Report: Izzy Stradlin Walked Out Of Guns N' Roses Reunion After Soundcheck

One of the most glaring issues with Guns N' Roses reunion tour was the fact that key songwriter and guitarist Izzy Stradlin was absent from the lineup. Stradlin, who claimed he didn't want any part of the reunion because the band “didn’t want to split the loot equally,” was very close to being part of the lineup. According to former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven, Stadlin walked out of the band's soundcheck at a stadium in the Midwest and simply never returned. 

Niven served as the band's manager during the Appetite for Destruction-era. After Izzy parted ways with GnR after the release of Use Your Illusion, he kept Niven as his manager. During an appearance on the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Niven dropped a huge bombshell. 

“[Izzy] did get as far as flying out and doing a soundcheck, and he left after a soundcheck, he didn’t want to have anything to do with it.

“It was last year, it was somewhere out in the midwest, when they were doing stadiums. Obviously had it gone well and everybody had been happy, and there had been a little bit of brotherhood, I’m sure he would have stayed with it. But something must have really upset him, because he left after the soundcheck, and never turned up for another one or an appearance. I would think right now he is probably a little pissed off.” (via Alternative Nation)

It's frustrating to think we were so close to seeing Guns N' Roses reunite with Izzy onstage. Some believe the unnamed "Midwest City" was Cincinnati where former drummer Steven Adler, who was snubbed from the reunion, joined the band for a couple of songs. 

Guns N' Roses will be hitting Europe next on their Not In This Lifetime tour. 

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