1987.10.17 - Airport Music Hall, Allentown, USA

Guns N' Roses: They are what they are

By MICHAEL HENDRICK

The members of Guns N’ Roses, one of rock’s latest band of bad boys and the group which appears tonight at the Music Hall, Allentown, apparently don’t care what the public thinks of them.

Said the group’s guitarist Slash, who doesn’t reveal his real name, in a recent interview:

“The guys in the band, myself included, are what we are and we aren’t going to try and hide that so we can sell more records or become popular and accepted.

“The more they yell and scream, the more we will do it. It’s like being the bad kid in school. The more attention they give you the worse you get.” The group has released its debut album, “Appetite For Destruction,” on Geffen Records. The album contains one of those stickers, “Contains Language Which May Be Unsuitable for Some Listeners.”

Guns N’ Roses gives three separate album credits to its tattoo artists. There’s also a thank-you to “Richard Caballero (for keeping Axl and Slash outta jail).”

In addition to Slash, group members include W. Axl Rose, vocals; Izzy Stadlin, guitar and vocals; Duff “Rose” McKagen, bass and vocals, and Steven Adler, drums.

Opening tomorrow night’s rock show will be E-Z-O, which also has an album on Geffen Records.

E-Z-O is a Japanese rock band which sings in English.

The group’s first U.S. release was produced by Gene Simmons of Kiss.

Said Slash of Guns N’ Roses debut LP: "When I listen to the LP I see how the band has grown since even then. A lot of the stuff sounds crisper to me now than it does on the album.

“I’m happy with it. I’d like to go a little bit farther with it on the next one. I would like to see the sound get even heavier.

“But that’s what everybody does. You never really peak, so you just keep on going.”

Slash likes to set Guns N’ Roses apart from the many metal bands currently on the youth rock music scene.

“I would like to think that we have something else to offer as a band than just being some other glitzy band that just pops in and pops out.

“I hope we are good enough to last awhile and offer something other than being the next cute little fad that has come along."

Fans who like the album should like tomorrow night’s show even more.

“We are better as a live band,” said Slash. “That’s why we got together in the first place, to play live.

“We got signed and did a record because that’s the only way to keep going in this business.”

Guns N’ Roses is one loud band. How loud?

“We just crank it up. Other bands can’t deal with it because they can’t take it.

“If I don’t feel the bass coming up through the floorboards, then I feel like I’m losing something.”

Don’t label Guns N’ Roses as a heavy metal band.

Said Slash: “In general, heavy metal is no good. In a year from now, two years from now, a lot of bands will start to drop off the scene.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about any of the bands that are still working to get off the ground, but the actual buzz has died down.

“So, in a couple years, if we are still here and everybody else is history, that will speak for itself.”

Guns N’ Roses, with opening band E-Z-O, performs tonight at Airport Music Hall, K mart Shopping Center, Airport Road, Allentown. Tickets are expected to be available at the door. The concert is presented by Makoul Productions, Allentown.