THE BOURBON ROOM HOSTS
APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION 35TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTO EXHIBIT

Few artists have truly cemented their place in the decadent and inglorious pantheon of rock & roll history the way that Guns N’ Roses, Hollywood’s legendary bad boys, has.  The band, who is currently touring the globe to sold out audiences, is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the release of its groundbreaking debut, Appetite for Destruction, this summer.

To celebrate the release of the seminal Appetite for Destruction, The Bourbon Room will be hosting The First 50 Gigs: Guns N’ Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction—a photo exhibition of the work of Marc Canter on Thursday, July 21.  This will be a not-to-miss one-night-only event for rock fans and lovers of the seedy underbelly of Hollywood.

The video podcast The First 50 Gigs is the creation of  Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction authors Marc Canter and Jason Porath. The book, which was published in 2008 and won an IPPY for Pop Culture Book of the Year, was just the tip of the iceberg of an archive created by Marc Canter—photographer, music historian, and owner of the world-famous Canter’s Deli.

“There isn’t a better person to release any material to do with the coming together and the history of Guns N’ Roses and where it went and what was going on behind the scenes than Marc,” says GNR guitarist Slash.

Canter has aptly captured the band’s formative years and the heyday of the Sunset Strip music scene. The GNR project was designed as a gift to fans to unlock the stories behind the most famous songs from the ever-elusive band, in particular the younger fans, many of whom were not even born when Appetite came out in 1987. It's an opportunity for them to learn about the stories behind the making of Appetite for Destruction.  The show, which is part of the Pantheon Podcast network is available on all major services, with premium tiered subscription offers available on Spotify and Patreon. 

The First 50 Gigs project has been years in the making.

“Marc’s massive and one-of-a-kind archive on the early days of Guns N’ Roses and the first fifty gigs of the Appetite lineup of Guns N’ Roses is unprecedented,” says Porath. “Marc truly captured lightning in a bottle and the power of those images he and Jack Lue created will now be amplified by first-hand accounts by the people who were there, giving audiences a true play-by-play unfolding of events.”

The video version of the project showcases never before seen audio and video from Marc’s archive, along with bonus episodes available via subscription on Spotify, and a premium subscription via Patreon that includes early access to the video version of each episode, along with access to exclusive photo galleries, merchandise giveaways and more.

The exhibit at The Bourbon Room will feature photos, videos, and ephemera featured in the podcast in addition to never before seen content from the early years of Guns n’ Roses leading into the recording of their first and most iconic album.

The July 21 exhibit will also include a Q&A with Marc Canter and special guests to talk about the collection and the years leading into the making of Appetite for Destruction.

Click here to buy tickets.

The First 50 Gigs: Guns N’ Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction exhibit takes place Thursday, July 21 at The Bourbon Room, located at 6356 Hollywood Boulevard.

Photography By: Jack Lue & Marc Canter