the story of Guns N Roses (dutch and englisch)

Guns N' Roses is een Amerikaanse hardrockband. De band is opgericht in Los Angeles in 1985. De band bestond oorspronkelijk uit:


Axl Rose - zang
Slash - leadgitaar
Izzy Stradlin - gitaar
Duff McKagan - basgitaar
Steven Adler - drums


Guns N' Roses werd in 1985 opgericht door zanger Axl Rose, gitaristen Tracii Guns en Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan en drummer Robbie Gardner. De naam Guns N' Roses werd afgeleid van de twee bands, die samen uiteindelijk Guns N' Roses vormden: 'L.A. Guns' en 'Hollywood Rose'. Bij het eerste geplande optreden konden Tracii en Gardner namelijk niet verschijnen, waarna McKagan zijn best deed alsnog muzikanten te vinden. Hij was het, die de voor hem niet onbekende gitarist Slash en drummer Steven Adler (Hollywood Rose en daarvoor Roadcrew) als vervanging toevoegde, de originele samenstelling was toen een feit. (Duff schipperde tussen Hollywood Rose en L.A. Guns in en bracht ze samen.) In deze gloednieuwe samenstelling kon het vijftal alsnog enkele optredens verzorgen. Duff gaf later aan dat ze er niets aan over hadden gehouden, maar dat het de band 'Guns N' Roses' versterkte.

Met deze samenstelling werden drie albums uitgebracht:


Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide - (een EP uitgebracht in eigen beheer) (1986)
Appetite for Destruction - (1987)
G N' R Lies - (1988)
Van het album Appetite for Destruction werden wereldwijd meer dan 28 miljoen exemplaren verkocht (waarvan 18 miljoen in de Verenigde Staten). Dit album had een opruiende coverillustratie van de Amerikaanse underground-tekenaar Robert Williams. Op de originele hoes was een afbeelding te zien van een monster met een dolkengebit dat een robotachtige verkrachter aanvalt, terwijl er een half ontkleed meisje gewond op de grond ligt. Op de heruitgave was deze afbeelding vervangen door een kruis met vijf doodskoppen, die de gezichten van de bandleden voorstelden.


Kort na het begin van de opnamen van de Use Your Illusion albums verliet Steven Adler de band (hij is alleen te horen op het nummer "Civil War" van Use Your Illusion II). Volgens geruchten moest hij de band verlaten omdat hij weigerde zich te laten behandelen voor zijn heroïne- en drankverslaving. Guns N' Roses werd versterkt met drummer Matt Sorum en keyboardspeler Dizzy Reed. In deze samenstelling werden in 1991 de albums Use Your Illusion I en Use Your Illusion II uitgebracht. Na enkele concerten ter ondersteuning van deze albums verliet Izzy Stradlin de band en werd hij vervangen door Gilby Clarke. Ruim twee jaar lang toerde Guns N' Roses de wereld rond. Gedurende deze periode kwam de single November Rain uit. Het bereikte de 3e plaats in de Nationale Hitparade. De grootste hit die de groep in Nederland had, was Knockin' on Heaven's Door. Het stond 4 weken op nr.1 en was de bestverkochte single in 1992.


In 1993 kwam een nieuw album uit, met covers van de helden van Guns N' Roses: The Spaghetti Incident?. Omdat inmiddels de grunge de heavy metal had vervangen als populairste stroming binnen de rockmuziek, verkocht dit album relatief slecht. De jaren erop viel Guns N' Roses langzaam uit elkaar (in 1994, 1995 en 1997 verlieten respectievelijk Gilby Clarke, Slash en Duff McKagen de band, totdat van de oorspronkelijke bezetting uiteindelijk alleen Axl Rose overbleef.


English

 Formation (1985–1987)
See also: Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns
The group was formed in early 1985 by Hollywood Rose members Axl Rose (vocals) Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar), L.A. Guns members Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Ole Beich (bass) and Rob Gardner (drums). The new band created its name by combining two of the group members' names. After only a short time (several reports indicate only 2 or 3 gigs were played with Guns, Beich & Gardner), bassist Ole Beich was fired and replaced by Duff McKagan while Tracii Guns lack of attendance at rehearsal led to the arrival of Slash.

Slash had played with McKagan in Road Crew and with Stradlin during a short stint in Hollywood Rose. The new line-up came together quickly, but after deciding to go on a "tour" from Sacramento, California, to Duff's home town of Seattle, Washington, drummer Rob Gardner quit and was replaced by Slash's close friend Steven Adler. The band, which continued to be called Guns N' Roses even after the departure of Tracii Guns, established its first stable line up on the so-called "Hell Tour". In an interview, Slash stated, "That [trip to Seattle] is really what cemented the band" and established its chemistry.

[edit] Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide
Geffen Records released an EP in late 1986 to keep the interest in the band alive while the band withdrew from the club scene to work in the studio. The four song EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide came out on the ostensibly independent "Uzi Suicide Records" label (which was actually a Geffen subsidiary). Only 10,000 vinyl copies of the EP were produced. On Halloween night in 1986 Guns N' Roses performed at UCLA's Ackerman Ballroom as the opening act to Thelonious Monster, The Dickies, and the headlining Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The record was billed as a live recording, although Rose would reveal years later, that it was simulated. The EP consisted of four songs from the band's demo tapes with overdubbed crowd noise. It contained covers of Rose Tattoo's "Nice Boys" and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin", along with two original compositions: the punk anthem "Reckless Life" and the classic rock inspired "Move to the City", both of which were co-written by Hollywood Rose's founding member Chris Weber.[citation needed]

The original vinyl Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide EP has become a valuable and sought after collector's item, even though the tracks were re-issued two years later on the G N' R Lies album.

[edit] Appetite for Destruction, G N' R Lies (1987–1989)
Main articles: Appetite for Destruction and G N' R Lies
The band's first album, Appetite for Destruction was released on July 21, 1987. The album underwent an artwork change after the original Robert Williams cover design (a surrealist scene in which a dagger-toothed monster vengefully attacks a robot rapist) spawned the album. The revised cover was a design by Bill White, a tattoo artist, who had originally designed the artwork for a tattoo Rose had acquired the previous year. The artwork featured each of the five band members' skulls layered on a cross. Rose later insisted that the Gold and Platinum plaques issued by the RIAA be set using the original cover art, which can be found in the booklet of the CD release. In the US, "Welcome to the Jungle" was issued as its first single, with an accompanying music video. Initially, the album and single lingered for almost a year without performing well, but when Geffen Records founder David Geffen was asked to lend support to the band, he obliged by personally convincing MTV executives to play "Welcome to the Jungle" during their afterhours rotation. Even though the video was initially only played one time at 4 a.m. on a Sunday, heavy metal and hard rock fans took notice and soon began requesting the video and song en masse. In Japan, an entire EP entitled Live from the Jungle was issued, containing the album version of "Sweet Child o' Mine" along with a selection of numerous Marquee Club recordings.

"Welcome to the Jungle" was also featured in the 1988 Clint Eastwood movie The Dead Pool and members of the band had a cameo appearance in the film.

"Sweet Child O' Mine" was the album's second US single co-written by Axl Rose as a poem for his girlfriend, Erin Everly. Due to the growing grassroots success of the band and the cross-gender appeal of the tune, the song and its accompanying music video received heavy airplay on both radio and MTV, becoming a smash hit during the summer of 1988 and reaching the top of the charts in the US. Slash stated on VH1's 100 Greatest songs of the 80s, "It was actually my least favorite song we ever wrote...I hate it, but it turns out to be our greatest song ever". "Welcome to the Jungle" was then re-issued as a single, with new pressings of records and tapes and new artwork. It was a successful re-release, as the single reached No. 7 in the US. The UK re-release was backed with an acoustic version of "You're Crazy", recorded much earlier than the one featured on the G N' R Lies album.

By the time "Paradise City" and its video reached the airwaves and peaked at No. 5 in the US, the band's touring success and fame had catapulted the album to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Paradise City" were all top ten singles in the US. To date, Appetite for Destruction has sold over 28 million copies worldwide. It has been certified as 18X Platinum in the U.S.

Guns N' Roses began opening shows for major acts, but as their fame began to take hold, a world tour in support of Appetite for Destruction was scheduled. The band traveled across the United States, and in spring 1988 were invited to the notorious Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England, where they shared the bill with groups like that country's own Iron Maiden and their own U.S.-based Kiss. At the start of the Guns N' Roses set, the capacity crowd of over 100,000 began jumping and surging forward. Despite Rose's requests that the crowd move away from the stage, two fans were trampled to death. The media largely blamed the band for the tragedy, and reported that the band had continued playing even when there were dangerous crowd conditions. In fact, the final report on the Donington incident filed by the head of security at the venue noted that the band had not been aware of the extent of fan injuries, had immediately halted their set when requested to do so, and had attempted to calm the crowd.Nonetheless, events such as these during the Appetite for Destruction tour earned the group the title of "the world's most dangerous band". In addition, the behavior of the band members also garnered negative attention from the media. McKagan, Slash, Stradlin and Adler were often seen intoxicated both on and off stage.

The band's next release was G N' R Lies in 1988, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard music charts. The album included the four Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide recordings on one side and four acoustic songs on the other. The song "One in a Million", which included the words "niggers" and "faggots" among other such obscenities, led to controversy in which critics accused the band, and specifically Axl Rose, of racism and homophobia. Rose responded (in a 1990 interview with MTV) by saying the claims were unfounded, particularly considering Slash himself is half black. He went on to explain that the words were those of a protagonist and not a personal statement, and that the lyrics reflected racial and prejudicial problems within society rather than promoting them. Rose also cited that he idolized gay/bisexual singers like Freddie Mercury and Elton John. The band had played gigs alongside the all-black metal band Body Count, and lead singer Ice T wrote in his book, The Ice Opinion, that Axl had been "a victim of the press the same way I am".

Even after the release of G N' R Lies, Appetite for Destruction continued to be popular for the rest of 1988 and 1989, which resulted in them winning both Favorite Heavy Metal Artist and Favorite Heavy Metal Album (Appetite for Destruction) at the nationally televised 1990 American Music Awards, where Slash and McKagan appeared visibly intoxicated and used profanities on the air. The members finally took steps to deal with their addictions after Rose threatened to end the band if they continued with their heavy drug abuse. He even spoke publicly about the situation, specifically the heroin addictions, while opening for The Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1989 by stating that if certain members of the band don't stop "dancing with Mr. Brownstone", Guns N' Roses was finished - mainly referring to Slash and Adler.

 Fame and fortune (1990–1993)

Use Your Illusion
Main articles: Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II
In 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio to begin recording their most ambitious undertaking yet. During the recording session of "Civil War", drummer Steven Adler was unable to perform well due to his struggles with cocaine and heroin addiction – his difficulties in the studio caused the band to do nearly 30 takes. As a result, Adler was fired in July 1990 and was replaced by former Cult drummer Matt Sorum, whom Axl credited for saving the band. A few months prior, keyboardist Dizzy Reed became the sixth member of the group when he joined as a full time member. The band fired their manager, Alan Niven, replacing him with Doug Goldstein in May 1991. According to a 1991 cover story by Rolling Stone magazine, Rose forced the dismissal of Niven (against the wishes of some of his band-mates) by refusing to complete the albums until he was replaced.

With enough music for two albums, the band released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II on September 17, 1991. The tactic paid off when the albums debuted at No. 2 and No. 1 respectively in the Billboard charts, setting a record as they became the first and only group to date to achieve this feat. The albums spent 108 weeks in the chart.

Guns N' Roses accompanied the Use Your Illusion albums with many videos, including "Don't Cry", "November Rain" and "Estranged" – some of the most expensive music videos ever made. The hit ballad "November Rain" (No. 3 US) became the most requested video on MTV, eventually winning the 1992 MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. It is also the longest song in chart history to reach the Top Ten, clocking in at 8:56. During the awards show, the band performed the song with Elton John accompanying on piano.

Both prior to and after the release of the albums, Guns N' Roses embarked on the 28-month-long Use Your Illusion World Tour. It became famous for both its financial success and the many controversial incidents that occurred at the shows, and is still currently the longest tour in rock history.

Use Your Illusion World Tour
Main article: Use Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion World Tour included a Slash guitar solo incorporating The Godfather theme, a piano-driven Axl Rose cover of "It's Alright" by Black Sabbath and an extended jam on the classic rock-inspired "Move to the City" where Rose showcased the ensemble of musicians assembled for the tour.

Many of the successful performances during the tour were equally matched, and often overshadowed in the press by riots, late starts and outspoken rants by Rose. While the band's previous drug and alcohol issues were seemingly under control, Axl was often agitated by lax security, sound problems and unwanted filming or recording of the performances. He also used the time in-between songs to fire off political statements or retorts against music critics or celebrity rivals.

Main article: Riverport Riot
On July 2, 1991, at the Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, during a performance of "Rocket Queen", Rose jumped into the audience and tackled a fan who was filming the show with a camera. He had a heated confrontation with the fan before physically assaulting him. After being pulled out of the audience by members of the crew, Rose said, "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!", slammed his microphone on the ground and stormed off stage. The angry crowd began to riot and dozens of people were injured. Footage was captured by Robert John, who was documenting the entire tour for the band. Rose was charged with having incited the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot. In his defense, Rose stated that the Guns N' Roses security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored, and that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles from the audience in the arena while the security staff was refusing to enforce a drinking limit. Consequently, Use Your Illusion's artwork featured a hidden message amidst the Thank You section of the album insert: "Fuck You, St. Louis!"


After a repeat of the St. Louis incident nearly unfolded during a concert in Germany, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin abruptly quit the band. He cited a combination of Rose's personal behavior (he would consistently delay the start of shows by hours at a time) and his mismanagement of the band and difficulties being around Slash, Sorum, and McKagan due to his new-found sobriety and their continuing alcohol and substance addictions. Axl Rose originally wanted Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro to replace Stradlin, but Stradlin was eventually replaced by Los Angeles-based guitarist Gilby Clarke whom Slash credited for saving the band. During many shows throughout the tour, Rose introduced Clarke and had him play "Wild Horses", a Rolling Stones cover with Slash. In late 1991, Rose added a touring ensemble to the band which included a horns section and several background vocalists despite the rest of the band's refusal.

In 1992, the band appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performing a two-song set. Slash later performed "Tie Your Mother Down" with the remaining members of Queen and Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott, while Axl Rose performed "We Will Rock You" and sang a duet with Elton John on "Bohemian Rhapsody". Their personal set included "Paradise City" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". When they returned to the US for the second leg of the Use Your Illusion tour, Queen guitarist Brian May opened the shows with a band that included Cozy Powell on drums. Axl had originally wanted the grunge band (and labelmates) Nirvana to open their Use Your Illusion tour but frontman Kurt Cobain refused. Cobain also made some negative comments about Guns N' Roses which infuriated Rose and started of one of his many biggest feuds, other than the ones with his band-mates.

Later in the year they went on the mini-GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour with American Metal band Metallica. During a show in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered severe burns after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast. Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another performance. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, resulting in musicians not being able to hear themselves. In addition, Rose claimed that his throat hurt,causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to another riot by audience members, reminiscent of the rioting that had occurred in St. Louis one year earlier. Rioters overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control. This can be seen on video in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. On MTV's Rockumentary about Metallica, the band spoke about this tour and how they learned from Guns N' Roses what not to do.

The historic tour ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17, 1993. The tour set attendance records and lasted for 28 months, in which 192 shows were played. The show in Buenos Aires marked the last time original members Slash and McKagan as well as newcomers Clarke and Sorum would play a live show with Rose. At the tour's conclusion, Axl Rose would fire Gilby Clarke without consulting anyone claiming he was only a "hired hand".

 "The Spaghetti Incident?"
Main article: "The Spaghetti Incident?"
On November 23, 1993, Guns N' Roses released a collection of punk and glam rock covers entitled "The Spaghetti Incident?". Despite protests from Rose's band-mates, an unadvertised cover of the Charles Manson song "Look at Your Game Girl" was included on the album at his request. Years later, Rose said he would remove the song from new pressings of the album, claiming that critics and the media had misinterpreted his interest in Manson. Axl can be seen wearing a black Manson shirt in the video for "Estranged" from Use Your Illusion II. He also can be seen wearing a red Manson shirt in footage from their show in Milton Keynes, England, in 1993, with the additional text on the back, "Charlie Don't Surf". "Look at Your Game Girl" has not been removed and is still featured on pressings of the album. Despite initial success, "The Spaghetti Incident?" did not match the sales of the Illusion albums and its release consequently led to increased tension within the band.