Ear to the sound

Axl Rose

Guns N’Roses’ Axl Rose comes in at No.1 for the sheer number of fan versus band scuffles he’s racked up. While other musicians have the odd angry incident hidden in their past, Mr Rose’s battles number too many to name. But let us give you our favourites. There’s was the time he stopped an Argentina show to tell off the audience like pre-schoolers (watch here). There was the time he stopped a Philadelphia show to tell the audience he had a “couple of major arseholes down here,” before threatening “a stupid m***** f****”. (watch here). And let’s not forget the time he confiscated the shirt of a fan he didn’t like and then had him thrown out (watch here).

But it’s not just a numbers game, Rose has gravitas on his side. During a 1991 concert in St Louis, he clocked a fan making an illegal video of the performance and ordered security to confiscate the camera. When they didn’t move quickly enough for his liking, he dived into the crowd and, wrestled the camera off the fan. After making it back to the stagem he threw down his mike and screamed: “Thanks to the lame-arse security, I’m going home.” As the lights went up and the band left the stage, a riot began. The arena was badly damaged and Rose, blamed for inciting the riot, was found guilty on several counts of assault and property damage.

Taken from the Top Ten Fans VS Bands list (Times Online)