The group was formed in early 1985 by Hollywood Rose members Axl Rose (vocals) and Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar), along with 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 replaced by Duff McKagan while Tracii Guns' lack of attendance at rehearsals led to his replacement by 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 shortly before embarking on a short, rather disorganized 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.[13] 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.
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.
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.
Musical style
The music of Guns N' Roses is a fusion of punk rock, blues-rock, heavy metal and hard roc In the 1990s, the band integrated keyed instruments (played by either Rose or Reed, and accompanied on tour by Teddy Andreadis) into the band, and for roughly half of the Use Your Illusion tour, added a horn section to the stage. While Reed has remained on some of the Chinese Democracy demos, tours since 2000 have not included wind instruments, though the band has employed synthesized horns on some of their new songs.
A heavy influence on both the image and sound of the band was Finnish band Hanoi Rocks (singer Michael Monroe and Rose have collaborated on various occasions).[13] Rose has stated that the band was massively inspired by groups like Queen,[62] AC/DC,[4] The Rolling Stones,[3] and Rose Tattoo[4] and that the sound of Appetite for Destruction was influenced by AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, the New York Dolls, and Hanoi Rocks.Also, Guns N' Roses has influenced many bands such as Dir En Grey, X Japan, Nashville Pussy, Hinder, The Darkness, and Limp Bizkit, among others.
Current members
Axl Rose
Active: March 1985–present
Regular instruments: lead vocals, piano
Occasional instruments: keyboards, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, choir, synthesizers, whistle, whistling, kazoo, percussion, tambourine, sound effects, drum machine, backing vocals
Dizzy Reed
Active: February 1990–present
Regular instruments: keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: synthesizers, percussion, organ, clavinet, tambourine
Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Use Your Illusion I (1991)
Tommy Stinson
Active: March 1998–present
Regular instruments: bass, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: lead vocals
Release contributions: "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
Chris Pitman
Active: May 1998–present
Regular instruments: keyboards, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: sub-bass, bass, synthesizers, programming, twelve-string guitar, mellotron, samples
Release contributions: "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
Richard Fortus
Active: July 2002–present
Instruments: rhythm guitar
Occasional instruments: lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
Active: May 2006–present
Instruments: lead guitar
Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Frank Ferrer
Active: October 2006–present
Instruments: drums
Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008) – "Chinese Democracy", "Better", "If the World", "There Was a Time" and "I.R.S." only
DJ Ashba
Active: February 2009–present
Instruments: lead guitar
Occasional instruments: backing vocals
Release contributions: none
Former members
Ole Beich
Active: March–May 1985
Instruments: bass
Release contributions: none
Rob Gardner
Active: March–May 1985
Instruments: drums
Release contributions: none
Tracii Guns
Active: March–May 1985
Instruments: lead guitar
Release contributions: none
Slash
Active: May 1985–August 1996
Regular instruments: lead guitar
Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, six-string bass, talkbox, banjo, dobro, co-lead vocals, backing vocals
Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Appetite for Destruction (1987) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)
Steven Adler
Active: May 1985–July 1990
Regular instruments: drums
Occasional instruments: backing vocals
Release contributions: Appetite for Destruction (1987), G N' R Lies (1988), Use Your Illusion II (1991) – "Civil War" only
Izzy Stradlin
Active: March 1985–November 1991
Regular instruments: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: lead guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion, lead vocals, sitar
Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Appetite for Destruction (1987) to Use Your Illusion II (1991)
Duff McKagan
Active: May 1985–August 1997
Regular instruments: bass, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: acoustic guitar, lead vocals, percussion, drum, drums, tambourine
Release contributions: all Guns N' Roses releases from Appetite for Destruction (1987) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)
Matt Sorum
Active: July 1990–June 1997
Instruments: drums, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: percussion, choir
Release contributions: Use Your Illusion I (1991) to "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994)
Gilby Clarke
Active: November 1991–June 1994
Instruments: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Release contributions: "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993)
Josh Freese
Active: March 1998–August 1999
Regular instruments: drums
Release contributions: "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
Paul Tobias
Active: October 1994–July 2002
Regular instruments: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Occasional instruments: acoustic guitar, piano
Release contributions: "Sympathy for the Devil" (1994), "Oh My God" (1999), Chinese Democracy (2008)
Buckethead
Active: March 2000–March 2004
Regular instruments: lead guitar
Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Robin Finck
Active: May 1997–August 1999, October 2000–April 2008
Regular instruments: lead guitar
Occasional instruments: rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Bryan Mantia
Active: October 2000–October 2006
Instruments: drums
Release contributions: Chinese Democracy (2008)
Source:Rocknroll classic.com
