THE FIRST 50 GIGS: Guns N‘ Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction

For our final interview of Season One, we catch up with Steven Adler in his home in Los Angeles to talk about his early days with Slash, Marc Canter’s dedication to the band, the first rehearsal of the Appetite lineup, and the infamous Hell Tour. Steven grew up in the San Fernando Valley and became friends with Slash in junior high school. They cycled in and out of various bands between 1984 and 1985 such as Roadcrew and The New Hollywood Rose. In June 1985, Steven was called by Slash to replace Rob Gardner as the drummer for the newly formed Guns N' Roses and completed the Appetite lineup with Axl, Izzy, Duff and Slash. Steven can be heard on Appetite for Destruction and their second studio album GN'R Lies, and he toured the world with the band before leaving in 1990. In this episode you’ll: Hear about Steven Adler meeting Marc Canter and Slash in junior high school and introducing Slash to the guitar. Learn about the bands and musicians that inspired Steven to become a drummer and what was behind his drive to become the best drummer he could possibly be. Listen to the story about Steven almost joining the Navy instead of joining Guns N' Roses. Find out about Steven’s experiences in GNR and the important role the band played in his life. Links: Preview this episode on Youtube Subscribe to our Patreon Site to access all videos, bonus episodes, image galleries, live streams, merch and more: https://www.patreon.com/first50gigs_gnr Learn more at https://www.first50gigs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We pick things up after Tracii and Rob leave Guns N’ Roses and the revolving door of band members spins for the final time. Slash and Steven agree to join Guns N' Roses and hit the road for the Northwest Tour that Duff planned but need to quickly get up to speed on the set list for an upcoming show at the Troubadour -- the Appetite lineup's first gig as a band that featured Axl, Izzy, Duff, Slash and Steven. In this episode you’ll: Hear Marc Canter's first-hand account of this crucial lineup change and how it all came together. Hear about Slash and Steven joining Guns N’ Roses and quickly preparing for the Troubadour gig and the Northwest tour (aka the Shakeout Tour/Hell Tour). Listen to Duff and Slash describe the Appetite lineup coming together and rehearsing for the first time. Listen to Marc’s experience photographing and recording the band at their first gig as the Appetite lineup. Links: Preview this episode on Youtube Subscribe to our Patreon Site to access all videos, bonus episodes, image galleries, live streams, merch and more: https://www.patreon.com/first50gigs_gnr Learn more at https://www.first50gigs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We got The First 50 Gigs team together to recap the first five episodes of the First 50 Gigs and the Appetite lineup origin story. In this episode, Marc Canter, Jason Porath, and host Mina McNair fill in the gaps as we spin our way through the incestuous revolving doors of bands and musicians that ultimately led to Guns N' Roses. From Slash's garage bands Tidus Sloan and Roadcrew to Rose and the New Hollywood Rose, we talk about what we learned from our guests, take you behind the scenes of our production, share new stories and preview what's to come for the rest of Season One. In this episode, you'll: Learn about Slash's audition for KISS. Understand why the New Hollywood Rose was only one step away from the Appetite lineup of Guns N' Roses. Hear about what's coming up for the rest of Season One. Links: Subscribe to our Patreon to see the video version of this episode, access bonus episodes, merch, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 4 we pick up the narrative thread of the origin of the Appetite lineup of Guns N’ Roses. In 1983, bass player Chris Weber, singer Bill Bailey and guitarist Izzy Stradlin formed the trio known as A.X.L. They later changed the name to Rose and then Hollywood Rose. Today we talk to Chris about forming the band and his legacy as it relates to Appetite for Destruction. In this episode, you’ll: • Hear the origin story of Rose and Hollywood Rose and how it set the revolving door in motion that ultimately led to the formation of Guns N’ Roses. • Listen to the demos that Hollywood Rose cut in order to book clubs and was later packaged and released as The Roots of Guns N’ Roses by Cleopatra Records • Discover how Chris felt about the end of Hollywood Rose and what it means to him to have been a part of this history. Links Preview this episode on YouTube Subscribe to our Patreon Site to see the video version of this episode and access the deep archive of historical photographs we used to illustrate this story: https://www.patreon.com/first50gigs_gnr The Roots of Guns N’ Roses: https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Guns-N-Roses/dp/B004HZL8HS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Do you know where you are? You’re in the Jungle baby!” In Episode 2 of the First 50 Gigs, we’re taking you back…all the way back to the origin of the Sunset Strip and answer Axl’s eternal question with Hollywood historian Laurie Jacobson, author of Dishing Hollywood: The Real Scope on Tinseltown’s Most Notorious Scandals In this episode you’ll: • Relive the scandalous history that gave rise to the Sunset Strip and how it became a throughway for Hollywood elite to commute from Beverly Hills to Hollywood. • See the rise of legendary nightclubs on the Strip that showcased the biggest stars of the 20s, 30s, 40’s and 50’s. • Witness the eventual decline of the Sunset Strip when a new “strip” took its place, Las Vegas, and learn how a new generation of clubs rose from the ashes of Hollywood to birth a new movement in music with the electrification of rock n’ roll. Links: Preview this episode on YouTube Subscribe to our Patreon Site to see the video version of this episode and access the deep archive of historical photographs we used to illustrate this story: https://www.patreon.com/first50gigs_gnr Dishing Hollywood: The Real Scope on Tinseltown’s Most Notorious Scandals: https://www.amazon.com/Dishing-Hollywood-Tinseltowns-Notorious-Scandals/dp/1581823703 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the series introduction of The First 50 Gigs: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction where you'll get a front-row seat to experience the play-by-play living history of one of the most iconic bands to launch out of Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. In this episode, you'll: Meet Slash's best friend, Marc Canter who photographed every single gig Slash played in since high school, including the two years he played with Guns N' Roses on the Sunset Strip. Find out what this show is all about and why we're making this for the fans now. Preview content we're releasing in Season 1 and talk about what we have in store for all five seasons. Links: Watch this full episode on YouTube Subscribe to our Patreon Site to access all videos, bonus episodes, image galleries, live streams, merch and more: https://www.patreon.com/first50gigs_gnr Reckless Road: https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Road-Making-Appetite-Destruction/dp/0979341876 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices