Whether you view them as ‘’Rock Royalty’’ or ‘’The Most Dangerous Band in The World’’ it is undeniable that, though largely from humble beginnings, epic rock band Guns N’ Roses reached an almost unprecedented level of world renown back in their heyday.
Their initial rise to fame was a little slow at points and included a certain level of reliance on their fans generosity; as well as the kind hearts and warm beds of a lot of strippers from the scene at that time to keep them off the street. When popularity did hit though, it hit them hard and they exploded quite suddenly out of the glam metal scene of L.A’s Sunset Strip. Arguably becoming one of the most well-known and iconic bands in the world! Even more impressively, they managed to do this despite the fact that no one would play their music or music videos on the TV or radio at that time because they were viewed as being too hard and risqué.
Though founded and headed by front man and lead vocalist Axl Rose, it was, 6foot 4 blond bombshell bassist, Duff who in 1985 booked their first tour as ‘’Gun N’Roses’’ which was to take place in Seattle where he was from. Having this tour booked up changed forever the dynamic of the band, as at that point two of the very first members left. Due to time constrains and connections it was this which forcibly brought the ‘’classic five’’ Guns N’ Roses line up: Lead Vocalist Axl Rose, Lead guitarist Slash, Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, Bassist Duff McKagan and Drummer Steven Adler together for the first time.
The tour its self was a complete disaster from the beginning, when the whole band was forced to hitch over a thousand miles. To the end when they faced empty venues and grumpy venue owners refusing to pay them. Within this time of adversity though the band bonded and upon their return to LA they had become tight band companions. Their amazing, raw sound and bad boy image along with the attraction of being titled ‘’The Most Dangerous Band in The World’’ offered teens exactly what they were after, a break from all the glamour and androgyny of the music scene of the time.
Since that point, though drugs and alcohol caused many a rift and even forced various splits, they created some of the biggest and most recognisable songs of this century.
Songs like ‘’Welcome to the Jungle’’ which was their first single, were slow burners initially. When ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ was released however it started the inevitable landslide and opened the band up to the public by offering a softer more heart filled and publicly acceptable side. We can understand this as it is a masterpiece of songsmanship, which never fails to transport the listener back to the time and place at which they first heard it, in that amazing way only good music can.
Guns N’ Roses’ debut album ‘’Appetite for Destruction’’ was released in 1987 and reached number 1 very quickly, and once their music videos were allowed to be aired, it eventually went on to sell over 100 Million copies world-wide! They continued raking in the hits too, with another six number one albums and 16 top 10 singles!
Considering the media’s initial speculation and reluctance to even allow their music out into the public eye there have been myriad kinds of memorabilia and artwork created and of course sold for, or in the name of the band over the decades but we were so impressed with one particular piece that we felt we had to tell you about it. There’s a very highly accredited software provider called NetEnt who create the most wonderful slot games. They have created an awesome slot game as a tribute to coincide with the 30th birthday of the legends which are Guns N’Roses and It’s wicked! Beautiful, simple and fun! You can check it yourself on WinRealMoney website.
It starts with a short demo containing some amazing video footage of the band playing during some of their epic live sets. This really gets you in the Gun N’ Roses mood. Once actually into the game an important feature is your ability to choose from a selection of their amazing songs to listen to whilst you play. You can choose to play it just for fun as a demo version or you can go for it and play for real money. It’s a 5 reel 20 pay line video slot, cleverly set upon a stage and packed with fantastic sound bites, animations and exciting features. These features include regular and Expanding Wilds, Legend Spins feature, an Appetite for Destruction Wild and the epic Solo multiplier! Each and every symbol has been carefully considered and created wholeheartedly by designers, who either love the band themselves or who have obviously really done their research, so as to ensure satisfaction in even the most avid Guns N’ Roses enthusiast. All these things combined give you the opportunity to win masses of cash all whilst enthralled in a Guns N’ Roses bubble of pure rock perfection. Check it out, you’ll love it!
Whatever your view of the band, no one can deny their right to the well-earned spot they received in 2012 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Well done guys, what a ride!