1987.03.16 - Whisky A Go Go, Los Angeles, USA

Varla DeVil wrote:GUNS N' ROSES & THE WHISKY

In case you've never seen or heard Guns & Roses before, let me tell you, these guys are great with a capital GRRRRRRRR! I haven't seen them play live for quite awhile even though I went to most of their shows since they first started playing around town, the reason being that they haven't been playing that much lately. But now they're back to show this town who's boss and I can't think of any other local band worthy enough to fill the top position. When it does come to sex, drugs and rock n' roll...Guns N' Roses ooze it, use it, kick it around and abuse it...So what if they're considered trouble makers...Like the song says, "Nice Boys Don't Play Rock N' Roll"!

Guns & Roses opened this Alibi Artist Show with a song aptly titled "They're Out To Get Me", shooting into "Think About You". But it was the next three tunes that sent my juices flowing (pardon the expression), "Anything Goes", straight into the amazing "Welcome to the Jungle", then letting Axl display some different vocal style on "It's So Easy". Axl Rose, the bands hot throbbing hunk of a lead singer, tears open his soul and belts out songs like no one else can...and I mean NO ONE! And the band ain't too fuckin' bad either! Guitarist Izzy has a nonchalant sloppy style that balances out the heavy metal guitar solos by lead guitarist Slash, kind of like comparing a '69 Mustang to a '87 Porsche, bit radical driving machines but on different ends of the race track. The backbone of rhythm is handled by the blond bombs...Duff on bass and Steve beating the life out of (or into) his drums.

Although the band complained about the sound I've never known the Whisky to have decent sound. But for energy and emotion X marks the spor here tonight. And judging from the sold out crowd you don't need a map to know where the action is. Some other outstanding songs of the night were "Move To The City", which was dedicated to a local rock station KNAC who has been doing their best to let the hammer slam down on this speeding bullet known as Guns & Roses. Then there's a cover of Aerosmith's "Mama Kin", yeah I know, every one and their (fucking) mother covers and Aerosmith song, but not the way Guns & Roses can breathe life into an already immortal tune.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is: Hey Ratt, Crye, Poison and all you other so called rock n' roll bands...It's time to retire cause Guns & Roses fit all the requirements for the job...and then some.

On this day in 1987, Guns N' Roses played at the Whisky after just finished recording Appetite For Destruction. Riki Rachtman introduced them to the packed club as "hometown heroes". pic.twitter.com/utjo0OBdgJ

— Marc Canter (@recklessroad) March 16, 2021

Soulmonster wrote:This was the first show Arlett Vereecke attended, and she would also comment on the poor sound:

When I first saw them, I think it was at the Whisky and it was the worst. They just had the new sound system, it was the worse that they ever had and Niven insisted that I went to the show. So I said "Yes, I'm going to go check them out." And they were bad, really bad. But they had something. It was worth sticking it out. And I remember Neil Slosar [?], who was a rock and roll photographer said to me, "You've got to work with these guys?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Did you tell Dave [Roth], [?]  I'm calling Dave right now. Did you tell Dave Roth?" I said, "I will tell Dave myself, it's not Dave's decision, it's my decision. And yes, I'm going to work with them." He said, "I can't believe you'd ever consider that, they are losers!" Yeah, you know, he changed his mind really quick after that, but still, at the time he was not a fan. Let's put it this way. So even a bad show, even when they opened for people and did a really bad show that they played different songs that were all fucked up, they were so good, you know.

GN'R Central, December 10, 2017