Scandalous Stories Of Axl Rose's Headline-Making Mayhem With Guns N' Roses

Following A Horrendous Pyro Accident Where Metallica's James Hetfield Was Left With Burns Across His Body, Axl Incited A Riot By Refusing To Play His Entire Set

(Vice Media)

On August 8, 1992, Metallica and Guns N' Roses were all set to bring the rock to Montreal. During Metallica's set, singer James Hetfield was seriously burned in a stage accident when he was accidentally hit with planned pyrotechnics. Understandably, Metallica had to stop their performance, and Hetfield was taken to the hospital for medical attention.

While Hetfield was being treated, the concert organizers tried to get Guns N' Roses on stage ASAP. However, it took them just over two hours to make it to the stage. When Guns N' Roses finally started their show, things didn't go well. Axl had problems with the sound in the monitors, and instead of getting it fixed, he broke his microphone, sat down on the monitors, and then left the stage without coming back. They only played nine songs that night, much less than their usual setlist of almost 20 songs.

When the fans realized that Guns N' Roses wouldn't return to the stage, they flipped out and riot broke out in the stadium. The audience turnt rioters set fire to piles of t-shirts, flipped over police cars, and looted the stadium's souvenir shop. Meanwhile, backstage, Axl was drinking champagne with groupies while his management argued with the concert organizers. The rest of the band was partying, seemingly unaffected by the chaos happening outside.

A Record Of Rose Sleeping With His Drummer's Girlfriend Made It Onto The Song "Rocket Queen"

(the sun)

In 1987, 19-year-old Adriana Smith was dating the band's drummer, Steven Adler. Major drama reared its head when Adriana found out that Steven had been unfaithful to her with another woman. In response, she had a drunken encounter with Rose. When Adriana visited the band while they were recording in New York City, Axl suggested having their encounter in the vocal booth and even recording it to use in the song "Rocket Queen." At first, Adriana was hesitant, but after a couple of drinks, she agreed.

According to people close to Guns N' Roses, Steven Adler didn't react as badly as he could have when he found out about the situation. In some odd way he believed that Adriana's actions were somehow beneficial for the band.

He Started A Feud With Kurt Cobain And Courtney Love After The Referred To Him As "Corporate Rock"

(getty images)

In the 1980s, many hard rock bands were afraid of Nirvana's success, but Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses was actually a huge fan of the band, especially their album "Nevermind" released in 1991. He liked Nirvana so much that he invited Kurt Cobain and his band to play at his birthday party and join Guns N' Roses and Metallica on a worldwide tour. However, Cobain declined the invitation because he didn't want to be associated with what he considered "corporate rock."

The tension between the bands reached its peak at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. When Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain's wife, saw Axl backstage, she sarcastically asked him to be the godfather of their child. Axl, known for not having a sense of humor, responded by telling Cobain to control his wife or else he would take him down to the ground. Cobain then sarcastically told Love to "shut up," making everyone laugh at Axl. He got upset and walked away.

Things got even worse after that. Members from Guns N' Roses and Nirvana had conflicts. Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses pushed Krist Novoselic from Nirvana, Dave Grohl taunted Axl from the stage, some members of Guns N' Roses tried to tip over Nirvana's trailer where Cobain's daughter was sleeping, and Cobain left some spitballs on what he thought was Axl's keyboard, but it turned out to belong to Elton John.

While Opening For The Rolling Stones He Threatened To Break Up GnR On Stage 

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While opening some shows in Los Angeles for the Rolling Stones in 1989, Axl went on an onstage rant moments before GnR launched into "Mr. Brownstone," a song about heroin abuse. In front of thousands of rabid fans at the packed LA Coliseum, Axl went off on his band members for their addiction issues. He said:

I hate to do this on stage, but I tried every other way. And unless certain people in this band get their [act] together, these will be the last Guns N' Roses shows you'll ever see. 'Cause I'm tired of too many people in this organization dancing with Mr. Brownstone.

Years after the event, Slash responded:

I knew it was directed at me, because I was real strung out at the time. But it was probably one of the things that made me hate Axl more than anything.

Rose Allegedly Whomped His Neighbor With A Wine Bottle

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In 1990, Axl Rose was arrested for allegedly hitting his 37-year-old neighbor, Gabriella Kantor, in the head with an empty wine bottle. According to a report, the argument between them started because of loud music. Axl threw Gabriella's car keys out of a patio door to the ground 12 stories below. Then, he poured out the wine from a bottle and used the empty container to hit her over the head. The Los Angeles Times reported:

Rose alleged that Kantor, whom he described as a Guns N' Roses fan, has caused several late-night disturbances since January, 1989, when he bought a unit in the building just north of the Sunset Strip.
Interviewed Tuesday afternoon in the living room of his condominium, Rose said that he has repeatedly complained to the building's homeowners association about what he described as Kantor's own loud music-playing. Rose also claimed she behaves like an overzealous fan.
'It's really weird, she cranks my music all the time,' Rose said.
He said that about 1 a.m. Tuesday he and a group of friends were gathered in his condominium 'being really quiet' when he heard Kantor yelling.
Rose said he went into the hallway and said to Kantor, 'Shut up.'

In An Early GnR Performance He Got Into A Fight With A Colleague's Girlfriend

(getty images)

On May 13, 1986, during a performance at Raji's, Axl Rose had one of his earliest run-ins with his audience. While Axl was in the middle of a song, the girlfriend of Bob Forrest, the lead singer of Thelonious Monster, sprayed beer in Axl's face. This caused him to be shocked by the equipment multiple times. Axl got angry and yelled at her, then pushed her away using the mic stand.

In response, Forrest swung a drum stand at him. Despite this clash, Guns N' Roses and Thelonious Monster seemed to have made amends later, as they performed together at a UCLA event with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Halloween.

A Hankering For Chili And Cheese Kept 80,000 Fans Waiting

(BBC)

In July 1993, during a performance in Buenos Aires before a massive crowd of 80,000, Axl Rose kept fans waiting with an unusual food request. With just minutes left before he was scheduled to go on stage, Axl made a specific order, send his assistant, Craig Duswalt, into an anxiety spiral. While the rest of the band had already arrived at the venue, Axl remained at his hotel, longing for chili and cheese, a dish that couldn't be found on the room service menu.

Duswalt took it upon himself to convey Axl's request to the hotel kitchen staff as accurately as possible. After an hour of waiting and waiting, a platter arrived at the room, containing a chunk of cheese accompanied by a few chili peppers. To avert a potential crisis, Duswalt quickly decided to handle the situation discreetly. He flipped out and claimed that the hotel had botched the order. In a clever diversion, he smashed the dish against the wall, successfully shifting Axl's attention away from his need while testing his patience. Fortunately, Axl Rose's craving was momentarily forgotten, and the show commenced without further disruption. 

Guns N’ Roses Implode at Farm Aid

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On April 7th, 1990, Guns N' Roses performed at Willie Nelson's Farm Aid IV in Indiana, in Axl Rose's home state. It was an important event as the band showcased songs from their upcoming albums, Use Your Illusion. However, the performance also revealed that the band was going through tough times, mainly due to Steven Adler's struggles with addiction. During the show, Adler fell on his drum riser, and it turned out to be his final performance with the band.

Despite the difficulties, Guns N' Roses used the opportunity to display their punk rock roots by playing a cover of the song "Down on the Farm" by the U.K. Subs. They also pushed boundaries on live TV by flipping off network censors.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Held Him Up Before A Concert

(getty images)

Axl Rose is not known for his punctuality. As the popularity of Guns N Roses grew so did the disparity between showtime and when the band actually hit the stage. While working at a venue in 1991, a DJ from Tampa, Florida, claimed that Rose refused to hit the stage because he was taking in some important cinema from the era:

Axl’s management said he was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, and that Axl’s attention was 100% on the movie and couldn't be bothered.

Axl's Ex Claimed That He Thought He Was Possessed By John Bonham

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In 1994, Erin Everly, who was the inspiration for Axl Rose's famous love song "Sweet Child O' Mine," spoke about their troubled relationship and brief marriage. She took legal action against her ex-husband, suing him for assault and sexual battery. During the case, disturbing details emerged, like Axl removing all the doors in her apartment to monitor her closely.

Erin also claimed that Axl believed he was possessed by the spirit of the late Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham. He also had a belief that in a past life, they were Native Americans and that she had killed their children, which was why he treated her badly in this life. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court.

Axl's Contact Lens Loss Nearly Cost GNR A Record Contract

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In July 1986, Guns N' Roses were all set to sign with Geffen Records, the label that turned their album "Appetite for Destruction" into one of the biggest and most important rock records of all time in 1987. However, signing the contract almost didn't happen because of Axl's unusual behavior.

On the day of the meeting, Axl couldn't find his contact lenses and thought someone had stolen them. He got upset and refused to go to the meeting. The rest of the band tried to help him find the missing lenses, and their manager, Vicky Hamilton, remembers that Axl was worried because he couldn't read the contract without his lenses.

Thankfully, Slash eventually found the lenses in one of Axl's pants pockets and brought them to the singer, who was hiding on the roof of the Whisky A Go Go. Even though they were about four hours late, the Geffen executives were used to this kind of wild behavior and were still waiting around. In the end, they signed with Geffen Records and became one of the biggest bands in the world.

He Bit A Security Guard

(getty images)

Long after the peak of Guns N' Roses' fame, Rose was still dealing with LSD (lead singers disease). While on tour in Sweden in 2006, he was arrested after reportedly biting a security guard's leg. The security guard was trying to intervene in an argument between Rose and a woman in a hotel lobby, but somehow ended up being attacked by the rock star.

When the police arrived at the scene, Axl was drunk and behaving aggressively, so they had to restrain him. Because he was too intoxicated to be properly questioned, he was kept in a cell overnight. Later, he admitted to the charges brought against him. As a consequence, Axl Rose was fined $5,500, and he also had to pay $1,360 to the security guard for the incident.

He Shot A Moth With A Shotgun

(rip magazine)

Rose's former assistant, Craig Duswalt, claims that the singer was always at a ten - even with it came to keeping his home pest free. According to Duswalt, in 1991, a moth made its way inside Rose's Malibu home and it found itself on the business end of the singer's shotgun.

Axl wanted his assistant to corner the moth so he could shoot it, even though Duswalt suggested using a flyswatter instead. But Rose was determined, and he fired on the insect, bringing a violent end to something that was not that big of a deal.

Axl Locks Himself in a Japanese Hotel Room, Refuses to Speak to Anyone for Days

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On August 28th, 1989, Axl Rose gained a reputation for being emotionally unstable. He often arrived late to events, left early, and disappeared without telling anyone. While the band was touring in Japan and Axl was still upset about Izzy Stradlin's airplane incident, the moody lead singer isolated himself in his hotel room for several days and refused to talk to anyone.

According to the book Over the Top: The True Story of Guns N' Roses, Axl mercilessly fired a staff member who disturbed him, even though he had asked to be woken up at that specific time.

He Purchased A $10K Concorde Seat For A Stuffed Elephant

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Between 1969 and 2003, the Concorde was an incredibly fast jet that could fly more than twice the speed of sound. This super fast plane was used for commercial flights beginning in 1976 and it significantly reduced the time it took to travel. However, flying on the Concorde was incredibly expensive.

In the summer of 1992, while Guns N' Roses was on tour in France, Axl Rose wanted to give his girlfriend, Stephanie Seymour, a special birthday gift. He bought her a stuffed elephant. Since Stephanie was living in New York City, Axl needed to send the elephant there. So, he purchased a seat on the Concorde just for the stuffed elephant, and it cost him $10,000. Rock and roll, right?

A Roadie For GnR Had To Take Over As A Singer For The Band After Rose Was Arrested After Punching A Cop

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During a Guns N' Roses concert at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta on November 20, 1987, a roadie named Big Ron had to hit the stage and take over vocal duties for Axl Rose after he jumped off the stage and punched a couple of police officers. Naturally, he was arrested and taken away.

Thankfully, the concert promoter stepped in and convinced the security to release Axl if he apologized. Axl agreed and signed a written apology. It didn't take long for Rose to changed his mind and insult one of the cops, which led to more trouble for the singer.

While all this was happening, Big Ron sang a few of the band's more well-known songs, and the band took up time while playing extended guitar and drum solos. Eventually, it became clear that Axl was going to jail, and the band called it before hitting the road and trying again the next day.

Rose Shut Down Half A Stadium So He Could Catch Some Shut Eye

(getty images)

Axl Rose is known for his hard partying ways, but the thing he loves almost as much as popping off backstage is taking naps. As he has gotten older, his demands have become stranger and stranger.

During a tour with Steel Panther in 2011, Michael Starr, the vocalist of Steel Panther, witnessed Axl's fondness for quiet time firsthand. In 2016, Starr explained:

Axl closed off the whole left side of the arena of any noise for four hours while he took a nap. We had to go into a dressing room and no one could tune guitars or be on stage for four hours. That's heavy metal, and it's funny.

He Bought The Guns N' Roses Name So He Can Do Whatever He Wants With The Band

(getty images)

In the mid-1990s, Axl Rose made a decision to have full control over Guns N' Roses. He bought the rights to the band's name, which means that he he legally owns all the GnR music, regardless of which original members were still in the group. With this ownership, Axl had the power to remove any band member he wished to. This didn't sit well with original guitarist Slash, who was on his way out of the group at this point. He said:

I was blindsided by it, more or less a legal faux pas. I don't know what he's gonna do, as far as that goes. But I'd be lying to say I wasn't a little bit peeved at that. It'd be one thing if I quit altogether. But I haven't, and the fact that he can actually go and do that without the consent of the other members of the band.

Rose Chastised His Stage Crew On Mic In The Middle Of A Show

(getty images)

Sometimes, band members have disagreements with the stage crew, but it's not common to see a singer leave the stage to yell at their employees, leaving the rest of the band to figure out how to finish the song without vocals.

During a Guns N' Roses festival show in 2006, while they were playing the song "You Could Be Mine," Axl got upset with the crew and stopped singing. He went off stage to talk to them. Meanwhile, the rest of the band continued playing, trying to finish the song without Axl's vocals. Axl sarcastically berated one of the crew members through the microphone, talking about them taking naps on the job.

Axl eventually came back on stage but didn't try to rejoin the band for the song. Once the band finished playing the track, Axl continued berating the crew over the microphone, asking them why they couldn't do their jobs and even questioning if they were on quaaludes.

He Got Into A Fight With David Bowie Over An Ex-Girlfriend

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While filming of the music video for "It's So Easy" in October 1989, Guns N' Roses received a surprise visit from the one and only David Bowie. Axl wasn't stoked about Bowie being there, especially when he saw the Thin White Duke getting too close to his girlfriend. Axl got upset and punched Bowie in the face, then had him removed from the set.

Don't worry, Bowie and Rose patched things up later over drinks at the China Club. Rose told Kerrang:

And when we left, I was like, 'I wanna thank you for being the first person that’s ever come up to me in person and said how sorry they were about the situation and stuff. It was cool, you know? And then I open up Rolling Stone the next day and there's a story in there saying I’ve got no respect for the Godfather of Glam even though I wear make-up and all this bullsh*t.'

That wasn't the end of the drama with Rose and Bowie though. While opening for the Rolling Stones in Los Angeles, Rose said that he received a stern talking to from Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton. Rose explained:

I was out doing a soundcheck one day when we were opening for the Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton cornered me. I’m sittin’ on this amp and all of a sudden they’re both right there in front of me. And Jagger doesn’t really talk a lot, right? He’s just real serious about everything, and all of a sudden he’s like 'So you got in a fight with Bowie, didja?' So I told him the story real quick and him and Clapton are going off about Bowie in their own little world, talking about things from years ago. They were saying things like when Bowie gets drunk he turns into the Devil from Bromley.... I mean, I’m not even in this conversation. I’m just sittin’ there. Listening to ‘em [complain] like crazy about Bowie. It was funny.

He Made Himself The Enemy Of Phoenix Airport Security

(Phoenix PD)

In 1998, Axl Rose ran head first into trouble at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. He didn't want the security personnel to check his bag, and this led to a commotion. Axl became angry and started yelling at them, even threatening to physically harm them. He said disrespectful things, calling them "little people on a power trip."

As a result of his behavior, Axl was arrested and spent a few hours in jail before he could be released on bail. The band's publicist, Bryn Bridenthal, tried to explain the situation as a big ol' misunderstanding. She mentioned that Axl had some birthday presents in his bag, including a glass object given to him by a friend. He was worried that the security personnel might damage it while inspecting the bag.

Axl Was Forced To Finish A Show By A Concert Promoter Who Used Underhanded Tactics

(MTV)

During the massive concert tour featuring both Guns N' Roses and Metallica Rose got into a huge blow up with his guitarist, Slash, and got so upset that he left the stage and drove away from the venue in a limo owned by a local service. Meanwhile, the rest of the band kept playing the song "Welcome To The Jungle."

The fans, about 50,000 of them, realized that Axl wasn't coming back, and they started to get restless. Someone asked Metallica, who had performed earlier in the show (the bands took turns opening the concerts), if they would join Guns N' Roses on stage. But Metallica's drummer, Lars Ulrich, refused. He said that no amount of money would convince him to return to that stage with Guns N' Roses.

Concert promoter Barry Fey explained the arduous process of getting Rose back on stage:

I'm walking backstage, and this guy comes running out and says, 'Barry, Axl just left.'
So I ran backstage, and I found out that he had come down off the stage, got into the limousine and left the site. So I said to... I went up to - his name was Big John; he was the guy who ran the limo company - and I said, "You don't work for him; you work for me." I said, 'You ever want to see another dime of this company's money, you get that car back here.' And he said, 'What?' I said, 'Yeah. The only way he gets out of that car is if he jumps out. And if he jumps out, you leave him in the street. But you get that car back here.'
So he gets on his little telephone...
I left the dressing room, went back out to the parking lot and got my .357 out of my glove box and put it in my back pocket. So I go out there, and I don't know what I'm going to do, because, you know, he had caused a riot in Montreal, I believe, by leaving and not coming back. Well, a few minutes later, the car comes back, and Axl gets out and talks to his manager - his name was Doug Goldstein; he was a glorified security guy; he used to do their security, and he took over their management. But how do you manage, manic depressive heroin addicts? That's a pretty good trick. I don't know how you do that.
So [Axl] comes and talks to his manager and goes right up on the stage and gets back into it. So I put three of my, what do you want to call 'em, security, goons, thugs - the toughest ones I have - at the top of the stairs and three Denver cops at the bottom. My instructions are: 'The only way he gets out, if he leaves again, is that way,' and I point to the crowd. Doug Goldstein says, 'Barry, you can't do that. Axl will get so [upset].' I said, 'I don't give a [cuss] about him, and I don't give the same about you. I care about them," and I pointed to the people.

He Refused To Be Inducted Into The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame With The Rest Of His Former Bandmates

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In 2012, Guns N' Roses was voted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but Rose declined the invitation. He wrote a letter to the Hall's officials explaining that he wouldn't be showing because of ongoing disagreements between the original band members. Axl felt that the ceremony didn't seem like a place where he was wanted or respected. Rose wrote:

But hey if ya gotta then maybe we can get the 'no show, grandstanding, publicity stunt, disrespectful, he doesn't care about the fans' crap out of the way as quickly as we can and let's move on. No one's taking the ball and going home. Don't get it twisted. For more than a decade and a half we've endured the double standards, the greed of this industry and the ever present seemingly limitless supply of wannabes and unscrupulous, irresponsible media types. Not to imply anything in this particular circumstance, but from my perspective in regard to both the Hall and a reunion, the ball's never been in our court.

In 1988, He Got Into a Fight With A Parking Lot Attendant And Then Ranted About Being Stereotyped On Stage

(Mark Weiss)

Moments before a concert in Philadelphia in 1988, Axl Rose and his younger brother/personal assistant, Stuart, got into a scuffle with a parking attendant at the venue where GnR was performing. Axl was angry about the incident and ranted about it during the show to an adoring audience.

Axl and Stuart got into a pushing match with the parking attendant, and the police were called. Axl was briefly held by the police, but the band's tour manager, Doug Goldstein, managed to convince the authorities to release him before the concert began. During the performance, Axl talked about feeling offended, not because of the fight, but because he believed people unfairly judged him because of his long hair.

GnR's First Manager Claimed That Rose Had A Split Personality

(Twitter)

In 1985, when Guns N' Roses first coalesced in Los Angeles, they lived with their first manager, Vicky Hamilton, in her one-bedroom apartment not far from the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Strip. Vicky's place became a spot for many wild parties where people partied hard with coke and heroin on the roof, specifically because she didn't allow drugs inside her apartment.

After one such party, drummer Steven Adler was helping Vicky clean up the mess of beer bottles in the room while Axl was sleeping on the couch. Axl got irritated by the noise and threw a wooden coffee table at Adler. Hamilton said of the event:

But there was stuff like that all the time. I saw Axl be violent a lot. He has two very distinct personalities - one is a very sweet boy, the other is a demon dog from hell and you can tell where he's at by looking at his eyes.

Rose Had A Feud With Warren Beatty Of All People

(getty images)

During a concert in Paris in 1992, Axl Rose spent about two minutes talking trash about Warren Beatty before dedicating the song "Double Talkin' Jive" to him. It's not entirely clear why Rose went after the star, but it might have been because Beatty had previously dated Axl's then-girlfriend, Stephanie Seymour.

Axl called Beatty names like "a man who likes to play games," "a parasite," and "an old man who lives vicariously through young people."

He Was Whomped By Tommy Hilfiger For Being Rude

(Ny Post)

In May 2006, Axl Rose was at a club in New York called The Plumm to celebrate Rosario Dawson's birthday. While he was there, he saw a woman's drink in danger of spilling, so he moved it to a safer place. Surprisingly, instead of Axl getting into a drunken fight, someone else got upset and started a fight with him.

The woman whose drink Axl moved was dating Tommy Hilfiger, and for some reason, Tommy felt offended that Axl had touched her drink. Rose later said:

He just kept smacking me. It was the most surreal thing, I think, that's ever happened to me in my life.

Rose Burned Through A Roll Of Film While Wordlessly Snapping Shots Of A Random Groupie

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In addition to alcohol and drugs, the members of Guns N' Roses were known for having a strong desire to have intimate relations with groupies. One time, as they were leaving a show in their limo when the band was at the peak of their fame, Axl Rose noticed an attractive fan trying to catch a glimpse of him. He invited her into the limo and showed off his photography skilled.

Axl started snapping pics of the mystery babe without saying a word to her. She smiled at first, but then she felt more comfortable and began posing suggestively, eventually even removing her clothes. Throughout the encounter, Axl didn't utter a single word to her and continued clicking the camera button, even though he had already used up all the film.

He Sent A Roadie On A Globetrotting Trip For A Jacket

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You know when roadies openly tell stories about their bosses (insane rock stars) that the story is for real. One such story has earned its own verb, "yellow-jacketing," a term that all started with Axl Rose.

While interviewing real roadies while doing research for the TV show Roadies, Cameron Crowe learned about a truly bonkers road trip that Rose sent his employee on. Crowe explained:

I heard some roadies talking about how something had to be 'yellow-jacketed' and I [asked] 'What is yellow-jacketing?' They said, 'There was a guy that worked with Guns N’ Roses, and there was a show and Axl Rose needed a yellow jacket that he’d left in England before he would perform. So a roadie was given the job to get on a plane as fast as possible, go to London, find Axl Rose’s yellow jacket, and come back so he could play the show.'

Rose Turned Into A Keyboard Cowboy On His A GnR Fansite

(getty images)

Axl has always been mercurial at best with his fans. In 2008, he spent a solid weekend responding to fan questions on mygnrforum.com, one of which was a 4,454 word statement. In this lengthy missive, Rose dished on GnR's original line up and the guys he hired throughout the '90s and 2000s. When asked why he didn't change the name of the band when there were no other original members left over Rose wrote (in part):

Why keep the name? I’m literally the last man standing. Not bragging, not proud. It’s been a  nightmare but I didn't leave Guns and I didn't drive others out. With Slash it’s been nothing more than pure strategy and saving face while manipulating the public like he used to me. I earned the right to protect my efforts and to be able to take advantage of our contract I’d worked hard for where Slash’s exact words were that he didn't care. I get that some like a different version or lineup the same way some like a specific team line up or a particular year of a specific car but because you and I are getting played I’m supposed to throw the baby out with the bath water?

Do Not Compare Axl To Bon Jovi

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On December 19, 1987, a fan compared Axl Rose to Bon Jovi, and Axl reacted with violence, starting a fight in a hotel lobby in Chicago. The next night, during a concert where Guns N' Roses was opening for Alice Cooper, Axl spent a lot of time speaking negatively about Bon Jovi to the audience, expressing his true feelings.

In 2006, Bon Jovi added to the rivalry by publicly criticizing Axl Rose. Bon Jovi questioned why Axl was still getting a lot of media attention even though he hadn't released a new album in 13 years.

The 48 Hour Marriage

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On April 28th, 1990, Axl Rose married his longtime girlfriend Erin Everly at Cupid's Inn Chapel in Las Vegas. Erin was the inspiration for the song "Sweet Child of Mine." However, their marriage quickly ran into trouble, and Erin reportedly wanted to get an annulment within just 48 hours of the wedding. The marriage officially ended after only 10 months in January. Rose said:

Erin and I treated each other [horribly]. Sometimes we treated each other great, because the children in us were best friends. But then there were other times when we just [messed] up each other's lives completely.

Axl Reprimanded An Audience With Help From An Interpreter

(getty images)

During the Use Your Illusion Tour, after the incidents in St. Louis and Montreal, Guns N' Roses faced chaos again in Buenos Aires. While they were performing the song "Nightrain," a fan threw something at the stage. Axl Rose stopped the show and asked for an interpreter to help convey his strong message to the audience.

He said there were some really foolish people in the crowd who thought throwing things at the stage would make the show better. Axl warned that if anyone else endangered the band's safety, they would stop the performance and go home. He even asked the audience to take action if they saw someone throwing things to take them out. Despite this incident, the band returned to Argentina in 1993 to finish their massive tour.

Axl Rose Takes on the U.K. Festival Circuit

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Guns N' Roses were the main performers at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the U.K. in 2010 However, their sets started later than planned, with a delay of 58 minutes at Reading and 35 minutes at Leeds, as reported by The Guardian. Due to these delays, the band had to shorten their shows to ensure they finished before the festivals' scheduled curfew times. As he left the stage he said:

Be safe, good night and to all the cops and promoters — [eff] you. This war isn't over.

He later said on Twitter:

Having the fans of our show penalized for how the event was ran seems a bit draconian and more than unfair. … Our start times at the Reading and Leeds festivals factually had nothing to do with us.

Reading & Leeds festival organizer Melvin Benn told the NME that in spite of their issues he would totally book the band again:

I'd definitely book them, but I don't know if they'd come and play. I doubt I'll be getting a Christmas card. It's not personal, I think the band are great.

He Demanded Google Delete Fat Axl Memes

(youtube)

As people get older, they may gain weight, and they have the option to accept it or take up activities like jogging to stay fit. However, Axl Rose, the rock singer, chose a different approach. Some unflattering pictures of him were turned into "Fat Axl" memes, which started spreading on the internet. To address this, Axl took legal action and requested Google to remove the images using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Axl claimed that the photos belong to him, but the photographer who took them argues that they were stolen from a press website and are their property. Despite the efforts to remove the memes, they are still present on the internet and likely to remain there. Some of these memes come with humorous captions like "Take Me Down To The Bakery City" and "Sweet Pie O'Mine."