A small Q&A with Marc Canter

[MJ23]

We (gnrsource.com) did a small Q&A with Marc Canter, he was pleasant enough to answer some questions.
Thank you again for it Marc. 

*********

1. I know you've remained friends with all the guys in the band, at least to some degree. Did you in any way hesitate to dig into the band's past the way you have done?

Marc: No, when I started working on the book it was 1993-1994 and by then the band was so big that it was important for the fans to see where they came from. Also I wanted to share with the fans the great photos and memorabilia that I collected.

2. Now that the making of Appetite is out, do you have material to make a follow up, say for making of Lies and the Illusions album? Would you consider doing that?

Marc: No, I do have some stuff but it's not something I would do. My job was documenting the birth of the band. When the band started to get big, Del James started documenting all that stuff. He was on the road with the band.

3. A lot of fans would be interested in the video material you have. Any plans to release one or more DVDs or distributing that material in any way, or are such opportunities blocked?

Marc: I would like to see a DVD of the book that has photos, interviews, and some of the Video all mixed together like a documentary of the book. Someday if the band is ready to do it, You guys will get a killer project.

4. You say you always had faith in GnR, but did it come as a surprise that Appetite did as good as it did? Did you see that coming?

Marc: I knew if the band could stay together long enough that something would happen. They were the perfect team of songwriters for that time and Place and where they were in their lives. Slash knew what to do with whatever Izzy and Duff came up with and Axl knew what to do with whatever Slash came up with. It was a great team effort. The balance was perfect Slash was hard rock and blues Duff was punk Izzy was right in between them and Steven's drums fit well and Axl put his magic to all of it with a lot of lyrics and melodies which was so important in the way the songs came out. Axl was sort of like the producer in the way the songs got finished. New songs were put together all the time that were album ready. They had the look, the sound, song-writing,and the attitude. I knew they would get signed and put out a record and sell about five hundred thousand copies ( a gold record). I was almost right until MTV kicked in and showed the world what Guns N' Roses had to offer. Then They sold millions and millions of records.

5. Do you know or have any contact with the current members of Guns n' Roses?

Marc:I have met them all at the shows but I don't know them well enough to hang out with them.

6. Do you remember when the first concert you saw by GnR was?

Marc: Yes, it was there first show. June 6th 1985 at the Troubadour. That was the first show with the Appetite For Destruction line up. There was a few shows with Guns N Roses before Slash and Steven joined, with Axl ,Izzy, Duff, Tracii Guns, and Rob Gardner that I didn't see But I did see Rose with Axl and Izzy and I did see Hollywood Rose With Axl, Slash, and Steven one year before that in 1984. I also saw LA Guns with Axl and Tracii Guns.

7. Do you have any favorite GnR song?

Marc: They all mean something to me,but if I had to pick one maybe it would be "Sweet Child".

8. Do you think that bands like Guns n' Roses that started out in a time when there was no internet or real mass media as far as rock is concerned had a much harder way to get a contract than bands in the 21 century [especially the opportunity casting bands now have]? And does it have any kind of negative influence on the creativity of these "new" bands?

Marc: Well I think it's harder now to get signed because most of the record companies and A&R people are gone and most of the record stores are also gone, But The internet does have some great ways to get your band out there. Utube is a great tool for getting your ban out there.

9. Have you had the chance to take a look on our website (www.gnrsource.com), and what do you think about it?

Marc: I have been on your site. I think all the sites are great, It's a great way for the fans to communicate with each other. When Reckless Road came out, I was looking on the boards to see what people were saying about the book. I know it's great but sometimes when your so close to something for so long you forget what you have. So far the people love the book and that make me happy to know that I was able to gave something special to the people. No one knew that the first 50 gig's the birth of GNR was ever documented.

**********

If this is the wrong section for it, please feel free to move it to the section where it should be.

[flicknn]

hey .....


was he using the scree name " reckless roads" at one time when that one thread was going on about purchasing the book ?



Nice Q / A

[MJ23]

I think he used that nickname here, but I contacted him somewhere else.

And maybe I am wrong, but I think there was also a thread about "Reckless Road" somewhere around here too.

[fuckin crazy]

Not directed at mj23

4. You say you always had faith in GnR, but did it come as a surprise that Appetite did as good as it did? Did you see that coming?

Marc: I knew if the band could stay together long enough that something would happen. They were the perfect team of songwriters for that time and Place and where they were in their lives. Slash knew what to do with whatever Izzy and Duff came up with and Axl knew what to do with whatever Slash came up with. It was a great team effort. The balance was perfect Slash was hard rock and blues Duff was punk Izzy was right in between them and Steven's drums fit well and Axl put his magic to all of it with a lot of lyrics and melodies which was so important in the way the songs came out. Axl was sort of like the producer in the way the songs got finished. New songs were put together all the time that were album ready. They had the look, the sound, song-writing,and the attitude. I knew they would get signed and put out a record and sell about five hundred thousand copies ( a gold record). I was almost right until MTV kicked in and showed the world what Guns N' Roses had to offer. Then They sold millions and millions of records.

Sorry, but dude, do you have any background in journalism; from what University did you graduate?

What is your credentials?

[fuckin crazy]

Sorry, but I don't mean to be rude. However, the writing style, above, is crude at best ...

[DuffRock]

Sorry, but I don't mean to be rude. However, the writing style, above, is crude at best ...

says the guy who just wrote "What is your credentials?"

[MJ23]

The Q&A went this way:

I contacted Marc and asked him for a small Q&A and he agreed to do it.
Then some people of the forum staff (me included) made up some questions what would be ok for him to answer. We left out every question that could have led to a "Chinese Democracy" answer or any kind of discussion later on. Because we basically wanted to give Marc the opportunity to talk about "Reckless Road", a book that I consider being really great and about the background of that era.
To me the answer to the question #4 sounds quite good. Marc has answered it from his point of view, he answered it based on the things he has witnessed.

*******

I know the comment was not directed at me, but I feel that I needed to respond since it was me who made the contact. Marc was kind enough to take some time and answer all these question that maybe were asked a million times before.

[willow]

"Marc:I have met them all at the shows but I don't know them well enough to hang out with them."

This statement is totally confusing. I am reading Slash's book right now and Slash states that they are good friends. They use to be really close. Hell Slash use to work at the Deli. So whats up with a statement like this??

[CheapJon]

"Marc:I have met them all at the shows but I don't know them well enough to hang out with them."

This statement is totally confusing. I am reading Slash's book right now and Slash states that they are good friends. They use to be really close. Hell Slash use to work at the Deli. So whats up with a statement like this??

well if you would have read the question about current members you would have understood that he was asked about robin finck, richard fortus and the others, not slash since he's 12 years gone this year

[fuckin crazy]

Sorry, but I don't mean to be rude. However, the writing style, above, is crude at best ...

says the guy who just wrote "What is your credentials?"

 ... and your point is?

I am aware of who is Canter, but that does not excuse the fact that the paragraph ... is some piss poor writing, and, perhaps, be best left to some internet site that speculates at best, and is a turd, at worst.

[williambailey]

Sorry, but I don't mean to be rude. However, the writing style, above, is crude at best ...

says the guy who just wrote "What is your credentials?"

 ... and your point is?

I am aware of who is Canter, but that does not excuse the fact that the paragraph ... is some piss poor writing, and, perhaps, be best left to some internet site that speculates at best, and is a turd, at worst.

You are having a go at the guys piss poor writing, yet you say "What is your credentials?".

I believe what the previous poster is suggesting is that the correct english is "What ARE your credentials?"

Pot meet kettle...

[fuckin crazy]

Touch?, though, I never pretended to be a journalist.

[willow]

"Marc:I have met them all at the shows but I don't know them well enough to hang out with them."

This statement is totally confusing. I am reading Slash's book right now and Slash states that they are good friends. They use to be really close. Hell Slash use to work at the Deli. So whats up with a statement like this??

well if you would have read the question about current members you would have understood that he was asked about robin finck, richard fortus and the others, not slash since he's 12 years gone this year

Oh crap! Sorry. I had just got out of bed. Didn't mean to mess that one up.
Peace out
amyl

[fuckin crazy]

... and I definitely never rambled; even after sever inebriation. Well, maybe, I fudged the latter ...

and I have fuckeduped many a plural, and other gramatic errata. However, rarely, am I strung out ... :thumbsup:




I'm surprised that you missed the fragment.

Sorry, but I don't mean to be rude. However, the writing style, above, is crude at best ...

[/i]

[leatherebel]

This book is so unnecessary in 2008.
Only a book on the making of CD would be healthy for the band.

[McDuff]

This book is so unnecessary in 2008.
Only a book on the making of CD would be healthy for the band.

Not really,because there are alot of people who would like to know about how the band got started from someone else's point of view,you can't have this GN'R without having the old GN'R,no matter what the past is still the history of the band.

[misterID]

Something is better than nothing.

[LunsJail]

Sorry, but I don't mean to be rude. However, the writing style, above, is crude at best ...

says the guy who just wrote "What is your credentials?"

 ... and your point is?

I am aware of who is Canter, but that does not excuse the fact that the paragraph ... is some piss poor writing, and, perhaps, be best left to some internet site that speculates at best, and is a turd, at worst.

Where the fuck do you get off?  The guy gave us an interesting interview with someone close to the band.  Ungrateful!!  Go back to drinking paint thinner and leave your comments to yourself.

[ppbebe]

This book is so unnecessary in 2008.
Only a book on the making of CD would be healthy for the band.

 I can't get excited at the pics of good old days as widely as about cd era either but I'd speak for myself. 
it's good to learn a history of the band.

[Snafu]

This book is so unnecessary in 2008.

 

Speak for yourself.

This book details the beginning of my favorite band. I'm very appreciative of that.