2016.09.16 - Courthouse News - Former Guns N’ Roses Man Sues Axl Rose (& related articles)

Former Guns N’ Roses Man Sues Axl Rose

SANTA MONICA (CN) — A former member of Guns N' Roses who was left off the band's reunion tour sued Axl Rose this week, claiming the lead singer owes him more than $125,000.

Chris Pitman filled a variety of roles in the band, especially in the studio. He primarily played keyboards, but also bass, drums, sang backup vocals and helped with engineering. In his Tuesday lawsuit in Superior Court, he claims Rose didn't pay him for more than a year, but gave him a promissory note for $125,000 that has been due for more than four years.

Pitman joined Guns N' Roses in 1998, about a decade after the group enjoyed its biggest success with the albums "G N' R Lies" and "Appetite for Destruction." According to Billboard.com, Rose by then has alienated most of the original members with his erratic behavior. When guitarist Slash left the band in 1996, Rose was the only remaining founder member.

Pitman says in his lawsuit that he was "a loyal and dedicated engineer and musician for Axl Rose" for nearly 18 years. During that time, he says, he was "toiling at all hours" for more than a year without pay — one of many unpaid employees at the time. He says the promissory note of Oct. 4, 2011, came due a year later.

Pitman says Rose didn't pay, but Pitman stayed in the band. According to Rolling Stone, he played keyboards in the band's "Appetite for Democracy Tour" that ended in 2014.

According to Blabbermouth.net and ultimateclassicrock.com, Pitman got himself into trouble this year when he announced prematurely that the band would appear at the Coachella music festival in Indio.

After tweeting, "We are playing at Coachella 2016, look out!" he added, "I was just informed by mgmt to not acknowledge anything about coachella, gnr, etc. So there, denied!"

Upon hearing that Slash and other original members were back in the band for a tour and he had been left out, Pitman called it a "nostalgia tour," and a "money grab," then apologized. The two-month North American tour ended on Aug. 22 after shows in 21 stadiums. It grossed $116.8 million, according to Billboard.

"While Guns N' Roses are currently making multi-millions of dollars in 2016 for their corporate brand. Axl has failed to pay Chris, forcing him to bring this action," Pitman says in the complaint.

His attorneys Howard King and Seth Miller with King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano did not return emails or phone calls this week.

A spokesman for United Talent Agency, which handles publicity and management for Guns N' Roses, said the agency had no comment.

https://www.courthousenews.com/former-guns-n-roses-man-sues-axl-rose/

The story was first reported by TMZ on September 13, 2016:
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Axl Rose Sued by Engineer
Axl Rose Sued
No More Patience! You Still Owe Me $160k

Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses are raking in the dough these days, but Axl's way behind on paying the loyal engineer who stuck with the band in the lean years ... according to a lawsuit the guy just filed.

Axl cried poverty back in 2011 -- long before this year's hugely successful reunion tour -- and promised to pay Chris Pitman for services rendered ... down the road when he was more flush ... according to the docs.

Pitman says Axl wrote him a promissory note for the $125,000 he was owed for more than a year's worth of work. In the suit, he says that amount was supposed to be paid by Oct. 2012 -- but Axl never bucked up, and he's been radio silent ever since.

It's interesting, GNR has reportedly grossed more than $100 million already off its reunion -- so, you gotta figure Pitman ain't gonna buy the poor Axl routine now.

He says Axl now owes him more than $163k, due to interest.

https://www.tmz.com/2016/09/13/axl-rose-lawsuit-guns-n-roses-engineer-unpaid-wages/

Related article in Loudwire, Sept. 13:
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Former Guns N’ Roses Instrumentalist Chris Pitman Sues Axl Rose for Unpaid Debt

While Guns N' Roses have enjoyed a successful reunion with Slash and Duff McKagan returning to the fold this year, one longtime member of Guns N' Roses not involved with the reunion is coming after Axl Rose for unpaid debts.

According to TMZ, Chris Pitman, who joined the group in 1998 and remained until earlier this year, has filed a lawsuit against Axl Rose over an unpaid debt for services he provided to the group. During his time with the band, Pitman served as a second keyboardist, second bassist, provided backing vocals and added some percussion and programming during the band's shows. He also did some co-writing with the band over the years.

According to Pitman, he claims that Rose wrote him a promissory note for $125,000 that he was owed for over a year's worth of work. In the suit, Pitman claims that Rose was supposed to pay up by October 2012, but has failed to do so. Pitman reveals that Rose owes him more than $163,000 now due to interest.

Shortly after it was revealed that Rose would be playing with Slash and Duff McKagan, rumors surfaced via social media that some members of the most recent GN'R lineup, including Pitman, would be involved. However, in March of this year, Pitman made headlines calling the reunion "a money grab" and a "nostalgia tour." He later apologized for those remarks, but in April stated that the "oldies" reunion was "boring." Pitman was not a part of those shows, with Melissa Reese filling some of the duties he performed with the group.

https://loudwire.com/former-guns-n-roses-instrumentalist-chris-pitman-sues-axl-rose-unpaid-debts/