1 - In Portugal, we have a unique word to express the fact that you miss someone or some kind of event in your life. That word is ?saudade?. Was that what moved you to get ?Reckless Road? published? Is it ?Saudade? of the old times or friendships?I was proud of what I did and just wanted to share it with the world so they could get a chance to see what I was lucky enough to see. I know how important it is to get a book like Reckless Road out to the people that want to know about it. I grew up a big Aerosmith fan and I would have killed to get something like this for them. I worked on this book for many years and it was my biggest goal to get it out the the fans
2 - Being a professional photographer was part of your future plans, when you began to shoot the band?I started to shoot photos in April 1982 of concerts that I went to. In June 1982 Slash played a gig at Fairfax High School so that was the first time I shot him with a guitar. I used to take photos of Slash doing tricks with BMX bikes in 1978. I also shot Hollywood Rose and LA. Guns with when Axl was in the band but the first time I shot Guns N Roses was June 6, 1985 at the Troubadour. That was the first gig with the Appetite For Destruction line up. It was a very special gig.
3 - Is there any sad story concerning someone near the band or a sad moment for everybody, back in the day, that you wouldn?t mind sharing with us?When their friend Todd Crew passed away. He was a member of the band Jet Boy and the band was very close to him.
4 - We know that you?ve already tried to get Slash and Axl in the same room, after the breakup. The GN?R fans still dream of the possibility of a reunion so, in your perspective, is it still possible for Axl and Slash to reconcile?It is but would take a lot of work. They would have to both go to a very could marriage counselor that they both trust. They would first have to go by them selfs to get their felling out about each other. That by it's self could take months. Axl has many more problems with Slash than Slash has with Axl. A lot of the problems could be solved by some apologies. I would love to see them a least talking to each other again someday even if they don't ever play together again.
5 - What are your thoughts about the Chinese Democracy record and Slash?s new record conception? Are you able to tell us which record you like the most?I love them both. They are doing the best they can with what they have to work with. People are always trying to compare what they are doing now with what they once did. They are both playing with different people so how could you compare it. When Steven was out of the band things were already little different. After Izzy left things were going to have to be a lot different. So that alone would have led to the music being a lot different. The music all those guys made together could not have been made with anyone of them missing. At that time They all wanted to make that same style of music. a few years latter they wanted some different things.
6 - Have you been to any ?new? GN?R show yet? In case you did, how was it for you?I saw the new band in 2001/2002 a few times. I really loved Bucket Head. I saw the band in 2006 five times and I have not had a chance to see the 2010 shows live but I have seen the video footage. It's alway great to see Axl on stage, there's nothing like it. He always gives you his best show.
7 - Besides Slash, have you been in contact with any other guy from the old line-up?I have always been close with Slash since 1976 but when he was using drugs he would avoid me because he knew what I thought about it. When he quit drugs he became a better friend. Over the years I stayed close with Axl. I would only see Duff at a party and I lost touch with Steven from 1990 to 2006 but now were close. Izzy I only saw once since he left GNR.
8 - We are still in shock about the latest news about Slash and Perla. They seemed happy at the shows here in Portugal, last June. Have you any idea of what might have been the reason of their divorce? Or are you surprised too, just like any of us?Marriage can be very stressful and even more so when your in the public and famous. I don't know the reasons but people sometimes change.
9 - Back in the day, when you began to have some material of the band, did you had any idea that Guns N? Roses would achieve this major place in the rock n? roll history?I knew if they could stay together they would get signed and have a gold record. I had no idea that they would get to be as big as they got. Making the vidoes that showed on MTV was a big help.
10 - Slash has his biography; Steven is going to publish his soon and, apparentely, Duff has already thought about that too. We don?t know about Izzy yet, but we?re sure Axl has lots of writting done about his life. In what terms is your book a good form of showing GN?R history?Reckless Road is about the birth of Guns N' Roses. No band has ever had their birth documented. There were like 24 people interviewed for the book. My goal was to have all the band members look at the book and see what they might remember from the gigs. Jason, my co-author, wanted to interview the band to add more story to the project. I started thinking that everyone who was around and had something to do with the band should have something interesting to say. So, I made a list of people. Ex-girlfriends, roadies, strippers, record company people, the producers and mixers that worked on the record, friends and old band members from all the bands before GNR.
Jason interviewed them and threaded their stories throughout the book, where they would best fit. The things that I added were mixed in with all the gigs and Jason pulled them out and mixed them in with all the others' interviews.
Between the gigs there are quotes about different subjects. Also, because I recorded all the gigs, the transcriptions from the shows are all in the book. I think what's great about Reckless Road is that it's enhanced. That means, when you buy the book there is a code on the first page, you go to enhancedbooks.com and you use that code to see the whole book online. There, readers will be able to listen to audio clips from the gigs. You can hear clips during the time when they played the songs for the first time. There are also over 200 extra photos that didn't make it into the book, as well as video interviews from the band and people that helped make the book. So if you a fan of Guns N Roses and want to see how it all started Reckless Road is a great book for you.
11 - In your opinion, which old line-up member is able to write the most loyal biography to the facts? Or is it better for people to read your book instead, because none of them (old members) might tell us the whole truth?Axl will give you the truth, but there is sometimes two sides to a story so you have to hear both sides and try to make something out of it.
12 - Do you think they are happier now or felt happier back then, when the band dissolved?From what I could see Axl is not happy about everything that went down and feels Slash stole many years of his life. Axl is happy with the people that he is working with now. Slash would like to do some sort of reunion tour. It's always fun to preform in front of lots of people that want to see something like that. Theres lots of people that never got a chance to see that line up. I would love to see a tour with both line ups. 1 and a half hours of the old one a new 1 hour of the new one.
13 - Do you know why Buckethead and also Robin Finck quit GN?R?No I don't know.
14 - Are you friends with any new GN?R member or crew? If so, what do you think about them, personal and professionally speaking?I met some of them but I haven't hung out with them. They are good musicians and do a good job.
15 - Any idea why GN?R shows start so late sometimes? Is it really Axl?s fault or is there something else that people refuse to see? And if you feel this is Axl?s responsability only, in your opinion, why does he insists on it?Axl doesn't set a goal to go on late. If he could he would always be right on time. If he is not ready to go on than he is not ready. Axl will give you everything but only when he is ready. If he is not ready there is nothing to give. Thats the way it has always been. It's Victory or Death nothing in between.
16 - After the GN?R tour and their time to breath and rest a bit, what plans do you think they have for the future of the band?I hope they will get a new record out.
17 - What are you doing now and what dreams do you still need to fulfill, professionally speaking?I help run at my family's Restaurant Canter's Deli. My goal is to promote my book Reckless Road. I spend a few hours everyday doing that. It's a big reward when people thank me for my work. It feels good making people happy. My dream is to have my work around 300 years after I'm gone. Looking down and seeing people enjoying something that I put together.
18 - Do you have any studio where people can visit your work? If not, have you thought about having one?I have some of my work up on my facebook
http://www.facebook....6&id=1601256921
or my Guns N Roses group Facebook
http://www.facebook....85867&ref=share
Also my myspace
http://www.myspace.com/recklessroadI would love to have a gallery for people to come look at in person. Maybe some day?
19 - Have you ever been to Portugal? Any opinion about this country and its GN?R fans?I and never been there but I know that is where some of the biggest GN'R fans are. If anyone has trouble finding my book Reckless Road, I can sell and ship them a signed copy see my facebook or my space for more info.
Marc
Author