Not another example of Axl Rose’s madcap rock star lunacy, the forever Guns N’ Roses hip-swayer actually did a solid and put his dope-addled bandmates on the hot seat in front of thousands of fans at the LA Coliseum on this day in 1989, yes, laced with a bit of crazy, but still chasing the health and well being of whatever art they were creating.
Quote the Axl: “I hate to do this onstage, but I’ve tried every other fucking way. Unless certain people in this band get their shit together, these will be the last Guns N’ Roses shows you’ll fucking ever see. Because I’m tired of too many people in this organization dancing with Mr. God Damn Brownstone.”
Mr. Brownstone being a euphemism for heroin. Which is a swift does of twisted irony, as Slash and Izzy minted the moment two years earlier when they wrote the lyrics to the song of the same name about their very own burnout ways. Axl Rose, the armchair psychologist:
We been dancin’ with
Mr. Brownstone
He’s been knockin’
He won’t leave me alone
I used ta do a little but a little wouldn’t do
So the little got more and more
I just keep tryin’ ta get a little better
Said a little better than before
