Hetfield Slams Axl Rose's Rider! Post by: Chris E Leigh 23 September, 2010 - 8:38 AM

Metallica frontman James Hetfield famously slammed Axl Rose's rider when they toured together in the early 90's in a video that became a YouTube hit.

Hetfield picks up where he left off with Axl's 2010 rider and tells Triple M Sydney's rockin' Byron Cooke what he really thinks of Guns N' Roses. See how the vids compare!

"I've got nothing against Guns 'n' Roses," Hetfield tells Byron. "I mean, he's doing what he wants to do at this point. I don't know if there's much 'guns' or 'roses' in any of that, but it's Axl, and he is Axl and he has not changed or waned one bit, and I kind of respect that."

Hetfield's amusing stab at Axl's 1991 rider took place on the Metallica/Guns 'n' Roses dual headlining tour of America, a series of shows that took place on GNR's Use Your Illusion Tour and Metallica's Wherever They May Roam Tour, both the band's biggest tours to date. 

Axl's requirements haven't changed much over two decades. The same booze, the same cheese ... however, Axl now needs a bed in his dressing room, "What does he do, sleep at the gig?" Hetfield laughs.

Back when the infamous Axl Pose clip was captured, both bands were clocking up heavy mileage on the road and tensions were already mounting. The agitation escalated further when Hetfield suffered third degree burns from the band's pyrotechnics during "Fade To Black" at their show in Montreal and was rushed offstage to hospital.

Axl not only refused to go onstage until much later, he stopped the show early, professing a sore throat. The incensed crowd rioted and looted the place, causing thousands of dollars of damage. Check out the full list of lunatic moments on the GNR Use Your Illusion Tour here.

Metallica are returning to Australia this October and November for the next round of shows, and GNR will touch down this December to perform live at the V8 Supercars, missing each other by a matter of weeks. Would they ever tour together again? We doubt it!

Leave your comment

• Jared Mallia says

  Epic! Who likes what is "Guns 'n' Roses" anymore? The only difference in Metallica is the Trujillo... (and arguably Hammet) but he has point. Metallica were awesome on Saturday!!

  Posted Thursday 23 September, 2010 10:19 AM
• Nick says

  There's no such thing as GNR today, it's just Diva Axl and his lackeys.

  Their first album is their only decent album, Lies was epic fail, the UYI I and UYI II had only a few good songs then followed a cover album and CD.

  Axl's latest sounds nothing like GNR. I never liked him and his voice and i think he's overrated.

  I have absolutely no respect for Axl Rose, not only because he can't really sing but because he is racist, homophobe, misogynist and woman-beater.

  Posted Saturday 25 September, 2010 9:45 AM
• Dexter says

  @Nick

  "I have absolutely no respect for Axl Rose, not only because he can't really sing but because he is racist, homophobe, misogynist and woman-beater."

  So, Axl was just the typical white guy from middle America then, huh? LMAO :p

  Chinese Democracy is more advanced than GnR's past albums. But it definitely has that AFD eff-you feel to it.

  CD sounds more GnR than anything VR ever put out, as well as anything Slash, Duff, and Izzy ever put individually.

  Posted Saturday 25 September, 2010 2:19 PM
• piano lessons beginners says

  James is so funny!

  The part with Axl's rules reminds me of "a year and a half"... hahaha

  Thanks for the video!! ^_^

  http://takelessons.com/category/piano-lessons

  Posted Tuesday 12 October, 2010 3:23 AM
• Shayne says

  @ Dexter

  The only thing that makes Chinese Democracy sound remotely like Gunners, is Axl's voice, the rest is quite far removed.

  Not sure if you were having a dig at VR, Slash, Duff and Izzy with the rest of that comment, but VR was never supposed to sound like Gunners, It just so happened that there was the 3 former members, so everyone jumped on that band wagon.

  Slash's album is just him doing what he does best, riffing and soloing away while a buddy of his sings. Everything Duff has done out of Gunners, with the exception of the straight up rock of VR, is him going back to his punk roots, listen to Loaded, they rock, and his solo album Believe In Me kicks arse too! Izzy just plays blues, always has....

  Slash's riffery, Duff's love of punk and Izzy's passion for the blues together is exactly what made Guns 'N' Roses what it was back then.

  Posted Tuesday 12 October, 2010 2:59 PM