GUNS N’ ROSES - Rock Scene Online Photography Auction Celebrates 30 Years Of Appetite For Destruction
July 21, 2017, 7 years ago
Rock Scene Auctions launches their second auction today, Friday, July 21st, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the release of Guns N’ Roses groundbreaking debut album, Appetite For Destruction, featuring 15 iconic GN’R photos from Mark “Weissguy” Weiss.
Says guitarist Slash: “That first record where all the shit that he went through to sort of get your band together; and all the living on the street all the experiences really was summed up on one record. And was blatantly honest didn’t mince words about anything. The band had a certain kind of natural energy that just came out on the record and Mike Clink produced it and captured that. It’s just one of those records. I didn’t know it was going to become as iconic as it became. It was just us doing our songs at the time."
Mark talks about his days with Guns N’ Roses: “I first shot Guns N’ Roses the fall of 1986, eight months prior to the release of Appetite For Destruction, they were still working on the album. The buzz was out and Hit Parader magazine wanted me to shoot them for the cover. When I first met them they were a bit guarded, they had their own photographer who was there, the band didn’t want to shoot with anyone but him, as I was told by the publicist. The record company told them they had to shoot with me so I can get them in the magazines. I remember Axl not wanting to look in the camera. I gave them their space and shot a few rolls of film. I thought it was peculiar that they would be all glammed up and then on Axl’s pants it said “GLAM SUCKS”. It was the beginning of many more memorable images to come…"
"The band came by my studio for a quick shoot during their stay in NYC they played at the Ritz on October 23, 1987. February 2, 1988 just four months later they came back to NYC to play the Ritz for a live MTV broadcast concert. This historic show put Guns N' Roses on the Rock & Roll map and on the way to super stardom. They invited me to come to CBGB’s on October 30th where they did an acoustic set along with an autograph signing."
"I shot a few Motley Crue shows in Florida at the end of November 1987, Guns N’ Roses were the opening band. I went to say hello to the guys before they went on and asked if they would do a few photos after the show. When I went back, Axl was in a towel with his boots on."
“In the spring of 88, I was back in LA, and heard Guns were off tour for a couple of weeks. I reached out to their publicist to see if they would be up for a shoot. We ended up shooting the Sunset Grill on Hollywood Blvd, everyone showed up except Axl - I shot individuals of the four of them and the next day I shot Axl. He drove up with his girlfriend Erin Everly, had a burger then posed for about 15 minutes. As he was leaving, he showed me his cell phone; which was huge! He was like “Look what I got Mark, wanna make a call?” it was the first time I used a cell phone.”
Go to RockSceneAuctions.com and bid on one of Weiss’ iconic photographs. Through the site, music fans will have the opportunity to bid on rock and roll photographs. WhyHunger will receive a percentage of proceeds from the auctions.
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Steven Adler – “He was able to make guys in the band that he shot really look good. He knew when to push the button and set the lights, He had that magic touch. Like Guns N’ Roses did, when the five of us were together we had that magic touch; we couldn’t do no wrong. And Mark had that same magic.” –Steven Adler
Steven Adler the original drummer from Guns 'N' Roses talking about his Rock Scene growing up, getting his first drum set, and the first record he bought, KISS ALIVE Steven reminisces about how he met Slash in history class when he was 12 and seeing Axl & Izzy’s band “Hollywood Rose” at Gazzarri’s on the Sunset Strip.
Check out Steven Adler’s Rock Scene interview:
Win a chance to “hang” with a rockstar in your home…
One lucky member of the Rock Scene Auctions email list will be chosen at random to win a free 17 x 22 Mark Weiss photograph from this month's auction valued at $1,200.
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