1988.10.31 - Circus - Slash's Sneak Preview of Guns' Headline Set

Slash's sneak preview of Guns' headline set

Even though their debut album, Appetite For Destruction, has hit the top of the charts, Guns N' Roses have been making their mark as an opening act, most recently on the coast-to-coast Aerosmith tour. Guitarist Slash  doesn't mind coming up the hard way; in fact, he stresses, doing things naturally is what GNR are all about.

When the group toured arenas with Motley Crue last year, Slash recalled "walking around the halls and freaking—our little band as a part of this huge, major thing." Having gotten to know Motley bassist Nikki Sin fairly well, Slash understood "he's always been into a big stage production, theatrics and all that stuff. And we're more or less a garage band gone popular. We go out there in the clothes that we're wearing and using a very minimal set-up, but we pull it off."

Slash admits to wondering what things will be like when it becomes Guns' turn to do a headlining American tour, an event that probably won't take place until next year. (They've already headlined in Europe, and in mid-sized halls such as New York's Felt Forum.)

"The only thing I think we'll really change is, there'll be more dynamics from outside the band, as far as stage effects go. like lighting, maybe smoke here and there, and a back drop, which we already have. But basically, I think the thing that will change is there'll be more songs, probably more dynamic changes as far as levels within the set, and more solos. It's no frills, really. We rely on the band itself to kick ass and pull out the stops." GNR's New York headlining show confirmed Slash's predictions. The band put on a well-rounded rock show, adding several ballads, a straight-out blues number, and--as usual--their own version of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" to their set.