Former Guns N' Roses Manager Exposes Unbridled Chaos Of 'the Most Dangerous Band In The World'

Alan Niven had zero desire to look aft Guns N’ Roses, a stone set discovered "from nan gutters of Los Angeles."

"I thought they were a disaster from everything I heard connected nan street," nan group’s erstwhile head told Fox New Digital. "Their estimation was dreadful. There were apprehension warrants. There was supplier abuse. There was conscionable unbridled chaos."

Niven has written a caller book retired connected Aug. 5, "Sound N’ Fury: Rock N’ Roll Stories." It specifications what it was for illustration managing GNR, arsenic good arsenic Great White.

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Guns N' Roses, from left: Duff McCagan, Slash, Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, circa 1987. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached retired to nan members of Guns N’ Roses for comment.

Niven claimed that Tom Zutaut, nan A&R man who signed GNR and Mötley Crüe successful nan ‘80s, asked him to negociate nan group connected 3 abstracted occasions. With gritted teeth, Niven yet agreed.

On nan nighttime that Guns N' Roses were signed, they played nan opus "Out Ta Get Me" for nan first time. (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"I was not peculiarly willing successful being portion of a cattle telephone of management," Niven explained. "I had different set that I had conscionable brought retired of nan ashes of a disastrous narration pinch EMI, and we were getting that into due shape."

"Sound N' Fury: Rock N' Roll Stories" by Alan Niven is disposable for preorder. (ECW Press)

"The 2nd clip he asked, I did immoderate investigation connected nan band, and I thought Tom had mislaid his mind," Niven admitted. "I thought nan set was going to beryllium a disaster for him. And nan 3rd clip he asked me, he said it was a disaster, and he couldn’t get Eddie Rosenblatt, president of Geffen Records, to let him to commencement signaling until they had a manager."

Alan Niven said it was Slash who easy impressed him. (Courtesy of Alan Niven)

"He said, ‘Would you please dress to negociate them?’" Niven recalled. "I said, ‘Pretend I’m retired of my mind? OK, I will spell return a gathering and spot what happens.'"

Niven claimed connected nan time of nan meeting, only guitarist Slash showed up. He was impressed.

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Guitarist Slash poses for a image pinch his pet snake, Clyde, successful Los Angeles, circa 1984. (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"He was very English-eloquent," said nan New Zealand-born Niven. "He was very charming and intelligent… I looked astatine him and went, ‘There’s much present than appears connected nan surface. I’m willing now.’ That’s really it started… But why did I extremity up managing Guns N’ Roses? Because nary 1 other would do it. They could not get anybody to activity pinch them astatine all. I was their past chance astatine them getting a manager."

The group’s debut album, 1987’s "Appetite for Destruction," is 1 of nan best-selling albums of each time. But earlier its release, Niven said he was worried astir going into debt. Between drugs, temper swings, and different salacious indulgences, Niven was successful complaint of wrangling nan bandmates into nan workplace and getting them to grounds connected time.

From left: Steven Adler and Duff McKagan backstage astatine The Music Machine connected September 13, 1986, successful Los Angeles, California. (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"In those days, a set mightiness only get an beforehand of $50-$70,000 to make their debut record," said Niven. "It was bonzer that Geffen would’ve spent $365,000 connected a debut grounds for a band. And it’s not conscionable nan costs of nan record. You besides person nan costs of nan videos, nan circuit support. God knows what indebtedness you would build earlier you moreover sold grounds No. 1."

Guns N' Roses earned nan nickname "the astir vulnerable set successful nan world." (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"That’s erstwhile I learned really to get insomnia," he said. "I would laic successful furniture and go, ‘We’re going to beryllium half a cardinal dollars successful indebtedness connected this record. God knows if we’re ever going to excavation retired of that hole.’ And we sewage nary airplay for nan first six months of nan record’s release. MTV ignored america arsenic well. It was a slog."

But Niven’s deficiency of slumber yet paid off.

"One afternoon, Slash and I were successful a municipality car being driven to Electric Ladyland studios successful New York," said Niven. "We were astir to move left, and I noticed location were a group of kids successful leather jackets moving aft nan car. At that moment, I thought, ‘Things are a small different.’ That's erstwhile it each changed."

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Guitarist Slash of Guns N' Roses was backstage astatine nan Troubadour wherever Tom Zutaut of Geffen Records was successful nan audience. Zutaut later signed them to a grounds woody connected February 28, 1986, successful Los Angeles, California. (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

GNR earned nan nickname "the astir vulnerable set successful nan world" owed to their antics connected and disconnected nan stage. And managing them came pinch much responsibilities than Niven bargained for. In his book, Niven recalled really he erstwhile put Slash successful his spare chamber to "make him spell acold turkey" because "he was not 1 for rehab."

"My woman and I took turns watching complete him, wiping nan vomit from his rima and counting retired nan Valium," Niven wrote. 

It didn’t get easier pinch drummer Steven Adler.

Steven Adler and Slash astatine nan Santa Monica Civic Auditorium aft opening for Ted Nugent connected August 30, 1986, successful Los Angeles, California. (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"Stevie had to beryllium forced into rehab," Niven wrote. "Exodus. Hazelden. Sierra Tucson. [We] came to cognize nan rehab centers of America arsenic good arsenic we knew nan performance venues. You person to conflict nan battles of addiction alongside nan addicted, moreover if only they tin triumph nan war."

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In nan book, Niven besides remembers nan group preparing to time off for their circuit of Japan. On that day, frontman Axl Rose was late. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin held up a "small roar box" and said, "I don’t care. I’m set. I’ve sewage my stash." Niven was hoping Stradlin was referring to "his stash of preferred tunes."

Under nan artillery compartment was "a lump of crumpled foil." Niven ordered him to flush it.

Izzy Stradlin didn't hesitate to break nan rules, to Alan Niven's dismay. (Marc S Canter/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"Well, that’s a f----n’ discarded of bully smack," Stradlin replied.

Reluctantly, he gave in.

"Izz had so gotten free of his stash — he’d swallowed it," Niven wrote. "He should’ve been excited to beryllium going to Japan for nan first time. He was, however, waiting connected Axl. Again. Dope helps woody pinch that stress."

Alan Niven astatine nan signaling studio. (Risto Hankala/Alan Niven)

Niven told Fox News Digital he made judge nan set followed "the absolute norm of nan road."

"I don’t cognize really group are today, but backmost successful nan day, we had a norm while walking connected tour: Don’t carry. Don’t buy, and don’t instrumentality it nether your hairsbreadth and deliberation it won’t beryllium found," he said. "I deliberation we did a beautiful bully occupation astatine catching them erstwhile they tried to break nan rule."

Niven said 1 euphony executive later remarked, "They mightiness do good if they stayed alive."

"I tried to support that retired of my caput because my work was to make judge they did enactment alive," said Niven. "It's 1 of nan things I'm proud of — cipher expired nether my watch."

It was successful 1990 erstwhile Niven was "nursing feelings of dread astir Guns and Axl," nan book claims. He claimed that Rose progressively complained astir his bandmates, but "his worst vitriol was reserved for Slash."

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Axl Rose and Slash of Guns N' Roses execute unrecorded astatine Rock In Rio II connected January 15, 1991, successful Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That aforesaid year, Alan Niven was fired. (Ke.Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images)

"In position of nan strain and accent between Axl and Slash, I mightiness propose that it’s betwixt Axl and nan world," said Niven. 

"[Axl] had a reliable childhood... And I deliberation he’s still dealing pinch nan consequences of that moreover now. People inquire me, ‘Did Axl alteration pinch success?’ My consequence is ever nan same: No, occurrence didn’t alteration him astatine all. It conscionable amplified him. He’s ever been that way. And pinch Axl, he has power issues. It’s not a matter of spot issues. He wants it his way, aliases he’ll induce you to return nan highway."

Axl Rose performing during Billy Joel's residency astatine Madison Square Garden connected July 25, 2024, successful New York City. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

"[There was] a powerfulness play," Niven continued. "The [2008 album] ‘Chinese Democracy' is an Axl solo record. I deliberation he did himself an unthinkable disservice by claiming it arsenic a Guns N’ Roses medium alternatively of claiming it arsenic his album. I deliberation group would’ve been acold much inclined to respond amended [if it were] a solo grounds and presented arsenic such. I deliberation group were disappointed..."

Alan Niven claimed that arsenic frontman, Axl Rose wanted "full control." (Paul Natkin/WireImage/Getty Images)

In 1991, Niven received a telephone telephone from Rose. The vocalist told him, "I can’t activity pinch you anymore."

"That’s why I parted ways pinch nan band… control," Niven claimed. "I signed a statement pinch 5 individuals… I didn’t person a statement pinch Axl."

Decades later, Niven still wonders astir nan rockers.

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Alan Niven now resides successful Arizona. (Courtesy of Alan Niven)

"I wonderment really [Axl] feels moving crossed a shape successful his 60s yelling, ‘They’re retired ta get me!’ and past going location successful his limousine to his mansion in nan hills of Malibu. I wonderment what that intends to him because nan world has not been retired to get Axl. He has been favored pinch unthinkable privilege… I don’t cognize what he’s going to look guardant to isolated from possibly penning a book saying really everybody’s messed things up for him."

"When you’re successful your 20s, you’re successful nan backmost of a circuit bus, surviving nan free life," he reflected. "We escaped. The full constituent of being successful stone ‘n’ rotation was not to person a miserable stiff job… It was going retired and playing. Now you’re successful your 50s and 60s. You’re not retired location astatine nan backmost of nan autobus anymore."