Guns N' Roses reunite early at LA club

The long-awaited Guns N' Roses reunion will get off to a surprise early start Friday, with the band announcing a show in one of the small Los Angeles clubs where the rock legends were first noticed.

The band confirmed that it will play late Friday at the Troubadour in West Hollywood in the first show in more than two decades bringing together singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash.

Guns N' Roses were earlier announced as headliners of the Coachella festival and plan a tour of arenas across the United States and in Toronto and Mexico City, but had suspiciously left off any date in their native Los Angeles.

Fans online initially voiced caution about the news of the concert as it falls on April Fools' Day but Guns N' Roses issued a statement confirming the show and saying that tickets would be available in person starting at noon (1900 GMT) for a "retro" price of $10.

"From the boys who will bring you the most chaotic tour of 2016," the band wrote in a flier, saying that the show will start "sometime after 11 pm."

The Troubadour's calendar had previously listed, cryptically, "Girl Rock (school) -- showcase," as its attraction for Friday with a sketch of a student playing a guitar.

The Troubadour, with a capacity of 500, is legendary in music history as it helped launch the careers of artists ranging from Elton John to James Taylor, with members of The Eagles meeting for the first time at its bar.

The club became known for heavy metal during the genre's heyday in the 1980s, with Guns N' Roses landing a contract with Geffen Records after a show at the Troubadour.

The result of that deal, 1987's "Appetite for Destruction," remains the best-selling debut album ever, with fans drawn to Rose's soaring range and raw anger coupled with Slash's intricate guitar playing.

But Guns N' Roses, notorious for their antics on the road and the tension between Rose and Slash, last played together in 1993 in Buenos Aires.

Rose later continued Guns N' Roses with other lineups, all the while receiving lucrative offers to reunite.