Rock and roll has never been known as one big happy family. As much as people would like to believe that the world’s best musicians get together on weekends and barbeque once a month, many would gladly take a hatchet to each other if society permitted it. Axl Rose has probably burned a lot of bridges in his life. However, he admitted that he didn’t like David Lee Roth from the first time he saw him.
Granted, without Roth, Guns N’ Roses may not have had the opportunities they did. With the release of Van Halen’s self-titled album, the Los Angeles music scene began transitioning from glam bands after years of inundation. Poison and Warrant were quick to follow in Roth’s footsteps. This gave birth to the hair metal genre, all while Rose brooded in the background.
Rose relocated to California from Indiana, aiming to form a band that would outshine every hair metal group. Working in bands such as LA Guns and Hollywood Rose, Rose eventually found the right lineup when he brought together drummer Steven Adler and guitarist Slash. He formed the band by combining the names of their previous bands.
Despite the fact that the band was barely hanging on for the majority of their time together, Appetite for Destruction left their competitors in the dust. Hair metal bands crafted songs for the arena, while Guns N’ Roses focused on the streets. They chronicled their ascent to fame through tracks like ‘It’s So Easy‘ and ‘Nightrain‘, depicting life in the dumps.
Rose rose in the hard rock scene, meeting Roth on the UK pub circuit, solidifying his status. While Axl Rose was excited to meet the man who kicked down the door for LA hard rock, he soon realised that this was a different type of rock star than he had bargained for.
Following a recent show in the UK that left a couple of their fans trampled to death, Rose sought solace from the rock legend, only to be told to lighten up. Roth didn’t assume the role of an understanding mentor; rather, he remained ice-cold. He claimed that Rose was exaggerating the situation and attributed the casualties to rock and roll.
According to manager Doug Goldstein, Rose became shocked that someone could say such a thing. He recalled, “Axl just said, ‘Really? I’m sorry, but I don’t want to sit here anymore. He returned to his room. I felt embarrassed for introducing them, as he expressed disgust toward Dave. “To each his own, I suppose.”
Even though Axl Rose was more compassionate at the time, her rock and roll spirit became a dangerous part of their future shows, including multiple riots during the Use Your Illusion tour when Rose called out early or did not show up at all. Rose may have had an axe to grind when he took the stage. However, he didn’t have time for Roth’s morbid behaviour following a concert tragedy.
