Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour
artist = Guns N' Roses & Metallica
start_date = July 17 1992
end_date = October 6 1992
number_of_shows = 26
last_tour = Wherever We May Roam Tour
(1991-1992)
this_tour = Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour
(1992)

The GNR-Metallica Stadium Tour was a famed joint, co-headlining concert tour by Guns N' Roses and Metallica during 1992. It took place in the middle of Guns N' Roses' much longer "Use Your Illusion Tour," promoting their "Use Your Illusion I" & "II" albums, as well as in the middle of Metallica's similarly epic "Wherever We May Roam Tour," promoting their self-titled "Black Album"." The tour's opening act was Faith No More. Metallica and Guns N Roses had wanted Seattle rock band Nirvana to be the opening act, but Nirvana refused and a feud flamed up between Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose.

History

The most famous event during the tour took place during a show on August 8, 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered second and third degree burns to his left arm after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast during the opening of "Fade to Black". Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another show. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, resulting in musicians not being able to hear themselves. In addition, GN'R's notoriously volatile frontman Axl Rose claimed that his throat hurt, causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to a riot by audience members, reminiscent of the rioting that had occurred during a GN'R show near St. Louis one year earlier. This time the aggrieved audience members overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control. Footage from the debacle was later included in the 1992 documentary "A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica". On MTV's Rockumentary about Metallica, the band spoke about this tour and how they learned from Guns N' Roses what "not" to do. On that same show, a record company executive spoke about the differences in the bands and how Metallica had promised to come back and make up their cancelled show (which they eventually did) and how Guns N' Roses had conducted themselves and that how Guns N' Roses are all but forgotten, but Metallica can go anywhere in the world and play. He called Metallica "The Led Zeppelin of the modern era."

The tour resumed in Arizona, but with Hetfield in a sling and unable to play guitar for a while. Former Metallica roadie and Metal Church guitarist John Marshall filled in for the rest of the tour on guitar while Hetfield continued to sing.

The tour was a big financial success for Metallica, but Guns N' Roses made very little money. According to Slash, in his self-titled autobiography, Axl Rose was very exuberant in his spending, funding an expensive theme party backstage every show, as well as the band being fined heavily for their many late appearances.

Tour Dates

:"See also: Use Your Illusion Tour"