14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sat Jun 13, 2020 6:51 pm
APRIL 10-14, 1992
CANCELLING SHOWS TO AVOID THE LAWThe three following scheduled shows, in Rosemont (April 10) and Auburn Hills (April 13 and 14), were cancelled when Axl feared he would be arrested and extradited to St. Louis if he continued to stay in the country [Chicago Tribune, April 11, 1992; Houston Chronicle, April 12, 1992; Chicago Sun-Times, April 16, 1992]. The first show can cancelled in the last minute, "leaving thousands of fans waiting outside" the venue [Chicago Sun-Times, April 12, 1992].
Rather than go to jail, Rose left the sheriff's jurisdiction.
Chicago Tribune, April 11, 1992
He wasn't anxious to spend any time in jail without reason. To suddenly extradite him over a misdemeanor charge, there's no cause.
The Northwest Herald, April 11, 1992
Robert McCulloch, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, would respond:
[Axl] is easy to find. Wherever he goes, we’ll be waiting for him. If he wants to cancel his whole schedule, fine. If he leaves the country, we’ll notify Customs to get him when he comes back.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1992
The cancelled shows would cost the band, with Bridenthal estimating they had generated $1.5 million in ticket sales [The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 15, 1992].
With the police waiting the band fled to Europe for the Freddie Mercury benefit and the European leg of the tour.
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sat Jun 13, 2020 6:57 pm
APRIL 1992
SLASH AND SAVANNAH; RENEE BREAKS OFF THE ENGAGEMENTIf I f— some girl in a bar it makes the cover of People magazine. The fact that I have a good marriage doesn't matter.
_____________________________________________________________
APRIL 1992: SLASH AND SAVANNAH AT THE SCRAP BAR
As mentioned before, Slash had been dating Renee Suran since the early 1990 [double check this]. But in April 1992, People Magazine would claim that Slash was now dating the porn star Savannah, or rather that Slash and Savannah had "engaged in full hit whoopee" at the Scrap Bar in New York, in front of other customers [People Magazine, April 27, 1992]. Or, as Lakeland Ledger would describe it, they "did the nasty" "on a barroom floor — in front of scandalized (or titillated) patrons" [Lakeland Ledger, August 28, 1992].
Slash and Savannah
This is also likely the incident Slash would refer to in 1994, when commenting upon an alleged ménage à trois between him, a porn star and some pasta:
There was something in People magazine which said I was going out with this porno chick, and they said I stuffed spaghetti in her! In public! In a club in New York! Can you imagine the time it would take to do that?
Duff would later reminisce about the Scrap Bar and poke some fun at Slash:
I did mention the Scrap Bar, right? Ah, my home away from home--a safely tucked-away hole in the wall for all things debaucherous. I think I lost my in-public virginity here sometime in '89 or '90 ...or was it Slash? (Not, of course, who I lost my virginity to, okay?! You sick bastards.) Anything went at the Scrap Bar and cops just seemed to stay away. I don't blame them, as they would've probably had to take away the whole lot of us, not to mention the staff. I miss places like that.
SLASH'S INFIDELITY CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH RENEE
Slash would likely refer to the rumor about him and Savannah at the Scrap Bar in the following quote from an interview with MTV in May 1992, complaining about how infidelity rumors had screwed up a relationship which he was now trying to restore:
I think probably lately it really occurred to me that I didn't have any privacy in the last couple of months. I really tried to maintain that, like, I'm a guitar player so I can slip in and out of places without anybody noticing and, you know, all of a sudden it hit me really abruptly it wasn't like that, and everything I've done for the last year or so, all of a sudden […] it was big rumors and this and that - that was a drag and it screwed up the relationship that I had at the time, which I'm trying to, like, rework, you know, and I think the fact that I can't just walk up and down the street or going to this pub or going to this club or whatever, you know, and that's changed and I have to be aware of myself. Now that's the biggest hardship. The rest of its great, I mean, the three hours that we play on stage makes it worthwhile, so you try not to bitch about it too much. But it has its moments where it gets to be like, "I can't believe people are writing this, it's not true," and people's perceptions of what you're all about are completely distorted because they're being [cut]
The same month Slash would indicate that his touring life had put pressure on relationships, again likely referencing an ongoing problem in his relationship with Renee:
Relationships with the opposite sex can be really f***ed up now, because of the position we're in. Everybody's trynna get a piece of something. It's either that or there's someone really genuine who loves you or likes you because of who you are, regardless of what you do. We're in that struggle now. It's either: f*** off, just leave me alone. Or, if you're trying to make it work with somebody, and you're playing the tour at the same time, the trains don't really meet on the same ground. It's difficult. […] I'm just realising all this and I'm 26 now. […] the last coupla months has been a transitional period for me. I don't want to adapt to any normal kind of life, yet there are things that are really important to me that I'm trying to hold on to. Of course the way I am is: oh, up for this. So I try to explain, 'I've been in a rock'n'roll band since I was 15/16 years old. There's been one year in my life at home, and that's when you met me. […] I just wanted to be back on the road, and it turned into the same old thing, and it blew her mind. Y'know? She heard about all the shit that goes on and she was just flabbergasted. I guess I'm trying to do what it is that I do, but at the same time make some semblance of a home life.
From the previous quote it is obvious his celebrity status and rumors had caused problem for a personal relationship but that he was trying to restore it.
A little bit later he did another interview where he talked about the problems that came from his new celebrity status:
When it starts to hit you on a personal level, you know, when it starts to come out, then all of a sudden, reality of you don't have any real privacy, and all that. That's strange realization to have to try and grasp. I don't complain about it too much. I've been complaining about it a lot lately because it's really just hit me recently. Like in the last couple of months. Where the band's been big for a long time, but I just never put myself in that... saw myself in that light. As being any kind of, you know, pseudo-celebrity type. And so this just really hit me in the face recently. It was sort of a shock, because it hit me really hard. It was just like: "Fuck, I can't really do this, I can't go there." You have to think about what you're doing when you walk out the door. That kinda shit.
When asked to elaborate on whether something happened:
Just a bunch of shit that all happened at once. […] It's always when you've been on the road for a while and you come home and you don't think that's anything's different, and you find out that it really is. I mean, you don't walk around the streets going: "Somebody's looking at me." So, when you find out that you're walking down the street, not thinking that people are calling other people and saying where you were. I mean, that's like a morbid fucking situation to be in. And like I said, I don't usually complain about it, because, you know, everything I've been through has been a small price to pay for what I get away with, you know. But then to find that I don't really get away with anything. [laughs] That's what pissed me off. [laughs].
In an article published in December 1992, it would be claimed that Slash had been unfaithful to Renee after they got engaged and that she dumped him [Life Magazine, December 1992].
MAY 1992: THE ENGAGEMENT IS OVER; SLASH RETREATS TO HAWAII
This is likely what Slash refers to here:
I was in Hawaii escaping my wife-to-be – she found out that I was messing around. I split town.
From Hawaii, likely in May 1992, an inebriated Slash would call in to Howard Stern's Radio Show. When asked what he was doing in Hawaii, he would respond that he was just "trying to get [his] head straight" [The Howard Stern Show, May 29, 1992]. Stern would quickly press Slash about having sex with famous people, to which Slash would reply:
Dude, don’t start that with me. […] I’m already in hot water with this enough, you know.
When Stern then asked him about the rumour with Savannah, Slash would respond:
That’s not true either. […] I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you what. Alright. What happened was, Savannah, who I think we all know – […] She is what she is. She’s a friend of mine, okay? […] We’re not really together. […] Well, listen. A lot of stuff went on with the whole going back on the road thing, and it –[…] It’s really private, as far as I’m concerned. I mean, because a lot of stuff is going on, and my girlfriend of, like, two years and I split up, because of that. […] But I love her very much, so I’m not gonna sit there and degradate [sic] – okay, I still can’t say it (laughs) – and mess with the whole thing.
DENYING THE RUMOURS, TRYING TO WIN RENEE BACK
And in the same interview he would object to Stern insinuating they had sex, and state "she never got past my chaps" [The Howard Stern Show, May 29, 1992].
Slash would also imply that the rumours about the sex act at Scrap Club was spread by someone to get by at Slash for not having joined in as an investor in a club:
That whole situation that went on with Savannah was one of the things where, yeah, Savannah and I were, like, hanging out and stuff. And we were at the Scrap Bar, and Steve [Trimboli] – whatever his name is – he made me an offer back in the office. […] And he goes, you know, “I offer you such and such amount of money to go invest in a club.” And I was like, “No, that’s not gonna happen.” […] He just did that because I totally blew him off on the deal. […] He’s a [beep], because, I mean, I hang out at the Scrap Bar all the time. All the people that work there are cool -[…] No, but it’s just – nobody really cares? It’s in People magazine, and I’m like – […] Like, my mom even called me. And I was like, “No, I didn’t [beep] anybody in the Scrap Bar.” (laughs).
The very next day, a more sober Slash called in to the Howard Stern Radio Show again:
I’m very madly in love with somebody that I’m not married to. […] And who I’ve gone through a whole major ordeal with. […] Well, I’m not gonna get married – you know, not at this point in time. But, at the same time, it’s one of those heavy things, where I’ve been having to deal with it.
And Slash would again claim that Trimboli was lying [The Howard Stern Show, May 30, 1992].
When Gilby was asked about the rumor about Slash and Savannah he would reject it as pure nonsense and emphasize that it had caused problems in Slash and Renee's relationship, and also support Slash's claim that it was just someone trying to get vengeance on Slash:
Total fiction. That club owner and Slash had some sort of disagreement, so the club owner released this story to get even and everyone picked it up and ran with it, adding embellishments along the way. And yes. It's a pretty hilarious story, but Slash's girlfriend, Rene, wasn't laughing. Neither was Slash. He's marrying Rene soon, and that was the last thing he needed her to read.
JUNE 1992: TRYING TO BE FAITHFUL
By June 1992, it seems Slash had managed to square things with Renee, because he would now talk about trying to be faithful to Renee and the threat of getting AIDS meant that Slash was trying to curb his promiscuity:
OK, I’ve quit the drugs, but there’s plenty of other things to get into. […] You gotta try and keep your hands off the beer, and off the girls. That’s hard. But I’ve got a girlfriend now back in LA and I have to think of her. She knows girls throw themselves at me because I’m in this famous band and that it’s really tempting for me to just go for it. But it upsets her and I wanna try and make it work between us. Anyway with AIDS you just can’t enjoy casual sex any more. That hit our business hard you know. I mean, sex was one of our favourite vices.
EPILOGUE - SAVANNAH DIES AND SLASH TELLS THE TRUTH
In 1994, Savannah would tragically commit suicide after having received damage to her face from a car accident and having financial problems [Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1994]. According to her manager, Pera, Savannah had suffered depression from her breakup with Slash [Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1994]. GN'R spokesperson, Bryn Bridenthal would deny that Slash had had a romantic relationship with Savannah [Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1994].
But when visiting the Howard Stern show in early 1995, Slash would be asked if he had "scored with Savannah" and he would reply:
We went out together. We had really intellectual conversations together. […] She was deep (laughs).
He would later mention that he first met Savannah at the Rainbow in Hollywood where porn chicks just to hang out [Kerrang! July 1995].
In 2000 when asked what was the most untrue or ridiculous rumour ever spread about him, Slash would answer:
(Laughing) Getting a blowjob in a bar-... We didn’t get to finish it, so...
This interview was done on children's TV, causing quite a bit of consternation to the interviewer Cat Deeley.
Slash would also discuss Savannah's suicide:
Savannah was a porno girl that I used to go out with. She shot herself. That was a really bad story. It was a time when I wasn’t faithful to Renée (now his wife).
I think it had a lot to do with the pressures of impending marriage, and also, having gotten clean of drugs, I needed to be addicted to something. So the next thing you know it was a major onslaught of women-chasing. And Savannah just popped up somewhere.
As cute as she was and as much as I dug hanging out with her, she was really terrible, really bitchy to other people. I’m not like that at all, so finally I just didn’t want to be around her any more and I split.
But the fact that she went to the extreme of shooting herself bugs me. All she really needed was somebody to take care of her, because she was just a little kid in a really strange world.
Now I’ve had all these girlfriends of hers telling me it was my fault. Meanwhile it’s all over the papers, and my old lady will never forgive me for having done that in the first place. It was a nightmare!
I think it had a lot to do with the pressures of impending marriage, and also, having gotten clean of drugs, I needed to be addicted to something. So the next thing you know it was a major onslaught of women-chasing. And Savannah just popped up somewhere.
As cute as she was and as much as I dug hanging out with her, she was really terrible, really bitchy to other people. I’m not like that at all, so finally I just didn’t want to be around her any more and I split.
But the fact that she went to the extreme of shooting herself bugs me. All she really needed was somebody to take care of her, because she was just a little kid in a really strange world.
Now I’ve had all these girlfriends of hers telling me it was my fault. Meanwhile it’s all over the papers, and my old lady will never forgive me for having done that in the first place. It was a nightmare!
You know what? It’s just because someone wasn’t looking out for her. She needed somebody to take care of her. Trust me, I knew her well enough.
In other interviews the same month, he would mention that two songs off the Snakepit album was influenced by Savannah's (and Cobain's) suicide [Metal Hammer, February 1995], again confirm he had dated, and discuss her suicide:
And my ex-girlfriend, if you want to call her that, the porn star Savannah, also killed herself... When you write songs, you reflect what is around you, what’s happening, and we wrote about that. There’s a line in this song that goes, ‘How to keep the knife from inside of you’ that is about trying to prevent someone from doing this thing, because it’s very ridiculous. It’s not a song dedicated to them, but influenced by what happened. That's how we felt when we heard the news, and we reflected it in the song. All the songs on the album are very spontaneous, like something happened in the afternoon and we wrote about it at night.
Popular 1, February 1995; translated from Spanish
I don’t know if we should call her my ex-girlfriend. She was a friend, someone I cared about. We went out occasionally, but then I met Renee, we thought about getting married, and I tried to avoid Savannah as much as possible, because I was freaking out with the idea of marriage and all that. In the end Renee and I got married, and after a while Savannah blew her head off and the press started bringing up my name in the articles about her. I don’t think it’s right that they refer to me as if she and I had this great relationship, because our relationship wasn’t going anywhere. At the time I met her, I went out with many other women. Savannah was like a little girl, she needed someone to take care of her. But I loved Renee, who is a very different type of woman. Renee is not a rock chick, she’s not from my world, she’s got her own life. She understands that I have to go on tour, but she has her own thing. I felt sorry for what happened to Savannah, but we never had a serious relationship.
Popular 1, February 1995; translated from Spanish
I mean, Savannah used to be a girlfriend of mine. I was a little depressed about it, and there was a lot of public stuff going on that had my name on it. I was like, 'Fuck, what is she gonna shoot herself for?' […] Anybody shooting themselves is gonna affect you. It's not so much the press and stuff as, you know, there's always a possibility of stopping something like that from happening.
When we were writing the lyrics with Eric [Dover], Kurt [Cobain] shot himself and my ex-girlfriend, Savannah (blonde porn star), killed herself, too. We were on that track and we were kind of inspired by it because the music really fit that depressed state of mind. I didn't know Kurt, we just ran into each other here and there in a business context, but I really like his songs.
In later years, Slash would be frank about his infidelity being the reason for the split between him and Renee:
I did so much sleeping around for so long that it just got boring. I still think women are exquisite but getting involved and sleeping with them just takes so much fucking effort. And it was all I did. When I met Renee, it was someone that I actually fell for. It took four years of balancing the random sex and this one girl and we had some major incidents in our relationship which had to do with my lifestyle and what she expected from me. Once she found out how bad I was, she was like, I don't want to be with you. And we broke up for a while and I was sleeping with a bunch of other girls but finally, I dropped the others for her.
When Renee and I split up, and it was common knowledge, people, women, came out of the woodwork and told her stories about me like you wouldn't believe. Note-for-note detailed fucking information about me. It must have been the CLIT Society. Ever heard of that? Chicks Linking Information Together. She yelled at me for an hour. That kind of curbed my appetite for wanton sex, for being… what's the fucking word?... Promiscuous. Thank you.
And finally admit that he did indeed have public sex with someone in New York, and refer to the People Magazine article that first reported about it :
As pissed off as I was when I got busted for being seen with my pants down in New York, after the initial shock of having my mother call me up to tell me about it and it was on the front page of People, I thought it was funny!
I wasn't actually arrested — it was the security people. But it wasn't my fault (laughs). She always used to like to be in a public place — that's when she got the horniest.
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:00 pm
MATERIAL WEALTH
With the band's status as one of the biggest bands in the world in the 90s, the band members had wealth to manage.
The material side of it was never a thing with me. The bigger we got – not that I'm complaining because I'm not – the more of a pain in the ass money was. I was better off when I didn't have any money! I never carry cash anyway and I don't go shopping. I appreciate having money. I'm financially at a point where I can have room service without worrying! I can feed my cats, feed my snakes – I don't have to worry about little things like that. […] And I have one pair of jeans, and if they really do finally fall apart I can get another pair. These (his clothes) are the things which I've had since we did the last record! if they still work, I don't need any others.
The last tour we did cost us two million dollars and we didn’t make a penny off the tour except for maybe the ‘T’-shirts that we sold. The truth is that I’m still watching my money. We put so much back into the group that we won’t really see anything until a long time down the line when we’ve sold records consistently. We haven’t even re-negotiated our contract so that might never happen. To me that means I still feel the same as I always have. I’m happy though, but it’s like that old Jimi Hendrix quote which goes ‘The more money have, the more Blues you can sing’. People like to see the glamour that surrounds bands. They like to think that that’s what it’s all about and it isn’t.
Duff would buy a cabin in Lake Arrowheads in the mountains out of Los Angeles:
My cabin is the coolest place in the world. I'm right on the lake and I love to fish. And there's an old man who is my fishing buddy. I call him and he misses me. He doesn't care who I am. We're just fishing buddies. He doesn't care that I have long hair and tattoos. If you like fishing, that's all that matters there.
Now you can call down and say you need a car to go somewhere or order whatever you want from room service. But we’re still wearing the same clothes and doing the same thing. […] One of the coolest things that happened was I’d been in the band a month and we went to Japan. I did a lot of work to get ready — I only had two weeks to learn the whole catalogue of 50 songs so I was up day and night. And nobody really knew what Izzy played on the records but I finally did it and after (the tour) Duff gave me a car. Just out of the blue, like ‘Thanks, you really came through for us.’ A brand new Corvette. I thought he was kidding but, no ...
He would also give to charities and invest in real estate:
I’ve given a lot to my family and to charity, but also put it into – I’ve bought houses for certain people of my family in Seattle and...[...] I don’t have anything to spend money on. I mean, right now I have a quarter on me, you know? I just don’t really-[...] I just forget. And the accountants never put money in my ATM machine (laughs). [...] And we bought - with Doug, our manager, we bought a place in Hawaii.
Being asked what he does with his money:
I’ve got, you know, stuff in the bank.
[Axl]’s pretty smart with [his money]. […] Trust me.
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sun Jun 27, 2021 10:44 pm
APRIL 20, 1992
THE FREDDIE MERCURY BENEFIT CONCERTFANS OF QUEEN
The English band Queen was one of Axl's [Interview with Steve Harris, December 26, 1987], Slash's [Countdown, May 1992] and Gilby's [MTV, July 17, 1992] favorite bands, and also inspirational to Axl and his vision for Guns N' Roses.
One night I discovered Queen. They had what rock 'n' roll wasn’t supposed to have: technique. They were a perfect combination of technique and rock 'n' roll. I read about them, and their tours, and their great success in Japan. I got piano sheet music of their songs, and, since my parents were clueless, when they forced me to practice, I could play what I wanted, like Queen, the Beatles and the Stones. They thought I was practicing my daily lesson and had a satisfied smile on their face.
Popular 1, April 1988; interview from October 19878, translated from Spanish
Steven would also mention Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor, as one of the drummers he had learnt from [Superstar Facts & Pics No. 16, 1988]. Axl also considered Queen's Freddy Mercury [Rockline, November 27, 1991; The Interview Magazine, May 1992] and Brian May [Rock Scene, April 1988] huge influences and had hosted a 20th anniversary special of Queen [Rockline, November 27, 1991].
But if I didn’t have Freddie Mercury’s words and lyrics to hold on to as a kid, I don’t know where I would be. And that was, you know, probably... I don’t necessarily know what form of influence it is, but it taught me about all forms of music. You know, I’d get a Queen record and hate half of the songs and then... But [I’d] force myself to listen to them, to learn about that type of music, and it would open my mind more and more. And I really never had a bigger teacher, you know, in my whole life. […] instead of going to school to learn about music, I listened to Queen.
Already in 1987 before Appetite for Destruction was released, Axl would draw comparisons in their music to Queen and how Queen had not limited themselves "into one frame" but instead "found a way to bring it all out" [Kerrang! June 1987]. Axl would reiterate this to Rolling Stone in 1989 [Rolling Stone, August 10, 1989]. Later in 1987 Axl would say that the album Queen II is among the best recorded albums in the world and one of his favorite records [Interview with Steve Harris, December 26, 1987; Rock Scene Magazine, June 1988; Rolling Stone, August 10, 1989].
Then, on November 24, 1991, Freddy Mercury died of AIDS-related illness.
Axl would be asked about the death:
Freddie Mercury’s death was just something I’d actually been preparing for since I’d heard about the AIDS thing. My impression of Freddie was that he wanted this world to be a place where, you know, it was kind of a heaven on earth and you could do what you wanted as long as you weren’t hurting anybody, and that was like a great dream. So about drugs and promiscuity, I guess that’s up to each individual, and if you’re not hurting yourself or hurting someone else in however you’ve got to get through things - you know, whatever you need to survive - I’m not the one to make judgement calls on that.
What Axl didn't say was that he been trying to help Mercury as he struggled with AIDS, as revealed by Brian May later:
I mean, Axl was very involved towards the end of Freddie’s life. You know, Axl was trying very hard to find a way to cure Freddie. I had talked to him a lot.
I’ve known them for a while, particularly Axl, who was a great fan of Freddie’s. He was very concerned and wanted to help — he knew Freddie was ill long before most people. Axl and I were in touch quite a lot before the end. I have a very high regard for him and I don’t think people should believe too much of what they read.
The Vancouver Sun, March 25, 1993
Craig Duswalt, who became Axl's assistant just before Mercury died, would also tell an anecdote about Axl trying to help Mercury:
So Blake now… I'm sitting in the living room again where the TV just flew out of the window - just kidding (?) - and Blake gets on the phone, and he's calling this guy and he says, “Hi Brian, this is Blake with Axl,” and he obviously said, “Hey Blake, how you doing.” So Blake is explaining, “Listen, Axl has a doctor that can really help Freddie at this moment.” And this is November of 1991. Now, I know that Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, is sick, and he is on the phone telling Brian May, the lead guitarist for Queen, that Axl has a doctor that can help save Freddie's life who's dying of AIDS. And I'm looking - I'm a huge Queen fan and I'm thinking to myself, “This guy is on the phone with Brian May of Queen, Slash is in one room, Axl is in another… Where the hell am I? How did this happen?” And what happened was, you know, Freddie… Brian May said to Blake, “It's too late,” you know, “Freddie's just ready to go,” and Freddie Mercury of Queen passed away the next week.
In 2018, Axl would again state that Queen is his favorite band and Freddie Mercury the greatest frontman of all time:
Queen is the greatest band and Freddie [Mercury] is the greatest frontman of all time. The band are the greatest because they embraced so many different styles.
TROUBLE WITH ACT UP
For the April 20, 1992, tribute concert to fight AIDS and remember Mercury, Guns N' Roses was invited to play [Santa Ana County Register, March 2, 1992]. Due to assumed verses in 'One in a Million' and quotes from band members, the inclusion of GN'R in the tribute concert was controversial. The London branch of ACT UP said they would try to get the 70,000 large audience to boo Guns N' Roses unless Axl publicly apologized [Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1992]:
John Campell from ACT UP:
We will accept Guns N' Roses (on the bill) when they have a press conference and publicly denounce everything they've said about AIDS and homophobia. […] We want the words, 'We were wrong. We're sorry. They've been responsible for misinformation about AIDS. Their homophobic attitude creates an atmosphere of ignorance and intolerance.
And if they didn't apologize:
We will ask artists to put pressure on the show's management to remove (Guns N' Roses) from the billing. If management refuses we won't ask anyone not to appear, but for Guns to be snubbed by the other artists, and we'll ask for people to boo the band off the stage.
GN'R's management issued the following statement in reply: "We're disgusted by ACT UP's lack of sensitivity in trying to politicize this tribute. Perhaps they should read Axl Rose's comments in the new issue of Rolling Stone for a more enlightened perspective. We refuse to be their pawn" [Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1992].
When asked in March whether GN'R would perform at the tribute concert, Slash would say they would [Rockline, March 1992] and would comment on the criticism:
I never would have thought that we were gonna get that kind of flak. […] They’re trying to get us off the bill or basically sabotage the gig. I don’t know exactly what they want to do, you know, or what they’re really shooting for it, cuz it sounds so screwy in the first place. I don’t think they really know what they wanna do, themselves. […] I know they’ll go to press with it and keep it up all the way until show day, but I don’t want to get into the whole subject. I mean, we’re doing it for – the reasons that we’re doing it was, you know, for Freddie Mercury and not... I don’t know how to explain it. We just wanted to play the gig and we were asked to do it, you know, by the Queen people, and we’ve been supported by all the other bands that are playing. So we’re gonna play it, yeah - if that answers the question. […]. It’s just screwy stuff to have to deal with. It’s like, every single day it’s like, “Oh yeah, right, okay. We’re gonna deal with this now.
Slash rehearsed before the tribute concert:
Well, I went down and rehearsed, because I was playing "Tie Your Mother Down" with Queen. So I went down. I mean, I was already in London for a little while anyway, and I went down to rehearsal, and we played it a few times. But as far as the rest of it goes, it was just a typical Guns N’ Roses thing, where no one is rehearsing (laughs).
Backstage before the tribute concert Slash would talk more about the event:
But things come up and we were like, well, yeah, we’d like to get involved and try and do something to help it out. But then it turns around on us, right? And they got, like, all these gay activist groups and jumped on our case for being involved with this, to the point where there was a question as to whether or not was even safe for us to do this gig. And finally we just said, screw it, let’s just do it, you know. Whatever. I hope we don’t get shot or anything. […] I don’t know what they’re so uptight about. They were saying they were gonna do whatever they could to sabotage our part of the show and they totally attacked the whole Queen Organization for allowing us on the bill and all this stuff. And I’m like... It is never ending, you know? It’s always something, it’s, like, so ridiculous.
Slash would also mention being a fan of Queen:
Well, yeah. I mean, it was one of the bands that I was definitely leaned on. And at rehearsal for this thing the other day, it was great. I mean, I was like a little kid when we got up and played Tie Your Mother Down with Brian May.
THE TRIBUTE CONCERT
At the tribute concert Guns N' Roses would play 'Paradise City' and 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door'. In addition, Axl would perform 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with Elton John and Queen, and 'We Will Rock You' with Queen, and Slash would perform 'Tie Your Mother Down' with Queen and Joe Elliott.
SlashApril 20, 1992
Slash and Brian MayApril 20, 1992
AxlApril 20, 1992
Elton John and AxlApril 20, 1992
After the tribute show the band members would talk more about Queen and the concert:
Well, Queen was just one of those bands that we were really into. I mean, it’s one of a handful of bands when I was my teens coming up and getting into this whole thing. You know, they were a, sort of like, model, that this is the model band. And Freddie was, like, an awesome talent as the rest of them all. And the fact that he’s not here is a real drag, you know, and I’m not into it. […] Everybody that bought tickets and all the bands involved, it’s a celebration of Freddie, the fact that he has ever existed. And it’s also because the AIDS thing is really heavy, you know? Especially for us musicians. It’s even different for us, because it’s really screwing up our whole... (laughs). I mean, you know how rock guys are. But it’s something that people really need to be aware of and, like, at least have a certain kind of etiquette of how they handle themselves, because it’s different now than it was a few years [ago].
They asked us. And we jumped at the chance, because - I mean, at first we really wanted to do it and then there was a period of not being sure. There was this whole, you know, gay activist thing that was going against us. And we just decided to do it anyway. But we grew up with Queen, and as far as - you know, that’s one of the main bands that we were influenced by. So of course we were excited about it. […] I’d never met [Mercury] before, actually. I’d met Brian May before though, that’s about it.
To play with [Queen] and with the whole thing, it was just awesome. Something that I’ve never, ever dreamed that we would do.
The idea behind the whole concert, the fact that it was completely sold out before they knew who was on the bill – talking about the public – and it sold out in the way to give a sort of certain kind of energy to the AIDS awareness thing, especially in the rock ‘n’ roll circle. And losing Freddie to it was, you know, like a catastrophe. And it turned everybody’s heads around. Having everybody show up at the concert for that cause was great. And then all the bands that were there. There was none of that sort of rock star – you know, who’s who of rock vibe going on. So we all had a basically good time and it was really well organized.
It was an honor just being asked to do it . . . sort of like being put on the map by people we had admired for years. But the experience was even much deeper than that.
Being the type of band that we are, the last thing we wanted to know about a few years ago was AIDS. Like most people, we thought it was only a problem for needle pushers and homosexuals, which meant we didn't have to worry about it. I was still as promiscuous as hell.
But then it started getting closer to home and everybody had to start being aware of the dangers . . . homosexuals, heterosexuals; people were even starting to get it from their dentists or whatever. That slowed my trip down a lot, but it didn't really hit home until Freddie died of AIDS because he was this huge icon in our minds.
To walk out on that stage in front of 75,000 or 80,000 people was a very emotional experience. It was like all of us in rock 'n' roll, the artists and the audience, were saying we did care and we are responsible for each other. It was a great sense of community that day and it touched something in me.
Being the type of band that we are, the last thing we wanted to know about a few years ago was AIDS. Like most people, we thought it was only a problem for needle pushers and homosexuals, which meant we didn't have to worry about it. I was still as promiscuous as hell.
But then it started getting closer to home and everybody had to start being aware of the dangers . . . homosexuals, heterosexuals; people were even starting to get it from their dentists or whatever. That slowed my trip down a lot, but it didn't really hit home until Freddie died of AIDS because he was this huge icon in our minds.
To walk out on that stage in front of 75,000 or 80,000 people was a very emotional experience. It was like all of us in rock 'n' roll, the artists and the audience, were saying we did care and we are responsible for each other. It was a great sense of community that day and it touched something in me.
The Queen thing was something! It was really special to just be a part of that. To just come down and pay your tribute to Freddy, and to help AIDS awareness, was just an incredible thing. Getting to meet everybody was great too — there was so much pressure on those three guys (remaining members of Queen) and I couldn't believe they handled it the way they did, which was with class and style. They were unbelievable — it was a very emotional day. When we came back just to play the place ourselves we asked Brian to come up and play with us.
The Queen gig was the most humbling experience of my life. It was f?!king intense. When we first met Brian May last summer, it was wild. None of us would let him out of the room. He's one of the nicest people I've met. When we did "Bohemian Rhapsody," that was unrehearsed. Brian asked me to do it that day, and it felt right. I spoke to Elton before the show, and he was kind of uneasy about meeting me - you know, I'm supposed to be the most homophobic guy on Earth. When we talked, I was excited, but serious, telling him how much his music meant to me. By the end he was like "Whoa." Onstage I was trying to be as respectful to him as I could. I was purposely vibing out, and if you look close, you can see it at times, how much I love and respect I have for Elton. There was some heavy eye contact going down. It was amazing. MTV's John Norris kept saying, "This could be the last time you'll ever see Elton John and Axl Rose together onstage." Not if I have anything to do with it. […]
I want to learn more [about AIDS] and start helping people. Freddie Mercury's death is a marker in my life that says there's no turning back, and I'm going to do whatever I can to inform the public about certain things. We can't sit idly and hope someone will change things and hope things will be alright. There are alternative forms of medicine that are having high success rates in treating AIDS victims. There's things like vibrational medicine, oxygen-ozone therapy, there's homeopathic medicines, there are Chinese medicines and different forms of vitamins. The government is denying the public this information. That's because the government, the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies are making billions of dollars off of people dying. The FDA invests money in companies they've supposed to be regulating - that makes no sense. Over the last 50 years there have been different cures for different illnesses that have been kept from us. Freddie Mercury's death made me want to fight for people to have the right to know about these alternative treatments. Everyone has got a God-given right to health, and it's being denied by power-hungry, greedy people who want control.
I want to learn more [about AIDS] and start helping people. Freddie Mercury's death is a marker in my life that says there's no turning back, and I'm going to do whatever I can to inform the public about certain things. We can't sit idly and hope someone will change things and hope things will be alright. There are alternative forms of medicine that are having high success rates in treating AIDS victims. There's things like vibrational medicine, oxygen-ozone therapy, there's homeopathic medicines, there are Chinese medicines and different forms of vitamins. The government is denying the public this information. That's because the government, the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies are making billions of dollars off of people dying. The FDA invests money in companies they've supposed to be regulating - that makes no sense. Over the last 50 years there have been different cures for different illnesses that have been kept from us. Freddie Mercury's death made me want to fight for people to have the right to know about these alternative treatments. Everyone has got a God-given right to health, and it's being denied by power-hungry, greedy people who want control.
You know... it was a pretty special event... it felt like... you could feel the energy and vibe.. and just all the people were really... like you could really it from the crowd- very caring and just we need to do something about this horrible disease. and just the fact that all those people were able to come together and play the show was kind of microcosm of what was going on... in the world at the time. It was pretty incredible. We could only play two songs... so we played two songs and flew out.
Madagascar88, September 26, 2005; paraphrased
Brian May would also talk about the impact of Guns N' Roses being part of the show:
It was the first time, for instance, that a band like Guns N’ Roses, (which is) regarded as the very macho end of the spectrum, (got involved). . .the fact that they were involved made people realize it was not just the gay sector of the community that needed to worry. That was a very important turning point in England. It achieved a lot. […] We got flak for having them a bit, but to me the fact that they’re there says it all. It shows their hearts are in the right place, and both Axl and Slash did a lot of TV here to emphasize how they felt.
The Vancouver Sun, March 25, 1993
And Slash would talk about whether the public opinion about the band had shifted as a result of them participating at the Mercury tribute show:
I think there was a general realization about the AIDS situation for everybody involved, you know. Especially the crowd. To see - I don’t know what you’d call it - currently popular musicians in the music business getting up there making a statement, especially in demise of Freddie Mercury, and seeing that happening and finally admitting to the fact that AIDS does exist. Because of all the sort of - oh, I don’t know what the word for it is - you know, the gays had to deal with it, and then it started to be a heterosexual thing, but all the bands just did not want to even know about it, because, if you think about it, that’s, like, one of the things that goes with the territory that we really enjoy, sex (laughs). Anyway, so we finally all came to terms with it and everybody in the crowd realized that it’s not something you can ignore, you know? And it was a cool feeling to see everybody - I mean, I hate to say that something positive came out of somebody dying, but it’s something positive to come out of it, and, to everybody there seeing it, it was seeing how everybody felt. It was really cool, it’s a good vibe.
In July 1992, Duff would say the Freddie Mercury tribute concert had been one of his most memorable shows [MTV, July 17, 1992]. Gilby would concur:
That was probably, singly, probably the best experience that I ever had being in the band. Because, number one, I mean, it's like a tragic thing happened that we were there, you know, but it was a positive cause? And I thought it was very, very heart-moving. You know, I couldn't believe the response of a stadium filled with people. It almost didn't matter what band was up there, as long as you were playing a Queen song ŸŸ or, you know, you were there for Freddie Mercury. It was just incredible.
And in 2009, Gilby would echo this:
Best was playing the Freddy Mercury Tribute concert, I really felt part of something greater than the band.
2012:
That was magic, it was so special. Looking back it was so cool being part of that. We`d already played at Wembley Stadium a few times over a short period so we felt almost like the house band there. I didn`t quite grasp at the time what we would become a part of. Once I saw what was happening it was just incredible. I was so happy to be there to pay tribute to such a legendary person and also to help promote AIDS awareness to a global audience. [...] Where we were hanging out everybody was milling about and there was Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin and the guys from Def Leppard so it was very cool to be there. It was just great to be able to celebrate the music of Queen with so many big artists.
Guns N' RosesApril 20, 1992
In 2005, Duff would mention what a bad state he had been in at the time:
[Elton John] said 'Last time I saw you, mate, I was holding you up at the side of the stage at the Freddie Mercury concert.' And I was like 'Oh, really?'' because I was so out of it then. And he said, 'It's good to see you alive and well.'
In 2016, Axl would look back at Queen and Freddie Mercury:
With Freddy. Queen just has always been my favorite band and Freddy was like, the greatest singer in probably ever, is the way I look at it. The other thing about Queen for me was that It… they embraced so many different styles and approaches.
And Matt would consider it the most memorable moment in his career:
There are many [memorable moments], but one of my favorites was The Freddy Mercury Tribute. There were so many amazing musicians onstage on that single night — Elton, Annie Lennox, Bowie, Liza Minelli, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson…. I also met Elizabeth Taylor and partied all night at a club called Browns with the guys from Queen, Robert Plant and many more. Epic.
2017:
For me, still to this day, it's probably the greatest concert than I've ever been a part of. I was raised on Queen just like everybody else — it was Zeppelin, Queen, Kiss, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper. What was special for me is, I was a huge David Bowie/Mick Ronson fan. Mick Ronson was my guitar hero. That was my opportunity to meet Mick Ronson, and man, did I take advantage of it. I was like a puppy to his side that day.
2018:
The Freddie Mercury Tribute was pretty amazing.
Yeah, the Freddie Mercury was just... I remember the funny thing was Spinal Tap came to the rehearsals in character. Yeah, they came in character at the rehearsal. And I'll never forget, I went over to look at... I don't even know what Michael Guests', his guitar- [...] Michael McKean, yes. He had a guitar and it had eight pickups on it and instead of a whammy bar he had a big giant stick shift on it. And I went, "That's cool," and then when they finally did the show they came out as the beefeaters, you know, the beefeaters guy on the bottle, whiskey bottle, it was just like that.
[...] the favorite memory would be the Freddie Mercury tribute, because I kind of felt like, "Wow, this is it, this is the pinnacle."
2020:
Probably one of my greatest experiences was the Freddie Mercury tribute, which was done at Wembley Stadium, and we were invited to open the show. It was us and Metallica, and then Queen came out. You can watch it on YouTube. It's probably one of the most incredible shows. I mean, backstage was David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Robert Plant, Elton. Elton and Axl did 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. You've gotta watch it; they just crushed. I've gotta say that night was just sort of… I remember meeting Elizabeth Taylor. It's in my book. I drank with Liza Minnelli and George Michael. [Laughs] [It was] just one of those nights that you just will never, ever be able to… It was sort of like being in a dream world. Walking out, going, 'Wow!' Wembley Stadium sold out.
MORE OUTRAGE
Despite the show being a success, the gay pressure group Outrage would continue to protest after the event, and in particular claim that Axl during a show in Houston [January 9, 1992] had told fans, "to go out and massacre the queers in the gay ghettoes of cities around the world" [Kerrang! April 25, 1992]. Unfortunately we don't have access to audio recording from this Houston show, but it does seem extremely unlikely that Axl would ever have uttered anything like that. Outrage would also cite a Rolling Stone interview where Axl supposedly had said he liked to "beat up faggots after a concert, to relieve stress". We have not been able to find this Rolling Stone interview, nor any other interview with Axl where he has expressed anything close to it. The rumor that Axl had said this likely originates with a Houston Chronicle review from January 10, 1992.
In 2008, Brian May would comment on allegations of GN'R being anti-gay:
People will recall that GN'R also guested at our Freddie tribute concert, at the good old Wembley Stadium, as it was then. They did an amazing job on Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door", and they donated all the proceeds of their live recording to the newly-founded Mercury Phoenix Trust - that's a nice answer to anyone who accuses GN'R of being anti-gay.
And in 2010, May would again mention the band donating money to the trust:
we invited them to play the [1992] Freddie tribute. They did a fantastic job, and also donated a lot of money to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
Uncut Magazine, April 2011
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:14 am
BECOMING GOOD FRIENDS WITH BRIAN MAY
One Queen member that Guns N' Roses became tight friends with was the guitarist Brian May. Slash had met May after their August 1991 show at Wembley [The Guardian, September 12, 1991]. May had made a singularly positive impression on both Slash and Axl:
I’m trying to get to the point where I can get known as a good guitar player as opposed to the drunken drug guy. I met Brian May after Wembley and he gave me a lot of compliments. He was really sweet.
And [May]’s, like, one of the sweetest guys. Really easy to get along with and really gracious, you know. There’s no pop star attitude and no errors going around. This whole gig is gonna be really cool.
When we first met Brian May last summer, it was wild. None of us would let him out of the room. He's one of the nicest people I've met.
Oh, [May]’s awesome, yeah. I mean, that goes without saying. I didn’t think that could be a question (laughs).
Slash and Brian MayApril 20, 1992
The band's friendship with Brian May would lead to him being invited to open up for the band on shows at the Skin N' Bones tour of 1993. For the very last show, though, the band would end up using Suicidal Tendencies as the opener, and when an interviewer suggested this was a much better choice of opener than "worthless" May, Duff would respond:
Shhh ... Shhh ... Be quiet, be quiet. Axl is around here. (laughs).
In addition, Axl would invite May to play on at least one song for the album 'Chinese Democracy' that would eventually be released in 2008, although by then May's contribution had been replaced [see later chapters].
In early 1993 May would talk about Axl:
I’ve had a lot of long conversations with Axl. I have a great admiration for them all as a band and as individuals. But I have this fatherly feeling, particularly for Axl. Axl is hard to handle for a lot of people. That makes him vulnerable. He’s a very honest person. I feel a great love for the guy.
Des Moines Register, March 23, 1993
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sun Mar 27, 2022 9:23 am
AXL AND ELTON JOHN
In addition to honoring the late Freddie Mercury, the tribute concert allowed Axl to share the stage with one of his childhood idols, Elton John [Concert Shots, May 1986; Audio interview with Axl and Slash, June 1987; Rolling Stone, August 10, 1989; MTV 1989; Kerrang! April 1990; Musician, June 1992]:
Elton John is it. It’s like, yeah, his... especially the first seven albums. Bernie Taupin to me is the best lyric writer that’s ever lived on the face of the earth. And Elton John was just amazing in the studio and the recording of everything. Some of it is so art. I mean, to me, that's my classical music, because some of his stuff is classical, you know, and I listen to Elton John all the time. […] I'm always supposed to meet them. I think they're the only two people I'm, like, nervous to meet. (Chuckles) You know, and it's like, something always comes up, I don't feel (?), I just can't meet them.
I was way influenced by Elton John. I got all his sheet music as a kid and everything, and figured, “Wow, this stuff is pretty technical. I can't play it, but I'll learn how to fake it real good” (laughs). So, it's like, instead of doing, like, you know, five finger things on the left hand and then how to do octaves killer. That's a lot easier (laughs).
I mean, Freddie Mercury and Elton John are, like, two of the biggest Influences in my whole life. And probably always will be. If someone asked me if I could have anything in the world, what would l want? If l could own anything, like owning a piece of art, l think it would be Elton John's publishing, on his first seven albums. I don't want the money. Being able to own those songs is like owning a painting of someone you admire.
That [=Freddie Mercury Tribute Show] was amazing and I didn't know they were going to do that pyro, though, and that was, that was really amazing and really fun. But it was pretty intense because meeting Elton... Elton came to to my room and he sits on this couch and we start talking about the song and Elton is like sitting there and he's getting more tense and more tint and he's turning really red and stuff, because what's going on in his head is, like, he doesn't know me and, you know, and this is a big AIDS thing and he's, you know, dealing with people telling him different stories about me and homophobic or whatever and One In A Million and everything's and he's... we're trying to talk but he's getting more tense and finally goes "I'm a gay man!" And I went, "Cool, so when we hit the bridge..." And then we were fine, we were fine, you know it's like... [...] And I was like, "Peace, I don't have a problem," and then he was like, "okay, all right." And we've got along, you know, ever since.
And Elton was probably my favorite, or one of my favorites. As a band it was Queen. But Elton and Bernie Taupin's lyrics are still my favorite lyrics. Favorite lyricist.
Axl and Elton John had tried to do something together before:
Well, we’ve been asked to do a pay-per-view show with him. But with the Izzy thing, it kind of messed up rehearsals, so I don’t know if we will do that or not. But if we can, we’ve been asked to do some things. And, you know, fitting it into our schedule, we’re trying to do it. So, hopefully, something will happen at one point with Elton.
And when it happened it was great:
I spoke to Elton before the show, and he was kind of uneasy about meeting me - you know, I'm supposed to be the most homophobic guy on Earth. When we talked, I was excited, but serious, telling him how much his music meant to me. By the end he was like "Whoa." Onstage I was trying to be as respectful to him as I could. I was purposely vibing out, and if you look close, you can see it at times, how much I love and respect I have for Elton. There was some heavy eye contact going down. It was amazing. MTV's John Norris kept saying, "This could be the last time you'll ever see Elton John and Axl Rose together onstage." Not if I have anything to do with it.
Elton John and AxlApril 20, 1992
Elton John would also comment on meeting Axl:
I heard that he had problems with the people in ACT UP, but I thought if he was willing to come on the show that we should make him feel at home, which is why I put my arm around him. We all say and do things we regret. I met him before the show and he seemed quite gentle, and I very much like some of his music.
In this business, I don't care who you are. There are Jekyll and Hyde characters in us all. There's not one performer who can't be an absolute animal at times. You have to be pretty strange to want to be a performer.
There must be a need to want to be loved. I'm not a psychiatrist, but there is something very vulnerable in most performers. Just listen to Axl's songs. I understand the nightmare of being a performer. There are fantastic moments, and there are dangerous, life-consuming ones. The art is to find a balance. And I'm glad I got a second chance.
In this business, I don't care who you are. There are Jekyll and Hyde characters in us all. There's not one performer who can't be an absolute animal at times. You have to be pretty strange to want to be a performer.
There must be a need to want to be loved. I'm not a psychiatrist, but there is something very vulnerable in most performers. Just listen to Axl's songs. I understand the nightmare of being a performer. There are fantastic moments, and there are dangerous, life-consuming ones. The art is to find a balance. And I'm glad I got a second chance.
Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1992
Elton John would also at one point talk about the accusations against Eminem being homophobic, and state:
I don’t think [The Marshall Mathers LP is] homophobic in the least. Axl [Rose] went through this thing as well, and every time I’ve met Axl he couldn’t have been nicer to me. He inducted me into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. . . . I just think Eminem has made a really fantastic album. Rock ‘n’ roll has always supposed to have been about pushing the buttons, hasn’t it?
In 2011, Dizzy would be asked if if Elton John was a big shared influence on him and Axl and mention the 1992 VMAs:
(Jokingly) Who? Who’s Elton John? No, of course, Elton John. He’s one of the best ever, in my opinion. That’s probably why he invited him to play with us that one time, at the (1992) MTV VMAs. I forgot about that till just now, that was cool.
Elton would also talk about Axl in his biography:
I had got in touch with [Axl] when he was being ripped apart in the press: I know how lonely it can feel when the papers are giving you a kicking, and I just wanted to offer some support. We got on great and ended up performing "Bohemian Rhapsody" together at the Freddie Mercury Tribute gig. I got a lot of flak for that, because a Guns N' Roses song called "One In A Million" had homophobic lyrics. If I'd thought it reflected his personal views, I wouldn't have touched him. But I didn't – I thought it was pretty obvious the song was written from the point of view of a character who wasn't Axl Rose. It was the same with Eminem: when I performed with him at the Grammys, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation gave me a really hard time, but it was obvious that his lyrics were about adopting a persona – a deliberately repugnant persona at that. I didn't think either of them were actually homophobes any more than I thought Sting was actually going out with a prostitute called Roxanne, or Johnny Cash actually shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Elton John's biography, 2019
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sat Apr 02, 2022 3:03 pm
APRIL 29-MAY 4, 1992
THE LOS ANGELES RIOTSOn April 29, 1992, four Los Angeles police men were acquitted after having severely beaten a black man, Rodney King, after a traffic stop. The incident was filmed and the acquittal caused controversy, especially among African-Americans in Los Angeles. The unrest led to city-wide riots.
It was an irresponsible verdict and the violence was wrong.
Well, the LA thing was very heavy, I thought. I thought the whole decision for one… the decision that was made was really irresponsible, and then I thought that the reaction was really irresponsible. I thought the whole thing was just a huge mess. I think it gave a lot of people excuse to do what they did, you know, and I'm hoping the verdict changes at some point or they do figure out some way of reconciling with, otherwise it's get... there's absolutely no respect for law enforcement in Los Angeles right now and it's spreading all over the... you know, […] it spreads from LA to then it went to Beverly Hills, it went to the Valley and it starts to go to different countries because they see, like, "Well, they can do it, we can do it," and so on. A lot of the other stuff that goes down, stuff that's going on in Thailand, you have to be aware of especially when you're in these third-world countries, all you have is CNN so you just sit there staring at it going, "Jesus Christ, it's getting hectic out there," you know. But as a rock-and-roll band we're not really that politically conscious because, you know, it's a whole environment unto ourselves that we travel around in and you don't always have things to say about what's going on in the rest of the world because you know that's hectic anyway and you're just trying to get on with just doing what you do.
Alan Niven, who at the time was the manager of Izzy after having been fired from Guns N' Roses, would talk about the violent paranoia that gripped Los Angeles:
I know that sounds demented to a European sensibility,” says Niven, “but then you didn’t live through the LA riots. Let me tell you, it was a moment of pure social breakdown and lawlessness. The first arson fires were lit on a Thursday night, and the National Guard arrived Monday morning – without ammo, as it happened. In the meantime the LA cops were nowhere to be seen. We were on our own – and on top of that there were rumours that cop uniforms had been stolen from dry-cleaning businesses, that National Guard armouries had been broken into by the rioters…
[...] when the riot went down, Iz [Izzy Stradlin] was over to my place in a heartbeat for a brown bag containing my .357 Magnum and beaucoup ammo. After the riot I bought him a gas-powered 12-gauge shotgun used by the LA SWAT teams. That’s a serious piece of ordinance. I took him to the gun club to teach him how to use it. The target basically dissolves in a rapid-fire hail of slugs. I ask him: ‘Feel safer now?’ ‘Yeah Niv,’ he says, with a big grin on his face.
After all that I even got hold of Kevlar [bullet- proof] vests for my family, and arranged for an Arizona helicopter company, at huge expense, to pick up the wife and kids should another riot occur.
It wasn’t Welcome To Disneyland,” says Niven. “It was Welcome To The fuckin’ Jungle.”
[...] when the riot went down, Iz [Izzy Stradlin] was over to my place in a heartbeat for a brown bag containing my .357 Magnum and beaucoup ammo. After the riot I bought him a gas-powered 12-gauge shotgun used by the LA SWAT teams. That’s a serious piece of ordinance. I took him to the gun club to teach him how to use it. The target basically dissolves in a rapid-fire hail of slugs. I ask him: ‘Feel safer now?’ ‘Yeah Niv,’ he says, with a big grin on his face.
After all that I even got hold of Kevlar [bullet- proof] vests for my family, and arranged for an Arizona helicopter company, at huge expense, to pick up the wife and kids should another riot occur.
It wasn’t Welcome To Disneyland,” says Niven. “It was Welcome To The fuckin’ Jungle.”
Last edited by Soulmonster on Tue Jan 02, 2024 1:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:10 am
OTHER MUSICIANS TALKING ABOUT GUNS N' ROSES AND ITS MEMBERS
In addition to this list of quotes from other musicians, there are similar quotes scattered through the history chapters that pertain to specific events. When a chapter deals with a specific musician, like the chapter on Guns N' Roses and Elton John or Guns N' Roses and Brian May, all quotes from said musician is kept in that chapter.
The thing about Guns N’ Roses, which is quite funny, is that a lot of things that happen to them happens to a lot of other bands, but, because it’s Guns N’ Roses, everybody talks about it, “Oh my God, it’s happening to Guns N’ Roses.” This is one of the phenomena in Guns N’ Roses that you can’t really explain, but every time Axl Rose goes to the bathroom, people talk about it.
Rapido, September 1991
[From Bon Jovi]: It’s really hard when an artist comes from nowhere and all of a sudden their first record – they sell 10 million records. There’s a huge responsibility to that people don’t really see. Young bands that come from nothing to everything, it’s – I think it’s a very tough transition to make. I hope that they’re gonna have a decent time of it, because, as you can see, their drummer is not in the band anymore, and they have drug problems and things like that. So, obviously, this business is taking its toll.
Rapido, September 1991
[From Jefferson Airplane]: I love Guns N’ Roses’ music. Axl Rose, as a human being, I think is probably a jerk. But he’ll figure that out, sooner or later. He will have to figure it out or die. But they are angry, they are confused, and that’s what they’re saying. And that’s what they should be saying. They are representing a generation of people who are angry and confused, and can’t figure out why everything is so scattered.
Rapido, September 1991
I like their music. I like their attitude. You know, they’ve got a rock ‘n’ roll spirit, a rock ‘n’ roll heart. But whether they self-destruct or not, who knows.
Rapido, September 1991
That's not the rock'n'roll that I know and love. Negativity is not what rock'n'roll is about to me. A band like Guns N' Roses create something that I personally would rather be rid of. Guns N' Roses create a violent atmosphere and they try to paint that on to rock'n'roll and that's when it comes into my world because I was there at the conception of rock'n'roll. I was there. So it annoys me that people like Guns N' Roses come along and purvey the fake rock'n'roll lifestyle, the one that kills people like Janis Joplin, and the public are to blame because they allow themselves to be manipulated by some 20-year-old who doesn't know anything about life anyway. Why do people accept this trash? People like Guns N' Roses have simply got to grow up rather fast! […] You're smiling but I think this is actually more serious than you think. There again we'll get over it. We got over The Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols couldn't play and he couldn't sing. Who would dare say that that is a part of rock'n'roll? Who bought those dreadful records?
Q, January 1992
Axl Rose is a great singer - and he’s got a rock ’n’ roll heart.
The Boston Globe, July 31, 1992
[From REM; After telling he has a Guns N' Roses doormat]: I wouldn't wipe my feet on anything else.
Unknown original source, from Idol Magazine, October 1997
I can see why people like [Axl's] music so much. There isn't much editing done in his conversation or, obviously, in his work. It's a direct line with his gut. That's what I like about it.
Unknown original source, from Idol Magazine, October 1997
I wouldn't call [Axl] down to earth. He's lived a life none of us could ever imagine, because of the level of success he has achieved. Guns N' Roses is bigger than rock. They're not a metal or rock band, they're like the Stones, or Led Zeppelin, or the Beatles, to a lot of people. He can't go out on the street and walk around. Like, when I was in London, England, I went to Hyde Park, played frisbee with the road crew — he can't do stuff like that. And that must really suck... Paparazzi's always there. It's just a different life... and I've watched millions of people that were in a room with the man, and they don't say what they think — they try to figure out what he wants them to say to make him like them and then they'll say that. I've seen people get so flipped out, but when he's in the room with them, he can't get a straight answer out of them. He's not like a human, he's like a demigod walking around.
Like any other Guns N’ Roses fan, I find Axl to be really insulting. He cost a lot of people their jobs, a lot of heartache and probably some mental breakdowns while he fucked around on a record [Chinese Democracy] for 16 fucking years—just because he wanted to be a dick. I firmly believe that the gods of rock ’n’ roll just chose me to kick him out of the gang for gross misuse of power. Axl still has the opportunity to do something that no one expects him to do, which is something cool. I honestly think he can do it, but first, he really needs to control himself a bit, and most importantly, get a real friend.
Montreal Mirror, July 30, 2009
For it to fail was pretty crazy after so many years of being recorded. Then the tour got cancelled. A buddy of mine went to go play guitar for him. They rehearsed for three months and Axl never once turned up. Rule number one: show up! He's been doing that for many years. Finally I think the fans just went, 'F*** it - can't do this anymore. You can't be a fan when you can't see the band.
The Sun, August 19, 2009
Slash is one of my favorite guitar players. He's a great guitar player, and he plays the right kind of guitar. He was a great pleasure to work with. The Guns 'N Roses sessions were great fun. With Axl we had some magical moments, doing that cover of the Dead Boys song "Ain't It Fun," and Little Steven. I think the best songs I've written for my solo stuff have been with [him], like "Dead, Jail or Rock 'n' Roll" [featuring Axl Rose]. He's a true rocker.
Las Vegas Sun, March 15, 2010
I think Slash is one of the last real guitar gunslingers,” says Alice Cooper, "in the same tradition as Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck. There are very few in this generation. There’s Steve Vai, Satriani, Slash and Joe Perry. And Slash is one of those guys that never lets his image down. He rocks it every time he gets up and plays. He plays it like he means it.
I met him when I was on a tour fucking years ago,” says Ozzy, “and he came down with the old drummer from Guns N’ Roses - cos they were still with Guns then - and they were both fucked out of their faces! But he’s changed. I don't drink, he doesn’t drink, we don’t do drugs any more. And I like him a lot: he’s a good guy. A very good guy.
I met Slash in 1992 when GN’R took Soundgarden on tour. He was extremely gracious and always very supportive. Often when you tour with a band that are that successful they treat you like shit. Slash was always a very consistent and amiable person and he is now.
And I will say this - and I don’t mean this as a sleight to him, it’s actually a compliment - Slash is the most drunk guitarist I have ever seen play well on stage. I was never able to be that trashed and that good at the same time. That’s a part of his consistency: he doesn’t drink now and he’s still great. That dedication to music is what drives his character.
And I will say this - and I don’t mean this as a sleight to him, it’s actually a compliment - Slash is the most drunk guitarist I have ever seen play well on stage. I was never able to be that trashed and that good at the same time. That’s a part of his consistency: he doesn’t drink now and he’s still great. That dedication to music is what drives his character.
I consider Appetite For Destruction to be one of the greatest albums ever made, if not the greatest,” he says. “I remember when I was about 16 seeing Welcome To The Jungle for the first time on MTV, and being like ‘What is this?' It was just so dangerous yet so catchy... For me, that record is timeless.
In connection with Guns N' Roses being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, Artist Direct would ask many musicians to talk about when they first discovered Guns N' Roses, what their favorite Guns N' Roses song is, what their best Guns N Roses memory is, and what the band means to them:
James "Munky" Shaffer of Korn and Fear and the Nervous System: I was probably 17-years-old when I first heard Guns N' Roses. Immediately, I noticed they had that "fuck you" attitude about everything. It wasn't just in the lyrics and the way Axl Rose sang either. The instruments and the tones were so raw. The way Izzy Stradlin and Slash's guitar parts intertwined was absolutely incredible. I was dissecting the way they worked together via the left and right speaker. Appetite for Destruction is a masterpiece. It's probably the best rock 'n' roll album next to Led Zeppelin records. They have so many good songs. You can't pick one. It's like a book. You have to immerse yourself in it from start to finish in order to see what happens at the end. That solo in "November Rain" is one of the best ever. We did some dates with them in Australia last year, and they are so good. The musicians that Axl has behind him are great. They're brilliant guitar players. My wife Evis and I had stayed until the very end of the show. At the end, Axl wanted me to come up and do the rock 'n' roll bow [Laughs]. I was there to represent. It was a great moment that I'll never forget.
Corey Taylor of Slipknot & Stone Sour: I remember the first time I heard Guns N' Roses. It was at three in the morning on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The video for "Welcome to the Jungle" came on, and we were all sitting there in my mom's trailer in Waterloo, IA. We were trying to make our way through the first hour of the show which was the fluff in order to get to the second hour which was always the good shit. It was the underground stuff. That's when they first premiered "Welcome to the Jungle". I remember all of us stopping and going, "What the fuck is this?" We kind of shit our pants [Laughs]. The next day, we all went out and looked for Appetite for Destruction. It fast became one of our favorite albums. The great thing about Guns N' Roses was they were punk enough for my punk friends, they were metal enough for my metal friends, and they were hard rock enough for my hard rock friends. Also, they were mainstream enough that by the time I was looking for other things, they were starting to explode with the mainstream audience. As big as they got, they were still a fantastic hard rock band. They were the gutter for everyone to see, and it was beautiful. It was the first time we stopped, looked, and said, "Well, fuck, if they can do it, why can't we?" I remember seeing the Ritz concert as well on MTV. Seeing them live was fantastic. I got to see them with Aerosmith on the Permanent Vacation tour. Axl just walked up to the microphone and went, "This song's called 'Mr. Brownstone'." I was like, "Holy fucking shit, it's on!" I was a lifelong fan. Their legacy is un-fucking-deniable. They were still relevant when the alternative revolution happened and all of the frou-frou bands went away. Guns N' Roses was still there. They basically told everyone to fuck off. What more attitude do you need?
Nicolas Cage [ Face/Off, Leaving Las Vegas, Drive Angry, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]: I think Axl is one of the great writers of the last century; his piano playing is amazing and that song "Prostitute" is incredible! Guns N' Roses is outstanding.
Josh Klinghoffer of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Dot Hacker: Guns N' Roses is a band I listened to as a kid that I still love. I remember my father bought the Appetite for Destruction cassette for me. He works in film and television. He brought it home from the Warner Bros. store. He'd always get tapes for me and bring them home. I also remember listening to Lies with my mother in the car and apologizing for the lyrics. I had Appetite when "Patience" came out, and that was a huge deal. At the time, I was a drummer, and that song had no drums. It made me think of music in a different way.
Efren Ramirez [Napoleon Dynamite, Crank, Eastbound & Down]: I first heard Guns N' Roses in the film, The Dead Pool. It was directed by Buddy Van Horn, and Dirty Harry was handling it! Clint Eastwood was awesome as always. Then, I remember seeing the band's video for "Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV. My grandma flipped out calling them, "Bola de locos"—which means "bunch of crazies". But I loved it because it was raw. It was such a different sound with Axl's vocals and Slash's guitar riffs. My favorites will always be "Welcome to the Jungle" and "November Rain". Yeah, okay, we know they became famous [Laughs]. That's great, but we also must remember this band had such great talent. Slash and Axl were such an awesome duo like Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl [Nirvana], Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro [Jane's Addiciton], Robert Plant and Jimmy Page [Led Zeppelin], David Gahan and Martin Gore [Depeche Mode] and Napoleon and Pedro [Laughs]. Yeah, you feel me! I actually kissed my first girlfriend to "November Rain". It was at some house party. Her name was Magdeline, and she was half-French and half-Argentinian. It was around Halloween, and to this day no girl has ever kissed me as she did. It was fucking awesome!
Derek Mears [Friday the 13th, Predators, Pirates of the Caribbean]: I first heard and saw Guns N' Roses on MTV with their "Welcome to the Jungle" video. I remember thinking, "Who the 'eff' are these guys? They're amazing!" Their hard rock I-don't-give-a-shit style kicked me in my nards. I was a fan ever since. My favorites song is "Mr. Brownstone"…next question. My best Guns N' Roses memory is watching Terminator 2: Judgment Day and being bummed that only part of "You Could Be Mine" was played in the film. I wanted to hear the song in its entirety! To me, Guns N' Roses represents the wild untamed creative sound of metal that has, and will, stand the test of time.
Tyler Mane [Rob Zombie's Halloween, Halloween II, Troy X-Men]: Right from their first album, Appetite For Destruction, I was hooked on Guns N' Roses. That album has two of my favorite songs to date," Welcome To the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine." I started to make my trek to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams of becoming an actor around that time and every time I'd come to town and be cruising around and hear "Welcome to the Jungle" on the radio (because it was being played all the time then), and I'd get excited about my life and what was to come. I know it sounds stupid but that's the truth! I don't know if you know this about me, but I was an inspiring guitarist myself and Slash's style of playing was amazing to me. There's something so individual about what he does and how he does it. I've never been able to find another guitarist that matches his style of soloing. When Slash plays, you always know it's him. I realized I didn't have a chance at the guitar, so I moved on to wrestling and acting. So thanks Slash for the career direction, just kidding [Laughs].
Keith Nelson of Buckcherry: I remember being in college and sitting there watching the "Welcome to the Jungle" video and having my mind blown. Like everyone else, I was like, "What the fuck is that?" [Laughs] It was very exciting and inspiring. It was nice to see a bunch of dudes that didn't look like chicks at the time. You really have to go back in the time machine and remember what the most popular stuff was. It was a bunch of guys that looked like girls. Guns N' Roses wasn't that. It was a bunch of dudes off the street. It was raw and had energy unlike anything else. It was very inspiring.
Ben Bruce of Asking Alexandria: I remember I was probably about 12-years-old, and my stepdad started introducing me to a lot of different rock bands such as The Scorpions, Deep Purple and, obviously, Guns N' Roses. I fell in love with Appetite for Destruction. To this day, I still believe it to be one of rock's best albums. The raw energy, the aggression and the complete lack of care or respect for anything other than themselves that seemed to pour from the album really hit me hard. It was around this time that I truly started working hard on guitar and songwriting. My best memory to date is definitely playing with them in New Jersey this year. Opening up for Guns N' Roses was just an insane experience that I will never forget.
Johann Urb [Resident Evil: Retribution, 2012, Strictly Sexual]: I was in junior high school in Finland, and one of my friends was super into Guns N' Roses. It was so nice to hear something original, powerful, and rebellious after all of those years of soft rock hair bands that were just about shoulder pads, tight jeans, and makeup. These guys rocked the house in a whole new way and made everyone else look like sissies—except for real metal bands, of course. "Raw" is the word that comes to mind, when I think of Guns N' Roses. Axl's voice and range were sick! The lyrics were insanely good, and they had the badass hardcore rock vibe balanced out with perfect ballads. They were the best rock band of that time, hands-down. I have lots of great memories and powerful dreams of Los Angeles—my future home, before I even moved here—associated with the band. I have so many memoires of partying and singing virtually every song on Appetite For Destruction and "Patience" over and over again with my closest friends over many a drink. Lots of fun was had, and lots of moshing was involved.
DJ Jesse Marco [Project X]: I heard "Welcome to the Jungle" on the radio probably when I was three-years-old driving in the car with my mom. It may be cliché, but "Sweet Child O' Mine" really does it for me, every time. I remember asking my guitar teacher to teach me the opening solo, and then I immediately went and showed all my friends. My best Guns N' Roses memory is probably Axl hanging out in the DJ booth while I'm playing "Welcome To The Jungle" and having him ask me to play some hip-hop. He's a big hip-hop fan I guess. Guns N' Roses are just synonymous with good energy. I feel like going out, partying and shouting every word to "Sweet Child O' Mine" is now a right of passage. I just don't think it'll ever get boring, it's classic.
Sid Wilson of Slipknot: I remember hearing Guns N' Roses on bootlegs and people saying, "They are better than L.A. Guns!" When Appetite for Destruction came out, I was on it. I used to skate to that album all of the time! [See more about Sid's phenomenal solo record here!]
Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society: I first discovered Guns N' Roses in 1987 when I went to California to play with Ozzy Osbourne. There are so many GNR songs to choose from. They are all slamming. My best memory was seeing them in 1988 at the Felt Forum underneath the Garden. Barely any production, it was nothing but the music, and it truly showed how amazing they were. It was a breath of fresh air from what was going on in the music scene. They lived, breathed, and bled what they believed in which made them the real deal.
Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge: I remember exactly where I was when "Welcome to the Jungle" came on the radio. I was in Chicago in the car with my dad headed to soccer practice. The song came on the radio. When he got back in the car, I was like, "Listen to this." Before you knew it, the song blew up and they were biggest band on earth. I think everybody loves it. It's one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It was great to play with Slash. He's a gentleman and a great guy. I've gotten to play with him a few times, and I got to spend a few minutes talking to him. He's a down-to-earth genuine guy.
Kevin Rudolf: I'm a huge Guns N' Roses fan! I was a kid, and "Welcome to the Jungle" had just come out on MTV. I looked at them, and I remember going, "Holy shit, that guy has fucking black teeth" [Laughs]. Watching Axl Rose on stage, that's the only thing I remember! I obviously grew to love their records, but that was my very first impression. First of all, they write incredible songs. They're real players, but they also have an undeniable chemistry. When they come together, it's magic. Did I relate to "Mr. Brownstone" when I was six-years-old? No, I didn't know what they were talking about but I loved the record. I met Duff McKagan well after he was in Guns N' Roses. I met him in a club in downtown New York. I told him I was a huge fan and we talked for a couple of minutes. That was super cool.
Scott Ian of Anthrax: I think I first heard them in early 1987. I heard tracks before Appetite for Destruction was out. I saw them at the Ritz in NYC not long after that as well. "It's So Easy" is my favorite Guns N' Roses song. My best memory is walking in the dressing room at the Ritz and Izzy and Slash both said "S.O.D.!" They brought rock back at a time when there wasn't any by making a great record that has obviously stood the test of time...One of the best bands of my lifetime.
Adrian Patrick of Otherwise: I was at my cousin's house, and I saw the music video for "Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV. I was a little kid. I remember that scene when Axl steps off the bus in L.A. Growing up in Las Vegas, we were so close to Los Angeles. Our parents took us to Disneyland every couple of years. I was very inundated with the L.A. West Coast vibe. I remember that scene when Axl steps off the bus on Hollywood Boulevard. My favorite city in the world was Los Angeles, and I had no idea why. It was probably because of Guns N' Roses. Axl is one of the top 5 baddest vocalists in rock 'n' roll ever.
James Durbin: You've got to love your roots and where you come from. I was in middle school, and I heard the big songs "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine". I really liked them. We were at Costco, and I saw they were selling Guns N' Roses's Greatest Hits for ten bucks. Since it was so cheap, I begged my mom to get it for me. We got it. It's got all of the greatest, most popular songs on there, and then I got a little deeper into it and found the strange and eclectic sounds. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens at this Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony with these guys. Are they really all going to go up there? Who knows…My favorite song would have to be "Nightrain". The subject matter is pretty fucked up, and that's why I like it. It's a big middle finger to society.
Dave Garofalo of SafetySuit: I first heard Guns N' Roses when I was 13-years-old and had never touched a guitar yet. The minute I saw Slash standing on the piano in the "November Rain" music video, I knew two things immediately—one, I have to learn how to play guitar and two, that is the greatest thing I have ever seen. Slash is the reason I play guitar right now. His heartfelt guitar riffs taught me how to blend melody that shoots into your soul with guitar awesomeness that will leave your face on the floor in a puddle of melted wax. My favorite song would have to be "November Rain". Guns N' Roses forever!
Mike Portnoy of Adrenaline Mob: I first heard "Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV, like everybody else. The songs would cling in your subconscious. They were all over the radio constantly. I was immersed in the thrash world at the time, but there was a part of me that grew up listening to The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, so I could appreciate where Guns N' Roses was coming from. The songwriting was great, and Slash's guitar playing was amazing. The Use Your Illusion albums came out, and not only did they have this gritty, dirty Aerosmith side, but they also had this epic side. They wrote these epics that were big and grandiose. I appreciated their musicality.
Jeff Kendrick of DevilDriver & Founder of AllAxess.com: Guns N' Roses was one of the first hard rock heavy metal bands that I have ever heard and got into. In 1987, I was seven-years-old and I had a classmate in school whose older brother gave him Appetite For Destruction. I remember that this kid would talk about Guns N' Roses like they were the best band ever. I was a shy, timid little kid at the time, but I sincerely remember hearing the band and being completely blown away by what I heard. He put on "Welcome To the Jungle", and I will never forget hearing the intro guitar part and then the song as it builds and builds. I definitely have to say I was a little scared—considering I was seven—but it was one of the those empowering moments from my childhood where I started to feel I was growing up! To this day, I still get ecstatic to listening to any Guns N' Roses song. Now I am a little more adjusted and comfortable to it, but I will never forget the first time I heard it!
J-Dog of Hollywood Undead: Charlie Scene is obsessed with them. He always has been since he was 15-years-old. He had all of the Use Your Illusion I and Appetite for Destruction posters on the wall. I love the musicianship. I think "Sweet Child O' Mine" is one of the top 20 best written songs of all time.
Joel Birch of The Amity Affliction: I was about eight-years-old and riding the bus to school with some kids who were in high school at the time and one of them was rocking the shirt with the two guns and the roses on it—the one that all the hipster fucks wear these days. I was staring at it, and so the kid gave me his Walkman and he had Guns N' Roses playing on a mix tape that he'd made. Funnily enough that's how I discovered Metallica and Megadeth as well. It was quite the mix tape. I thought it was amazing. It was so epic. When you're eight-years-old and you go from listening to Frank Sinatra and those shitty compilations like Best of the 50s and shit like that to hearing something as heavy as Guns N' Roses were back then, it was mind blowing. I don't know why, but I loved how pissed-off the music sounded. When that was coupled with how they presented themselves, I thought they were the coolest motherfuckers I'd ever seen [Laughs]. My best memories are probably smoking my first cigarette, smoking my first joint and just hanging out with my deadbeat mate up the road for about five years just listening to the same records. They're only the best memories because they're funny [Laughs]. I don't smoke weed or cigarettes, but for some reason when I was ten-years-old, I thought they were both cool as fuck!
Syd Duran of Valora: I heard Guns N' Roses a little later on in my life. I was dating a guy in a glam rock band, and he taught me a lot about real rock 'n' roll music and we used to watch rockumentaries all of the time on VH1. I got to know a lot about Guns N' Roses and other bands. I appreciate the musicianship. I saw them at Inland Invasion in 2006, and they put on a great show. I'm a huge Sebastien Bach fan, and they brought him on stage. That was a cool experience for me!
Steve Krolikowski of Fear and the Nervous System and Repeater: In my tape player in seventh grade, I had Warrant, Poison's Flesh & Blood, and two records by Whitesnake. Those things got destroyed by Appetite For Destruction. The only thing that survived Nirvana's Nevermind was Appetite For Destruction. Everything with hair on it got washed away. The album was on the radio for ten years after that. It sounded different than everything out there. It was like a Led Zeppelin record or The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. You can't forget every song. On that record, they were completely in that space of the legend of rock 'n' roll. That is the one encapsulation that stays there to this day. I can't think of another rock 'n' roll record that sounds this genuine in 25 years. It's a punk record, a metal record, and a rock 'n' roll record all in one.
Javier Colon [Winner of NBC's The Voice Season 1]: I probably knew everything on Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II [Laughs]. I could play you every song. They were high on the list. I could do some "Sweet Child O' Mine" on the acoustic right now if you asked me to. That was all over MTV back in the day, and I would watch MTV all the time so it was what I would listen to.
David Ellefson of Megadeth: Guns N' Roses is the perfect example of how those who are most likely to fail in life become the most likely to succeed in rock 'n' roll. They had the right heart, spirit, and guts to go against the grain and be real rock 'n' roll heroes. You could tell they were going to be HUGE the first time you heard them. They were so brash and offensive; how could you NOT hail them?!
Robert Ortiz of Escape The Fate: Are you kidding me? Guns N' Roses is everything. They've been my favorite band since I was born. Appetite for Destruction is hands down the best rock album ever made. There is no argument; this is simply a fact. It is the second best overall album ever made just behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. This band is the perfect blend of everything you could possibly need in a musical group. The way they look is the perfect complement to how they sound. They're really cool and styling, but they're dirty and honest at the same time. It's why they were so huge. It's why you can show them to a young kid who is far removed from the era of listening to cassette tapes and he won't think it's old people music. They were controversial without having to think about being controversial. They were badass, and girls thought they were hot. The most important thing about Guns 'n Roses is that they never, ever compromised. They spared no expense and didn't care what you thought. "November" Rain is my favorite song. Imagine a nine-minute epic song being a hit radio single. In an era where music videos could be made for millions of dollars and make an artist millions of dollars, no one came close to what they created. I've been all over the world, heard thousands upon thousands of songs and seeing countless concerts, but watching Slash walk out of the little chapel in the middle of the desert to play the best solo of all time is still the coolest thing I've ever seen. I still watch that video and it takes me back into a place of wonder. I lose all sense of reality and never want to leave that vibe, like being a child. This band is magical. While I wasn't trying to look like Slash—I was actually going for Michael Jackson—he gave me the confidence to be who I am and embrace my curly hair and say, "Fuck it". I don't mind being told I look like him.
P.S.
How can I get into the induction ceremony? Fuck yeah!
Rick DeJesus of Adelitas Way: When I was a little kid, I stole Appetite for Destruction from my older brother. I used to listen to it when I was playing video games in my room. "November Rain" is brilliant. There's no other way to describe it. Growing up on them, when I listen to songs like "Patience", "Civil War", "Mr. Brownstone", it's like a timeline of my life. It brings me back to moments when I was younger. They are a huge part of the soundtrack of my life. They are one of my favorite bands of all time.
Hyro Da Hero: They're legends in music. I decided to change the radio station when I was younger so I got to hear every classic rock song they played. I was the one dude that changed the station. I checked them out and dug it. Every Guns N' Roses song is amazing. You see Slash and he's a brother ripping up the guitar. I saw Slash soloing in the "November Rain" video, and I was blown away. The way he gets down is amazing. I love the song he did with Michael Jackson—"Give In To Me". If Michael Jackson gets you, you know you're good [Laughs]!
Eric Turner: When Appetite for Destruction came out, I was floored like everyone else. They were so raw and powerful. I'll admit that I could do a pretty good "serpent" dance impression of Axl Rose at school dances [Laughs]. My favorite song was first "Sweet Child O' Mine". Then when I bought the album, I really got into it. I played it over and over for weeks, and "Welcome to the Jungle" became my favorite. I guess they were the first band that lived up to Led Zeppelin for me.
Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour: I first heard them in my friend Raul Gomez's basement. I remember thinking the guitar sounded like god, so I would say the guitar impressed me [Laughs]. I also loved the songs though. They were complex but simple at the same time. I loved Axl's voice too. It reminded me of AC/DC but also something different. In a time when glam singers weren't as gruff, Guns N' Roses was the shit. To me, they are rock and roll personified—all of the self-destructive, hedonistic, greedy attributes of what everyone "thinks" a rock and roll band should be. These guys pushed it to the point most people only dream of and now, well they're the rock band that most rock bands are measured against. I remember seeing them at RFK Stadium with Metallica back in the day. It was crazy. They took like two hours to setup and we only got to see a few songs because the metro was leaving and well half the stadium had to leave at 11:30. However, during that entire two-hour setup, girls flashed their boobs on the big screen. I remember thinking, "This is amazing". Boobs make almost everything cool, but now that I'm older I know; you can see boobs anytime. This is Guns N' Roses.
Donald Carpenter of Eye Empire, ex-Submersed: I think, a lot like everyone else, Appetite For Destruction was my introduction to Guns N' Roses and what a way to start! There are a lot of timeless tracks. I personally like the entire layout of "Civil War". Lyrically, to me, it was their most profound statement—not a lot of flash, just meat and potatoes. Man, I wish I had some personal experience or a concert to reference, but I don't have any. My favorite memory is that they came along as I was discovering my own rock rebellion, and they played a huge part in that soundtrack—the memory of my rebellious youth. They are one of the last truly "iconic" bands we've had. The pickins are slim nowadays, and they were the real deal. It's something I strive for and look up to.
Brett Ditgen of Red Line Chemistry: I first discovered them on MTV when the "Welcome to the Jungle" video came out. It's hard to pick a favorite but if I have to I'll go with "Rocket Queen". There are a lot of good memories associated with them, but the best is jumping on my bed as a kid screaming and air guitaring the end of "Paradise City" like I was on stage. What do they mean to me?...They are legends of my time.
Veno of Seven Circle Sunrise: I’m not really sure when I discovered Guns N' Roses, but I was definitely very young. I have an older brother who listened to Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and all that. He’s the one who introduced me to Guns N' Roses among others. My Favorite song would have to be “November Rain”. My best memory would be when I saw them live in 2006 in Cleveland, OH. Hearing the breakdown at the end of "November Rain live" was one of the best concert experiences I’ve had, it gave me chills. To me, when I hear Guns N' Roses I can’t help but think of the innocence of childhood, before reality set in. "Sweet Child O' Mine" always takes me back in time.
Taki Sassaris of Eve to Adam: I was sitting in my bedroom in Florida. We had this shitty little television. We weren't really allowed to watch MTV. My brother and I stayed up past our bed time and we were watching MTV. I saw the "Welcome to the Jungle" video. Alex and I were into a lot of different hair metal at the time. When Guns N' Roses came on, it was something different. It had such an aggressive undertone. It had a street element that some of the other groups didn't have. The danger was really apparent. There was something exhilarant about it. I was at The Playboy Mansion for a Ronnie James Dio cancer benefit, and I was at one of the last tables. Lo and behold, I was seated next to Slash. I got a chance to talk to him. I don't get starstruck very easily, but I was nervous to say the least. He's one of my idols and the guys who inspired me to get into rock 'n' roll. I congratulated him on the induction. Axl is out there on tour now, and he's amazing. The music is timeless. "Welcome to the Jungle" is still relevant now more than ever. G N'R Lies is probably my favorite.
Corey Taylor of Slipknot & Stone Sour: I remember the first time I heard Guns N' Roses. It was at three in the morning on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The video for "Welcome to the Jungle" came on, and we were all sitting there in my mom's trailer in Waterloo, IA. We were trying to make our way through the first hour of the show which was the fluff in order to get to the second hour which was always the good shit. It was the underground stuff. That's when they first premiered "Welcome to the Jungle". I remember all of us stopping and going, "What the fuck is this?" We kind of shit our pants [Laughs]. The next day, we all went out and looked for Appetite for Destruction. It fast became one of our favorite albums. The great thing about Guns N' Roses was they were punk enough for my punk friends, they were metal enough for my metal friends, and they were hard rock enough for my hard rock friends. Also, they were mainstream enough that by the time I was looking for other things, they were starting to explode with the mainstream audience. As big as they got, they were still a fantastic hard rock band. They were the gutter for everyone to see, and it was beautiful. It was the first time we stopped, looked, and said, "Well, fuck, if they can do it, why can't we?" I remember seeing the Ritz concert as well on MTV. Seeing them live was fantastic. I got to see them with Aerosmith on the Permanent Vacation tour. Axl just walked up to the microphone and went, "This song's called 'Mr. Brownstone'." I was like, "Holy fucking shit, it's on!" I was a lifelong fan. Their legacy is un-fucking-deniable. They were still relevant when the alternative revolution happened and all of the frou-frou bands went away. Guns N' Roses was still there. They basically told everyone to fuck off. What more attitude do you need?
Nicolas Cage [ Face/Off, Leaving Las Vegas, Drive Angry, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]: I think Axl is one of the great writers of the last century; his piano playing is amazing and that song "Prostitute" is incredible! Guns N' Roses is outstanding.
Josh Klinghoffer of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Dot Hacker: Guns N' Roses is a band I listened to as a kid that I still love. I remember my father bought the Appetite for Destruction cassette for me. He works in film and television. He brought it home from the Warner Bros. store. He'd always get tapes for me and bring them home. I also remember listening to Lies with my mother in the car and apologizing for the lyrics. I had Appetite when "Patience" came out, and that was a huge deal. At the time, I was a drummer, and that song had no drums. It made me think of music in a different way.
Efren Ramirez [Napoleon Dynamite, Crank, Eastbound & Down]: I first heard Guns N' Roses in the film, The Dead Pool. It was directed by Buddy Van Horn, and Dirty Harry was handling it! Clint Eastwood was awesome as always. Then, I remember seeing the band's video for "Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV. My grandma flipped out calling them, "Bola de locos"—which means "bunch of crazies". But I loved it because it was raw. It was such a different sound with Axl's vocals and Slash's guitar riffs. My favorites will always be "Welcome to the Jungle" and "November Rain". Yeah, okay, we know they became famous [Laughs]. That's great, but we also must remember this band had such great talent. Slash and Axl were such an awesome duo like Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl [Nirvana], Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro [Jane's Addiciton], Robert Plant and Jimmy Page [Led Zeppelin], David Gahan and Martin Gore [Depeche Mode] and Napoleon and Pedro [Laughs]. Yeah, you feel me! I actually kissed my first girlfriend to "November Rain". It was at some house party. Her name was Magdeline, and she was half-French and half-Argentinian. It was around Halloween, and to this day no girl has ever kissed me as she did. It was fucking awesome!
Derek Mears [Friday the 13th, Predators, Pirates of the Caribbean]: I first heard and saw Guns N' Roses on MTV with their "Welcome to the Jungle" video. I remember thinking, "Who the 'eff' are these guys? They're amazing!" Their hard rock I-don't-give-a-shit style kicked me in my nards. I was a fan ever since. My favorites song is "Mr. Brownstone"…next question. My best Guns N' Roses memory is watching Terminator 2: Judgment Day and being bummed that only part of "You Could Be Mine" was played in the film. I wanted to hear the song in its entirety! To me, Guns N' Roses represents the wild untamed creative sound of metal that has, and will, stand the test of time.
Tyler Mane [Rob Zombie's Halloween, Halloween II, Troy X-Men]: Right from their first album, Appetite For Destruction, I was hooked on Guns N' Roses. That album has two of my favorite songs to date," Welcome To the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine." I started to make my trek to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams of becoming an actor around that time and every time I'd come to town and be cruising around and hear "Welcome to the Jungle" on the radio (because it was being played all the time then), and I'd get excited about my life and what was to come. I know it sounds stupid but that's the truth! I don't know if you know this about me, but I was an inspiring guitarist myself and Slash's style of playing was amazing to me. There's something so individual about what he does and how he does it. I've never been able to find another guitarist that matches his style of soloing. When Slash plays, you always know it's him. I realized I didn't have a chance at the guitar, so I moved on to wrestling and acting. So thanks Slash for the career direction, just kidding [Laughs].
Keith Nelson of Buckcherry: I remember being in college and sitting there watching the "Welcome to the Jungle" video and having my mind blown. Like everyone else, I was like, "What the fuck is that?" [Laughs] It was very exciting and inspiring. It was nice to see a bunch of dudes that didn't look like chicks at the time. You really have to go back in the time machine and remember what the most popular stuff was. It was a bunch of guys that looked like girls. Guns N' Roses wasn't that. It was a bunch of dudes off the street. It was raw and had energy unlike anything else. It was very inspiring.
Ben Bruce of Asking Alexandria: I remember I was probably about 12-years-old, and my stepdad started introducing me to a lot of different rock bands such as The Scorpions, Deep Purple and, obviously, Guns N' Roses. I fell in love with Appetite for Destruction. To this day, I still believe it to be one of rock's best albums. The raw energy, the aggression and the complete lack of care or respect for anything other than themselves that seemed to pour from the album really hit me hard. It was around this time that I truly started working hard on guitar and songwriting. My best memory to date is definitely playing with them in New Jersey this year. Opening up for Guns N' Roses was just an insane experience that I will never forget.
Johann Urb [Resident Evil: Retribution, 2012, Strictly Sexual]: I was in junior high school in Finland, and one of my friends was super into Guns N' Roses. It was so nice to hear something original, powerful, and rebellious after all of those years of soft rock hair bands that were just about shoulder pads, tight jeans, and makeup. These guys rocked the house in a whole new way and made everyone else look like sissies—except for real metal bands, of course. "Raw" is the word that comes to mind, when I think of Guns N' Roses. Axl's voice and range were sick! The lyrics were insanely good, and they had the badass hardcore rock vibe balanced out with perfect ballads. They were the best rock band of that time, hands-down. I have lots of great memories and powerful dreams of Los Angeles—my future home, before I even moved here—associated with the band. I have so many memoires of partying and singing virtually every song on Appetite For Destruction and "Patience" over and over again with my closest friends over many a drink. Lots of fun was had, and lots of moshing was involved.
DJ Jesse Marco [Project X]: I heard "Welcome to the Jungle" on the radio probably when I was three-years-old driving in the car with my mom. It may be cliché, but "Sweet Child O' Mine" really does it for me, every time. I remember asking my guitar teacher to teach me the opening solo, and then I immediately went and showed all my friends. My best Guns N' Roses memory is probably Axl hanging out in the DJ booth while I'm playing "Welcome To The Jungle" and having him ask me to play some hip-hop. He's a big hip-hop fan I guess. Guns N' Roses are just synonymous with good energy. I feel like going out, partying and shouting every word to "Sweet Child O' Mine" is now a right of passage. I just don't think it'll ever get boring, it's classic.
Sid Wilson of Slipknot: I remember hearing Guns N' Roses on bootlegs and people saying, "They are better than L.A. Guns!" When Appetite for Destruction came out, I was on it. I used to skate to that album all of the time! [See more about Sid's phenomenal solo record here!]
Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society: I first discovered Guns N' Roses in 1987 when I went to California to play with Ozzy Osbourne. There are so many GNR songs to choose from. They are all slamming. My best memory was seeing them in 1988 at the Felt Forum underneath the Garden. Barely any production, it was nothing but the music, and it truly showed how amazing they were. It was a breath of fresh air from what was going on in the music scene. They lived, breathed, and bled what they believed in which made them the real deal.
Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge: I remember exactly where I was when "Welcome to the Jungle" came on the radio. I was in Chicago in the car with my dad headed to soccer practice. The song came on the radio. When he got back in the car, I was like, "Listen to this." Before you knew it, the song blew up and they were biggest band on earth. I think everybody loves it. It's one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It was great to play with Slash. He's a gentleman and a great guy. I've gotten to play with him a few times, and I got to spend a few minutes talking to him. He's a down-to-earth genuine guy.
Kevin Rudolf: I'm a huge Guns N' Roses fan! I was a kid, and "Welcome to the Jungle" had just come out on MTV. I looked at them, and I remember going, "Holy shit, that guy has fucking black teeth" [Laughs]. Watching Axl Rose on stage, that's the only thing I remember! I obviously grew to love their records, but that was my very first impression. First of all, they write incredible songs. They're real players, but they also have an undeniable chemistry. When they come together, it's magic. Did I relate to "Mr. Brownstone" when I was six-years-old? No, I didn't know what they were talking about but I loved the record. I met Duff McKagan well after he was in Guns N' Roses. I met him in a club in downtown New York. I told him I was a huge fan and we talked for a couple of minutes. That was super cool.
Scott Ian of Anthrax: I think I first heard them in early 1987. I heard tracks before Appetite for Destruction was out. I saw them at the Ritz in NYC not long after that as well. "It's So Easy" is my favorite Guns N' Roses song. My best memory is walking in the dressing room at the Ritz and Izzy and Slash both said "S.O.D.!" They brought rock back at a time when there wasn't any by making a great record that has obviously stood the test of time...One of the best bands of my lifetime.
Adrian Patrick of Otherwise: I was at my cousin's house, and I saw the music video for "Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV. I was a little kid. I remember that scene when Axl steps off the bus in L.A. Growing up in Las Vegas, we were so close to Los Angeles. Our parents took us to Disneyland every couple of years. I was very inundated with the L.A. West Coast vibe. I remember that scene when Axl steps off the bus on Hollywood Boulevard. My favorite city in the world was Los Angeles, and I had no idea why. It was probably because of Guns N' Roses. Axl is one of the top 5 baddest vocalists in rock 'n' roll ever.
James Durbin: You've got to love your roots and where you come from. I was in middle school, and I heard the big songs "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine". I really liked them. We were at Costco, and I saw they were selling Guns N' Roses's Greatest Hits for ten bucks. Since it was so cheap, I begged my mom to get it for me. We got it. It's got all of the greatest, most popular songs on there, and then I got a little deeper into it and found the strange and eclectic sounds. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens at this Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony with these guys. Are they really all going to go up there? Who knows…My favorite song would have to be "Nightrain". The subject matter is pretty fucked up, and that's why I like it. It's a big middle finger to society.
Dave Garofalo of SafetySuit: I first heard Guns N' Roses when I was 13-years-old and had never touched a guitar yet. The minute I saw Slash standing on the piano in the "November Rain" music video, I knew two things immediately—one, I have to learn how to play guitar and two, that is the greatest thing I have ever seen. Slash is the reason I play guitar right now. His heartfelt guitar riffs taught me how to blend melody that shoots into your soul with guitar awesomeness that will leave your face on the floor in a puddle of melted wax. My favorite song would have to be "November Rain". Guns N' Roses forever!
Mike Portnoy of Adrenaline Mob: I first heard "Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV, like everybody else. The songs would cling in your subconscious. They were all over the radio constantly. I was immersed in the thrash world at the time, but there was a part of me that grew up listening to The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, so I could appreciate where Guns N' Roses was coming from. The songwriting was great, and Slash's guitar playing was amazing. The Use Your Illusion albums came out, and not only did they have this gritty, dirty Aerosmith side, but they also had this epic side. They wrote these epics that were big and grandiose. I appreciated their musicality.
Jeff Kendrick of DevilDriver & Founder of AllAxess.com: Guns N' Roses was one of the first hard rock heavy metal bands that I have ever heard and got into. In 1987, I was seven-years-old and I had a classmate in school whose older brother gave him Appetite For Destruction. I remember that this kid would talk about Guns N' Roses like they were the best band ever. I was a shy, timid little kid at the time, but I sincerely remember hearing the band and being completely blown away by what I heard. He put on "Welcome To the Jungle", and I will never forget hearing the intro guitar part and then the song as it builds and builds. I definitely have to say I was a little scared—considering I was seven—but it was one of the those empowering moments from my childhood where I started to feel I was growing up! To this day, I still get ecstatic to listening to any Guns N' Roses song. Now I am a little more adjusted and comfortable to it, but I will never forget the first time I heard it!
J-Dog of Hollywood Undead: Charlie Scene is obsessed with them. He always has been since he was 15-years-old. He had all of the Use Your Illusion I and Appetite for Destruction posters on the wall. I love the musicianship. I think "Sweet Child O' Mine" is one of the top 20 best written songs of all time.
Joel Birch of The Amity Affliction: I was about eight-years-old and riding the bus to school with some kids who were in high school at the time and one of them was rocking the shirt with the two guns and the roses on it—the one that all the hipster fucks wear these days. I was staring at it, and so the kid gave me his Walkman and he had Guns N' Roses playing on a mix tape that he'd made. Funnily enough that's how I discovered Metallica and Megadeth as well. It was quite the mix tape. I thought it was amazing. It was so epic. When you're eight-years-old and you go from listening to Frank Sinatra and those shitty compilations like Best of the 50s and shit like that to hearing something as heavy as Guns N' Roses were back then, it was mind blowing. I don't know why, but I loved how pissed-off the music sounded. When that was coupled with how they presented themselves, I thought they were the coolest motherfuckers I'd ever seen [Laughs]. My best memories are probably smoking my first cigarette, smoking my first joint and just hanging out with my deadbeat mate up the road for about five years just listening to the same records. They're only the best memories because they're funny [Laughs]. I don't smoke weed or cigarettes, but for some reason when I was ten-years-old, I thought they were both cool as fuck!
Syd Duran of Valora: I heard Guns N' Roses a little later on in my life. I was dating a guy in a glam rock band, and he taught me a lot about real rock 'n' roll music and we used to watch rockumentaries all of the time on VH1. I got to know a lot about Guns N' Roses and other bands. I appreciate the musicianship. I saw them at Inland Invasion in 2006, and they put on a great show. I'm a huge Sebastien Bach fan, and they brought him on stage. That was a cool experience for me!
Steve Krolikowski of Fear and the Nervous System and Repeater: In my tape player in seventh grade, I had Warrant, Poison's Flesh & Blood, and two records by Whitesnake. Those things got destroyed by Appetite For Destruction. The only thing that survived Nirvana's Nevermind was Appetite For Destruction. Everything with hair on it got washed away. The album was on the radio for ten years after that. It sounded different than everything out there. It was like a Led Zeppelin record or The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. You can't forget every song. On that record, they were completely in that space of the legend of rock 'n' roll. That is the one encapsulation that stays there to this day. I can't think of another rock 'n' roll record that sounds this genuine in 25 years. It's a punk record, a metal record, and a rock 'n' roll record all in one.
Javier Colon [Winner of NBC's The Voice Season 1]: I probably knew everything on Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II [Laughs]. I could play you every song. They were high on the list. I could do some "Sweet Child O' Mine" on the acoustic right now if you asked me to. That was all over MTV back in the day, and I would watch MTV all the time so it was what I would listen to.
David Ellefson of Megadeth: Guns N' Roses is the perfect example of how those who are most likely to fail in life become the most likely to succeed in rock 'n' roll. They had the right heart, spirit, and guts to go against the grain and be real rock 'n' roll heroes. You could tell they were going to be HUGE the first time you heard them. They were so brash and offensive; how could you NOT hail them?!
Robert Ortiz of Escape The Fate: Are you kidding me? Guns N' Roses is everything. They've been my favorite band since I was born. Appetite for Destruction is hands down the best rock album ever made. There is no argument; this is simply a fact. It is the second best overall album ever made just behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. This band is the perfect blend of everything you could possibly need in a musical group. The way they look is the perfect complement to how they sound. They're really cool and styling, but they're dirty and honest at the same time. It's why they were so huge. It's why you can show them to a young kid who is far removed from the era of listening to cassette tapes and he won't think it's old people music. They were controversial without having to think about being controversial. They were badass, and girls thought they were hot. The most important thing about Guns 'n Roses is that they never, ever compromised. They spared no expense and didn't care what you thought. "November" Rain is my favorite song. Imagine a nine-minute epic song being a hit radio single. In an era where music videos could be made for millions of dollars and make an artist millions of dollars, no one came close to what they created. I've been all over the world, heard thousands upon thousands of songs and seeing countless concerts, but watching Slash walk out of the little chapel in the middle of the desert to play the best solo of all time is still the coolest thing I've ever seen. I still watch that video and it takes me back into a place of wonder. I lose all sense of reality and never want to leave that vibe, like being a child. This band is magical. While I wasn't trying to look like Slash—I was actually going for Michael Jackson—he gave me the confidence to be who I am and embrace my curly hair and say, "Fuck it". I don't mind being told I look like him.
P.S.
How can I get into the induction ceremony? Fuck yeah!
Rick DeJesus of Adelitas Way: When I was a little kid, I stole Appetite for Destruction from my older brother. I used to listen to it when I was playing video games in my room. "November Rain" is brilliant. There's no other way to describe it. Growing up on them, when I listen to songs like "Patience", "Civil War", "Mr. Brownstone", it's like a timeline of my life. It brings me back to moments when I was younger. They are a huge part of the soundtrack of my life. They are one of my favorite bands of all time.
Hyro Da Hero: They're legends in music. I decided to change the radio station when I was younger so I got to hear every classic rock song they played. I was the one dude that changed the station. I checked them out and dug it. Every Guns N' Roses song is amazing. You see Slash and he's a brother ripping up the guitar. I saw Slash soloing in the "November Rain" video, and I was blown away. The way he gets down is amazing. I love the song he did with Michael Jackson—"Give In To Me". If Michael Jackson gets you, you know you're good [Laughs]!
Eric Turner: When Appetite for Destruction came out, I was floored like everyone else. They were so raw and powerful. I'll admit that I could do a pretty good "serpent" dance impression of Axl Rose at school dances [Laughs]. My favorite song was first "Sweet Child O' Mine". Then when I bought the album, I really got into it. I played it over and over for weeks, and "Welcome to the Jungle" became my favorite. I guess they were the first band that lived up to Led Zeppelin for me.
Mike Schleibaum of Darkest Hour: I first heard them in my friend Raul Gomez's basement. I remember thinking the guitar sounded like god, so I would say the guitar impressed me [Laughs]. I also loved the songs though. They were complex but simple at the same time. I loved Axl's voice too. It reminded me of AC/DC but also something different. In a time when glam singers weren't as gruff, Guns N' Roses was the shit. To me, they are rock and roll personified—all of the self-destructive, hedonistic, greedy attributes of what everyone "thinks" a rock and roll band should be. These guys pushed it to the point most people only dream of and now, well they're the rock band that most rock bands are measured against. I remember seeing them at RFK Stadium with Metallica back in the day. It was crazy. They took like two hours to setup and we only got to see a few songs because the metro was leaving and well half the stadium had to leave at 11:30. However, during that entire two-hour setup, girls flashed their boobs on the big screen. I remember thinking, "This is amazing". Boobs make almost everything cool, but now that I'm older I know; you can see boobs anytime. This is Guns N' Roses.
Donald Carpenter of Eye Empire, ex-Submersed: I think, a lot like everyone else, Appetite For Destruction was my introduction to Guns N' Roses and what a way to start! There are a lot of timeless tracks. I personally like the entire layout of "Civil War". Lyrically, to me, it was their most profound statement—not a lot of flash, just meat and potatoes. Man, I wish I had some personal experience or a concert to reference, but I don't have any. My favorite memory is that they came along as I was discovering my own rock rebellion, and they played a huge part in that soundtrack—the memory of my rebellious youth. They are one of the last truly "iconic" bands we've had. The pickins are slim nowadays, and they were the real deal. It's something I strive for and look up to.
Brett Ditgen of Red Line Chemistry: I first discovered them on MTV when the "Welcome to the Jungle" video came out. It's hard to pick a favorite but if I have to I'll go with "Rocket Queen". There are a lot of good memories associated with them, but the best is jumping on my bed as a kid screaming and air guitaring the end of "Paradise City" like I was on stage. What do they mean to me?...They are legends of my time.
Veno of Seven Circle Sunrise: I’m not really sure when I discovered Guns N' Roses, but I was definitely very young. I have an older brother who listened to Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and all that. He’s the one who introduced me to Guns N' Roses among others. My Favorite song would have to be “November Rain”. My best memory would be when I saw them live in 2006 in Cleveland, OH. Hearing the breakdown at the end of "November Rain live" was one of the best concert experiences I’ve had, it gave me chills. To me, when I hear Guns N' Roses I can’t help but think of the innocence of childhood, before reality set in. "Sweet Child O' Mine" always takes me back in time.
Taki Sassaris of Eve to Adam: I was sitting in my bedroom in Florida. We had this shitty little television. We weren't really allowed to watch MTV. My brother and I stayed up past our bed time and we were watching MTV. I saw the "Welcome to the Jungle" video. Alex and I were into a lot of different hair metal at the time. When Guns N' Roses came on, it was something different. It had such an aggressive undertone. It had a street element that some of the other groups didn't have. The danger was really apparent. There was something exhilarant about it. I was at The Playboy Mansion for a Ronnie James Dio cancer benefit, and I was at one of the last tables. Lo and behold, I was seated next to Slash. I got a chance to talk to him. I don't get starstruck very easily, but I was nervous to say the least. He's one of my idols and the guys who inspired me to get into rock 'n' roll. I congratulated him on the induction. Axl is out there on tour now, and he's amazing. The music is timeless. "Welcome to the Jungle" is still relevant now more than ever. G N'R Lies is probably my favorite.
Artist Direct, June 6, 2012
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Re: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD
by Soulmonster Thu Jan 25, 2024 6:40 am
THE AFTERSHOW THEME PARTIES
During the touring in 1991-1993 the band would arrange lavish aftershow parties:
They blow big money on parties after the show. I think they could use that money somewhere else.
We'd spend $100,000 a night on parties. For two and a half years, there was something every night. One night was a Greek night-four greased-up, muscle-bound guys carried in a roast pig. I was so pissed off - I love pigs.
I was in awe of the whole thing. I remember there was like a Roman theme one time and they brought in like a pig on a stick. You know, a big skewer like a full hog or something that had been roasted. Yeah, that was interesting I thought. And they had like a race car theme in in Indianapolis, of course, but everyone was not drinking milk.
Rob Affuso from Skid Row would recount the theme parties:
Axl used to have these great parties after the shows and he would flip out quite a bank roll to roll these parties and they would vary in themes weather they'd be Caribbean, they would always involve hot tubs, and beautiful women and food, and alcohol and it was always...
Later, Slash would say the parties had cost so much they had to end them, and that they originally had been Axl's idea:
[…] the Guns party situation was something that was very expensive and we had to stop it after a while. That was an Axl thing, too. But it was fun and we got to experience a bit of that. It was so expensive that we couldn't do it any more.
It wasn't [Metallica's] fault. It was ours. The whole thing was so over the top, we didn't make a dime. That's embarrassingly senseless. Everyone was trying to keep up with the Rolling Stones. I can see naked girls in a G-string for free - I don't have to pay 20 grand to have 600 of them coming over!
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» 2016.02.05 - BBC Four - The Most Dangerous Band In The World: The Story Of Guns N' Roses
» Is the band working under the 1992 partnership?
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