Guns N’ Roses has had an intriguing career and development path, attracting passionate opinions on both ends of the spectrum. Love them or hate them, one thing is certain: the band has never been boring.
One element of early Guns N’ Roses that all fans cherish and miss is Izzy Stradlin. This exceptional guitarist brought a relatable, everyman quality to the band that resonated with thousands of people through his lyrics. His absence was deeply felt by fans who appreciated what he contributed to the group’s sound and energy.
If there’s anyone former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven respects from the band, it’s Izzy. Speaking to Ghost Cult Magazine, Niven explained what Izzy brought to the band and how much damage was done to it when he decided to leave. He said:
“Izzy was the critical creative element in the band, from my perspective. He had such an unimpeachable street vernacular that he crafted into his lyrics. And I always envied that.”
“I loved the streetwise way that he wrote his lyrics and formed his lyrics within that idiom. Great writer and an insane loss to the band. What do we get after Izzy’s gone? One Axl Rose solo record, and that’s it since 1991.”
Further, Niven revealed some of the work he’d done with Guns N’ Roses wasn’t paid for at all, and that Izzy was the one to help make things right:
“The very first year I’d worked with Gn’R, I never saw a dime. In something like October-November of 1987, Izzy went over to their accountant to find out how much I’d taken out and how much I’d been paid.”
“I was freaking horrified to find that it was zero. Not a single penny had I been paid in a year of working for Gn’R. And the fact is, he was embarrassed by that, and a check arrived from the accountant very soon after his visit.”
Niven then noted that he was playing chess while Axl was playing checkers, but he was stopped before he could truly do anything:
“The fact of the matter was, we were on tight budgets. They needed to be… their bodies and souls need to be kept together. I could get by. You play the long game. When you finally get to the point where it’s going to pay off, Axl says, ‘I can’t work with you anymore.’ And you go, ‘Oh, okay, whatever.’ If I may be so bold, what we have here is a failure to appreciate.”
Later, Niven remarked on his relationship with Axl and how the singer’s career developed:
“Confucius says, ‘He who actually sits on the riverbank will eventually see the body of his enemy float by.'”
