Former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven has ignited controversy by asserting that frontman Axl Rose now commands a staggering 50% of the band’s income. Speaking on the “Appetite For Distortion” podcast, Niven didn’t mince words, stating: “Axl takes 50% of the income of Guns N’ Roses now. 50%, okay? That, to me, is anathema. He is not Guns N’ Roses.”
Niven elaborated on his view, emphasizing the band’s original dynamic: “They were five individuals. It was a chemistry. It was a moment.” He then sharply criticized Rose‘s creative direction, suggesting his control has resulted in “a boring solo record and a sh*tty thing of punk covers. And that’s it,“ a clear reference to “Chinese Democracy” and “The Spaghetti Incident?“.
This isn’t the first time Niven, who guided the band through their tumultuous early years, has been critical. As he stated previously to Classic Rock in 2022: “I have no hope of, or interest in, a new Guns N’ Roses album. The tantrums of youth look absurd on a 60-year-old. It’s a shame they have been creatively impotent since 1991.”
Beyond his recent income claims, Niven also shared insights into the band’s early days. He revealed the challenges they faced in securing management, noting that “everybody else said no” to managing them. According to Niven, it was Slash‘s qualities that swayed him: “The seduction, for me, was actually Slash, when I realized, ‘Oh, he’s really intelligent and charming. There’s a little bit.’” He further claimed that Geffen Records had considered dropping the band before their breakthrough, with former head Eddie Rosenblatt wanting to “drop the band before Appetite [for Destruction] ever got recorded.” Niven stated he was given “three months to turn it around, and make it look productive, otherwise the band was going.”
Despite these resurfacing criticisms, Guns N’ Roses are currently on their global “Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things Tour 2025,” with upcoming performances scheduled across Asia and Europe.
Tour dates are as follows:
May 2025
- May 1: Incheon Songdo Moonlight Park, South Korea
- May 5: Yokohama K Arena, Japan
- May 10: Taoyuan Sunlight Arena, Taiwan
- May 13: Bangkok Thunderdome Stadium, Thailand
- May 17: Mumbai Mahalaxmi Racecourse, India
- May 23: Riyadh Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia
- May 27: Abu Dhabi Etihad Arena, UAE
- May 30: Shekvetili Parka, Georgia ^
June 2025
- June 2: Istanbul Tüpraş Stadyumu, Turkey ^
- June 6: Coimbra Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Portugal ^
- June 9: Barcelona Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Spain
- June 12: Florence Firenze Rocks, Italy * ^
- June 15: Hradec Kralove Rock For People, Czech Republic * ^
- June 18: Dusseldorf Merkur Spiel-Arena, Germany ^
- June 20: Munich Allianz Arena, Germany ^
- June 23: Birmingham Villa Park, UK
- June 26: London Wembley Stadium, UK
- June 29: Aarhus Eskelunden, Denmark +
July 2025
- July 2: Trondheim Granåsen Ski Centre, Norway +
- July 4: Stockholm Strawberry Aren, Sweden +
- July 7: Tampere Ratina Stadium, Finland +
- July 10: Kaunas Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Lithuania +
- July 12: Warsaw PGE Nardowy, Poland +
- July 15: Budapest Puskás Aréna, Hungary +
- July 18: Belgrade Ušće Park, Serbia +
- July 21: Sofia Vasil Levski Stadium, Bulgaria +
- July 24: Vienna Ernst Happel Stadion, Austria #
- July 28: Luxembourg Open Air, Luxembourg #
- July 31: Wacken Festival, Germany *
Key:
- * = Festival appearance
- + = with Public Enemy
- ^ = with Rival Sons
- # = with Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter
