Use Your Illusion Tour: Craziest Moments Ever Post by: Chris E Leigh 24 May, 2010 - 12:20 PM

(Photo: Getty Images)

Guns 'n' Roses' 'Use Your Illusion Tour' was one of the longest, most theatrical concert tours in history.

The young musicians deemed "the most dangerous in band in the world" played for seven million people at 192 shows in 27 countries over 26 months.

150 tons of equipment, 250,000 watts, 3 stages, 11 trucks and a crew of 80 people shipped the 'Use Your Illusion' show around the globe.

'The Use Your Illusion' shows were opened by one of the strongest support lineups in rock history: Soundgarden, Faith No More, Skid Row, Smashing Pumpkins, Blind Melon, Brian May and Nine Inch Nails.

Today, we celebrate the 19 year anniversary of the historic first show in East Troy, Wisconsin with the craziest 'Use Your Illusion' moments ever.

1. Riot In St. Louis.

When Axl spotted a concertgoer capturing their April '92 St Louis show with a camera he informed security.

When security didn't respond instantly, Axl leapt into the crowd, confiscated the camera and then stormed offstage, shouting "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!"

The band cowered backstage as thousands of incensed Gunners fans tore the venue apart, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Axl was charged with inciting a riot but was eventually acquitted. Video above.

2. Axl Rose, Rock Diva.

Beyond his infamous show delays, Axl was known for his rock star demands and violent mood swings.

Metallica guitarist James Hetfield famously mocked Axl's list of demands, alongside Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach who impersonates Megadeth's Dave Mustaine in the video above.

3. James Hetfield Set On Fire.

Metallica co-headlined the tour in 1992, promoting their own 'Black Album.'

When Metallica guitarist James Hetfield's arm was badly burned by their pyrotechnics at their shared August 1992 show in Montreal, Quebec, Hetfield was rushed to hospital and Metallica had to cut their show short - but Axl refused to go onstage until their originally scheduled stage time.

Axl's behaviour soured relations between the two bands and infuriated the assembled fans. The crowd took to the streets and looted buildings and overturned cars in anger.

4. The End of An Izzy Era.

The band's 1991 Wembley Stadium concert was rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin's last show with Gunners.

Izzy Stradlin was unarguably instrumental creating the band's finest songs and contributing to the magic chemistry that made Appetite For Destruction so timeless. In fact, only two Appetite songs were'nt co-written by Stradlin.

He was allegedly driven away by the mammoth scale of the Gunners operation, and Axl's increasingly erratic behaviour.

 

Will the madness of Use Your Illusion Tour ever be topped?

Leave your comment

• MyLoins says

  Haha, God bless Gunners. I have the St Louis show on DVD and it's mental. I doubt the tour will be topped because there is no band like Gunners. There are no rock stars like Axl and the music world desperately needs another larger than life rock star.

  Posted Monday 24 May, 2010 1:05 PM
• Dave-O says

  I love how in the St Louis Riot video Axl exclaims "I'm going home" as in 'I don't care what the rest of the band does but I'm outta here!'.

  Classic!

  Posted Monday 24 May, 2010 1:22 PM