The Early Days of Guns N' Roses
The Early Days of Guns N' Roses was what the first series of concerts by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses are referred to as. Before embarking on the Appetite for Destruction Tour in 1987 after the group's breakthrough success, the band played at least 60 shows. After playing a few shows with early members (Guns, Beich and Gardner) on June 6, 1985 the band played their first show with what became known as the "classic line-up" of singer Axl Rose, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler. The band's trek on the West coast from June 6th to June 12th, 1985 became known as "The Hell Tour" due to the difficulties the band faced touring.
Promotional tour by Guns N' Roses | |
Start date | March 26, 1985 |
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End date | May 10, 1987 |
No. of shows | 1985 (24) 1986 (31) 1987 (3) 58 known total |
Guns N' Roses concert chronology |
Personnel
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Setlists
"What's That Noise" (Stormtroopers of Death cover) and "Scarface" [Audio introduction]
Encore
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"What's That Noise" (Stormtroopers of Death cover) and "Scarface" [Audio introduction]
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Shows
Date[1][2][3] | City | Venue | Opening act | Headliner | Notes |
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1985[4] | |||||
March 26, 1985 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | 1st Guns N' Roses show and the only performance with Ole Beich on bass. Billed as "L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose presents Guns N Roses" |
April 11, 1985 | Anaheim | Radio City | — | — | Earliest known performance with Duff McKagan on bass |
April 24, 1985 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | — |
April 25, 1985 | San Pedro | Dancing Waters Club | — | — | — |
April 27, 1985 | Anaheim | Radio City | — | — | — |
May 11, 1985 | Glendora | Timbers Ballroom | — | — | — |
May 12, 1985 | California | Joshua’s Parloub | — | — | Last known performance with Tracii Guns on lead guitar and Rob Gardner on drums[5] |
June 6, 1985 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | 1st performance with the classic Appetite for Destruction lineup and 1st show with Slash on lead guitar and Steven Adler on drums |
June 8, 1985 | Seattle | Gorilla Gardens Rock Theater | Fastbacks | — | — |
— | — | — | — | ||
— | — | — | — | ||
— | — | — | — | ||
June 12, 1985 | San Francisco | Stone | Jetboy | — | — |
June 28, 1985 | Los Angeles | Stardust Ballroom | — | The Unforgiven The Joneses London |
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July 4, 1985 | Los Angeles | Madame Wong's East | — | — | — |
July 20, 1985 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | — |
July 21, 1985 | Los Angeles | UCLA Frat Party | — | — | — |
July 26, 1985 | The Seance | — | — | — | |
August 30, 1985 | Los Angeles | Stardust Ballroom | — | Poison The Joneses Ruby Slippers Mary Poppins |
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August 31, 1985 | West Hollywood | Roxy Theatre | — | — | — |
September 20, 1985 | The Troubadour | — | — | — | |
September 28, 1985 | Los Angeles | 8th Annual Los Angeles Street Scene Festival | — | — | Earliest known live performance of Slash using a Gibson Les Paul |
October 10, 1985 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | — |
October 18, 1985 | Reseda | Reseda Country Club | Jetboy/Mirror Mirror | — | — |
October 31, 1985 | Anaheim | Radio City | — | — | — |
November 22, 1985 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | — |
December 20, 1985 | Los Angeles | Music Machine | Tex & the Horseheads | — | — |
1986[6] | |||||
January 4, 1986 | West Hollywood | The Troubadour | — | — | — |
January 18, 1986 | Roxy Theatre | L.A. Guns Plain Jane(pre Warrant) |
— | — | |
February 1, 1986 | The Troubadour | L.A. Guns | — | — | |
February 28, 1986 | — | — | — | ||
March 11, 1986 | Los Angeles | Music Machine | — | — | — |
March 21, 1986 | Long Beach | Fender's Ballroom | Jetboy | Johnny Thunders | — |
March 28, 1986 | West Hollywood | Roxy Theatre | Carrera | — | Two shows Guns N' Roses showcase after signing with Geffen Records |
West Hollywood | Roxy Theatre | Lions Ghosts |
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March 29, 1986 | Long Beach | Fender's Ballroom | — | The Lords of the New Church | Two shows |
Long Beach | Fender's Ballroom | — | The Dead Boys | ||
April 5, 1986 | West Hollywood | Whisky a Go Go | Shanghai Angels in Vain Faster Pussycat |
— | — |
May 1, 1986 | The Central | — | — | Acoustic Show | |
May 3, 1986 | Roxy Theatre | — | — | — | |
May 13, 1986 | Hollywood | Raji's | — | — | — |
May 31, 1986 | West Hollywood | Gazzarri's | — | — | — |
July 11, 1986 | The Troubadour | — | — | — | |
July 21, 1986 | Long Beach | Bogart's | — | — | — |
July 24, 1986 | Los Angeles | Club Lingerie | — | — | — |
July 31, 1986 | Glendora | Timbers Ballroom | Flamethrowers | The Lords of the New Church | — |
August 15, 1986 | Los Angeles | Scream | — | Sibyl | — |
August 23, 1986 | West Hollywood | Whisky a Go Go | — | — | — |
August 28, 1986 | San Francisco | Stone | — | Jetboy | — |
August 30, 1986 | Santa Monica | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium | — | Ted Nugent | — |
September 13, 1986 | Los Angeles | Music Machine | — | Attack The Unforgiven |
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September 20, 1986 | 9th Annual Los Angeles Street Scene Festival | — | — | Cancelled after water spilled under the stage | |
October 23, 1986 | Santa Barbara | Arlington Theater | — | Alice Cooper | Band performed without Axl Rose, he had shown up to the venue late and was turned away by security. McKagan and Stradlin sang, often improvising lyrics.[7] |
October 31, 1986 | Los Angeles | Ackerman Hall | Thelonious Monster | Red Hot Chili Peppers Dickies |
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November 15, 1986 | Long Beach | Fender's Ballroom | — | The Lords Of The Church | — |
December 21, 1986 | — | Cheap Trick | — | ||
December 23, 1986 | Hollywood | The Cathouse | Faster Pussycat Jetboy L.A. Guns |
— | — Release party for the debut EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide |
December 31, 1986 | Los Angeles | Glamour | — | — | — |
1987[8] | |||||
March 16, 1987 | West Hollywood | Whisky a Go Go | — | Jetboy | — |
March 29, 1987 | Roxy Theatre | — | Faster Pussycat | — | |
May 10, 1987 | Hollywood | Stardust Ballroom | — | — | Last "early days" club show Billed as the "Drunk Fux" with West Arkeen and Del James |
References
- "Here Today... Gone To Hell! - Guns N' Roses History". www.heretodaygonetohell.com.
- "Here Today... Gone To Hell! - Guns N' Roses History". www.heretodaygonetohell.com.
- "Guns N Roses Bootlegs and Tour Dates 83-87". www.ladydairhean.0catch.com.
- "GNRontour.com - GN'R Setlist Almanac 1985". www.gnrontour.com.
- Cue, Raz (March 1985). "Guns N' Roses First Radio Interview March 1985" (Interview). KPFK. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
- "GNRontour.com - GN'R Setlist Almanac 1986". www.gnrontour.com.
- "50 Wildest Guns N' Roses Moments". Rolling Stone.
- "GNRontour.com - GN'R Setlist Almanac 1987". www.gnrontour.com.