AXL ROSE: Our Start Times At READING And LEEDS Festivals Had Nothing To Do With Us

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose has issued another statement aimed squarely at the promoters of the U.K.'s Reading and Leeds festivals, which the band headlined on Friday (August 27) and Sunday (August 29) respectively. GUNS N' ROSES came onstage an hour late on Friday and 30 minutes late on Sunday, with both shows cut short due to venue curfews.

Rose wrote at Twitlonger.com, a related Twitter site where one can post messages longer than 140 characters, "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?

"Is it simply because the lineup on our nights at both festivals sold well? So it's a cash grab with no respect for the fans or the band and somehow an unwanted inconvenience for the cities and law enforcement?

"If we're not wanted and just being used to line someone else's pockets or for fictitious tabloid fodder at the fans' and our expense, we're fine with going elsewhere. God forbid we would force ourselves on anyone. It's not that kinda party.

"I didn't organize, arrange, authorize, have knowledge of or was even consulted about our being booked for these shows 'till after the fact nor did I choose to work with anyone I'm aware of other than our manager who was involved in arranging these dates. Yet it would appear we're amazingly often legally obligated to honor such arrangements whether against our will or better judgment. That's simply and unfortunately how this business often works with the artist and [in my opinion] seems is legally supported to benefit managers, agents, promoters and ticket vendors.

"With how the fans and we were treated in the past, I had what I feel were legitimate and now proven justified apprehensions. Yet we gave 100% and from where we stood it seemed as if the both the fans (who rocked!) and our camp were having fun and making the most of things.

"Why (and what would appear intentionally) risk having it go bad for everyone? [In my opinion] that's where true recklessness and negligence at both the fans and our expense would seem to be.

"Anyway... thanks again to all the fans who made our nights!!"

Rose's statement seems at odds with comments made by festival organizer Melvin Benn before the shows, in which he said that the band's set would be cut short if they showed up late.

The group took the stage more than two hours late when it last played Leeds eight years ago, with Benn saying that any curfew violation this time could threaten the festival's license.

Rose said from the stage Sunday night as the band's set was halted, "We would like to play a few more songs for you tonight but someone is telling us the show's over." He also launched an f-bomb at the festival's promoters before leaving.

Meanwhile, on Friday night, Rose staged a sitdown protest when the band's set was stopped at midnight. The curfew had already been extended half an hour for the group at that point.

Many members of the crowd jeered the band when it arrived onstage 60 minutes late, while a number of audience members also left before the set even started. According to Gigwise.com, the crowd continued to disperse throughout the band's performance.