Guns N Roses are behind some of the biggest rock songs in history, but their success wasn’t always crystal clean, with the group unknowingly sparking not one, but two riots during their time on stage. In particular, one ‘chaotic’ riot led to the members of Guns N Roses being banned from St Louis, and it’d be decades before they came back.
In some ways, the frontman Axl Rose had some input in upsetting fans before each of the riots erupted. Guns N Roses singer Axl, now 62, took issue with a fan and their camera during their St Louis set in 1991, and when he reacted it sparked a riot with thousands of listeners getting involved. For the second occurrence, in Montreal, the music star was dealing with health issues but him walking off-stage wasn’t well-received by the crowd. Their history is quite rock n roll, and has gone down as one of the biggest moments in concert history.
Guns N’ Roses started a riot after Axl jumped into the crowd
While performing at St Louis on July 2, 1991, Axl became angry when he noticed a fan in the audience taking unauthorized pictures of the band. No photos were allowed to be taken at the event, so the celebrity was annoyed a photographer was doing it anyway.
He yelled into his microphone: “Take that now, get that guy and take that!” but nothing was done.
The celebrity then decided to take matters into his own hands. An annoyed Axl said: “I’ll take it, goddamn it!” and jumped into the crowd.
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After snatching the camera and returning to the stage, he told fans: “Well, thanks to the lame-a** security, I’m going home!”
This led to a riot from some 2,500 of the 19,000 fans in attendance at the Guns N’ Roses concert. It caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage and around 60 people to suffer injuries. Axl was arrested, with a famous photo of the singer sitting in the back of a police car in handcuffs surfacing.
Charges were filed against the Sweet Child O’ Mine singer, and he was found guilty of assault and property damage. He was giving two years probation and ordered to pay $50,000 to five charities in the city.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it in my life’
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times soon after, Axl, who was 29 at the time, explained: “I felt completely uncomfortable with the way the (security staff) was responding … There was no respect for the band … I didn’t plan on jumping off the stage to grab a biker and his camera.
“I didn’t plan on having the security turn on me. The security guys in the front knew exactly what was happening and they were doing everything they could to let that guy go – which fueled my fire to make sure that didn’t happen.”
He continued: “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
He then said he’d felt “responsible” for what had occurred and said they went back on stage to try and “calm down” the situation.
Axl explained: “By the time we went out there… the drums were damaged and we were told by our crew that we couldn’t play and then the police and the promoter (ordered) us to leave the building.”
The band didn’t perform in the city again for 27 years, they were banned from coming to the area for gigs. Their first concert in the city after the riot was in 2017, but fans were again upset in 2023 when one of the shows was postponed.
Guns N Roses just ‘left the stage’ before a second riot erupted
Just a year later on August 8, 1992, Guns N’ Roses were the reason once again for a riot. During this set, Axl kept leaving and returning to the stage – something he was coxed to do by other members of the band and their management. The band was headlining a tour with Metallica and Axl “had a hole in his vocal cord” but the show wasn’t canceled.
Between the two bands, there was a two-hour gap and then when Axl and his bandmates finally made an appearance, their set lasted just 45 minutes. Though this was reportedly their contracted time of performance, it left fans unhappy, and it was interrupted by Axl coming and going.
Much like the riot the year prior, the one at the Guns N’ Roses concert in Montreal saw about 2,000 out of 53,000 who attended get riled up. It also caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, though it was significantly higher the second time around at approximately $600,000.
The music star later said: “We had just stopped the tour because I had throat problems. Came back, and I realized, ‘I’m gonna hurt myself.’ I told Slash, ‘Two more songs if we can’t get it fixed, I gotta go.’
“We did more than two more songs, and finally, I was just, like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ I looked over and Gilby was like, ‘Dude, I can’t hear. And Duff [McKagan] was like, ‘I can’t hear either.'”
“We had a little huddle, and we were like, ‘We’re outta here.'”
‘Hot fans’ wanted to get ‘revenge’
A fan who attended the concert later reminisced: “He [Axl] would sing each passing song with less enthusiasm, eventually just sitting on the drum riser, mouthing the words to Bad Obsession and not even moving.
“Between songs there would be long pauses, where Axl would leave the stage, seemingly having to be coaxed by crew/management to get back on stage, while Slash noodled on guitar to keep the crowd engaged and unaware. Before chaos ensued.
“Axl said ‘This is going to be the last you hear of us in a long time,’ they played a song – I don’t remember which – and as it ended Axl slammed down his mic and screamed “I’m out of here.’ The band, puzzled, followed Axl off the stage.”
He continued: “Security could not handle the waves of angry, ripped-off, tired, hot fans looking to exact revenge … We left, parked a few blocks away, and stood across the street and watched the building and Expos boutique get ransacked, cars get set on fire, and riot police arriving on buses to stop the violence.”
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