Former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven has addressed long-standing rumors about the band considering replacing Axl Rose. He shared his account of events in a statement featured on The Hair Metal Guru.
Niven’s comments came in response to a question about whether there was ever discussion in the early days about removing Axl Rose from the band, even before their breakthrough album “Appetite for Destruction.”
“No. That’s a piece of bullsh*t that has been propagated and utilized by Gold Swine for years, but he’s an inveterate liar. Here’s the actuality,” Niven said.
The former manager then provided context about a specific incident that may have sparked these rumors.
“And this occurred in Phoenix at the airport and Axl had turned up for the second show. There had been a riot. A couple of cars got burned. It was not good. And you’re not an established act who can afford to get away with that kind of sh*t going on,” he explained. “We need the support of a record company and we need people to go, ‘Yeah, we’ll take them out on tour with us.’”
Niven clarified his actual role in addressing the situation with the band.
“I sat the band down at breakfast and I told them that if they decided to go on with another singer, I would not drop them,” he continued. “So, the day after the Phoenix debacle at Celebrity Theater, my clear statement to the band was, ‘If you decide to find another singer, I will not drop you.’ I did not say, ‘Get rid of Axl.’ No. That was my place. That was not my place to do that. Sure, it was up to them.”
The statement directly contradicts years of speculation about internal pressure to replace the band’s controversial frontman during their early career.
Niven’s revelations provide crucial context to understanding the complex dynamics within Guns N’ Roses during their formative years. They shed light on the challenging management decisions that shaped the band’s trajectory.
Wikipedia reports that Niven managed Guns N’ Roses from 1986 to 1991, overseeing their rise as they recorded “Appetite for Destruction.” He was eventually fired by Axl Rose before the release of “Use Your Illusion” after tensions reached a breaking point. The dismissal came when Rose refused to complete the albums until Niven was replaced. Some bandmates supported this move to avoid further conflicts.
The challenging nature of managing the volatile rock act was something Niven himself acknowledged in later interviews. RNZ documented that Niven once described taking the job as a favor and admitted managing Guns N’ Roses was driven partly by desperation. “No one else would deal with them. Literally, I was not bottom of the barrel, darling—I was underneath the barrel. It was desperation,” he said. This illustrates the challenging environment in which decisions about band members and management were made.
The Phoenix incident Niven referenced appears to be part of a pattern of early controversies that plagued the band’s rise to fame. The Los Angeles Times noted that these early incidents created significant pressure on both the band and their management team. They needed industry support to secure record deals and touring opportunities during their crucial developmental period.
Niven’s current statements serve to clarify his role during these turbulent times. He emphasizes that while he may have presented options to the band, he never actively campaigned for Rose’s removal. This distinction appears important to the former manager as he seeks to set the record straight about his tenure with one of rock’s most successful and controversial acts.
