A Classic Case Study

What’s that you ask? Another psychology-based blog post on Classic Metal Hawk? Well, yes and no. Look, Classic Metal Hawk loves to read and share all those stories about Classic Heavy Metal bands behaving like prima donnas and dicks – usually the frontmen for some reason. The Hawk has already done Dave Mustaine, and next cab off the rank is Axl Rose.

As regular readers will know, though, The Hawk always tries to present a balanced view, looking at other sides to the story. Were things as bad as the they were made out in the press? What were the mitigating factors?

Boy oh boy, Axl Rose is quite the case study when it comes to debauchery, though. For this article, we’ll be focussing on the infamous Use Your Illusion tour, though that was selected almost at random from all the possibilities on offer. But first, let’s run quickly over the band back story.

Coming together

Guns n Roses was basically formed by a merger of 2 existing bands playing on the LA club scene – Hollywood Rose, named for its founding member Axl Rose; and LA Guns for its guitarist Tracii Guns. This was in 1985 – and Tracii Guns himself walked out of the new outfit within a matter of weeks after a row with Axl Rose. A sign of things to come.

The band’s ‘classic’ line up soon came together though, with Rose, Slash and Izzy Stradlin on lead and rhythm guitars respectively, Duff Mckagan on bass and Steven Adler on Drums. From there on, they were a regular presence playing gigs on the club scene in LA, which led to a record deal with Geffen and a $75,000 advance to make a record. (Interestingly, they turned down a much higher offer from another label, Chrysalis, in order to take advantage of the full artistic freedom that only the Geffen deal was offering. They didn’t want any ‘outside’ interference in their musical direction.)

Deal signed, they released a stop-gap EP, ‘Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide’ and hit the studio.

First Is Best?

Guns n Roses’ first album was ‘Appetite for Destruction’. Can you believe that? Most bands take at least an album or 2 to find their feet, but for Classic Metal Hawk’s money, ‘Appetite for Destruction’ was not only the band’s first album, but also their standout best. The combination of that blues-y groove, aggressive attitude of the lyrics and vocal delivery, and spiky guitars is fabulous, starting from the off with all that delay and reverb on the intro to ‘Welcome to the Jungle’.

Already setting the trend for the band, the album took longer than expected to record, mainly because of Rose’s insistence on recording his vocals only one line at a time – quite the perfectionist even at the beginning.

Perhaps surprisingly, after ‘Appetite for Destruction’ was released in July 1987, sales were disappointing for the first year, only really taking off after ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ was released as a single. Hated with a passion by Slash, it nonetheless topped the chart in the US, and remains their biggest ever selling single to this day. After that, things duly exploded, with the album running all the way to #1 in the US Billboard 200. Guns n’ Roses were firmly establishing themselves as the next big thing, perhaps best illustrated by an incident on tour. Interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine whilst supporting established giants Aerosmith, they ended up usurping their supposed betters on the magazine’s cover.

(If you want a more music oriented Guns N Roses post, head on over to The Hawk’s detailed write up on ‘Appetite for Destruction’ here.)

Ramping up the Controversy

There were still no major controversies blowing up around the band at this stage – some complaints about swearing in the album’s lyrics from the usual suspects, but nothing truly infamous yet.

Unhappy with this state of affairs, the band decided to ramp things up on their next album, ‘GnR Lies’ in 1988 – most obviously with the inclusion of ‘One in a Million’, that charming ditty featuring ‘niggers and faggots’ in the subject matter. The following tour saw plenty of trouble. In Atlanta, Axl Rose assaulted security guards at a venue and was arrested, leaving a roadie to fill in on lead vocals. Riots almost started in New York.

It all culminated with the deaths of 2 fans at the Monsters of Rock festival in the UK during the Guns n Roses set. (Not that Guns n Roses bore any responsibility, but it did rather cement their reputation as a group that acted like a magnet for trouble and bad press). Drug abuse was rife in the band at the time, to the point where Rose announced to the whole crowd during a gig in LA that if his so-called colleagues didn’t get their act together, and stay off the drugs, this show would be the band’s last.

They were now firmly establishing themselves as ‘The World’s most Dangerous Band’ ™.

Illusions and Realities

So, that’s the background – now onto the main course in our story of GnR attitude. So, Guns n Roses hit the studio in 1990 to record a new album (or 2 albums as it would turn out) – and after their incident-packed Lies tour, tensions were running high from the outset. This was apparent when one of their first acts was to fire drummer Steven Adler for drug use. It’s amazing, the number of musicians fired from Classic Heavy Metal bands over the years for drug taking – hypocrisy doesn’t even come close. Usually, the tipping point is where drug use is claimed to impair performance, though again, some musicians seem to get away with plenty more than others. Ozzy. Steven Tyler. Axl Rose.

Anyway, the band agreed to take Adler back on condition that he signed a new contract promising not to use the hard drugs any more (with a $2,000 fine payable per offence!!). But then on finding that he was too messed up by drugs up to perform in any capacity, sometimes needing 20 or 30 takes to lay down a drum track, they fired him again, this time for good.

They also kicked out their manager, Alan Niven, whilst recording was still in progress – rumour had it that Rose instigated that sacking and faced down protests by his bandmates by refusing to complete the project unless he got his way.

All these shenanigans caused inevitable delays – fans began to wonder whether to give up the ghost completely. But in September 1991, massively behind schedule, the whole thing was finally complete and the twin albums ‘Use Your Illusion I’ and ‘Use Your Illusion II were released.

The Tour

Both ‘Use Your Illusions’ went on to be huge commercial successes, but Guns and Roses didn’t have time to dwell on that. Having already been booked on a tour to support the album starting in January 1991, a full 9 months before the eventual twin release, they were already on the road. And what a tour they had planned. Spanning fully 2 and a half years from January 1991 to July 1993, it eventually took in 194 shows, 27 countries, 4 continents and 7 million tickets sold. As well as the band, there was a plethora of supporting musicians (including a brass section) and over 30 other acts joining them as support for some portion on proceedings.

The most famous of the other acts being, infamously, Metallica.

The Metallica leg of the tour would be the culmination of everything that went before, but first, things had to get warmed up.

Warm-Up Acts

Already pissed at bottles being thrown on stage by drunken fans in Riverport, Missouri, Axl Rose was further enraged at the sight of a fan recording their show on a home movie camera (and by the lack of action by venue security to stop him). Rose leapt from stage, confronted the fan and assaulted him. Dragged away by crew members, he stormed off stage, refusing to carry on playing (parting shot to the crowd: ‘Thanks to your lame ass security, I’m going home’).

The ensuing riot caused injuries to 60 fans and had police planning to arrest Rose for incitement. They couldn’t, because by the time they got their act together, the band had already set off for the European leg of the tour. Over a year later, a judge belatedly convicted Rose of property damage and assault, slapping him with a $50,000 fine and probation.

Back on the road, Guns n Roses would often turn up late on stage, with fans having to suffer hours of delays.

Newly sober guitarist Izzy Stradlin walked out on the band mid tour, after another near riot in Germany, unable to cope with the constant stress alongside watching the on-going addictions of others.

There was an ongoing feud with the press. Unhappy with Kerrang!! Journalist Mick Wall’s suggestion that success had gone to their head (heaven forbid), Rose retaliated with the song ‘Get in the Ring,’ a tirade about perceived lies being printed about him, which was included on ‘Use Yor Illusion II’ and rolled out at gigs with relish. Wall even gets a mention in the song’s lyrics, which is a rare badge of honour for a writer. (Nobody’s ever likely to write a song about The Hawk, but if they do, it will hopefully be just as edgy as this one, which racks up the swearing count to record setting levels).

Controversy heightened still further when Guns n Roses were invited to perform at the tribute concert to Queen legend Freddie Mercury in April 1992. Recalling the ‘faggots’ tirade in ‘One in A Million’, Queen fans and gay rights activists felt that, to put it mildly, they were not an appropriate choice. Amazingly, the set passed off trouble free on that occasion, with the whole concert going down as a triumph.