Riverport Riot
Encyclopedia
The Riverport Riot was a riot
at the Riverport Amphitheater (now named Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
) in Maryland Heights
, Missouri
(near St. Louis
) at a Guns N' Roses
concert on July 2, 1991. It is also known as the "Rocket Queen Riot."
During the band's performance of "Rocket Queen
", the 15th song in the set (counting drum & guitar solos), lead singer Axl Rose
jumped into the audience and tackled a fan who was taking still pictures of the show. This occurred after Rose pointed out the fan and told security to confiscate the camera. When security failed to do so, Rose decided to confiscate the camera himself. After taking the camera, striking members of the audience and the security team, and being pulled out of the audience by members of the crew, Rose said: "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!", slammed his microphone on the ground and left the stage.
The sound the microphone made sounded to some fans like a gunshot, so band member Slash
quickly told the audience, "He just slammed his mic on the floor. We're outta here." The angry crowd began to riot and dozens of people were injured. The footage was captured by Robert John
, who was documenting the entire tour for the band. Rose was charged with having incited the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot.
Rose later stated that the Guns N' Roses security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored, that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles from the audience and that the venue's security had been lax, allowing weapons into the arena and refusing to enforce a drinking limit. Consequently, Use Your Illusion I
and II
s artwork featured a hidden message amidst the Thank You section of the album insert: "Fuck You, St. Louis!"
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
at the Riverport Amphitheater (now named Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis is a 7,000-seat outdoor concert venue, with lawn seating for another 13,000, making it a 20,000 person capacity venue. It is located at 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights, Missouri, near St...
) in Maryland Heights
Maryland Heights, Missouri
Maryland Heights is a second-ring west-central suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census. The city was incorporated in 1985. Edwin L. Dirck was elected the city's first mayor. Mark M. Levin has been City Administrator...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
(near St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
) at a Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
concert on July 2, 1991. It is also known as the "Rocket Queen Riot."
During the band's performance of "Rocket Queen
Rocket Queen
"Rocket Queen" is the closing song of Appetite for Destruction, the debut album of the rock band Guns N' Roses.-Background:According to frontman W. Axl Rose:...
", the 15th song in the set (counting drum & guitar solos), lead singer Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
jumped into the audience and tackled a fan who was taking still pictures of the show. This occurred after Rose pointed out the fan and told security to confiscate the camera. When security failed to do so, Rose decided to confiscate the camera himself. After taking the camera, striking members of the audience and the security team, and being pulled out of the audience by members of the crew, Rose said: "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!", slammed his microphone on the ground and left the stage.
The sound the microphone made sounded to some fans like a gunshot, so band member Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
quickly told the audience, "He just slammed his mic on the floor. We're outta here." The angry crowd began to riot and dozens of people were injured. The footage was captured by Robert John
Robert John (photographer)
Robert John is an accomplished American music photographer.-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Alabama on November 10, 1961, John moved to California with his parents when he was three years old...
, who was documenting the entire tour for the band. Rose was charged with having incited the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot.
Rose later stated that the Guns N' Roses security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored, that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles from the audience and that the venue's security had been lax, allowing weapons into the arena and refusing to enforce a drinking limit. Consequently, Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
and II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
s artwork featured a hidden message amidst the Thank You section of the album insert: "Fuck You, St. Louis!"
External links
- YouTube video of Axl Rose jumping into the crowd, confiscating the camera, and leaving the stage
- Memory archive personal diary of a concertgoer, with interesting recollections of the riot itself but some inaccuracies about the band, concert and line-up
- Documentary from local St. Louis radio station KSHE 95. Look for "Riot Room" in the top portion of the "9."