Inside the Chaos: The Untold Stories of Guns N' Roses with Alan Niven

The Unhinged World of Guns N' Roses: Ex-Manager Alan Niven Spills the Tea

In a bombshell book that's set to shake the foundations of rock 'n' roll, former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven is finally pulling back the curtain on his time with one of the most infamous bands in history. With a career spanning decades and a resume that includes Great White, Dokken, Berlin, and Mötley Crüe, Niven's experiences with Axl Rose and co. are about to become the stuff of legend.

In an exclusive chat with The Scholarly Note.com ahead of the August 5 release of his book Sound N' Fury: Rock N' Roll Stories, Niven recalled how he was initially hesitant to sign on as manager for Guns N' Roses. In fact, it took him three tries before he finally agreed to take on the challenge – and what a challenge it turned out to be.

"The thing is, no one wanted Guns N' Roses," Niven revealed. "They'd been through at least two other management situations... They couldn't get rid of them fast enough. No one wanted to deal with them. They were a nightmare."

So, how did Niven get sucked into the maelstrom? According to him, it was all thanks to Slash – and not just because he's an English guitar god.

"I found out that Slash was articulate, eloquent, smart, and incredibly charming," Niven said. "I'm thinking, 'This is not just a knucklehead drunk like I saw on the stage of the Troubadour where he was just a knucklehead, Sunset guitarist drunk.' This guy's got brains, charisma, and talent – it's a deadly combination."

Niven also credited Izzy Stradlin with being "rock 'n' roll incarnate" and one of the band members who genuinely embodied the spirit of rebellion.

But what really sealed the deal for Niven was his first meeting with Slash and Izzy. It wasn't exactly your average, run-of-the-mill encounter.

"I arrive at the meeting, and there's this broken toilet by the front door," Niven chuckled. "I'm thinking, 'This is some interesting symbolism.' Most people put a big old pot of beautiful flowers, but they've got a broken toilet by the front door – it's a different message."

As he entered the meeting room, things only got more surreal.

"There's this well-known stripper who walks past us with a smile, and then there are just two people there: Slash and Izzy," Niven recalled. "And then Izzy nods out... He just slowly goes face-first onto the table."

Niven was left alone with Slash, who invited him to see something in his bedroom. And what did he find?

"There's this enormous snake, and I'm thinking, 'Oh great, a snake – just perfect.' But then Slash takes out this beautiful white bunny and feeds it to this legless monster. It was... quite a moment."

Despite their outrageous antics, Niven soon realized that Guns N' Roses were on the cusp of something big.

"You're driving down to Electric Ladyland Studios one afternoon, and you see these kids in leather jackets running after your car because Slash is sitting next to me," he said. "You pull around on Eighth Street, and I dive out of the car, get the front door open, and shout, 'Curly, get your ass in here!' And we close the door, look at each other, and go, 'Whoa, things have changed.'"

For Niven, it was clear that fame had already taken its toll on some members of the band. "It amplified Axl," he said. "He's a narcissist, and I think if you go and look at the employment forms for 'Front Man in Band,' the first box that you have to tick is, 'Are you a narcissist?' Tick – okay, now you can answer the rest of the questions.'"

As managing director of Guns N' Roses, Niven was hit with pressure from all sides. "David Geffen getting right in your face... I mean, this close," he mimicked, holding his hand up to his face. "When am I going to get my record?' I'd say, 'When it's done, David!' You had to give as good as you got from him."

But Niven also believed that the band members' addictions were a symptom of deeper issues.

"I think in most bands, all those who are band members usually come from dysfunctional childhoods and families," he said. "And part of the motivation for forming a band is not just to make noise or get laid but to create your perfect family that substitutes what's missing."

Niven pointed out that addiction can be a coping mechanism for people coming from troubled backgrounds, citing Axl Rose as an example.

"Axel had a rotten childhood," Niven said. "He's talked about it... He was not one who got f**ked up and out of it."

Slash, on the other hand, seemed to have no qualms about experimenting with substances.

"Slash, bless his heart, he had an appetite for anything," Niven chuckled.

Izzy Stradlin, meanwhile, was a smooth-talking ladies' man who even claimed to have dealt with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in the past.

"When we were going out with Aerosmith, Izzy sidled up to me one day and said, 'Now, I think we're gonna have a bit of a problem,'" Niven recalled. "'And I said, "Why?" And he said, "Well, I used to deal for Joe and Steven."'

Niven had to intervene, urging Izzy not to mention it to the Aerosmith duo, who were going through rehab at the time.

But despite their struggles with addiction, Niven believes that ego was ultimately what wrecked the band.

"It became about power. It became about control," he said.

As for his own relationship with Axl Rose, Niven revealed that it ended abruptly in 1991 without warning.

"There was no breaking point except for a phone call from Axl... I was on the East Coast; he was on the West Coast," Niven recalled. "I was gigging at Meadowlands, and there was a phone call in the production studio, 'Axl's on the phone for you.' Axel says, 'I can't work with you anymore.'"

Twelve weeks later, Izzy left the band, and the rest is history.

In retrospect, Niven believes that walking away from Guns N' Roses may have been the best decision he ever made – despite the years of hard work and dedication.

"Sometimes I sit in a tub, think, 'What kind of an ass** do you think you would've been if you'd been multimillions rich?' What makes you a character that you can live with? What gives you a persona that you can live with when you're going through the tough times?"

Niven's Sound N' Fury: Rock N' Roll Stories hits shelves on August 5 – and trust us, it's one book you won't want to miss.