A bridge too far: Izzy Stradlin’s disastrous almost-return to Guns N’ Roses
Chicago, 2016. A night where this writer had all of his dreams come true, as he sat in Soldier Field, jaw-dropped, hearing Guns N’ Roses perform live for the very first time.
When I was growing up, Guns N’ Roses celebrated an unattainable level of rock. From their hard-hitting tracks like ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ to their slower ballads like ‘Yesterday’, every song was a well-written masterpiece, put together by some of the greatest minds that the genre had ever seen.
I had made peace with the idea that I would likely never see the original line-up live, but while working in Chicago for a summer, I had the chance to go watch their Not In This Lifetime tour, as the band reunited for a killer run of comeback dates.
You hear a lot of criticism about Guns N’ Roses’ live performances in the modern age, as their live shows aren’t what they used to be, and maybe the public has had too much exposure to them in recent years. However, none of those critiques were inside the stadium that night, as the band delivered one of the greatest sets I’ve ever laid my ears on. Every track was perfect, and this unattainable level of rock that I had always looked up to was suddenly tangible.
These shows were called a reunion because they saw a bulk of the original band’s line-up: Axl Rose was delivering his soaring and killer vocals, Slash was back on shredding duties, and Duff McKagan tied the bow with a tight rhythm section. However, there were two missing members, as a lot of Guns N’ Roses fans noticed Steven Adler wasn’t claiming his place behind the drum kit, and Izzy Stradlin wasn’t on rhythm guitar, either.
Adler has claimed his place onstage with the band for a few special appearances. This was no doubt a treat for the fans in whatever respective crowds witnessed him behind the kit, as Slash has always been adamant that the drummer was one of the reasons why the band’s debut album, Appetite for Destruction, sounded so great.
However, while Adler has joined them on occasion, Stradlin has done no such thing. He was originally intended to be a part of the reunion, but he didn’t make it past the soundcheck. After flying out to meet the rest of the band, things were hardly rosy, as he parted ways with them following what was apparently a tricky pre-reunion reunion.
“He [Stradlin] did get as far as flying out and doing a soundcheck,” said Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven. “And then he left after the soundcheck, he didn’t want to have anything to do with it.”
Niven was hopeful that if things had gone well and everyone could get along, Stradlin would just be a part of the travelling musical circus, “But something must have really upset him, because he left after the soundcheck and never turned up for another one or an appearance. I would think right now he is probably a little pissed off.” Well, no use crying over the spilt past.
