GNR "Weren't Late" Says Axl

We said this one would run and run... Axl Rose claims that the band were NOT late onstage and that they stuck to the agreed timings, but were still cut off early (or, depending on which tabloid you read, Axl’s afternoon nap overran and he’s now fired his crew for not waking him up).

In an extensive blog via his Twitter page Axl defended the apparent tardiness of the band at both Reading and Leeds:

"Our start times at the Reading and Leeds festivals factually had nothing to do with us as the previous bands (who were great by the way) came off stage when they did and we went on within' our contracted and documented changeover time period.

"Whatever other nonsense anyone's choosing to write would appear intentionally false.

"Having the fans or our show penalized for how the event was ran or simply the natural flow of events those evenings and for such minimal amount of overtime along with distortions and falsehoods by media, the promoter and or event organizers regarding the events seems a bit draconian and more than unfair to the fans.

"A simple question: If you are aware of our changeover time, the average length of our show and the general nature of how these types of festivals run all of which are no big secrets...why book us?”

And in the tabloid world, the reason that GNR failed to turn up on time was that Axl Rose overslept during his afternoon nap.

According to the Daily Star Axl’s crew are instructed not to wake him up when he’s sleeping, but when he overslept and missed the start time of the show at Reading he fired his whole team.

A source told the Daily Star: "Axl has a very firm rule that he is not to be woken up whenever he is asleep. That proved costly at Reading.”

"Axl was furious. He refused to take responsibility and blamed his team so he sacked them. Then he realised it was too late to fly in anyone else from America so he had to rehire them for Leeds.”