1987.04.DD - Hit Parader - Latest L.A. Glam-Metal Unit Sets Out For Big Time (Axl, Izzy, Slash)

Adrianne Stone wrote:Latest L.A. Glam-Metal Unit Sets Out For Big Time

Whaddya get when you throw together the raunchiness of Motley Crue, the stylin' and profilin' of Hanoi Rocks and the most primal elements of the Stones? Well, when you shake 'em all together and then toss them out on the burning streets of Los Angeles you get Guns N' Roses, an amalgam of screaming blues and thumping rock that's guaranteed to set the trash n' thrash crowd afire. It'll probably also get the glam rockers running to the nearest incinerator to burn their poseur threads.

Formed less than two years ago, the band features members with such unlikely names as Axl Rose (vocals), Izzy (guitar), Slash (guitar), Duff (bass) and Steven Adler (drums). The five, who have an independently distributed EP, Live Like A Suicide, out on the record store shelves and a debut album due out on Geffen Records any day now, were each in a profusion of other bands before teaming up to form this refreshingly original unit.

Axl, who was singing lead in a band called LA Guns, parted ways with that outfit to form Guns N' Roses with his pal Izzy. They were acquainted with Slash, Steven and Duff and quickly decided to solidify themselves to form their own unit. "It's gone back and forth where we all knew each other and we finally decided the only way we were gonna make it is with this line-up so we're gonna stick together," explains the reddish-tressed, leather-swathed singer.

The band they formed revitalized the lackluster, somewhat tired image of glam/slam/thrash/trash/superstar-initiated rock bands by taking Guns N' Roses just one step away from total insanity. But they managed to retain the frivolity and excitement of grinding, whoopit-up, bluesy, straight-ahead rock and roll pioneered by the likes of Aerosmith and the Stones.

How did they achieve this? For starters, they refused from the very beginning to conform to the standard spandex and makeup look so popular in L.A. area. Instead, they followed their own lead. "We don't plan our look," explains Izzy who incidentally can usually be found clad in skin tight pseudo-leather pants and with a multitude of bracelets and knick-knacks adorning his slim body. "We wear tight pants and boots, but that's what we've always worn." Adds Axl, "When I came out to L.A. five years ago from some hellhole in the Midwest, I was wearing cowboy boots and everybody said I just looked like I just came off the boat. All of a sudden, it's become a fashion, so now I guess I drive the boat."

The image more comes from the band's street-beat past than an interest in fashionable clothing. "Right now," Axl continues, "the biggest thing in L.A. is bands coming out with all these hard-luck stories. 'We've been through this, we've gone through that...' It's all bullshit. We've lived it. Up until we got signed, I lived on the streets for five years. I never live din one place for more than two months, always crashing at people's houses. My parents would say, 'Come back home and go to college and we'll pay for it' but I would reply, 'No, I have to do this now.' "

Slash, a serpentine-haired , somewhat hyper sort, pipes up, "We'd walk up and down Hollywood Boulevard and visit every porno store there is, 'cause they stay open 24 hours."

It's for this reason that the group dedicated their premier EP to "all the people who have helped keep us alive." Their music, with its storming, melodic rock tirades, is a tribute to their hard times and the loyalty of their supporters who have religiously gone to their shows and seen them through their rough times. The EP features songs from their early days as a club band, a fact that makes Guns N' Roses very proud. "We felt that all the people that saw us from the beginning should have a chance to get our early stuff on record. So we only printed up 10,000 copies. That way, they can feel they have a special limited edition," explains Izzy. "It's like an inexpensive dedication to all the kids that helped us get going when we had no money."

Now that they've signed with a major label, they have the chance to tour the entire country. The rock fans of America better be prepared, because Guns N' Roses are no slick, prepackaged combination. They're entertaining an unusual - the kind of band that sets the trends for years to come.

"We want to stay one step ahead of everyone else, " Axl said. "We know this is our big chance and we're sure not gonna blow it."