Former Guns N’ Roses member Chris Pitman has sued Axl Rose for $163,000 in unpaid wages.
The keyboardist and bassist claims Rose promised him $125,000 for his work during 2011, which he couldn’t afford to pay at the time.
Now that the band’s reunion tour with classic-era members Slash and Duff McKagan has made more than $100m in the past few months, Pitman says he’s due his wages plus interest, TMZ reports.
Pitman, who joined Rose’s band in 1998, was left out of the reunion lineup in April, and he issued an angry tweet calling Rose’s project a “cash grab” and a “nostalgia trip.”
He later apologised, but went on to say he’d quit the “oldies band” because “they just want to repeat that 30-year-old music over and over.”
Meanwhile, a source close to Guns N’ Roses has claimed that former guitarist Izzy Stradlin rehearsed with the band before deciding not to take part in the reunion.
Stradlin said last week that he’d refused to appear because the band “didn’t want to split the loot equally.”
The source, known as MSL, says via the GN’R Truth forum: “Izzy was in rehearsals at one point and was negotiating to appear at a few of the April gigs. Equal pay was never discussed. A five-figure fee per cameo is what was being negotiated.
“They were far apart and Izzy bailed. He doesn’t need their chump change and they don’t need to throw away money on a guy that isn’t gonna sell many tix.”
Guns N’ Roses tour South America in October, followed by dates in Japan, Australia and New Zealand, with further appearances to be confirmed in due course.
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Guns N Roses Not In This Lifetime tour 2016⁄2017
South America
Oct 27: Lima Estadio Monumental, Peru
Oct 29: Santiago Estadio Nacional, Chile
Nov 01: Rosario Estadio Rosario, Argentina
Nov 04: Buenos Aires River Plate Stadium, Argentina
Nov 08: Porto Alegre Estadio Beira-Rio, Brazil
Nov 11: Sao Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Nov 12: Sao Paulo Allianz Parque, Brazil
Nov 15: Rio de Janeiro TBC, Brazil
Nov 17: Curitiba Pedreira Paulo Leminski, Brazil
Nov 20: Brasilia Estadio Nacional, Brazil
Nov 23: Medellin Estadio Atanasio Girardot, Colombia
Nov 26: San Jose Estadio Nacional, Costa Rica
Japan
Jan 21: Osaka Kyocera Dome,
Jan 28: Tokyo Saitama Super Arena
Jan 29: Tokyo Saitama Super Arena
Australia
Feb 07: Brisbane QSAC Stadium
Feb 10: Sydney ANZ Stadium
Feb 14: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Feb 18: Adelaide Oval
Feb 21: Perth Domain Stadium
