They first came on the scene in 1980, when Axl Rose (born Bill Bailey) moved to LA in search of fame in rock n roll. He started a band with himself, guitarist Izzy Stradlin' (born Jeffrey Isbell), they joined with guitarist Tracii Guns, and Drummer Rob Garner, in a band that was successively named, A-X-L, Rose, Hollywood Roses, and LA Guns. They finally combined the last two to make Guns 'n' Roses.
Guns and Garner left the band, and in their place came two members or a rival band, Road Crew, drummer Steven Adler, and guitarist Slash (born Saul Hudson). Soon after this, bassist Michael 'Duff' McKagen joined the band, and they released an EP 'Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide' on the imprint 'Uzi Suicide' label, which was funded by their major label Geffen.
In 1987, their official debut release 'Appetite for Destruction' soon hit the headlines when it caused controversy over the cover image on the sleeve, a painting of a woman who has been terrorised by a robot. Geffen moved this image onto the inside of the sleeve soon after. The abum still produced three top 10 singles - 'Welcome to the Jungle', 'Sweet Child O' Mine', and 'Paradise City', which took the record to the top of the album charts and got sales of more than 20 million worldwide.
Problems in the had already arrived, as Adler had to be replace on a tour when he broke his hand, and Rose was fired when he didn't turn up for a show in Phoenix. He was soon reinstated, but then two fans were crushed to death during the GNR set at the Monsters of Rock festival in England.
Geffen re-released the 'Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide' EP but with 4 additional acoustic tracks. 'One In A Million', which is Rose's personal feelings on particular groups of people, 'You're Crazy', which appears here in the original slow format after a faster, louder version was recorded for the 'Appetite for Destruction' album. 'Used To Love Her', which contains the line 'Used to love her/but i had to kill her' and has been commented on by the band as 'just a joke', and the 'Patience' the hit.
Soon enough the band became the template for bad boy rock. Stradlin' was arrested for taking a wizz in the gallery of an aeroplane, Rose went through a dodgy marriage to Erin Everly, daughter of singer Don Everly, Slash and Duff accepted a trophy on the American Music Awards, but did so while giving out obscenities that were broadcast live to the whole American nation. Stories of heroine abuse surrounding the band and in 1990, Adler was forced out of the band alleedgedly because of his drug abuse. Next Rose was arrested for alledgedly hitting a woman with a bottle after she told him to turn his stereo down.
In 1991, the band recruited 2 new members, drummer Matt Sorum, and keyboard player Dizzy Reed. The band hit the raod but trouble followed as Rose compared Indianapolis residents to 'prisoners at Auschwitz', and started a riot at St Louis' Riverport Amphitheatre, then angrily cutting the concert short. The brand new venue was left with $200,000 damage.
In Autumn 1991, the 'Use Your Illusion' albums were released separately, and they soon occupied the top two slots of the Billboard Charts, driven by several hits, 'You Could Be Mine', 'Live And Let Die' (a cover of the Wings hit), 'Don't Cry', and 'November Rain'. The vidoe for'November Rain' featured Rose's lover at the time, model Stephanie Seymour.
At the end of the year Izzy quit the band, fed up with Rose's erratic ways, and was replaced with Gilby Clarke.
In 1992 GNR performed at the Freddie mercury tribute concert, amongst protests by gay activists and other groups who were offended by 'One In A Million'.
In Montreal there was another riot. Durin a show where Metallica's set was cut short because James Hetfield was burned by on-stage pyrotechnics, Axl ended GNR's set after 15 minutes because the sound wasn't up to scratch.
After that it became hard to tell if GNR's world was good or bad. Axl split with Seymour causing a bunch of lawsuits and countersuits. The group released 'The Spaghetti Incident' which contained a hidden track written by mass murderer Charles Manson. As Axl became involved in many legal cases, the band only released on other song, a cover of the Rolling Stones' track 'Sympathy for the Devil' for the 'Interview with the Vampire' soundtrack. The band began to splinter.
Slash appeared on Bob Dylan, and Michael Jackson records amongst others, and formed his own band, 'Slash's Snakepit'. Duff also went solo, with Sorum, and ex-Sex Pistols member Steve jones in 'Neurotic Outsiders'. Clarke was fired, and Rose, who left the band for a time, returned and took control of the GNR name, then eventually dismissed Slash, Duff, and Sorum.
The current Guns 'n' Roses lineup has an album being made, but is nowhere in sight, and has gone through so many producers. Fans of the old Guns 'n' Roses will have to be satisfied by the 'Live Era '87-'93' album that has now been released.
