2012.02.29 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Axl Rose explains Guns N' Roses no-show in 2002

by **Blackstar** Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:59 pm

Axl Rose explains Guns N' Roses no-show in 2002 that led to melee

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose tried to explain from the stage of the Electric Factory Monday why the band failed to perform at a Dec. 2002 show at what is now the Wells Fargo Center.

By Dan Gross

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose tried to explain from the stage of the Electric Factory Monday why the band failed to perform at a Dec. 2002 show at what is now the Wells Fargo Center.

When the band never came out a melee ensued with fans throwing chairs and wreaking havoc in the arena. Rose told the Electric Factory crowd about an hour into the band’s set that he had canceled the 2002 show that morning because he was sick.

“My manager told me he canceled it and then didn't,” Rose said before explaining how Clear Channel, the concert promoter now operating as LiveNation “Wanted us to f--- up, because they wanted to end the tour. 'Cause they had some s--- going on in Florida or something… I don't know… a whole bunch of bulls---. But I got really sick. It had nothing to do with fur coats and basketball games, you know.”

At the time it was reported that Rose wouldn’t go on because he was watching a basketball game. The fur coat reference he made is unclear.

As for Clear Channel, the promoter did cancel the rest of the Guns N’ Roses tour several days after the Philly no-shows. A LiveNation spokeswoman did not return a request for comment on Rose’s remarks.

“So it's good to be here,” Rose said. “ I want to apologize for my part of that. You know, so… I'm not saying I'm innocent."
On Monday, Rose, the group’s only original member, and his hired guns took the stage aroujnd 11:30 and played a three-hour set of Guns N’ Roses greatest hits and new cuts from the band’s latest “Chinese Democracy.”

https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/entertainment/celebrities_gossip/140784073.html

by **Blackstar** Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:59 pm

We haven’t been back here in a long time, right? And I never talked publicly about what went down, and a lot of that was because there were a lot of legalities behind the scenes, so I had to keep my mouth shut for five years, or I would have got sued for about everything I owned by fucking corporate radio and shit that were backing our tour. So I had to shut up. I mean, I did cancel the first show at 6:00 in the morning. But my manager told me he canceled it and then didn’t. And then Clear Channel wanted us to fuck up, because they wanted to end the tour, because they had some shit going on in Florida or something, I don’t know, some… a whole bunch of bullshit. But I got really sick; it had nothing to do with fur coats or basketball games or... You know, and I love Philly. I came to visit here a few times and stuff, I really liked it. So on this we decided, “Okay, we’re gonna risk it, what if we can throw in a show in Philly, and we can get in Philly;" and maybe I could get lucky and not go to jail. So it’s good to be here with you people tonight. I want to apologize for my part of that, you know, so… I’m not saying I’m innocent.

The Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA, USA, February 27, 2012

2012.02.29 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Axl Rose explains Guns N' Roses no-show in 2002

2012.02.29 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Axl Rose explains Guns N' Roses no-show in 2002

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