2006.03.07 - Spin - The War of the Guns N' Roses

The War of the Guns N' Roses

By Spin Staff

Things are not going well for Axl Rose on the supposed eve of the release of Chinese Democracy. First, his meticulously guarded tracks were leaked onto the Internet, and now he's mired in yet another battle with former Guns N' Roses bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan.

Slash recently made public statements about Rose's upcoming GNR project, proclaiming his support of his former bandmate. Rose was not amused.

A statement released Monday (March 6) on behalf of Rose states that Slash's announcements of support for Rose are merely attempts to "garner publicity for himself." "Slash's actions in recent years have in fact been anything but supportive," the statement read, citing a series of lawsuits filed against Rose in the past decade.

"Slash's actions, whether in or out of Guns N' Roses have been a complete betrayal across the board of his alleged friendship and business relationship with Axl," the statement continued.

In August, Slash and McKagan filed their most recent suit against Rose claiming the former GNR frontman changed the publisher's name on songs collectively owned by the band.

That lawsuit was "based on a faulty premise from the start," according to Monday's statement. "What Hudson and McKagen attempted to portray as egregious misconduct by Axl was in fact -- as Slash and Duff have learned -- nothing more than a clerical error committed by ASCAP."

On Friday (March 3), Rose filed a counterclaim in Federal Court seeking to confirm "his ownership of his own creative works."

"Axl regrets having to spend time and energy on these distractions," Rose's attorney Howard Weitzman said in a statement, "but he has a responsibility to protect the Guns N' Roses legacy and expose the truth."

No word yet on how much Axl is seeking in damages.

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