Guns N' Roses Start A Riot In St. Louis

1991

At a Guns N' Roses show in St. Louis, Axl Rose grows irate when he sees someone in the crowd taking pictures, and he leaves the stage, announcing, "Thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home." A riot follows, and the band's equipment is destroyed.

At a St. Louis concert, during the song "Rocket Queen," Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose is distracted by an audience member taking photographs and dives into the audience to confront him. Ever since two fans were crushed to death at a Monsters of Rock show in the UK in 1988, Rose has made a habit of stopping shows to tackle unruly fans. He is frustrated at the failure of security to confiscate the fan's contraband camera, and after asking them four times, he decides to take matters into his own hands. After being dragged away and returned to the stage by the security guards, he declares, "Thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home," throws down his microphone and storms off. The audience is furious, and a riot ensues. The band's equipment is destroyed, 60 people are injured, and there is over $200,000 worth of damage. Guns N' Roses are banned from playing in the city and Rose is charged with inciting a riot, but with the band's ongoing world tour it takes over a year for him to be arrested. When he finally appears before a court he is cleared by the judge of any wrongdoing. Bitter from the experience, the band incorporate the message "F- You, St. Louis" in the Thank You section of their next album Use Your Illusion (1991). It is not Axl Rose's first violent outburst and will not be his last. In 2013 an Australian fan sues Rose for $5,000 after a microphone thrown by the star knocks out several of his teeth.