Five random facts about Guns ‘n Roses

Known for their massive hits like “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Welcome to the Jungle”, Guns ‘n Roses made a huge impact on rock music as we know it and inspired countless other musicians. 

Here are some random facts you might not know about them: 

• Guns ‘n Roses was formed in 1985 when two Los Angeles bands – Hollywood Rose, which had Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose as members, and L.A. Guns founding members Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Rob Gardner (drums), and Ole Beich (bass) decided to combine into one band. 
• Rejected names for the combined band included “Heads of Amazon” and “AIDS”.
• Appetite for Destruction, the band’s debut album and the best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S., was one of the last albums to be “handmade” – meaning it was mastered for vinyl, edited with a razor blade on two-inch tape, and was mixed on a non-automated mixing board. 
• Growing up, GNR guitarist Slash was a champion BMX rider. 
• Slash’s signature top hat is almost as iconic as his playing style. He said in 2010 that the hat helps with his natural shyness. “You can pull it down, pull your hair down over your face and just sort of hide behind that,” he said. “I’ve always been a little nervous in front of crowds,” he added, “and that made it – made me – feel a lot more comfortable.”
  

  “Slash en Vivo!” by Edvill is licensed under CC BY 2.0.