In the chaotic world of rock ‘n’ roll, control can be as coveted as fame—and according to a former GUNS N’ ROSES manager, Axl Rose has claimed both. Amid fresh revelations, the iconic frontman is now accused of taking a staggering 50% of the band’s income, allegedly tightening his grip on the group he’s long been known to dominate.
According to former GUNS N’ ROSES manager Alan Niven, speaking on the Appetite For Distortion podcast, Rose now collects half of the group’s income.
“It’s a control thing with Axl,” he says. “Here’s another little snapshot that is illuminating and goes to forming a correct perception. Axl takes 50% of the income of GUNS N’ ROSES now. 50%, okay? That, to me, is anathema. He is not GUNS N’ ROSES.
“They were five individuals. It was a chemistry. It was a moment. But Axl wants to be in control of everything all the time. And look what that gets you. A boring solo record and a sh**ty thing of punk covers. And that’s it.”
The two GUNS N’ ROSES albums Niven is likely referencing are the 1993 covers album, The Spaghetti Incident?, and 2008’s famously long-in-the-making Chinese Democracy.
Elsewhere in the interview, Niven shared prior to band’s success, they had difficulty finding a manager, and it was Slash‘s charisma and intelligence that ultimately convinced him to take on the role.
“They were a bunch of f**kups whom Geffen wanted to drop. Eddie Rosenblatt [former head of Geffen] wanted to drop the band before Appetite [for Destruction] ever got recorded,” Niven revealed. “When I came on board and signed a contract with them, apparently, Rosenblatt told [former Geffen A&R exec Tom] Zutaut he was going to give me three months to turn it around, and make it look productive, otherwise the band was going.
Tom didn’t tell me that until years later, by the way,” he continued. “But when I came on board. As far as Geffen was concerned, if I didn’t make it look real within three months, they were going to get dropped. They were hellions. No one wanted to manage them. Why was I managing them? Because everybody else said no… I mean, [none] of them wanted to do it. I didn’t want to do it to start with, either. The seduction, for me, was actually Slash, when I realized, ‘Oh, he’s really intelligent and charming. There’s a little bit.’”
Source: metaladdicts.com
