Remembering Guns N’ Roses With Music Guru Lee Simon

Image: Lee Simon/ Gunsnroses.com/ SMH

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the genre changing, scene challenging, timeless Guns N’ Roses debut, Appetite For Destruction we talk to Triple M’s, Lee Simon on his memories first hand on the record.

Lee Simon was the General Manager of Triple M when Appetite For Destruction, the biggest record in rock music was delivered to the station.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since it’s release.

Remembering the record Lee Simon says;

“30 years? Seriously? We lost our minds when Appetite was released. In my case, it was mainly because of its sheer in-your-face presence and partly because it finally brought the cruisy, laid back ‘LA sound’ era to a thundering end.

"And, as we all now know, it was an accurate title for what was to come”.

The record was released when the L.A glam scene was reportedly coming to an end, yet Gunners kick started the hearts of glam lovers, added blues influenced classic rock and gave us an appetite for new music from "Paradise City".

It was 6 years before GN’R would visit Australia, where Lee Simon introduced the band onto stage at the infamous Calder Park gig in Melbourne.

He stood side-of-stage with the band before taking the stage to one of the biggest music events this country has ever seen.

“By 1993’s infamous Calder Park gig the band was barely capable of making eye contact with each other, yet somehow, it made them even more potent. Go figure!”

Happy anniversary Appetite for Destruction!!