These images capture a truly iconic moment from Guns N' Roses' first tour of Japan in December 1988. In these photos, we see the classic lineup at an awards ceremony right after a historic show at the Budokan in Tokyo. The reason for the celebration? The band was receiving their well-deserved Gold Records for the explosive sales of their debut album, Appetite for Destruction.
The handwritten notes on the Polaroids make everything even more intimate and authentic. They detail the presence of Axl Rose, Slash, and Izzy Stradlin, while also mentioning Mike Clink—the legendary producer who helped shape the raw and dangerous sound of the album and appears alongside them in one of the shots.
This tour was a turning point, marking the first time the original quintet performed on Japanese soil, right at the peak of their global success. Seeing the glow of the gold records reflected in their faces—still young and processing the magnitude of the impact they were making—is enough to give anyone goosebumps. A rare record of the exact moment GNR became the biggest band on the planet.
I’m actually speechless at these photos! 💖 Axl and Slash holding those plaques with that "we made it" smile is everything to me! It’s real proof that Appetite wasn't just an album; it was a revolution that stopped the world in 1988.✨🏆
P.S.: The Budokan is one of the most sacred stages in rock, and the fact that GNR received these gold records there only reinforces the legendary status they achieved so quickly.