“Bitch like crazy”: David Bowie’s biggest enemies, according to Axl Rose
David Bowie was praised for his admirable personality both on and off stage, and, aside from a period of drug-fueled paranoia that Jimmy Page was going to steal his soul, it didn’t seem that Bowie had any major conflict with anybody. However, according to Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, there was allegedly another side of the “Heroes” singer that some people might not be familiar with.
Bowie has somewhat of a connection to Guns N’ Roses, as he briefly dated Ola Hudson, his costume designer in the mid-1970s, who is the mother to Saul Hudson, more familiarly known as Slash. In 1989, Guns N’ Roses were recording footage for their ‘It’s So Easy’ music video at The Cathouse, owned by Headbangers Ball host Riki Rachtman, who was also a good friend of the band.
Later that day, Guns ‘N Roses also performed a headlining show at The Cathouse, and both Bowie and Hudson had attended the show. Also in attendance that day was Erin Everly, Rose’s then-girlfriend and later wife, who is also featured in the ‘It’s So Easy’ video.
Allegedly, Rose had heard that Bowie was hitting on Everly, and during the show, Rose began insulting Bowie while performing onstage. A controversial figure due to his historical outbursts and confrontations with other rock musicians, Rose apparently punched Bowie and threatened to kill him, and after the show, he chased Bowie while saying, “I’m gonna kill you, Tin Man!” At the time, Bowie had joined the group Tin Machine.
In a 2015 interview with Yahoo, Rachtman recalled how the fight between Rose and Bowie transpired.
“It was basically the home away from home for Guns N’ Roses,” Rachtman said. “They knew they could do whatever they wanted in that club. Now, when your security guard comes up to you and says, ‘Riki, Axl Rose is chasing David Bowie down the street saying he’s gonna kill him, what should I do?’ Well, how do you answer something like that? You’ve got one of your better friends, chasing one of your idols down the street?”
Despite these events, Rose and Bowie eventually made amends, but Rose revealed that these actions from Bowie were quite common, especially when he was under the influence of alcohol, like he reportedly was that day at The Cathouse.
In a 1990 interview with Kerrang!, Rose spoke about the fight between him and Bowie, confirming the events and explaining what happened afterwards.
“I was out doing a soundcheck one day when we were opening for The Rolling Stones, and Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton cornered me… And all of a sudden [Jagger’s] like, ‘So you got in a fight with Bowie, didja?’ Rose said. “So I told him the story real quick, and he 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 bitch like crazy about Bowie. It was funny.”
Rose revealed that even Jagger and Clapton suffered at the hands of Bowie’s drunken escapades, but also admitted that he and Bowie, although not close friends, did apologise to one another.
“Bowie and I had our differences,” Rose said. “And then we talked and went out to dinner, and then went down the China club and stuff. 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?”
