Axl Rose explains Guns N' Roses no-show in 2002 that led to melee
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose tried to explain from the stage of the Electric Factory Monday why the band failed to perform at a Dec. 2002 show at what is now the Wells Fargo Center.
Axl Rose explains Guns N' Roses no-show in 2002 that led to melee
Dan Gross
Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose tried to explain from the stage of the Electric Factory Monday why the band failed to perform at a Dec. 2002 show at what is now the Wells Fargo Center.
When the band never came out a melee ensued with fans throwing chairs and wreaking havoc in the arena. Rose told the Electric Factory crowd about an hour into the band’s set that he had canceled the 2002 show that morning because he was sick.
“My manager told me he canceled it and then didn't,” Rose said before explaining how Clear Channel, the concert promoter now operating as LiveNation “Wanted us to f--- up, because they wanted to end the tour. 'Cause they had some s--- going on in Florida or something… I don't know… a whole bunch of bulls---. But I got really sick. It had nothing to do with fur coats and basketball games, you know.”
At the time it was reported that Rose wouldn’t go on because he was watching a basketball game. The fur coat reference he made is unclear.
As for Clear Channel, the promoter did cancel the rest of the Guns N’ Roses tour several days after the Philly no-shows. A LiveNation spokeswoman did not return a request for comment on Rose’s remarks.
“So it's good to be here,” Rose said. “ I want to apologize for my part of that. You know, so… I'm not saying I'm innocent."
On Monday, Rose, the group’s only original member, and his hired guns took the stage aroujnd 11:30 and played a three-hour set of Guns N’ Roses greatest hits and new cuts from the band’s latest “Chinese Democracy.”
Here's Rose's explanation below with some profanity and a sick version of "You Could Be Mine."
Wow, the Electric Factory? Next they'll be playing the Troc and from there it's a short slide to co-headlinging with Everclear at Dobbs or Bad Manners at North Star.— SithLordRizzoLegalizeIt69- Spoken like a true misinformed idiot. They've been on tour of big arenas in which they pretty much sold out all of them. They just recently decided to add some "intimate" dates in very small venues. This happened to be one of them. Get yourself a note pad if you can't keep up. — abacobeachbum
- yes, but one day, opening for a puppet show, axl will see slash standing in the wings and head-motion him to join him on stage and that will be the beginning of the reunion world tour. which will be huge. you'll see.— eaglesfillthesky
- Wow I can see why the show was 3 hours long.— sla6yer
- Axl has lost his edge. Sad to say, but this is bad. Better off buying Live Era or finding the old videos from 20 years ago.— BlairW
- Hey, who's that old guy on stage with Tommy Stinson and why is he talking so much?— blue94trooper
- Total BS. No way the promoter would have the opening performer go on and pack the arena with drunken idiots ready to riot just to cancel the rest of the tour. They could have done it anyway. Meanwhile, I'm dodging flying chairs, drinks and whatever trying to get a blind guy off the concert floor. And why did it take 10 years for this version to come out? Thanks Axl.— etotheb
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