Myles Kennedy to Continue Touring with Slash in 2011

via Blabbermouth
Slash told The Pulse of Radio that Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy will still tour with the legendary Guns N' Roses guitarist next year, after Alter Bridge's new album has been released.

"We have it set up so that he does Alter Bridge from October 'til January," Slash said. "And then we start up January through May or April. And then he does Alter Bridge from May through — into July, and then we do July through August, September. And so we're just juggling. And then during those periods that we're off, I'm doing Velvet Revolver and hopefully we'll find a singer and get that together."

A short audio clip of Slash talking to The Pulse of Radio about juggling his touring schedule can be heard at this location (Real Media).

Slash told Philadelphia radio station WMMR last Friday (September 17) that he will likely be playing a gig with Ozzy Osbourne in the city in January, apparently as part of a tour together. The guitarist did not elaborate further. Slash will end his current US tour on October 6 in Los Angeles, while Ozzy begins a month-long North American run in early November. Neither has announced plans for 2011 yet. (Discussion)

Alan Niven: "[It's] a Tremendous Deceit on Axl’s Part"

Mitch Lafon of Bravewords.com does a massive interview with former Guns N' Roses manager (1986-1991) Alan Niven.

Highlights are reproduced below ... for the full interview click here.


BraveWords.com: Let me ask you about Guns N' Roses. Everybody slags the new version of the band because Slash is not there… because Duff is not there… But then you have a band like Whitesnake that is essentially David Coverdale with a revolving door of musicians. You have Foreigner, which is Mick Jones and a new cast of characters. You have Thin Lizzy that changes line-up almost yearly. My questions is why do you think those bands get a pass, but Axl or Guns N' Roses get nothing but negative press?

Alan Niven: “I think it’s a matter of perception by the audience. You mentioned Thin Lizzy (Vivian Campbell is now in both Thin Lizzy and Def Leppard), there’s a degree of acceptance in the audience that there’s a natural order of turnover. Vivian is a really cool guy and a great player and they’ll be accommodating to Vivian playing in Thin Lizzy. However, when you have a situation where quite obviously one individual has driven off the others, and furthermore, stated that he is ‘last man standing’ and that he alone represents the idea of Guns N' Roses and, by the way, Guns N' Roses doesn’t exist as far as I’m concerned. Guns N' Roses as far as I’m concerned played their last show on April 7 1990 in Indianapolis which was the last show live show at Farm Aid that the original line-up played. That’s my personal and particular viewpoint. But in this instance, we have a situation where the first thing Axl did after he fired me was to have the rest of the band sign over the rights to the name to him exclusively.

I think we’re looking at coercion and unpleasantness and meanness of spirit that elicits a negative response when they see a ‘Guns N' Roses’ banner over a crowd at Leeds which is exacerbated by a Slash look-a-like who is doing the same moves and wearing a top-hat. Where there is a guy who looks rather similar in haircut and body language to Izzy and plays a hollow body guitar and you look at the bass player and think ‘well, that’s the closest they could find to Duff. I think that’s a tremendous deceit on Axl’s part. I think it’s an incredible insult to the people who made Guns N' Roses what it was… to Izzy, to Steven, to Slash, to Duff and I think it’s very callous and arrogant. I think it’s foolish for Axl to do it and I think it’s foolish for an audience to accept it. Let me be clear, Axl has every right as an individual to perform whatever music he wishes with whomever he wishes. That is a right that is absolutely unquestioned, but what I cannot digest is that he states that he is Guns N' Roses because on his own – he is not.”

BraveWords.com: After the band fired you, you went ahead and worked with Izzy, Slash and eventually ‘the project’ (which would become Velvet Revolver).

Alan Niven: “Let me clarify that as far as ‘the project’ is concerned. I came into LA with my daughter and we had a dinner with Slash and Duff. Duff looked across the table and said ‘how about it Niv?’ I was very flattered to be asked, but it seemed to me that it wasn’t a good idea. I didn’t like the prospect of everybody, but Axl being involved. I thought that would raise an unfair bar and unreasonable expectations for everybody, so that was something I felt very very nervous about.”

BraveWords.com: Is that why, in the end, you think Velvet Revolver failed (because everybody expected it to be Guns N' Roses)?

Alan Niven: “I don’t think you can consider Velvet Revolver as a complete failure.”

BraveWords.com: But they did fail…

Alan Niven: “Yes, but they did have a number one and sold over a million copies and that’s respectable. That was better than Slash's Snakepit, for example. I think the weakness in Velvet Revolver was the material and writing. In that respect, I was really nervous about Scott Weiland too. I’m not sure what he’s got to contribute as a writer…”

BraveWords.com: Did that pick as a singer baffle you? You go from Axl Rose who’s a troubled singer to a guy with a reported heroin addiction who walked out on his band. Did it make any sense to you?

Alan Niven: “I thought it was an unfortunate compromise to make. I felt that there was an aspect of marketing behind the idea that could have worked, but you have to look at the individuals themselves and when one of them is turning up semi-coherent at rehearsal with a ‘minder’ it’s quite obvious that they are still using. That’s another reason why I was less than thrilled at the idea of Velvet Revolver.

The other thing was… that the heart of the soul of Guns N' Roses was Izzy and a lot of those songs work well because of his musical intelligence and his feel. He’s got a beautiful rock n’ roll sensibility about him that informed and influenced everybody’s writing and without Izzy being fully involved in Velvet Revolver I wasn’t sure where it was going to go. I’ll be blunt, I think Slash is one of the best guitar players that has ever lived. I love his soul. I love his note selection. I love the way he plays - but he’s not a great songwriter. Duff won’t appreciate me saying this, but on his own, Duff, is not a great songwriter - brilliant at bass parts and drum structure but not a great songwriter. You only have to look at his first solo album to note that. Guns N' Roses was an amazing collective and a chemistry that worked and any successful entity can be looked at with the analogy of the molecule. You can take out the smallest part of a molecule and that molecule will collapse and that’s Guns N' Roses.”

BraveWords.com: Did you listen to Chinese Democracy?

Alan Niven: “One of the people who has sought me out in recent years is a rabid Guns N' Roses fan who lives in Australia and who appears to have a normal respectable life, other than being a Guns N' Roses fan, but over the years I have found him interesting and engaging. He was extraordinarily adept at copying me on all the tracks that got leaked out on the web. I was pretty aware of Chinese Democracy a long time before it came out. There was so much stuff floating about. It wasn’t like Chinese Democracy was released and on that day I had the opportunity to decide whether or not I was going to sit through it and evaluate it. I was pretty aware of what it’s content was before it's release. Does that answer your question or does that bring up part two of the question – what did I think of it?”

BraveWords.com: “Well, yeah. Are you ‘allowed’ to say?

Alan Niven: “I thought it was complex and difficult to get through, but it was pretty Axl.”

BraveWords.com: For me, it was really more a question of is this what I waited fourteen years for? These songs could have been worked up in six months.

Alan Niven: “Here’s my pot shot about Chinese Democracy. Axl made two huge mistakes. One was releasing it and the other was Irving Azoff.”

BraveWords.com: Irving Azoff? Really? Why?

Alan Niven: “If I’d been in a responsible position to advise and counsel Axl, I would have done everything in my power to make sure that Chinese Democracy was something that people always talked about and wondered about, but never actually got to completely hear, that it would never be actually released. Recording went on for so long that there was no way in hell that the record he was putting together was going to meet expectations. The minute it was released Mitch - it became just one more record.

Before its release it was a myth. It was fascinating. People talked about it. People wanted to hear it. The third mistake was that he should have made sure to keep all his tapes and all his discs under his wing and under his lock and key, so, that there wouldn’t have been any leaks. Then he could have released the occasional track and he could have worked them 'live' for another ten years. That would have been more mysterious, more engaging, more fascinating…”

Again, you can read the FULL interview here.

Slash at the House of Blues Boston

images via soundspike.com









09.15.10 - House of Blues, Boston, Massachusetts
Ghost, Mean Bone, Nightrain, Sucker Train Blues, Back From Cali, Civil War, Rocket Queen, Beggars & Hangers-On, Fall to Pieces, We're All Gonna Die, Nothing to Say, Starlight, Just Like Anything, Solo, Godfather Theme, Sweet Child O' Mine, Rise Today, Slither, By the Sword, My Michelle, Paradise City

How To Adapt And Thrive In The Changing Music Industry

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Legendary rock guitarist Duff McKagan, former member of Guns N’ Roses, is revered by many musicians all over the world for his unique guitar skills. He’s been in the music industry over 25 years, so he knows a thing or two about adapting and moving with the times. Duff invited us backstage to talk exclusively about how to keep up with the rapid changes in music industry to ensure a successful career.

Duff McKagan is the guitarist with supergroup Velvet Revolver and lead vocalist and guitarist for his own solo punk/rock band “Loaded”, plus he spent thirteen years in the hugely successful band Guns N’ Roses. He’s also performed with Lenny Kravitz, Iggy Pop and been in bands with Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), John Taylor (Duran Duran) and Stewart Copeland (Police). Duff also writes a weekly column for Seattle Weekly and a financial report for playboy.

Duff you’ve been in the music industry a very long time and been extremely successful, but what’s been the biggest barrier you’ve had to overcome?

Getting sober. I wouldn’t be alive today otherwise. My pancreas blew up, so my body made up my mind for me. The decision was literally made for me. It really was, and I could have continued using (drugs) after I got out of hospital, but I would have died within a week or two. So that’s the biggest life changing thing I’ve had to deal with. Because when I got out of the hospital I finally said “OK I want to live now how do I do this?”.

I had no fucking idea how to be sober. I remember going to the store the first time and I was shaking. It was as if I was on acid. I remember taking the money out and handing it over and I thought everybody was staring at me. I just couldn’t really deal with anything at that time. I didn’t even know how to do the most basic things. I had to take it from being completely detached from my body to now; being totally comfortable in my own skin.

I know you’re very much into fitness now, so has it gone to the other end of the scale?

I went completely the other way. I started doing martial arts. I became a kick boxer. I got into the best dojo and I started competing with real fighters. When I dive into something whether its alcoholism and drugs, (which I was the fucking world champion) whatever I do, I go for it and dive in and immerse myself in it.

What inspired you to do martial arts?

I didn’t know which way to turn and it was another fateful thing that happened to me. I was introduced to this legendary kick boxer who was a very spiritual man. He had been retired from the fight game for a while and he took me in and agreed to teach me. He was only teaching serious fighters, but he took me in and tore me down and built me back up.

Martial arts isn’t just a sport it’s a way of life. Did you find it helped you emotionally as well?

The sport is such a tiny amount of it. Most people would assume that the biggest fear, is that you are going to get hurt, but by time i got into the ring I was extremely calm. I just looked into the guys eyes and I could read everything that was going on. I was taught all about defense the physical part, but I’d also developed the mental side, so I was at peace within myself and I knew I wasn’t in there to prove that I was macho. I was in there to learn and discover more about myself.

It seems like you have been on a real journey of discovery. Lets go back to when it all started. I’m interested to know how you got into music?

I grew up in the last of eight kids. I was born in 64 so by the time I was cognizant of music, it was probably 1969/70. My older brothers and sisters were pretty hip. They were into a lot of Hendrix, Beatles, Zeppelin and Sly and the Family Stone. Really great bands and there were always lots of instruments around the house. I didn’t know at the time, that you would suppose to take a lesson to learn how to play the guitar. I thought there’s a guitar and I would hear a sound on the stereo, so I’ll just do that on the guitar and make that same noise and that’s how it started for me.

At some point I really got interested in medicine too. I set my mind on being a doctor. I was doing really well even at Elementary School. I was getting all A grades and I was really into it. School was always kinda easy for me, but then Punk Rock started to hit, I was about 13 and I said lets go form a band and go play.

It was really something about the primalness of Punk Rock that struck a chord with me, and the first time I heard the Sex Pistols and The Ramones it was like “oh wait this is mine, its not my older brothers or sisters music, its mine”. I started writing songs and performing. I’d play drums in one band, guitar in another and bass in another, and so I was playing in three bands all at once and I was really going for it.

It sounds like you were really dedicated to music so what happened about being a doctor?

Music I loved it, I ate it up you know and then “Prince” hit and on his first four records he plays everything and there I was, a kid who could play drums and lots of other instruments and so he became the man to me, and he still is even to this day. He’s the most creative musical genius there is, he can sing, play guitar and he’s just amazing and he writes awesome songs as well.

So back to medicine, when I started my first band I was like “oh well me being a doctor, nah, its not gonna happen” but I kept that dream alive of academia and I went to school in my thirties.

So you’ve always enjoyed learning?

I loved it. I loved school and somehow I want to continue into a Masters program, because I really love learning. My success was because I loved my art and I applied myself. There’s a lot of people that say “Nah you’re never gonna make it doing that, go to school, blah blah blah” and if I was going to go to school and go down that route, I would have had to really applied myself to that as well.

We didn’t have money for university you know. There were so many fuckin kids and my mom as well. Some of my older brothers and sisters put themselves through University, and you know being from a large family you have to fight your way through. You have to fight your way to the fucking dinner table, so you get use to thinking, ‘Alright I’ve got to do this on my own”.

So the business side of being in the band; is that something that you had an interest in?

No. Not initially. I never dreamed I would make any money playing music. That’s not the reason why I got into it.

Money wasn’t your main motivation?

No not at all! When Guns N’ Roses formed and the five of us got together it was like we would be in a room and the moment we struck the first chord we knew we had something. We didn’t know we were going to sell millions of records. We just knew we could create something special and that’s all we really thought about. We just wrote some songs and managed to get a record deal.

How did you go about getting a record deal. Did you get a manager and then approach lots of record companies?

We were kinda anti all of that. We didn’t try looking for a record deal. We had a manager this guy who was absolutely insane.

He found you or you found him?

It was kind of a mutual thing. I worked at this place in Hollywood it was really decrepit; full of Hungarian mafia. I just needed a job as I was starving, so I drove around delivering stuff. It wasn’t drugs, but it wasn’t fully legal and I didn’t ask any fucking questions! as long as I got paid it was cool. There was a guy who worked there and he was absolutely insane and addicted to doing speed balls. He was totally out of his mind. He eventually died from drugs.

Well that dude was our manager and he would bring us like little kids Halloween costumes down to our rehearsal place and he would say, “I’ve bought you guys some new clothes to wear”. He would tell us “You guys are gonna be bigger than the New York Dolls.” and we would think, “Yeah. Alright dude that’s great,”, but he would book us shows. They were the weirdest fucking gigs you’ve ever seen: like playing at a UCL frat party for 30 bucks, but we were cool with that, because all we wanted to do was be out performing.

When did Guns N’ Roses start getting popular?

Guns N’ Roses started getting successful when we started performing at proper clubs. We were pretty smart. It was before the internet and stuff, so we would do like old skool mailing lists and people would sign up and we would mail them out information about our next gig.

How did you get record labels interested in your band?

We just hustled and promoted our gigs by passing out flyers and people started coming out to watch us, because we were something different. Our audience were punkers and metal kids, rockers, chicks and dudes and you know the whole thing. We started selling out clubs and then selling out on multiple nights and then record companies would come to see us.

We thought it was just an opportunity to get free meals, so we kinda dragged it out for as long as we could. Once one record company jumped in, all the rest did, so we were getting free lobster dinners and cocktails. You know, that was pretty cool and we knew all along which company we wanted to go with.

How did you decide which record company to choose?

Geffin was a little boutique record company and it was small so it wasn’t like, “How am I going to find our guys office?”, they had this building right on sunset and our A & R guy Tom Zutaut who signed us, he now manages a band called McQueen. Well, he really believed in Guns N’ Roses. He was telling us shit like. “You guys are going to be bigger than Zeplin” and we were like “That’s what every A & R guys says to their band, whatever dude we’re just glad you love us”.

We just found some people who were into us for who we were and who weren’t trying to change anything about us. Some record companies we talked to didn’t know what they were talking about. We were the youth. We knew what was going on, they didn’t. They had no idea.

The record companies at the time were finding older producers. An older producer is fine, but you have to be in touch with what’s going on and bring some fresh ideas that the kids don’t know about, but these guys were bringing disco beats, and we were like “what are you talking about?”.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Duff recounts the tactics Guns N’ Roses employed in order to ensure no one took advantage or ripped them off financially. He reveals the saucy things they now do which were totally taboo before and how they maximize the money they make on tour. Plus don’t miss the story of who freaked out Duff for a whole day and had his knees shaking and voice quivering.

Slash 2011 OZ Dates Revealed

February 26 - Brisbane, Australia
February 27 - Sydney, Australia

March 4 - Melbourne, Australia
March 5 - Adelaide, Australia
March 7 - Perth, Australia

Slash is also playing São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro (and more) in March.

SLASH TOUR DATES

Slash: " It’s a Relief ..."

EYEWEEKLY.com
Whether you experienced “Paradise City” for the first time back when it was common practice to record videos from MuchMusic onto VHS, or whether you heard it through Guitar Hero, there’s not much preamble needed to introduce the name Slash. I feel genuinely sorry, however, for anyone whose knowledge of Guns N’ Roses began during the bloated “November Rain” era of epic music videos, or worse, who didn’t even hear GN’R until sometime in the many, many years since the band proper ceased to exist.

While the continued existence of “Guns N’ Roses” (a.k.a. Axl’s Roses) is little more than a punchline, Slash has remained an unparalleled axeman and, surprisingly, has come out the other end of his long, chemical-abusing tunnel as an articulate and perceptive commentator on the rock ’n’ roll experience. His 2007 autobiography is one of the great books on the subject.

EYE WEEKLY had the honour of speaking with Slash on the line from his home in LA (and yes, my 13-year-old self was im-fucking-pressed) about his star-studded, self-titled solo album — the impetus for this tour — his former bandmates and the wisdom of HST.

You had a fitting Twitter post the other day, quoting Hunter S. Thompson’s line: “The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” Are you a fan?

I quote Hunter every so often. I’ve always loved Hunter S. Thompson. I was influenced a lot by all the wacky edgy, rock ’n’ roll personalities that have been around over the years — and he’s definitely one of them.

You just got back from Australia, right? How have the shows been going?

Awesome. The guys are so good that I can just play and not worry about keeping it all together. They all really carry their own weight and everybody loves what they’re doing. It’s a relief to be in a situation where I don’t have at least one guy in the band who’s a complete basket case.

I assume you’re talking about the Velvet Revolver experience with Scott Weiland.

Uhh, maybe…. [nervous laughter]. There always seems to be one guy who’s just disconnected from the trajectory of the group.

That’s a polite way of putting it. Do you think the improvement is a case of you being in charge of the band?

I wouldn’t go so far as to say all that. I’m not really the in-charge guy. [The musicians know] it’s my gig, and that I put it together and blah blah blah. But everybody’s there to have a good time and I don’t have to be the dictator, so I think it really is just one of those circumstances where I’ve been fortunate this time around.

The mix of people playing on the record is pretty eclectic, from Fergie to Ozzy to Iggy, and I’m assuming it could have been a scheduling nightmare. But you furthered the potential complication by having everyone come into the studio. Was it essential to have people come in and do it with you rather than just email tracks back and forth?

It never occurred to me to do it any other way. I think probably because I come from an old-school recording background — I hate to call it old-school, but it’s been a while since people made records on two-inch tape and everybody played live in the studio. So, when I was making this record, I automatically wanted to go back to doing it the old-school way.

What was it like playing with ex-GN’R rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin again?

Great. I hadn’t seen Izzy probably in a couple of years at that point, and he just rolled in like he always does. He got there before me, and basically had his track down by the time I got there. He’s always a no-frills, quick application [kind of guy]. And then we just hung out for a while and shot the shit — we have such a history that it’s like a couple of war veterans getting together.

You recently tweeted about your GN’R bandmate Steven Adler’s just-released autobiography. Were you supportive of him writing it?

Yeah. I’ve been really sort of hands-on supportive of Steven ever since we dragged him out of that shell of a place where he was living in Vegas a few years ago. He was really on his last leg in this burned-out house, and he really didn’t look like he had much time left on the ticker. I had to get him out of there and into rehab. And it was a long and complicated journey, but he finally did get it and hold on to sobriety, or whatever you want to call it, and he turned his life around. So I’ve been there through the rehabilitation of Stevie.

Have you read the book yet?

No, I haven’t; I’ve been with him through the whole process of writing it. I plan on reading it on the bus coming up. Every time I start to read it, Steven tells me, “It’s really dark.” I’m like, I know, I was there.

Chapter 17: Marriage and Divorce

Unauthorized excerpt from My Appetite for Destruction: Sex & Drugs & Guns N' Roses by Steven Adler with Lawrence J. Spagnola

DOWN THE AISLE

After the softball game my natural defenses kicked in again and I backed off the hard stuff for a while to regain a certain degree of clarity. In fact, I soon felt sharp enough and smart enough to plot a way back to feeling 100 percent better. I realized Cheryl had been amazing through the whole ordeal of putting up with me while I was using heavily, and through it all she never abandoned me. She never nagged me, she let me do my thing, and whether it was making lunch or making love she was totally there for me.

So I asked Cheryl to marry me. When I proposed, she couldn't have been more thrilled. I booked a flight to Vegas, and we decided to fly out and get hitched. Just like that. I called Dougie and told him the great news. "Oh, no, you're not," he said. "Listen, Stevie, you don't know what the hell you're getting yourself into."

I didn't care what he said. I told him, "I love her, Dougie."

Doug shot back, "Well, wait just a few hours. Please. I've got to bring some papers over for you to sign anyway." That afternoon, he brought over a prenuptial agreement that Cheryl had absolutely no problem with. I knew that would be her reaction. We were in love, and she was the most sincere, honest girl I had ever known.

We arrived in Vegas and got married the same day. No bachelor party, no bridesmaids or ushers, no reception, just Cheryl and me down the aisle. I remember looking at the marriage certificate and was amused by the date. Totally randomly we wed on "6/7/89." How sweet is that? Even I can remember my anniversary.

A CLOSER FAMILY

A week later we returned home and I received a call from my mother. She was beyond upset. "Steven. Why didn't you tell me? I was in line at the grocery store and there on the cover of the National Enquirer was the news that my son had married!" She read the headline to me: "Guns N' Roses drummer weds. Wife signs agreement allowing him to cheat." I thought that was so funny, I made the mistake of laughing out loud into the phone. Mom didn't see the humor.

Of course the headline wasn't true. "This was not the way to find out about the things you're doing, Steven. I want us to be a loving family. Your getting married should have been one of the proudest moments in my life. Instead it's brought me pain and humiliation." I honestly didn't feel that bad about what I had done. But deep down it must have bothered me because I brought Cheryl over to meet Mom and Dad that same evening. It was strained company at first, but after a few toasts, and Cheryl's loving manner with Mel and Ma, things got very nice. I gave Mom a big long hug before leaving, and to my surprise, I was the one with the misty eyes.

After that, I made a conscious effort to be more in touch with my family. I would even pick my little brother up from school from time to time, something Jamie really loved. I would drive my Mercedes to school, or the new black Ford Bronco that I had just gotten. I bought it from Andrew Ridgely, who was famous for being in Wham!, the band he shared with George Michael.

I'd tell Jamie I'd be picking him up at the parking lot by the school football field. Lots of kids would be waiting for me there, and at times it seemed like the entire student body had turned out. I'd hang out and sign autographs for everyone. Finally I'd say, "Okay, bro, we gotta get going." He'd hop in, and we'd take off. The smile on Jamie's face said it all. I could occasionally be a great brother; I just couldn't always be a good brother.

On his sixteenth birthday, I took him to buy a car. I said, "Get whatever you want." I recommended a truck to him, but he ultimately decided on a brand-new Chevy Camaro Z28, all tricked out with a great sound system, special rims, leather interior, and the "racing package," which added about a hundred horsepower to an already powerful engine. Hey, it felt great just to see the look in his eyes when they rolled it out. Looking back, I realize that as the band and I grew more distant, my family became more important to me.

In September 1989, Dougie called to tell me that the band would be opening for the Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Coliseum next month. I was so stoked. Maybe my fears were unfounded, because all my dreams were still coming true.

We were to do five shows with the Stones in late September and then go back to a place called Mates Rehearsal in North Hollywood to rehearse for the Use Your Illusion tracks. I felt wonderful after hanging up with Dougie. Everything was going great again. And maybe all this concern about my being marginalized by the band was just baseless worry.

During this time, Living Colour was growing in popularity as a black metal/rock act with a hit called "Cult of Personality." Their guitarist, Vernon Reid, was an outspoken black activist and publicly took offense to the lyrics in "One in a Million." His music career must have trumped his personal beliefs, because Living Colour agreed to open for us during the Stones shows.

Axl had a limo pick him up from home and take him to the shows. Slash, Duff, Izzy, and I were put up across from the Coliseum. Cheryl and I stayed there, and I would walk over to Slash's room to hang out and party. Unfortunately, every dealer on the West Coast was buzzing around for the concert, and I fell to temptation again. At this point, Slash hadn't let up at all and was getting sucked deeper into hard drugs. Heroin came packaged in rubber balloons, and that night, after we checked in, I bought six of those balloons and went to Slash's room. I walked in and I saw Slash in the bathroom, and he had like twenty of these same balloons lying around, already opened and used. He was just sitting on the toilet, staring down at the tiles, all stoned out. He was going to be no fun, so I just spun around and left.

THE GREATEST ROCK BAND IN THE WORLD

We got to meet our heroes the first night before our performance. I was surprised by Mick Jagger's appearance. I thought he was a little skinny guy from all those videos, but when he walked in the room, he had the presence of a giant, and he was in great shape, buffer than buff. I mean, he was cut. Life magazine once ran an article about Mick prepping for Stones tours, how he would get on a strict diet, run every morning, and lift weights like a boxer prepping for fight night. It looked like he was still devoted to that routine.

The whole band was there but Slash, who missed out because he was getting high. In fact, he just made it to the stage for our show. We were all partying pretty hard those days. As I neared the stage, I could hear the fans. As I rounded the corner, I could see the multitudes screaming their heads off.

The sound of that crowd was so powerful that it actually gave me an incredible buzz. When the audience caught sight of us, they all bolted upright. It was like one giant wave of energy, intensely stimulating. We were the proud prodigy, the bastard sons of the Rolling Stones, and we killed that night. We were there to show the world that rock was alive and bigger than ever, and we succeeded in every way.

WAG THE FINGER

But at a time when we should have been rejoicing beyond all measure, Axl instead chose to wag his finger. He had become aware of the out-of-control partying that was happening within the band and he made a long rambling statement during the second show. "If some people in this organization don't get their shit together and stop dancing with Mr. Brownstone, this is going to be the last Guns N' Roses show. Ever!"

Axl went on and on, threatening to shut us down if the runaway abuse continued. Maybe it was done for publicity, maybe out of genuine concern, I don't know, but it was way over the top. Disbanding GN'R for drug abuse was like grounding a bird for flying.

So we all had to snicker when the Stones took the stage and Jagger decided to bust Axl's balls for his little lecture. He stood up there, smiled, and grabbed the mike like he owned the whole fucking world. He strutted to the very front of the platform, leaned out over everyone, and waved his arm, asking the crowd if they had "heard enough of Axl's bullshit" and were ready to rock 'n' roll. Of course the crowd's response was a deafening affirmative.

Axl's statements made national entertainment news the following day, and no one said a goddamn thing about it. I had learned my lesson, so I wasn't about to be the one to start. But sadly, no one else did either.

For the most part, Axl had been ignoring me during this period. But that was my fault too. I never took the initiative to talk with him and find out what was simmering in that brain pan of his. I wish I had insisted on making the time to sit him down and sort things out to clear the air.

In addition to our rooms across the street, each of us was given our own trailer on the Coliseum backstage lot to hang out in before the show. MTV was making a rockumentary about us and visited each of us in our personal trailers for interviews. I was hanging out with Cheryl, Ronnie, and David Lee Roth. David Lee was just being DLR, the legendary front man and incredibly funny friend.

My family was extremely excited about the event so I made sure to have Dougie take care of them. He sent limos for them every night. I saw them only briefly, however, because when I was performing, particularly in something this momentous, I was in my own separate world.

On the night of the last show, a unique thing happened. At the end of our set we put our arms around one another, and as a group, we took a bow. We had never done that before. It felt kind of awkward but appropriate. In my mind, that show was the last real Guns N' Roses concert ever. Immediately following that bow, we once again went our own separate ego-inflated ways.

KNIFE IN THE BACK

In early 1990 the band agreed to appear at a benefit at the famous Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis called Farm Aid. It was huge, tens of thousands of fans cheering nonstop, with millions more watching on TV. While it was an important event, we didn't even bother to rehearse for it. I flew out there expecting to have a great time, but Duff and Slash continued to distance themselves from me. They seemed locked into their private little clique. Izzy was off on his own, but that was typical.

So I found myself hanging out exclusively with Dougie. No one else was talking to me. I felt very isolated. After that Stones show everyone kind of withdrew from me again, and the excitement I had felt during the event evaporated.

When we were introduced at the Farm Aid concert, I was so excited that I sprinted out to the drums, and as I leaped up, I caught my foot on the flange that ran around the border of the riser. I tripped and fell right on my ass. I might have been a little buzzed, but let me tell you, there's nothing like wiping out in front of all those fans to sober your ass right up. I was bummed — "Shit, I'm on live TV." But I quickly scrambled right back up, smiled broadly, and grabbed my sticks, ready to rock. I assumed we'd be playing a couple of our hits, like "Paradise City" or "Welcome to the Jungle."

Axl announced, "This is something new we got, called 'Civil War.'"

Huh? Although I knew the song, I didn't know that would be the title. So I looked at Duff and I was like, "Dude. What's goin' on?" He was kind of being a dick, maybe disgusted with my wipeout on the stage, so I just sat there, and when I heard Slash play the opening riff, I caught on. Although we didn't even have that song completely down and had never rehearsed it with Axl, it played pretty well. I kind of sighed with relief to have gotten over that hurdle, but the damn surprises kept coming.

Next Axl says, "This is by a punk band called the UK Subs. And this song really rocks; it's called 'Down on the Farm.'"

I'm like, "What the fuck?" I yell over to Duff, "Dude! How does it go?" He just claps his hands, providing me with a tempo, and then walks away. So I just played the tempo with my bass drum and winged it. I'd never once heard that song before. But I kicked ass, and that made me feel proud, not mad.

Looking back, I realize that this may have been proof positive that their plan to get me out of the band was already in full motion. They weren't cluing me in to new songs or even telling me what they were playing. I believe their strategy was to make my playing sound like shit. I believe they wanted me to fuck up on live TV; that would be their evidence. By branding me as an ill-prepared, crappy drummer, they'd be armed with a sound reason for kicking me out.

GETTING OFF THE STUFF

When we came back to L.A., we again went our own ways. I had gotten to another one of those junctions where my body was warning me to stop partying. I hit the brakes for about a week, then I suddenly became very ill. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I had been smoking heroin regularly and I was giving it an indefinite break. Now, I was shaking all over, feeling very hollow and cold. I was experiencing the full-on blunt force of withdrawal, as my body ached like it never had before. I lived in the bathroom, constantly having to throw up.

I called Dougie and told him what I was going through. He told me he wanted to take me to the doctor right away, and I immediately calmed down, thinking, "Good ol' Dougie, looking out for me." So we went to a medical facility at Olympic and Fairfax. The doctor there broke off about a quarter of a small pill and had me take it with water. He explained that it was an opiate blocker and told me, "This will make you feel better, because even if you try to cheat and take heroin, you won't feel a thing." What they didn't tell me (and what the fucking MD didn't bother to check out first) was that you needed to be completely clean to take it. Patients needed to detox fully in order for the drug to work properly. If you had opiates in your system when you took it, it would fuck you up. God, did I discover that the hard way.

Within hours after returning home, I became deathly ill, even worse than before. I called Dougie and told him, "Whatever the fuck they gave me isn't working. I'm sicker than I've ever been in my life!" He sent a registered nurse over who was qualified to examine me. After she left, I remember sitting down, momentarily relieved that I'd be okay now. But as the sweat began to pour down over my face, I suddenly became incredibly scared and honestly thought I was going to die. This feeling lasted an eternity, because as I said, I hadn't completely detoxed. You'd think they'd ask you your status before giving you pills and injections. I was terribly sick for weeks. Then came the deathblow: Slash called me and told me that we were going into the studio to record "Civil War."

"Dude, haven't you talked to Dougie? I'm sick as hell."

Slash didn't want to hear it. His voice was strangely detached, zero emotion. "We can't waste any more money," he replied.

Was I really hearing this shit? From my dearest friend, the guy I was instrumental in getting into GN'R, for fuck's sake? Where was the loyalty, the compassion? "Fuck that, Slash. Listen to me. We both know someone in the band who's wasted a helluva lot more time and money than it would cost to postpone this one lousy recording session. It would just be for the week or so that it would take for me to get better." We hadn't done shit in over a year and now they wanted to record one damn song, and they couldn't wait for me to feel better. It was such bullshit, and I could only hope that it was someone else pushing their buttons. I didn't want to believe that Slash really had it in for me.

DUMPED FROM GN'R

With no alternative, I attempted to do my job. I literally pulled my head out of a toilet, showered up, and got to the studio on time. I sat on the stool, staring at my drums, but another wave of nausea hit me and I was suddenly sick as hell, doubled over in pain. The guys looked at me, and there was no mercy in their faces. Nothing.

Instead, they were annoyed with me, and no one said a thing. I tried to play but my timing was off. The guys in the sound booth asked for take after take, and finally I couldn't take the tension. "Guys, I'm fucked up. But I'm sick, not high. I'm just ill and that's all." I asked Dougie to clear the matter up for me. "Dougie, tell them. Tell them how sick this medication is making me."

But like a waking nightmare, Dougie looked away. I pleaded with him: "You've got to tell them that even if I was partying, the medicine they're making me take would block it." Dougie didn't say a word. My last buddy abandoned me. There was no love; he just turned and left the room. I had been set up, through my own stupid actions, and they wanted the absolute worst for me.

I never thought this could happen to me. It was always the five of us united, an inseparable team. But the Guns N' Roses machine had become massive, and I could feel it shoving me aside. I couldn't stand the idea of being pushed out of the band. I desperately didn't want this to end, and I honestly thought I had done nothing to deserve having it taken away from me. I just did what we all were doing, living the rock star life.

I seemed to be suffering under an unfair double standard. Christ, we open for the Rolling Stones, and Axl falls off the fucking stage while singing "Out to Get Me." The whole thing's treated like no big deal. But I misjudge the drum riser during Farm Aid and the response is total outrage; "Look at Stevie, that drugged-out waste of an irresponsible fuckup."

We had all worked so hard to get to the mountaintop and were just beginning to reap the rewards. In my worst nightmares, I never imagined that it could all be taken away from me.

I counted on Dougie to keep me in the loop. He had me believe that he had my back, that he cared for and loved me. Well, he fooled the hell out of me. I had been lured into having total trust in him and didn't want to believe some conspiracy was actually going down.

The day after the "Civil War" recording session, Doug called me and asked me to come down to the office to sign some papers. He offered no explanation for his behavior the previous day, and I didn't try to lay on any guilt. I just told him I was still very ill. There was a long silence on the phone, then Dougie told me that the matter was very important and wouldn't take long. He told me he had been instructed by the GN'R attorneys to tell me that my presence was absolutely required. In spite of what had gone down, I still wanted to believe that Dougie was my caring wingman, and when he promised I would be in and out of there quickly, I decided to rally. I cared more for his situation than my own. I could hear the stress in Doug's voice and I didn't want to bust his balls, so I got myself together and Cheryl drove me. When I walked in, Dougie and one of our lawyers, a professional-looking middle-aged woman, had a stack of papers for me to read.

Read!? I couldn't even see. They told me all I had to do was sign at the bottom of all the pages with the colored paper clips attached. I asked what this was all about. Dougie told me, "It's nothing to worry about." In my condition, I wasn't about to read all this shit, but I was a little freaked and my jaw just dropped. In essence, I thought I was agreeing not to party and not to screw up on any band-related activities for the next four weeks. If I fucked up, they would fine me $2,000. I thought, "What the hell, no problem. The band doesn't even have anything scheduled during the next month, and even so, what's two grand?" I signed everything. I just wanted to get out of there, go home, and lie down.

I discovered later that what I had actually signed away was my life. What the legal papers actually stated was that they were going to give me $2,000 for my contribution to Guns N' Roses. Everything else, my royalties, my partnership in the band, my rights, was gone! Of course, I didn't know this at the time. I'm sure with all these papers I naively signed, they thought they had my fate sealed. They had a signed, ironclad deal against me.

The next afternoon, I received another call from Doug. "The guys don't want you to be on the next record. They are going to use someone else."

I was still feeling like shit, and at this point I guess I saw it coming. "Yeah, whatever." I just hung up the phone and started crying. I'd had enough, but I couldn't help but be depressed. I didn't even bother calling Slash. What was the point?

To blunt the pain, I went on a party binge, smoking weed, drinking Jagermeister, and popping whatever pills I could find. Cheryl was there with me, and she would never say anything to upset me. She was there by my side, but I didn't care and wasn't even aware of her. I just locked myself away in my room.

Cheryl didn't fully understand what was happening. And with all this heavy shit going down around us, I couldn't handle it, wouldn't handle it. She wasn't prepared to deal with all the crap either, and every day she cried a lot because she knew something horrible was occurring.

And I'm standin' at the crossroads,
I believe I'm sinkin' down.

-"CROSS ROAD BLUES," ROBERT JOHNSON

SUICIDAL SLASHING

I felt I had sold my soul for rock 'n' roll, and the devil had just stopped by to stamp me "Paid in Full." A couple of days of partying only put me in worse condition, and I came out of my stupor so depressed, I tried to kill myself. I slashed my wrists, suddenly became very light-headed, and collapsed onto the hard floor. My face must have hit a chair or a coffee table as I fell because Cheryl raced in to find me badly bruised, with my lip split wide open. The cuts to my wrists weren't nearly what was required to do the job properly, but they left ugly scars that still remind me of this dark time.

I believe I was crying out for help more than actually trying to die. Cheryl called Doug and told him that I was very fucked up and had tried to kill myself. That afternoon, Doug, Slash, and a security guy named Ron came to my home. When I opened the door and saw them, I panicked for some reason and just took off trying to run away from them in my own house. I know that coke eventually makes you very paranoid, but there was no reason for me to be scared of these guys. In an even dumber move, Ron went chasing after me. I don't know what he was planning to do when he caught me. I hopped out an upstairs window and ran along the roof to the top of the garage. They were yelling up to me: "Steven, come down. Come on, man, come down."

"No. Fuck you, fuck everything!" Then I just dropped onto the roof, crying like a baby.

I heard a noise and realized they were going to climb up and get me. This gave me an even worse panic attack so I jumped off the roof of the garage. I plummeted into the cab of Slash's black truck. Everyone was shocked and just stood there as I bounced, unhurt, then rolled off to the ground, a total mess.

The security guy was a supreme asshole. He dismissed the whole matter like I was a piece of shit, not worth the time. "The hell with him, let's go." It was as if they were looking for any reason to leave, so on Ron's remark, they split.

The next evening, Slash phoned. Inwardly my heart thumped, and I 'felt like here was my old friend, reaching out. But no, he was actually pissed. "Dude, you dove on my truck, and it's fucking dented. You dented my truck, and you're paying for it."

I was numb. "Whatever. Sure, I'll pay for it. No problem, buddy. Take it out of my two thousand dollars, you heartless piece of shit." But at that point, all I heard was a dial tone.

Fame puts you there when things are hollow ...

-"FAME," DAVID BOWIE

DEATH BY DEGREES

Looking back, I still cringe at this dark, torturous time in my life.

Up to this moment, I had been high practically all the time and it at made me careless, among other things. But in all honesty, I was the only member of the band who was held accountable for that carelessness. And now my situation was hopeless. I achieved the dream of a lifetime, and just as it was about to blossom fully, they stomped on it. I was riding high; the group that I had formed with my friends just five years before had become the biggest rock band in the world.

It seemed everyone wanted to know me, and I was very touched by the way I was treated by our fans. Everyone was so affectionate, and I tried to return that love in spades.

I really felt blessed and thanked God for my good fortune. People said, "Enjoy this. Take it in as it's happening. Try to live in the moment." That's all I ever did. It was the way I welcomed each day naturally. I didn't have to remind myself to try to live in the moment because that was simply the way I had always experienced my life.

There's abundant proof of this. Look at the videos of me playing, I'm the only guy in the band smiling, loving every minute of it like no one else. I was constantly aware of God's grace and was thankful for it. I hugged everyone who wanted an autograph, sat and talked with anyone, and freely reached out to the people who approached us. From anyone's perspective, I honestly believe that it's clear I was the one who truly savored our success the most.

When girls would say I was the cutest or the sexiest or the nicest boy in the band, I would just laugh. And I'd always be sure to spread it around, telling them Slash was much sexier, Duff was much nicer, Izzy was much cooler, and Axl was smarter.

Ronnie Schneider and I went out one evening to a club called Bordello. This was just before news of my getting kicked out of GN’R was made public. Bordello was a popular hot spot located at Santa Monica and Fairfax. As with any trendy spot, there was a line with dozens of people waiting to get in. We got there and stood in line with everyone else. I noticed the door guy peer over the line in my direction. He walked over to us and said, "Steven Adler. Guns N' Roses! What are you doing here? You don't have to wait in line!" He put his arm around my shoulder, walked us to the front, and opened the door as if we had been buddies for years. I thanked him, shook his hand, and entered the club. Fact is, I hadn't minded wait­ing in line. I enjoyed talking to everyone but was of course thrilled to get in. Ronnie and I had a great time that night.

By the end of the week, the news hit the world that I was no longer in the band. To add insult to injury, I was portrayed in the news as the consummate loser. "Band that glorifies drug use fires drummer for being out of control on drugs." If that doesn't make me sound like the most pathetic person on earth, I don't know what would.

I felt that familiar chill cut through my heart again, that emo­tional emptiness that meant my family had abandoned me. And GN'R was my family. Izzy, Axl, Duff, and Slash were my broth­ers; we loved and cared for each other, had each other's back, and fought like hell to succeed together. Now, I was no longer welcome in my own family. Again!

God had given me a second chance and I blew it big-time. I des­perately needed to be numb, to just take away the pain. By the end of that week, all I could do was sit in my house smoking coke and heroin. Eventually, Ronnie, remembering the great time I had at Bor­dello a few weeks earlier, thought it would be nice to get out of the house and go to a place where I could feel wanted. Again there was a line at the door. Confident, I walked up to the doorman, the same guy, and greeted him enthusiastically. "How are you?" I asked.

He looked at me and seemed annoyed. I stood there for a second. "What do you think you're doing? You gotta stand in line just like everyone else." He pointed toward the end of the line, making a scene for all to see. I was shocked but waved him off and walked away. A block down the road, my emotions got the best of me. I had just been treated like a piece of shit, and that's how I felt. It was harsh. I walked home with Ronnie and continued the assault on my pain.

RAY OF HOPE

Shortly after, I stopped going out altogether. All I wanted was to be alone and even refused the love of my wife. Cheryl was having difficulty dealing with me and the entire situation as a whole. I feel horrible to this very day; putting her through so much drama was not fair at all. One of us, I think it was probably Cheryl, decided that it would be best for her to take a break for a few days and visit her family.

Just when I couldn't have been more numb or depressed, hope appeared on the horizon. One of my lawyers called and told me that AC/DC was auditioning for a new drummer. "They are considering you, Steven. I am going to get you this gig."

"Do it!" I shouted. I was so happy; at last, a chance at redemption.

But the stars were not lined up for me. That same fucking night, an interview with Axl aired on MTV. He spoke of how GN’R was so much more than he ever expected. Then the topic of the former drummer came up, and Axl stuck a spike in my heart. "Steven is so fucked up on drugs. He can't even play anymore. He's someone I used to know." My head was spinning; this was on MTV, national TV. Axl, the most popular rock star at the time, had just told the world I was a fuckup. It was unbelievably bad timing. I never heard another word about the AC/DC gig.

After a couple of weeks, Cheryl returned, taking a cab from the airport. She yelled and screamed at me when I answered the door: "I tried calling you. You can't answer the goddamn phone? I thought you were dead!"

I could barely mutter, "Sorry, honey." In fact, I hadn't thought of her in days. She could have been gone a week, a month, and I wouldn't have known because time no longer had any meaning. I was beginning to sink even farther downward, carving out a rou­tine that would become my degenerate way of life for a major por­tion of the next ten years.

THE WRATH OF AXL

My fate was sealed when an unforeseen run-in with Axl sent my entire existence into a permanent tailspin. Right after Cheryl returned, I found out that Andy McCoy had moved in just down the street from us. Andy was the guitarist for the band Hanoi Rocks. I was introduced to their sound through Axl and Izzy and instantly fell in love with their brand of hard-driving rock. In fact, Guns N' Roses' own label, Uzi Suicide, had just released Hanoi's entire back catalog on CD for the first time. They were the only other band to be released on GN'R's label. I was disappointed, however, to learn that Andy had married Laura, Izzy's ex-girlfriend. I hated this woman. She was attractive enough but such a bitch that I con­sidered her repulsive. Desperate to keep the music in my life, Andy and I started to hang out and jam. I hired the guy who remodeled my bedroom to turn the tool shed into a small studio. He sound­proofed the walls and really did a great job. It was a bit cramped but it didn't matter. Andy and I worked on new songs and jammed out on some classics. Andy knew I disliked his wife, but it had no effect on our friendship. I just told him I didn't want her around, and that was cool with him. But I guess we were getting along so well that eventually he decided it would be no big deal. One day, while I was in my yard, I could see the two of them walking down the hill, clearly on their way to my place. I just stood there, giving them both two high and mighty middle fingers. Andy caught my gesture, but not Laura. Andy never broke stride and just walked in with her as if it was a nonissue. What could I do? It's no secret I'm a softie at heart.

Before long, Laura was dropping in regularly and getting on my nerves like she had in the past. One day, she pulled the most fucked-up stunt ever. Andy and I were jamming in the shed when we heard a pounding at the door. I opened it, and there was Laura with Axl's fiancée, Erin Everly.

Erin was completely out of it and could barely stand up. I asked, "What the fuck is she on?"

Laura said, "Nothing. She and Axl had a fight. Can you give her something?"

"What? I ain't giving her shit," I yelled, and grabbed Erin, who was swaying back and forth, eyes closed. "Erin, are you okay? You better—"

Laura interrupted. "C'mon, Steven, just give her something."

"What is she on? What did you give her?" I yelled at Laura.

She said, "Steven, she and Axl went at it, so I gave her some Valium."

I screamed, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Erin could barely stand so I carried her into my bedroom and set her down. "Erin, are you okay?"

Her eyes opened slightly. "Axl and I had a fight."

Laura came in. "Steven, chill. I just gave her a few pills," she repeated, not the least bit concerned.

"How many?" I yelled.

Erin was starting to go out and I panicked. I wasn't taking any chances with this. I called an ambulance and tried not to freak the fuck out. I did not need to be involved in this situation. She was Axl's bride-to-be for chrissakes. The paramedics arrived, checked her vitals, and told me they would have to induce vomiting. Before they whisked her away, they assured me that her pulse was strong and she would probably be okay.

Later I discovered that Erin already had heroin in her system. When questioned, they said that I was the one who had given it to her. Axl called and threatened me: "I'm coming over there and I'm going to fucking kill you!"

I yelled, "I didn't give her shit."

"Bullshit!" he said.

I was livid and screamed back, "I didn't. Fuck you!" I hung up the phone.

My heart raced, and I truly believed that Axl was furious enough to want to kill me. I began to fear for Cheryl's and my well-being, so we rounded up the dogs and took off for Palm Springs. Axl told the press that I shot Erin up, and no one had any reason to believe otherwise. Not that it could do any more damage, but the guys in the band thought I was an even bigger asshole than before.

I would never shoot heroin, or any drug, into Erin. I always adored her, and probably helped to save her life that day, but it didn't mean shit. I couldn't fucking stand it. I was completely mis­erable and my existence became even more unbearable, if that was possible.

Guns N’ Roses in Dublin Gig Farce

Brian Whelan, Behind the Music
There were ugly scenes in Dublin last night as Guns N' Roses fans endured diva antics from the band, whose current tour has been rapidly turning into a disaster.

In what has been described as a pantomime-like performance the band arrived over an hour late, played for a mere twenty minutes and then stormed off leaving the crowd fuming.

The show seemed to be doomed from the start with the band being booed from the moment they took the stage for leaving the crowd waiting.

O2 crowds have been noted for their no-nonsense approach in the past when they booed Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) off stage for playing new songs and bringing on guest singers. Ronan Keating had to be brought in to calm things down.

The drama really kicked off when one irate audience member threw a water bottle at the band during 'Welcome to the Jungle', prompting temperamental singer Axl Rose to stop the music and threaten ‘one more bottle, we go home'.

The singer declared, "We want to stay. If you don't want to have fun just let us know. We'll be on our way."

Unfortunately for the fans a second bottle was thrown at guitarist Richard Fortus during the fourth song and, true to his word, Axl walked and took his band with him.

The gig then descended into farce as booing fans were told there were ‘technical difficulties' and Irish music industry mogul, Denis Desmond, came on stage to appeal to the crowd.

The red-faced gig promoter explained he was ‘trying hard to get Axl to come back on stage'.

"I'd ask you please to refrain from throwing items at him. I promise a great show, but you have to be calm. I'm sorry about that."

Reports claim things were much worse backstage where Axl was said to have been ‘berating passing fans' and ‘kneeling on the ground with his head in his hands'.

The band were finally convinced to return to the stage after half an hour and played until 12.50am. However, most of the crowd were already safely home in bed having left when the house lights were turned on.

As Axl's car was escorted out after the show gardaí were heard to remark "quick, get the singer out of Dodge before they tear him apart!"

Fans were quick to take to the Internet to vent their frustration with the gig, with many now demanding that promoters provide a full refund to everyone who left believing the show had ended.