Guns N' Roses: The story behind Slash's iconic hat

23 July 2024, 16:00

Guns N' Roses - Paradise City intro

To celebrate the Guns N' Roses legend's 59th birthday, we reveal why guitarist Slash first chose his memorable headgear.

Slash is one of the most recognisable rock stars of all time.

Through the splits, bust ups and line-up changes over the years, no rocker's look has become more iconic than that of the Guns N' Roses guitarist and his famous hat.

In fact, when it comes to performing on stage over the last three decades, the rocker has barely been seen without it...

Unless he's bashing out an epic guitar solo outside a church in the desert of course!

But what made Slash don his unique top hat all those years ago? And where the hell did he get it from? Find out here London...

Why does Slash wear a top hat and where did he get it from?

Luckily, thanks to an interview with the rocker back in 2010, we know the answer to both these questions.

When asked about his sartorial choice eight years ago, the rocker put its origins down to needing a bit of extra confidence.

As reported by CBS News, when asked about the hat by Associated Press, he replied: "You can pull it down, pull your hair down over your face and just sort of hide behind that."

"I've always been a little nervous in front of crowds," he added. "And that made it - made me - feel a lot more comfortable."

Guns N' Roses play Paradise City at BST Hyde Park 2023

Now we know why Slash first donned the headwear, but where did he get it from?

According to the Sweet Child O' Mine rocker, the top hat dates back to 1985 when he was touring with GnR.

Being the young ne'er do well that he was, he actually stole it on the day he was due to play a show with the band.

He then chose to customise it with a "conch" belt... which he'd also nicked from a shop next door.

Slash revealed: "I went into this in store on Melrose (Place) in Los Angeles and saw a top hat, and was like, 'Oh that's looks cool.'

"And we had a show that night," he added: "So I was definitely looking for something to wear for the show that evening."

The rocker concluded: "I wore it for that show and it just became the hat I felt really cool in."

So there we have it. One of the most famous hats in rock was borne out of shyness, a propensity for stealing and a penchant for crafts.

What a legend.

QUIZ: Can You Tell These AC/DC And Guns N' Roses Lyrics Apart?