On July 22nd of 1992, during their famous joint tour with Metallica, Guns N' Roses co-headlined at the Hoosier Dome in Axl Rose's home state of Indiana. They appeared on stage last, almost two hours after Metallica had finished their set, and were headed by an angry frontman. Two days later, a less-than-glowing review of his band's performance — which can be read in full, here — appeared in The Indianapolis Star, written by the paper's music critic at the time, Marc Allan.
Thanks to Marc, we can now enjoy Axl's entertaining response to that piece: a defiant letter he faxed to the paper's offices that day.
Transcript follows. Huge thanks to Marc Allan for getting in touch.
(Source: Marc Allan; Image: Axl Rose in 1992, via The Telegraph.)
Transcript
W. AXL ROSE
2001 BARRINGTON #100
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90025
GUNS N' ROSES
July 24, 1992
MARK D. ALLAN, (USED TO BE THE NAME OF OUR TRAVEL AGENT, WE FIRED THEM)
You don't get it... Wait, that's too easy... Maybe you don't want to get it - or you'd have to face yourself and oh my God that's just too scary. Maybe it's impossible and it's too late for you - you know, have someone stick a fork in your ass and turn you over you're done. Indiana needs to wake up and hey if that takes a little taunting and 2 and half hours of music + a fireworks show + cartoon for a total of 2 hours and 50 minutes to wake up maybe 5% of a 48,000 plus crowd then so be it. I can also suffer your redneck, blind, narrow minded refuse about ranting - you nor anyone will ever dictate my actions, attitudes, comments, oratation, and musical performances on stage. Don't kid yourself and act above, better than, or even comparable to me or G N' R. If that were true there'd be no reason to censor my language in your basic Indiana attempt at journalism.
I came here to enrage... Thank you, you have helped me know I succeeded. I've made my inquiries, I am your Rock N' Roll nightmare. And you... You're just gonna sit on your wanna be ass and watch me, born a Hoosier, grow larger than you could ever imagine or ever be able to stop. That's not to say I didn't appreciate your anger, hostility and general ignorance. It shows me my so called "RANTS" are a much needed, missing piece in our puzzle of society.
stay away from microwaves-
Love Axl
(Signed, 'W. Axl Rose')
P.S. Oh, and it was never a battle O' the bands, I imagined this thing, and everyone wins, as long as I show up to my own dream, that is!!!
