Episodes: Season 1

Welcome to the series introduction of The First 50 Gigs: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction, a video podcast series that unearths one of the most comprehensive archives of rock n' roll history and puts you in the front row to experience the rise of one of the most iconic bands to launch out of Los Angeles in the late 1980s.

In this first episode, we’re going back to the beginning when Marc and Slash become friends in elementary school and bond over their love of Aerosmith and dirt bikes. As their friendship developed, Slash found his calling with a guitar and Marc found his with a camera. We also interview Adam Greenberg, drummer for Tidus Sloan and Roadcrew.

"Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle, baby!" In this episode, we’re going to take you back…all the way back to the origin of the Sunset Strip and answer Axl's eternal question. The Sunset Strip was the center of gravity for rock n' roll for thirty years, but how did it evolve and what made it the place where countless musicians came to live the dream?

We conclude our look back at the Jungle by picking up in 1964 during the counterculture riots that started when the city put curfews in place in an effort to shut down the venues and turn the Strip into a financial district. Domenic Priore author of Riot...

In 1983, just as Slash’s band Roadcrew dissolved, guitarist Chris Webe, Izzy Stradlin and Bill Bailey started the band A.X.L., which became Rose and then Hollyood Rose. With his riffs, melodies and sound, Chris contributed to the genetic code of songs heard on “Appetite For Destruction,” “Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide” and “Greatest Hits.” Chris discusses the timeline from 1983 to mid-1984 and chronicles their bands A.X.L, Rose and Hollywood Rose just prior to a shake-up that would lead to the “New” Hollywood Rose that included Slash and Steve Adler.

Steve Darrow is known as the musician who flew closest to the sun in terms of being a part of the Appetite linup. In 1983, Steve Darrow entered into the incestuous, revolving door of bands and musicians when he responded to a classified ad Izzy had placed in the Recycler looking for musicians who liked Glam, Metal and Motley Crüe. Izzy, Axl and Steve bonded over Hanoi Rocks and Aerosmith. Eventually, Steve was recruited into the New Hollywood Rose, a lineup that included every member of the Appetite lineup except for Duff.

We got The First 50 Gigs team together to recap the first five episodes of Season One 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 door of bands and musicians leading up to the Appetite for Destruction lineup of Guns N' Roses.

In this episode we talk with Rob Gardner, the original drummer for Guns N' Roses. This episode also includes the recording from Guns' N Roses' first ever radio appearance.

In this episode, we talk with Marc Canter who witnessed this pivotal moment for Guns N' Roses and captured on film and cassette tape; when Axl, Izzy, Duff, Slash and Steven first stepped on stage together as the Appetite lineup and changed rock n' roll forever.

In this episode we talk with Danny Biral, GNR friend, roadie, and driver for the infamous Hell Tour; a perilous journey to Seattle that forever changed the fate of Guns N’ Roses.

In this episode we talk with Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler who joined the band in 1985 and can be heard on Appetite for Destruction & GN’R Lies. Steven toured the world with the band before leaving in 1990.