Music awards were not a picnic for all concerned including Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin who was punched in the face by Motley Crue vocalist, Vince Neil as Stradlin walked off stage with his manager Alan Nivens. This was apparently Neil’s reaction to a 1988 incident at an LA rock club in which Stradlin allegedly assaulted Neil’s wife, Charisse then had her ejected from a room at the club.
Poster Boys
Thirty years ago, Axl Rose and Vince Neil were poster boys for charismatic rock n’ roll frontmen.
Back in 1987, Motley Crue was touring on the Girls Girls Girls album and Guns N’ Roses were an up-and-coming band who opened for Motley Crue in November of ’87. The bands partied together and even seem to have camaraderie.
Fast forward to a few years later. Vince Neil was out of town and his wife had gone to the Cathouse Club in Los Angeles where she had been allegedly assaulted by Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Izzy Stradlin.
1989 MTV Video Music Awards
Shortly after the incident both members of Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crue including Vince Neil, frontman Axl Rose, and Stradlin himself had been in attendance at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. Guns N’ Roses were up for two awards for their big single, “Sweet Child of Mine” from their 1987 full-length debut record Appetite for Destruction.
The record was up for best group and best metal video awards, the latter of which they actually won. It would be Motley Crue to present the award to the Guns N’ Roses rhythm section which was made up of drummer Steven Adler and bassist Duff McKagan.
The same night, Guns N’ Roses members Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin would perform on stage with Tom Petty. Following their performance, Vince Neil would lay in wait ready to approach Stradlin about what happened with his wife.
Vince Neil had this to say about his interpretation of the incident at the Cathouse, “We were at the Cathouse. I was there with Charisse who was Vince’s girl at the time and Izzy grabbed her breasts. He kicked her in the stomach while she was pregnant. I was pissed. I said next time I see the guy I’m gonna kick his ass.”
“We’re walkin’ off the stage and Vince Neil reaps up the audience and hits Izzy right in the face. He made a move and so I clocked him and that was it.” – Vince Neil
Fast-forward to the 1989 VMAs where Vince made good on his word. “We’re walkin’ off the stage and Vince Neil reaps up the audience and hits Izzy right in the face. He made a move and so I clocked him and that was it.”
Later that night, Neil was confronted by an incensed Axl Rose with Neil remembering, “Axl came snarling after us like an overdressed Doberman. ‘Come on mother f..er, I’m going to kill you,’ he yelled at our backs.”
Famous Last Words
Nothing happened that night but the singers went their separate ways and took shots at each other in the press. Axl was interviewed by Kurt Loder in 1990 on the show Famous Last Words and brought up the feud with Vince Neil. He said the following, “Have you patched up your differences with Vince Neil and the boys?” “No way. I haven’t patched up anything.” “What’s the dispute there?” “… I’ve read in the interviews of theirs that they feel that it’s like I’m just standing up for Izzy and stuff… We didn’t want to take it to court because it would be too much trouble and too much hassle.
Izzy just laughs because he’s like, ‘That guy, you know, had a full-on free shot.’ I put in a magazine… any time he wants it, anywhere… he tried to turn around and say the same thing but you know, the invitation is there. I’m easy to find.”
“I’m gonna give you the time and then give me the place and there’s no backing out now buddy.” – Vince Neil
Following Axel’s interview on Kurt Loder’s show, Vince Neil offered his own take during an interview of MTV and here’s what he had to say, “He said a lot of bad things about me the last few years and a lot of threats… he said, ‘Well anytime, anyplace,’ and right now I want to put an end to this and what I want is Axel, if you’re watching this, I want to challenge you to a fight. I’m gonna give you the time and then give me the place and there’s no backing out now buddy. It’s time to put up or shut up.”
It was reported that Vince Neil had wanted to do the fight on a Monday night at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood Los Angeles. Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar even offered to put up the money to stage the fight in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Sadly at the end of the day, no fight ever happened.
“Shotgun Blues”
Guns N’ Roses for their part, would release a song “Shotgun Blues” from their Use Your Illusion 2 record which was said to be a diss track aimed at Motley Crue’s Vince Neil.
Stradlin would call Neil to apologize and nothing would be said by either camp about each other for almost two decades until 2009 when Vince Neil criticized Guns N’ Roses’ album Chinese Democracy in the press for being a flop.
World’s Greatest Singer
Fast forward to 2014, Axl Rose was named the world’s greatest singer according to Concert Hotels. Neil would respond to this news on Twitter, “News just said that Axl Rose is the greatest singer of all time? #lol.” He later then deleted his tweet.
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