools' Gizzi, singer Mark Rankin and bassist Cami Morlotti together with second guitar player David Aitken and drummer Alan Thornton. As PHOBIA the band released a 1986 demo featuring 'Can't Get Any Lower', 'Little Dancin' Girls' and 'American Made', before transforming into GUN the following year. Signed by A&M Records in 1989, the Scots issued a Kenny MacDonald produced debut album that July that was a blast of refreshing, unpretentious Rock and featured a guest appearance by Sharleen Spiteri of TEXAS. By this stage the group had undergone a membership change, having drafted guitarist Baby Stafford, bassist Dante Gizzi and drummer Scott Shields.

A healthy bout of touring culminated in the chance of a lifetime when Mick Jagger requested the band to support the ROLLING STONES on their 'Urban Jungle' tour. A valuable top 40 single with 'Better Days' and playing to huge audiences every night GUN fared exceptionally well rounding off promotion for their debut album 'Taking On The World'. Bizarrely this awesome achievement resulted in a split within the ranks as guitarist Baby Stafford quit claiming that he could no longer see any point in carrying on as a musician after having already reached his personal career zenith supporting the ROLLING STONES.

Baby Stafford and Scott Shields duly created BABY STAFFORD and issued the 'Paper Lovemaker' single through EMI in 1994. Relations between the two parties was obviously still cordial, as both bands toured the UK together throughout August and September that year. Baby Stafford split the group, with Shields returning to GUN, the guitarist choosing to later form KATE in 1995. Subsequently, Baby teamed up with former MTV Veejay Rebecca De Ruvo in the Pop Rock outfit BREAKER, releasing two singles on the Coalition label. Stafford's replacement was ex-MIDNIGHT BLUE guitarist Alex Dickson.

GUN's second album, May 1992's 'Gallus', named after Glaswegian slang for "The Best" was heralded by the hit single 'Steal Your Fire'. The album artwork featured Benny Lynch, a notorious Glaswegian boxer. A more direct affair than it's predecessor, the critically acclaimed 'Gallus's commercial success gave GUN a much needed tonic after the inactivity and band turmoil following the ROLLING STONES tour and, after a headline European tour GUN secured the invaluable support slot to DEF LEPPARD's British tour.

However, line-up problems still dogged the band as Dickson then quit, eventually surfacing as a member of ex IRON MAIDEN vocalist BRUCE DICKINSON's band, whilst Shields also departed to team up with his erstwhile colleague Baby Stafford in his new act FUSE. Thus, GUN added drummer Mark Kerr, brother of SIMPLE MINDS singer Jim Kerr, and soldiered on as a quartet.

Third album 'Swagger' emerged in July 1994. The band attained a major hit with a Metalized cover of CAMEO's Dance smash 'Word Up' scoring a top ten British single and even reaching the lofty heights of no. 1 for an extended stay of over four months in Spain. MTV awarded the track their 'Best cover version' accolade. The ensuing 'Swagger' album went on to sell in excess of three times the copies of its predecessors and GUN successfully toured Europe as headliners and supported BRYAN ADAMS at a Gateshead festival.

Still, in an attempt to become more contemporary GUN recorded an album that was nothing more than Brit-Pop, changing their handle slightly to the trendier looking G.U.N. and announcing they would split not that long after the record, '0141 632 6326', produced by Andrew Farris of INXS, emerged. Another shift in personnel saw the inclusion of erstwhile TEXAS drummer Stuart Kerr. The new approach did not win favour with longstanding fans and failed to win a new audience. In 1997 GUN folded. Sporadic reunion gigs took place throughout 1998 and 1999 before the band fizzled out.

Dickson joined the BRUCE DICKINSON band before teaming up with Pop star ROBBIE WILLIAMS. He featured as guest on the 2000 album by SACK TRICK 'Penguins On The Moon'. Retaining his Rock roots (despite next appearing in SPICE GIRL Emma Bunton's band) Dickson reunited in the studio with his former MIDNIGHT BLUE colleague and by ex-RAINBOW vocalist Doogie White for a project named ICE in mid 2001. A GUN compilation, 'The Collection', arrived in 2003.

In 2005, Dante Gizzi resurfaced in the Glam Rock band EL PRESIDENTE. Alan Thornton played session drums on a debut album.In April 2006 interest in GUN was maintained with 'The River Sessions', a set of archive live tracks taken from Radio Clyde, from 1995 and 1997, and February 1992 Radio Forth sessions and a Glasgow Barrowlands concert recorded on 17th February 1995.

In a surprise move, Jools Gizzi, Alan Thornton and Cami Morlotti, working with singer Peter Scallan and guitarist Ian Murray, reformed their very first band BLIND ALLEZ in 2006. Scott Shields teamed up with former THE CLASH singer Joe Strummer for touring work.

GUN returned to action in January 2008, the band now fronted by former LITTLE ANGELS singer Toby Jepson.They debuted in January with Jepson, Joolz and Dante Gizzi joined by Alan Thornton on drums for a concert at the Garage Club in Glasgow. In May GUN played the 'Rockradio Manchester' launch festival then featured on the main stage at the 'T In The Park' festival in July. Gordon McNeil replaced Thornton in October 2008.

2009 was to have seen GUN perform at the 'Castle Rock' festival in Caldicot, Wales and the 'Indie Guitar' festival in Oxfordshire. However, both events were cancelled due to the ongoing economic recession. That same year LAUREN HARRIS, daughter of IRON MAIDEN's Steve Harris, issued a single cover version of GUN's 'Steal Your Fire'.

GUN issued a five track EP entitled 'Popkiller' through Townsend Records during October 2009. An extensive UK headline club tour was conducted throughout November and December.

Garry Sharpe-Young