Rockstars are not typically known for their lack of ego, which can lead to tense relationships and industry feuds that last for years. But for Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, he found a kindred spirit in a fellow guitarist for a band that used to open for the “Sweet Emotion” rockers in their early days. During that time, Petty began a friendship with this future rock icon that persists to this day. Given the musicians’ similarities in both style and the dynamics of their respective bands, it’s easy to see why.
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During a 2025 interview with Guitar Player, Perry revealed that Slash from Guns N’ Roses is “one of those guys I’d give the keys to my house to.” The guitarists got to know each other through Guns N’ Roses opening for Aerosmith, after which Slash and Axl Rose would visit the Boston rock ‘n’ rollers in their dressing rooms and talk to them about life, the industry, and how the two can combine most effectively. “They were still young and trying to find their place in the hierarchy,” Perry said.
While Aerosmith was happy to help GNR out, Perry knew that the younger band wasn’t far from finding their footing. “When I first heard Guns N’ Roses’ music on Appetite for Destruction, I was like, ‘Okay, this is it. This is a great f***ing record.’ They paid their dues…that summer they opened for us, and we saw them going from learning and being a club band to becoming an arena band.”
Joe Perry and Slash Have Similar Outlooks on Rock ‘n’ Roll
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash striking up a friendship isn’t surprising, given their similar perspectives on rock ‘n’ roll. Perry told Guitar Player that the two bands bonded over wanting to give the crowd straightforward rock without any of the bells and whistles that bands like KISS or Alice Cooper added to their shows. “I hand it to KISS, they were f***ing amazing and different,” Perry said. “But we just wanted to play rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s what Guns N’ Roses was all about, too.”
In a 2025 interview with VICE, Slash reflected on how “when I was a kid coming up, I couldn’t stand KISS. The theatrics of it got in the way for me. I just couldn’t. I didn’t buy into it.” Interestingly, Slash added that despite his hang-ups about KISS’ costumes and pyrotechnics, he always felt a connection to guitarist Ace Frehley because he “stood out to me as being a genuine, through-and-through rock and roll guy,” which is exactly what drew Perry to Slash in Guns N’ Roses’ early years.
Slash and Perry also have similar band dynamics to bond over, including their tempestuous relationships with their bands’ frontmen, Axl Rose and Steven Tyler, respectively. Ultimately, though, Perry’s greatest respect for Slash lies in the latter musician’s talents. “You can tell that with the kind of guy that he is, he never gives up,” Perry told Guitar Player. “You can never accuse him of phoning it in. I can’t say that about all the people that I’ve bumped into.”
Photo by Ron Pownall/Corbis via Getty Images
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