Marc Canter and Jason Porath, the authors of the critically acclaimed book Reckless Road are excited to announce the launch of the video podcast The First 50 Gigs: Guns N’ Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction. Season One of the show officially launched on August 19th at 12am EST exclusively through Patreon.
The Reckless Road: Guns N’ Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction 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. Canter captured the band’s formative years and the heyday of the Sunset Strip music scene. Canter, who has a photographic memory, came to realize that his memories, the history of this era in Los Angeles, and the formation of this iconic band, will die with him if he doesn’t tell them. The First 50 Gigs project has been years in the making, “Marc’s 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.”
F50G_Series Intro Promo from THE FIRST 50 GIGS on Vimeo.
The 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. It’s an opportunity for them to learn about the stories behind, and ultimately the making of Appetite For Destruction. “This video podcast is a multilayer documentary told by the people and band members that were there,” says Canter. “Those that were involved in the incestuous revolving doors of the bands that eventually led to the Appetite for Destruction lineup.”
Putting fans first, this first season of the show will be available in several tiers on Patreon with the intention of growing the show’s community to a level that will enable the production of the next few seasons. All episodes from season one were recorded in English with transcripts available in Spanish and Portuguese. The three subscriptions tiers enable different levels of access from audio-only, to visual and audio, exclusive content which includes additional interviews, bonus video and audio, and merchandise items. All tier levels come standard with private RSS feeds that will allow you to listen to the show on your favorite podcast player (e.g. Apple Podcast, Stitcher, etc.)
“By retelling this story in podcast form, The First 50 Gigs can take listeners deeper into stories, personalities and events and explore every aspect of this origin story that often is left on the cutting room floor of a book or documentary, ” says Porath. “ Anyone around the world can click on a button and transport themselves back in time to the 1980’s Sunset Strip and follow the action that led to one of the greatest Rock N’ Roll breakthrough stories of the decade.”
