1987.10.24 - MTV Headbanger's Ball

The host at MTV Headbanger's Ball was Adam Smash. This is assumed to be the first video interview of the band.

Transcript:

Smash: And with us, one of the groups, they say the Stones to the 60s were the kings to their genre, they say Aerosmith in the 70s was the same thing they say the 80s going into the 90s, it is these guys right here, it is Guns N' Roses out of Los Angeles. These guys come from all over the place. Right here we have Stevie, we got Duff right over here, we got my man Slash right over here, Izzy next to him, and W. Axl Rose up here. A period after W if you please. Now, here's what the story is, fellas, they say you guys are cocky, they say your insolent, they say, honestly speaking, that you guys are a bunch of wackos. How do you guys feel about that? That's the image you got as far as critics are concerned.

Axl: We just don't take any garbage [?] and a lot of people think that's problems.

Smash: Oh really? Well, let me ask you this, man, a lot of people are saying that you guys are blowing away the headlining act and a lot of bands don't want you on tour with them. How's this Mötley Crüe thing coming along?

Izzy [?]: Oh, we're going out with them in about a week.

Axl: Actually, we're finding out that a lot of them bands after they've taken the time to listen to the record and stuff, we're getting calls from a lot the major bands that really liked the record, but when they already got an opening act set up, you know, you have to wait until there's an opening to go out there with them. I like what we are doing, 'cause we're, the tours, we like doing a little bit wit this band and a little bit, rather than doing like a whole year with one act.

Smash: I read that somewhere where you guys have a situation where you don't necessarily like certain acts, let me throw out some names: Aerosmith, how you guys feel about that?

Izzy: It's not, it's not even getting to that point. The question you ask, you know, about the bands and how they feel, they probably don't care, they just want to have a good time. We were doing the Cult, that was a great one too, you know, and with the bands, we don't even pay attention to what is going on with them.

Axl: Aerosmith is a great band, we've been trying to work out something with them for a while, it's just always conflicting schedules.

Smash: Welcome to the Jungle is the first release off this new album. We're gonna take a look at this clip. What kinda jungle are we talking about here fellas?

Axl: The concrete, the streets, the city, and, uhm, basically being exposed to, like, news and everything else in the city and what it can do to you and how it can affect you.

Smash: Did you guys have a little problem getting this thing on TV?

Steven: Yeah, I think [interrupted]

Axl: Somehow it was taking a little while, yeah.

Izzy: Now that you mention that, it was a problem.

Axl: There's a few changes been made to this video. We bought actual news footage that had been shown on television from NBC and CBS and ABC, but we had to cut a lot of that out.

Smash: Well, let's see what the end result is. Guns N' Roses, right here on MTV, gentlemen, together on the count of four, let's rock, 1, 2, 3, 4, let's rock!

[Welcome to the Jungle is played]

Smash. We're looking at the outer cover here [?] What is this picture of?

Izzy: That's a postcard.

Steven: Highly satanic.

Izzy: It's a postcard.

Axl: That's a picture, uh, by [interrupted]

Smash: I understand this was banned by the record company?

Axl: No, it wasn't banned by the record company, it was banned by a lot of stores. The record company was actually pretty much into it. It was banned by Warner Brothers, they wouldn't produce the album cover that way, so we had to hire an independent artist to put the album cover together. It's a Robert Williams painting, he does a lot of shows here in New York and L.A. and over the world, and he's more of an underground comics artist. That painting was sold in 1978 for like $10,000, and now it's worth a lot more.

[laughter]

Smash: When I read all your album notes there's a special thanks to 'all the teachers, preachers, cops, and elderly who never believed,' the meaning there, gentlemen?

Axl: Just people who didn't believe [interrupted]

Smash: So you're holding one finger very, very high in front of their faces?

Axl: Yeah, when you were a kid going, "Listen to this music," "No, you will never get anywhere doing that," "Well, you wait and see."

Smash: Well, I will tell you what, you guys got a good reputation out there on the road, man, I know it was a rough first night there at the Marquee in England, as I understand it, but you guys are kicking ass right now, huh? You know, I also hear that [interrupted]

Axl: Went from the Marquee to the Odeon, man.

Smash: All over the place. You just played at the Ritz last night [Slash interjecting something] No, no, it was last night. Where's your head been?

[laughter, Axl clapping]

Smash: Here's what I gotta ask, when you guys go, you are very well known

[sound is cut off when someone says something]

Smash: No, no. You guys, I understand it, are very well known for your interior decorating capabilities, along with the great rock 'n' roll. And as I understand it, you have redecorated many a hotel room, and look at this beautiful set we have. Gentlemen, if I gave you 30 seconds do you think you could [interrupted]. Oh, you've got some [interrupted]

Izzy: [Directed to Slash who has a piece of paper in his hands] Tell of some of the hotels we will be visiting.

Smash: What hotels do we have there, to look forward to?

[laughter]

Slash: It's a hotel tour, and we're playing on October 23rd at the Ritz [?] Oh, oh, I see.

[laughter in the studio]

Slash: October 26th in Providence, October 27th in Boston, October 29th in Brooklyn.

Smash: Well, fellas, if this Appetite for Destruction is any indication, you guys are gonna destroy a whole lot when it comes to rock 'n' roll. Good luck to you. And I'm gonna ask you guys now, I'm gonna give you 30 seconds to redecorate this room.

[The band wrecks the set].

Slash and Duff would comment on this interview in early 1988:

Duff: We went to the studio in New York to do a taping, and we got 30 seconds to trash their set.

Slash: And we did a good job, it blew up real well.

Source: https://tinyurl.com/ycblk5jj

Axl: Went from the Marquee to the Opheum [?], man

This line is "Went from the Marquee to the Odeon, man".

It refers to the Hammersmith Odeon show in London in October, a massive gig for them at the time.

Surge wrote:Axl: Went from the Marquee to the Opheum [?], man

This line is "Went from the Marquee to the Odeon, man".

It refers to the Hammersmith Odeon show in London in October, a massive gig for them at the time.  

Of course, thanks!

Axl pointing out the obvious fact that they had been asked by MTV to tear the set apart, indicating that media wanted to set them up as crazy and wild: