No question: You have breathed new life into the rock’n’roll, as we love it. I still remember someone “appetite for destruction” in my hand and said: “You have to hear that.” Back then, bands like Bon Jovi and Whitesnake were announced, but Guns n ‘Roses were carved out of other wood: they buried a little deeper to get to the roots of the rock’n’roll. I heard a lot of Aerosmith with you – which meant that I also heard a lot about the bands that had influenced us. And I also remember being a little jealous.
In 1988 they were our opening act, and what impressed me at the time was their charisma – up and also beyond the stage. Axl knew how to pull an audience away. Before a show, everything he could come into contact with was taped with foam rubber – from teleprompter to the micro stand. They wanted to make sure that he was not injured – or broke it into individual parts. People really felt that he was being let go of a cage into the world. And of course part of the tickle was that you didn’t know what he would do next.
Guns n ‘Roses were called metal at the time, but they weren’t
Guns n ‘Roses were called metal at the time, but they were not: rock is sexy, metal not. Songs such as “Paradise City” and “Welcome to the Jungle” had all the necessary ingredients: The chorus came in the right place, Slash always played with song and never let himself be carried away to show his technology. They all didn’t need to distract from their music with over -the -counter gymnastics. Duff McKagan reminded me of the AC/DC bass players: his parts were comparatively simple, but they were the reliable engine of the band; Izzy Stradlin also played an important role.
For me, they are a perfect example of how a band can bring rock music forward. Sometimes you wonder: “How can someone do what the Yardbirds, Zeppelin or Stones did?” But then you hear Guns n ‘Roses – and wins back faith.