Axl Rose has an explosive temper. Combined with the band members' drug and alcohol abuse, this aspect of the vocalist's personality helped Guns N' Roses earn the title of "most dangerous band in the world".
Among the frontman's most famous controversies is the legendary feud with Slash , which took more than 20 years to resolve and delayed the return of part of the original lineup to the stage for a long time.
Besides his bandmates, Axl was involved in numerous controversies and scandals, ranging from threats of violence to actual fistfights. Neither famous colleagues nor fans were spared.
Punch to a fan
During the Use Your Illusion Tour in 1991, Axl Rose stopped singing "Rocket Queen" to demand that a fan taking photos of the show leave. The singer's requests were ignored by security, and the vocalist jumped into the audience to assault the person. "Thanks to this shitty security, I'm going home," he announced after the commotion.
The incident happened in St. Louis, but everything seems to be resolved now. The band returned to the city in 2017, and the assaulted fan was there, with proper accreditation and everything!
Confusion in a Brazilian nightclub
In 2010, Guns N' Roses came to Brazil for a series of shows, and Axl Rose agreed to do an exclusive performance at the Disco nightclub in São Paulo, which was co-owned by Marcos Mion
The band's roadies even set up the stage and did the soundcheck, but Axl simply didn't show up. The frustration on both sides – crew and organizers – led to widespread chaos and aggression between the Brazilians present and the band's staff. Reports indicate that the Guns N' Roses crew tried to take equipment from the nightclub during the stage dismantling process.
“When the guys saw a roadie playing with the Disco's partner, all hell broke loose. And I only remember that the lights came on (…) and everyone was fighting,” said presenter Felipe Solari in an interview on the Falacadabra .
Jealousy of David Bowie
David Bowie was known behind the scenes in the music industry for being an extreme womanizer, not sparing married women or girlfriends of friends from his romantic advances.
But when the Chameleon of Rock showed interest in Erin Everly , Axl's girlfriend in 1989, on the set of the "It's So Easy" music video, the Guns N' Roses frontman became insanely jealous.
Witnesses recount that Axl shouted threats against Bowie's life at the top of his lungs, and the two even exchanged punches. Later, during an opening show for the Rolling Stones, Axl insulted Bowie on stage, and the Chameleon left the venue.
Invitation from Kurt Cobain
For a time, Axl was a Nirvana : He wore a Nirvana cap in the "Don't Cry" music video, invited the band to tour with Guns N' Roses and Metallica , and to play at a birthday party. Unfortunately, the admiration wasn't mutual: the Guns N' Roses vocalist's macho attitude angered Kurt Cobain , who rejected all offers.
In 1992, after Axl called Cobain a "drug addict" during a show, the rivals met at the MTV Music Video Awards. Kurt Cobain was with Courtney Love and their daughter Frances Bean , still a baby, when Axl arrived accompanied by a film crew and six bodyguards.
“Axl, do you want to be the godfather of our child?” Courtney teased. At first, everyone laughed, but the Guns N' Roses frontman became furious. “He just stopped and started yelling. His words were: 'Shut up, you bitch, or I'll take you to the asphalt.' So I said [to Courtney], 'Shut up, you bitch.' I think I did what he wanted,” Cobain told Rolling Stone . The irony in the Nirvana vocalist's tone ended the matter.
Fan banned from shows
Axl made amends with the St. Louis fan, but Rick Dunsford wasn't so lucky and was banned from the band's shows. Accused of leaking 97 unreleased songs by the group, acquired at auction for over $15,000, the American even tried to go to the Guns N' Roses show, but security guards were alerted and prevented Dunsford from entering the event.
Loudwire website , the fan denies the accusations. "[I've been banned] practically for the rest of my life, that's what the head of security was telling me. They made it clear that if I'm caught, I'll be arrested for the crime on the spot," he lamented.
In addition to the ban, Universal Music considered filing a lawsuit against Dunsford . What bad luck!
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