1986.08.30 - Santa Monica Civic Center, Los Angeles, USA

"I love every imaginable approach to music. Some I love more - for example, 99% of country music I think is just embarrassing, it's just garbage.

"It sounds like a death song for a wounded puppy, it's just so unenergized and so pussified, I just really can't stand most country music.

"But I love all rock 'n' roll. And I remember when Guns N' Roses - I think it was one of the first gigs - they opened up for us at the Santa Monica Civic Center.

"I think it was probably around '84, maybe, Anyhow, I could tell as soon as they hit the stage - whoa!

"I've seen the beasts, I've seen The Stones, I hung out with Keith Richards - and he's my polar opposite lifestyle guy but I still revere the soulfulness of what Keith Richards brings back.

"The black influences he does as good as any black guy, dare I say. And that's so important to emotional and authoritative music that I literally sponged whatever it is the essence of Keith Richards when I hung out with him for a few days.

"So I know that they are dirty white boys, and I could tell also another important reference...

"I witnessed the ferocity, and I'm really good with describing things, but I'm helpless to adequately describe the animal fire and musical authority of the MC5 in '67, '68, and in the first half of '69 before the drugs destroyed them and took away all their erectile capabilities.

"What I saw in Guns N' Roses that night, it reminded me, not that I needed it, that the pulsations of a garage band virtually uninhibited with youthful enthusiasm can still deliver a Little Richard firestorm.

"Guns N' Roses that night, I went, 'Whoa, who the hell are these guys?!' This frontman [Axl Rose], this is like Mick Jagger meets Steven Tyler, meets Jim Dandy!

"And boy, those are all powerful graphic references, aren't they? I saw what they were doing, I watched what Slash was doing, and the groove of the bass and drums, and the interplay - Stones-like interplay, Beatles-like interplay, The Who, Zeppelin...

"Really the best stuff. So I really went, "Whoa, Guns N' Roses, I'm gonna keep my eye on these sons of bitches 'cause they got the piss, they got the fire, they got the uninhibitedness.'

"Now, as they went forward, and you know that I absolutely hate substance abuse, I think it's the dumbest thing a man can possibly inflict his family with.

"I mean, I was with Keith Richards for two days so I can't be too judgmental! Plus he defies all my predictions about what drugs will do to you - all the dead guys are dead, but Keith isn't!

"My point is that I've also watched the tragedy of people believing their publicity and people believing the gushing adulation that I think ended up hurting some of the best bands in the world, including Guns N' Roses.

"But they still created killer music; they deserve all the love, and reference, and respect for their musical authority.

"They have musical authority and I reserve that accolade for a select number of musical forces.

"Because you can play great music and you can be a killer band with some hit songs, but to have musical authority, it's got to exude what's in your guts.

"And the Guns N' Roses guys really delivered that. So I've always admired that band."