2006.06.27 - Blabbermouth - Axl Rose Arrested In Sweden After Drunken Brawl

Axl Rose arrested in Sweden after drunken brawl

Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose was taken into custody by the Swedish police Tuesday morning (June 27) after getting into a fight with a hotel security guard.

Officer Tove Hägg told The Local the rock star was in a cell still drunk at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. She said he is being charged with damaging property, assaulting a security guard, and threatening police in the squad car on the way to the station.

"He was aggressive and acting out," Fredrik Nylén, one of the arresting officers, told Aftonbladet.

After Guns N' Roses' sold-out show at The Globe (attended by 13,100 people), the entire band — minus Axl — went to the nightclub Café Opera at approximately 1:00 a.m. for an after-party. The enigmatic vocalist joined them at 2:20 a.m. and was immediately surrounded by a throng of leather-dressed blonde females and Swedish celebrities — including members of Ace of Base, Backyard Babies and The Poodles.

"It was a fantastic show. The Swedish fans were wonderful," Axl Rose told Aftonbladet as he started enjoying one of the things that he demanded at the party — Jack Daniel's with a temperature between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius.

"We will party all night long," guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal told Expressen earlier in the night.

The band had previously asked to be met by Swedish blondes at the after-party — a request which was publicized in the local media.

"Yeah, I like it," Axl Rose reportedly said, as he sat down between two blonde girls and lit up a cigarette — this despite a smoking ban that currently exists in bars and restaurants in Sweden.

The party continued into the early hours of the morning at the Berns hotel where the band is staying. And there something went wrong.

At 7:52 a.m., Axl Rose was arrested (photo) by the police and brought to the police station in the Norrmalm section of Stockholm. The hotel manager, Joakim Olauson, confirmed to Aftonbladet that the rock star was involved in a brawl at the hotel.

"I can confirm that there has been an incident in which Axl Rose was involved. Since this is an ongoing police investigation, I must refer you to the police," he said.

Fredrik Nylén, one of the arresting officers, told Aftonbladet that Axl Rose was very aggressive and out of control when the police arrived at the scene — so much so that the police were forced to handcuff and restrain him.

According to a witness, Axl Rose started fighting with a woman. The hotel staff then tried to intervene and that's when Axl went on the attack.

A 30-year-old security guard, who broke up the fight between the woman and Rose, was bitten in the leg and taken to a hospital for evaluation Tuesday morning.

"He was taken to the hospital this morning in order to see if there was any risk of him getting tetanus," said Antonio Saluena, the chief of the private security company employing the injured guard, according to Aftonbladet.

"[Axl] broke a mirror in the hotel reception and was very upset," a witness said. "It is somewhat unclear as to why. He was also about to get into a scuffle with another hotel guest."

According to Fredrik Nylén, Axl's actions during the arrest resulted in additional charges being filed against him. "He is now also suspected of threatening an officer of the law," he said.

"Threatening a police officer is punishable by jail time, but in this will case, it will likely result in a fine."

The Swedish TV host Gry Forssell partied with Rose until 4:30 a.m.

"Axl was in a great mood," she said. "He was dancing, drinking and he was surrounded by girls. He gave me a shot and seemed to be having a very pleasant night."

GUNS N' ROSES are supposed to perform in Oslo tomorrow but are staying in Stockholm until early Wednesday afternoon.

Catarina Oscarsson, the publicist for the Swedish concert promoter EMA Telstar, expects the band to be on stage tomorrow night as scheduled.

"Hopefully Axl Rose will be in Oslo tomorrow," she said. "We have not received any information from the police to the contrary."

According to Expressen, Axl Rose was involved in a dispute with the Swedish media prior to the concert. Rose reportedly refused to have his picture taken during the show unless the photographers signed away the copyright to the pictures to the band's management. Given this ultimatum, all Swedish photographers decided to boycott the concert.

Articles in Aftonbladet (in Swedish):

https://web.archive.org/web/20060629050853/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0%2C2789%2C847966%2C00.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20060705052431/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0,2789,848444,00.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20060629051055/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/noje/story/0%2C2789%2C848244%2C00.html