Editing Axl Rose (section)

=== 1990–1993: international success with ''Use Your Illusion'' ===
In early 1990, Guns N' Roses returned to the studio to begin recording the full-length follow-up to ''Appetite for Destruction''. Recording sessions initially proved unproductive due to Steven Adler's struggle with drug addiction, which made him unable to perform and caused sessions to be delayed for several days at a time.<ref name="Spitz99"/> Adler was fired the following July and replaced by [[Matt Sorum]] of [[the Cult]].<ref name="Spitz99"/> Keyboardist [[Dizzy Reed]] also joined the band that year at Rose's insistence.<ref name="Spitz99"/> Sorum and Reed played their first show with Guns N' Roses at [[Rock in Rio#Rock in Rio 2|Rock in Rio 2]] in January 1991. The group fired its long-time manager, [[Alan Niven]], in May of that year; Rose reportedly forced the dismissal of Niven against the wishes of his bandmates by refusing to complete the new album until Niven was gone.<ref name="Neely91">{{cite magazine|last=Neely|first=Kim|title=Guns N' Roses: Outta Control|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=September 5, 1991|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/guns-n-roses-outta-control-100543/}}</ref> He was replaced by roadie Doug Goldstein, whom Izzy Stradlin described as "the guy who gets to go over to Axl's at six in the morning after he's smashed his $60,000 grand piano out of the picture window".<ref name="Kent03"/>

In May 1991, still without an album to promote, the band embarked on the two-and-a-half-year [[Use Your Illusion Tour]], which became known for its financial success and myriad controversial incidents that occurred during shows, including late starts, on-stage rantings and even riots. Rose received much criticism for his late appearances at concerts, sometimes taking the stage hours after the band was scheduled to perform.<ref name="Neely92"/> In July 1991, 90 minutes into a concert at the [[Riverport Amphitheater]] near [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], after on-stage requests from Rose for security personnel to confiscate a fan's video camera, Rose himself dived into the crowd to seize it. After being pulled back on stage, he announced, "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!" and departed, following which some 2,500 fans staged [[Riverport riot|a riot]], resulting in an estimated $200,000 in damages.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Neely|first=Kim|title=Fans Riot at Guns Show|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=August 22, 1991}}</ref>

[[Image:Axl Rose at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, Israel -- May 1993.jpg|thumb|Rose at [[Yarkon Park]] in Tel Aviv, Israel, in May 1993]]

In September 1991, with enough material completed for two albums, Guns N' Roses released ''[[Use Your Illusion I]]'' and ''[[Use Your Illusion II]]'', which debuted at No.{{nbsp}}2 and No.{{nbsp}}1 respectively on the ''Billboard'' 200, a feat not achieved by any other group.<ref name="Sugerman91"/> By the albums' release, however, Rose's relationships with his bandmates had become increasingly strained. His childhood friend Izzy Stradlin abruptly left the group in November 1991; he was replaced by [[Gilby Clarke]] of [[Kill For Thrills]].<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref name="Sischy92"/> Of his reasons for leaving, Stradlin said, "I didn't like the complications that became such a part of daily life in Guns N' Roses,"<ref name="Musician92">{{cite magazine|title=Izzy Stradlin Interview with Musician|year=1992|magazine=[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]] |url=http://www.chopaway.com/viewtopic.php?id=555|access-date=June 5, 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120311211209/http://www.chopaway.com/viewtopic.php?id=555|archive-date=March 11, 2012 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> citing the riot and Rose's chronic lateness as examples, as well as his new-found sobriety making it difficult to be around other bandmates' continued alcohol and substance abuse.<ref name="Geffen98"/><ref name="Musician92"/>
On April 20, 1992, Rose performed with [[Elton John]] at [[The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert]] at Wembley Stadium singing "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" as a duet with John and also sang "[[We Will Rock You]]".

Another riot occurred in August 1992 at Montreal's [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]], during a [[Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour|co-headlining tour]] with [[Metallica]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/11/news/riot-erupts-at-concert-starring-guns-n-roses.html|title=Riot Erupts at Concert Starring Guns 'n' Roses|author=''The New York Times'' staff|date=August 11, 1992|website=The New York Times|access-date=April 30, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504045707/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/11/news/riot-erupts-at-concert-starring-guns-n-roses.html|archive-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> Prior to Guns N' Roses' appearance, Metallica's set was cut short after singer-guitarist [[James Hetfield]] suffered second-degree burns in a pyrotechnics accident. However, Guns N' Roses was unable to go on stage early, because Rose once again was late arriving at the venue. Nearly an hour into their show, Rose complained of voice problems before walking off stage, following which a riot erupted in downtown Montreal, resulting in an estimated $400,000 in damages.<ref name="Spitz99"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.celluloidandvinyl.com/2006/11/06/top-10-on-stage-rock-meltdowns/|title=Top 10 on Stage Rock Meltdowns|access-date=July 19, 2007|author=amit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029184620/http://www.celluloidandvinyl.com/2006/11/06/top-10-on-stage-rock-meltdowns/ |archive-date=October 29, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Riots Erupts at Concert Starring Guns N' Roses|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 11, 1992|access-date=June 5, 2011|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/11/news/riot-erupts-at-concert-starring-guns-n-roses.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222013411/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/11/news/riot-erupts-at-concert-starring-guns-n-roses.html|archive-date=February 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Guns 'N' Roses returns to Montreal: No riot this time|publisher=[[CTV Montreal]]|date=January 28, 2010|access-date=June 18, 2011|url=http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100128/mtl_guns_roses_concert100128/20100128/?hub=MontrealHome|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406044152/http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100128/mtl_guns_roses_concert100128/20100128/?hub=MontrealHome|archive-date=April 6, 2010}}</ref> In November of that year, Rose was convicted of property damage and assault in relation to the Riverport riot; he was fined $50,000 and received two years' probation.<ref name="Kent03">{{cite news|last=Kent|first=Nick|title=Is Axl Rose Finished?|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=January 3, 2003|access-date=June 5, 2011|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/jan/03/popandrock.artsfeatures|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910130910/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/jan/03/popandrock.artsfeatures|archive-date=September 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=November 10, 1992: Axl Rose is found guilty of property damage|publisher=ThisDayInRock.com|access-date=June 17, 2011|url=http://www.thisdayinrock.com/index.php/general/1992-axl-rose-is-found-guilty-of-property-damage/|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007102520/http://www.thisdayinrock.com/index.php/general/1992-axl-rose-is-found-guilty-of-property-damage/|archive-date=October 7, 2011}}</ref>

Guns N' Roses played its final show of the Use Your Illusion Tour on July 17, 1993, at [[River Plate Stadium]] in Buenos Aires;<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Bienstock|first=Richard|title=Last Gigs: Slash with Guns N' Roses|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|date=January 29, 2009|access-date=June 5, 2011|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/last_gigs_slash_with_guns_n039_roses|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612032002/http://www.guitarworld.com/last_gigs_slash_with_guns_n039_roses|archive-date=June 12, 2011}}</ref> it proved to be Rose's last live performance with the band for seven and a half years.<ref name="ClassicRock03">{{cite magazine|title=Welcome to the Jungle: A Timeline of Axl's Return to the Road|magazine=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]|date=February 2003|access-date=June 10, 2011|url=http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=55|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531143437/http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/articles/showarticle.php?articleid=55|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> The following August, Rose testified in court against Steven Adler, who had filed a lawsuit contending that he had been illegitimately fired. When the judge ruled against Rose, he agreed to an out-of-court settlement of $2,500,000 and 15% of the royalties for everything Adler recorded prior to his departure.<ref name="Wall07"/><ref name="Kent03"/> In November of that year, Guns N' Roses released ''[["The Spaghetti Incident?"]]'', a cover album of mostly punk songs, which proved less successful than its predecessors. Rose had included the hidden track "[[Look at Your Game, Girl]]", a song written by convicted murderer [[Charles Manson]], which he intended as a personal message to his ex-girlfriend [[Stephanie Seymour]].<ref name="Kent03"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Wall|first=Mick|author-link=Mick Wall|title=W.A.R.: The Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose|url=https://archive.org/details/warunauthorizedb00wall|url-access=registration|access-date=August 10, 2015|date=February 5, 2008|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4299-2884-7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/warunauthorizedb00wall/page/257 257]–}}</ref><ref name="Stickwith">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-08-ca-65317-story.html|title=Guns N' Roses to Stick With Manson Song on Album: Convict's royalties from 'Girl' will be paid to the son of one of those killed in a spree masterminded by the cult leader|last1=Philips|first1=Chuck|date=December 8, 1993|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=May 7, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150509190452/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-12-08/entertainment/ca-65317_1_charles-manson-song|archive-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref> Controversy ensued, and the band subsequently pledged to donate any royalties to the son of one of Manson's victims.<ref name="Wall07"/><ref name="Manson cover">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-21-ca-59128-story.html|title=It's No Illusion: Guns N' Roses Does Charles Manson|last1=Hochman|first1=Steve|date=November 21, 1993|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=May 7, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150509200759/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-21/entertainment/ca-59128_1_charles-manson|archive-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref>