https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz6tzjcyhhA The rock n' roll riot to end all rock n' roll riots. In 1991 while on a headlining tour, and at the time the biggest band in the world, Guns N' Roses made an ill-fated stop in St. Louis. What ensued is the stuff of rock legend. During the show, lead singer Axl Rose noticed a photographer in the crowd. As the band had hired an exclusive photographer of their own, the singer motioned to security to remove the man from the crowd, then implored "take that" (in reference to the camera). When security didn't act fast enough, Rose yelled "I'll take it god damn it!" before jumping into the crowd. Video of the incident shows Rose striking the photographer before exiting the crowd, and stating "thanks to the lame-a** security, I'm going home" before smashing his mic and storming off stage. Guitarist Slash can he heard saying "we're outta here" before giving the finger to fans. Fans began to become destructive. GN'R security head, Earl Gibbons, implored the crowd that the band would return if they behaved themselves. Needless to say, they didn't. The venue (the Riverport Ampitheater), which the band had already criticized for failing to enforce an alcohol limit and having poor security in general, was heavily damaged in the riot that ensued. A warrant was issued for Rose's arrest, for inciting a riot, but Axl and co. head taken off to Europe, and he was not arrested for a year. A judge later ruled that he did not directly incite the riot, and the charges were dropped. While most assumed the issue was about Axl having his picture taken, there was more to it. The band had complained about being hit by debris during the show; Duff McKagan had been hit by two beer bottles during the 90 minute show. GN'R's head of security had already warned the venue about the issue, and that, along with the lack of an alcohol sales limit, and the appearance of a man who appeared to be not a fan but a professional photographer, mixed with the easily angered Rose, led to the perfect storm. To make matters worse, being a new venue, most of the security staff were new to their jobs. A message to the city was later printed in the booklets for Use Your Illusion I and II - "F**k You St. Louis" appears in the linear notes. Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments if there are any more of GnR's craziest moments!
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.