The on-stage fight between Guns N’ Roses while opening for The Rolling Stones
Supporting The Rolling Stones is a right of passage for artists on the rise and destined for superstardom. Acts including Prince, Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the famous names who have opened for The Stones. It’s a chance to impress on the biggest stage, but it turned out to be career-defining for all the wrong reasons when Guns N’ Roses came to town.
In 1989, Guns N’ Roses were firmly in possession of The Rolling Stones’ crown as the most dangerous band on the planet. Similarly to the Stones’ heyday, their concerts had become infamous for the likelihood of a riot kicking off in the crowd, and chaos followed them wherever they went. Guns N’ Roses embodied the rock ‘n’ roll spirit, and within two years, they’d gone from playing dingy clubs to luxurious arenas.
Whenever an exciting new band is on the block, The Rolling Stones like to test their credentials by seeing if they sink or swim in a hostile live environment. Many artists have failed to impress their crowds, and following the success of Appetite For Destruction, it was time for Guns N’ Roses to see if they had the ability to pass the challenge.
While most acts would jump through hoops to open for The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven initially rejected the offer of $50,000 per show for four performances at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Stones returned with an offer of $500,000 for the run of dates, which was countered with a $1m price tag by Guns N’ Roses, and the English band eventually caved.
During the first night of the shows, disaster ensued as an argument broke out between the band, and Guns N’ Roses were over. It was the band’s first performance in eight months, and during their time away from the stage, they’d fallen into the traps of addiction. Their problems had taken a toll on their relationship, which became evident at the Memorial Coliseum.
Singer Axl Rose was in a troubled headspace and shouldn’t have been allowed to perform. When the band arrived at the venue, he was absent, and their manager coerced him into joining the rest of Guns N’ Roses by sending fake police officers to his house who escorted him to the Los Angeles location.
Before they’d taken to the stage, Rose was in a foul mood after fellow support act Living Colour discussed the racist language used in Guns N’ Roses’ ‘One In A Million’, which was applauded by the audience. In the set, Rose addressed the controversy and told the crowd: “If you still want to call me a racist, you can shove your head up your fuckin’ ass.”
Then, when they played ‘Mr Brownstone’, Rose bizarrely announced the band’s break-up to the audience: “I hate to do this onstage, but I tried every other fucking way,” he said. “And unless certain people in this band get their shit together, these will be the last Guns N’ Roses shows you’ll fucking ever see. ‘Cause I’m tired of too many people in this organisation dancing with Mr. Goddamn Brownstone.”
Reflecting on the shows with Louder Sound, Slash said: “As everyone knows, we played some shows opening for The Rolling Stones in 1989, and they were pretty infamous gigs. We broke up on stage the first night. We kind of got it back together the second night, but we were still at odds with each other, and then we had a magic gig on the third show.”
Meanwhile, Duff McKagan wrote in his book, It’s So Easy and Other Lies: “I shrank, I was so fucking embarrassed. Once Axl took his concerns public, the times of being a gang – us against the world – were over. We played the rest of the show, but it was a halfhearted effort at best. Afterward, and really for the remainder of our career, we just went our separate ways. That night officially rang the bell for the end of an era in GNR.”
The incident was a discomfiting occasion for all involved, especially considering it happened in front of The Rolling Stones. Somehow, they found a way to finish the run of dates at the Memorial Coliseum. However, the writing was on the wall, and their relationship continued to sour until Slash and McKagan decided they could no longer be part of the band.
