How Guns N' Roses' Appearance in St. Louis Turned Into a Riot

Guns N' Roses have a history of making a mess of things onstage. A long history. But one of their earliest and most infamous run-ins occurred on July 2, 1991, when the volatile band played the Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis.

Things started out calmly enough, as they often did at Guns N' Roses shows. But by the time the group launched into the 15th song of their set, "Rocket Queen," things turned bad.

Axl Rose spotted someone taking pictures from the audience and instructed security to put a stop to it. "Get that guy!" he yelled in the middle of the song. Apparently, security didn't act quickly enough for Rose, who shouted: "I'll take it, goddamn it!"

He then leaped into the audience, tackling the photographer. He grabbed the camera, struck a few members of the audience and security team and was lifted back onstage by the Guns N' Roses crew.

Watch Guns N' Roses Perform in St. Louis in 1991

That's when the fun started. Rose yelled, "Thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home," dropped the mic and walked offstage. The rest of Guns N' Roses followed, with Slash telling the audience, "He just smashed the microphone. We're out of here."

The crowd then began to riot, leaving dozens of fans injured. Rose was charged with inciting the melee, but because the band left the States for a European tour, he couldn't be arrested. He finally was booked almost a year later, but a judge eventually declared that Rose was innocent.

Guns N' Roses later claimed that they asked security four times to remove the cameras they saw in the crowd. Group members also said they were hit by bottles, since the Riverport security was so lax.

When Guns N' Roses released their two Use Your Illusion albums the following year, there was a hidden message in the artwork. Look closely, and you'll spot "Fuck You, St. Louis!" in the albums' list of thank-yous.