THE BIGGEST SCANDALS TO EVER HIT GUNS N’ ROSES
Guns N’ Roses isn’t billed as “the most dangerous band in the world” for the grins and giggles. Since the hard rock group’s inception in the mid-’80s, the Los Angeles-formed outfit established itself as a magnet for all kinds of scandal and controversy. And no, this isn’t only about the controversial moments Axl Rose will never live down, as the other members of the band are equally culpable and capable of participating in or producing their own drama.
For instance, they have been involved in not one but two notorious concert riots. In addition to this, Rose aired the band’s dirty laundry at arguably their biggest show at the time and threatened to quit — live on stage. It doesn’t end there, though, as the act released a song with offensive and racist lyrics, as well as another that used real-life intimacy noises after Steven Adler’s girlfriend cheated on him with Rose and they recorded the whole ordeal. Remarkably, the record label released both tracks to the public.
The more one thinks about it, the more that Guns N’ Roses’ first album’s title, “Appetite for Destruction,” proves to be sensationally apt, summarizing their attitude and orbit to a T. So, let’s head back to the jungle and discover all the biggest scandals to hit one of the rock bands with the worst drama.
GUNS N’ ROSES USED REAL INTIMATE NOISES ON A SONG
Out of every Guns N’ Roses album, one stands above the rest. “Appetite for Destruction” kicked the music industry in the teeth at a time when glam ruled the rock roost, as GNR produced an aggressive, more in-your-face sound that had a cutting-edge appeal and signified a new era. The 1987 album generated a number of hit songs, too; however, there was one that caught everyone’s attention immediately: “Rocket Queen.”
Not only does it have an infectious bounce and sing-along-worthy chorus, but it also features a section that causes the listener to pause and rewind to make sure they heard right in the first place. In a part of the song, audible moaning and groaning from heavy petting layers the instrumental track.
Turns out it wasn’t only the band trying to be edgy with a publicity stunt, but it was also entirely real. Adriana Smith had been seeing GNR drummer Steven Adler, but after he reportedly cheated on her, she got revenge by sleeping with singer Axl Rose. They decided to record their tryst in the vocal booth of the studio, and put it on “Rocket Queen.” Engineer Vic Deyglio explained to Rolling Stone how he had to go into the booth to adjust the microphone, quipping: “It was like a Ron Jeremy set in there.” Smith added that Adler wasn’t pleased when he found out, but she “would do anything Axl asked me to do” because “[h]e’s f***in’ magical.”
THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK FOR APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION CAUSED CONTROVERSY
The original album cover of “Appetite for Destruction” caused a major stir that had parent groups calling for the heads of Guns N’ Roses and Geffen Records. Counterculture artist Robert Williams was responsible for the controversial design that depicted a significant slice of sex and violence; however, he told Revolver that he had advised the group to choose something else initially.
Williams explained how the painting came from a series he created, titled “Appetite for Destruction.” The band then reached out to him about using a piece for their album cover. “Guns N’ Roses finally got my home number and called me,” Williams said. “I suggested that they come over to my house and look through some slides and pick something other than ‘Appetite for Destruction’ for the cover, because I knew they were gonna get in trouble with it. I’d faced a lot of legal troubles doing underground comics, so I was really well-versed in that.”
According to Williams, Axl Rose and his manager arrived at Williams’ home and Rose was adamant he wanted that specific painting. A while later, GNR asked if they could use the name for their album as well, and Williams granted them permission. Ultimately, the album cover caused such outrage that GNR and Geffen chose to move it to the inside sleeve and replace it with something safer.
AXL ROSE THREATENED TO QUIT THE BAND DURING ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST SHOWS
Guns N’ Roses experienced a meteoric rise. They were offered big tours alongside the greatest names in rock — including the Rolling Stones in 1989. Sharing the stage with Mick Jagger and Co. isn’t an opportunity that comes along often, so one would expect a band to keep their noses clean. Not Axl Rose and GNR.
The band’s former manager Alan Niven revealed to Yahoo! Music that he was worried about GNR at that stage of their career, as several members were deep in drug and alcohol misuse. However, when they negotiated with the Rolling Stones for $1 million per gig, how could anybody say no?
The first problem arrived when Rose was nowhere to be found on the opening night, so Niven sent the police to get him to the show. Niven delighted in the fact that the band made it onto the stage and all went well in front of 77,000 people. “I was standing in the backstage area feeling pretty damn clever,” Niven said. “And that was the moment that Axl announced that this was going to be the last show and he was going to retire. My heart just went straight to my boots.” In an infamous speech, Rose broadcast how he wasn’t prepared to be part of a group who were “dancing with Mr. Goddamn Brownstone” and he was ready to pack it in. Ultimately, he didn’t, but his words made headlines.
