Legendary head bangers Guns N` Roses are set to take their Korean fans back to their salad days when they perform for the first time in Korea next month.

Bringing with him a new crop of musicians, the poster boy and icon of 80s metal Axl Rose - sans guitarist Slash - will hold the band`s concert at Olympic Park Gymnasium in Seoul on Dec. 13 as part of the "Chinese Democracy" Asian tour.

Their latest record of course was 15 years in the making since the "Use your Illusion" albums and has been eagerly awaited by the band`s legions of fans from all over the world.

For many, Guns N` Roses is a name that sparks nostalgic memories - especially for middle aged Korean men. After all, they got them through high school during many sleepless nights ahead of their university entrance exams.

It was during a time when rock fanatics had to record the band`s international hits such as "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child o` mine," "Paradise City," and "November Rain" off the AFKN FM radio station on cassette tapes. Or it meant going on a scavenging mission to hunt through the flea-markets of the pre-renovated Cheonggye stream - since many of their songs were hit with government restrictions for racy lyrical content.



But more than that, the name Guns N` Roses is a name that doesn`t just represent a band that redefined hard-rock.

It was a name that defined a generation when rock music sounded and felt like rock music.

Theirs was a pure unadulterated metal sound that represented the prototypical image and lifestyle of hedonism and rebellion - not the hybrid rock you hear today from bands that have taken influences from a wide spectrum of subgenres.

It was during a time when rock stars looked like rock stars with larger-than-life stage personas and a lifestyle drastically different from the average Joe.

One listen to their album, you knew what you were listening to.

Back in the 80s and early 90s Guns N` Roses or GN`R as they are sometimes called, was at the height of their popularity with a string of multi-platinum records like "Appetite for Destruction" and the two "Use your Illusion" albums.

Combined, they have sold over 100 million records worldwide, of which 43 million were in North America.

According to the band`s Korean concert promoter Access Entertainment, "We`ve held many concerts over the years but the upcoming Guns N` Roses shows have gotten the most requests and inquiries here than any other." The company added "this will set the stage for those who became fans in the 80s and 90s as well as a new generation of fans to come together and enjoy the concert."

Formed in 1985 by members of Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, the two bands joined to form Guns N` Roses.

Since the formation, original founding members Tracii Guns and Ole Beich were replaced by guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.

The band ascended through the ranks by playing the club circuit all over Los Angeles, as all glam-rock and metal bands did back then.

With a growing reputation within the metal community for both their stage presentation and the quality of their music, the band continued gaining a loyal following.

But in the aftermath of fame and fortune came the inevitable decline and in-fighting that left one of the biggest metal bands in history in tatters.

Drug abuse was rampant among members and the clashing of egos between Rose and his band mates resulted in a slew of delays that led Slash and Duff McKagan to part ways with the band indefinitely.

The recording of "Chinese Democracy" has been reportedly in the works since 1994 and according to a report published in 2005 by the New York Times, an estimated $13 million had been spent by Rose during the production of the album - becoming the most expensive musical recording in history.

When the album hit shelves worldwide in late November of last year, critical reception was positive across the board with some critics hailing the return of Axl Rose and Guns N` Roses.

But the album sold 537,000 copies in North America and over 5 million worldwide - well below expectations.

Guns N` Roses last played live two years ago in the summer of 2007 in Mexico.

For inquiries on tickets, contact (02) 3141-3488.

(kws@heraldm.com)



By Song Woong-ki