Friday ACL Face-Off: Guns N’ Roses vs. Tame Impala

Which headliner stands taller on the fest's first day?

Photo by Gary Miller

7:30pm, American Express stage

Government name(s): William Bruce Rose Jr., Saul Hudson, Michael Andrew McKagan, Darren Arthur Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, Melissa Reese

Nicknames: Axl, Slash, Duff, and Dizzy

Hometown: Los Angeles

Active since: 1985

Genre: Sleaze & roll

Number of studio albums: Six

Number of Grammys: None, but four nominations

Latest release: 2008's Chinese Democracy

Influences: Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Rose Tattoo, Hanoi Rocks

Notable collaborators: Michael Monroe, Alice Cooper, Don Henley, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Rihanna

Breakout moment: "Welcome to the Jungle" video, played by MTV at 4am on a Sunday in 1988, nearly a year after the single's release

Songs they should play: Anything recorded up to 1993

Songs they shouldn't play: Every note of Chinese Democracy

Brave experiments: Replacing Duff with the Replacements' Tommy Stinson for 16 years; replacing Slash with Buckethead

Best lines: "Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place/ Where as a child I'd hide/ And pray for the thunder/ And the rain/ To quietly pass me by"

Notable achievement: The last truly dangerous rock & roll act

Last local show: Frank Erwin Center, Feb. 23, 1993

Photo by Gary Miller

8:15pm, Honda stage

Government name(s): Kevin Parker, Dominic Simper, Jay Watson, Cam Avery, Julien Barbagallo

Nicknames: Mate

Hometown: Perth, Western Australia

Active since: 2007

Genre: Neo-psych dance jam

Number of studio albums: Three

Number of Grammys: None, but two nominations

Latest release: April single "Borderline"

Influences: Kylie Minogue, Flaming Lips, My Bloody Valentine, Supertramp

Notable collaborators: Theophilus London, Travis Scott, Kanye West, ZHU, Kali Uchis, Lady Gaga

Breakout moment: 2009 debut single, "Sundown Syndrome"

Songs they should play: The entirety of Chinese Democracy

Songs they shouldn't play: The entirety of Chinese Democracy

Brave experiments: Rihanna covered Tame Impala's "New Person, Same Old Mistakes"

Best lines: "Australians don't sugarcoat things," Parker told Rolling Stone earlier this year

Notable achievement: Kevin Parker remains a studio wizard who gets otherworldly drum sounds

Last local show: ACL Fest, Oct. 9, 2015