Would Guns N’ Roses Be Cancelled in 2023? Slash Thinks So

Even by the standards of the time, hard rock legends Guns N’ Roses were known for their destructive antics. It’s been well-documented at this point, from wild partying and unchecked drug use to stadium riots and nearly 30 years of band drama. Multiple members of Guns N’ Roses have written about it in autobiographies published in years past, but guitarist Slash says he didn’t include some scandalous content in his new photo book The Collection: Slash, which shows off the guitar legend’s collection of nearly 400 axes.

While being interviewed by Yahoo Entertainment (transcribed via Classic Rock), Slash was asked if he planned to include stories of partying and debauchery.

“I haven’t actually . . . thought about it in that context. I mean, I really, to be honest, I haven’t really thought about all that [scandalous stuff] that much recently.

“But now that you mention it, most of everything that [Guns N’ Roses] did would’ve gotten us cancelled in this day and age. We would not have fared well in this environment, for sure — I mean, on so many different levels.

“But I mean, a lot of things from back then would not be what you consider acceptable at this moment in time. … I’m just glad that we didn’t have the internet back then! It would’ve been a different world altogether. But anyway, I don’t dwell on all that stuff. It just is what it is.”

Regardless of whether or not a band as massive as Guns N’ Roses could even be successfully cancelled at this point, Slash documented the events of the time pretty throughly in his book, Slash. Current/classic bassist Duff McKagan and former drummer Steven Adler have also written plenty about Guns N’ Roses’ classic era, so the topics Slash is referring to aren’t exactly a secret.

Additionally, from what can be gleaned on the book’s product page, this book is about Ross Halfin’s photography and an interview between Slash and Gibson Editor-in-Chief Chris Vinnicombe.