Former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven recalls challenges managing band

Former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven shares experiences managing the band and details early challenges.

Former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven has shared his experiences working with the band, detailing early challenges and the band's behaviour during the 1980s.

Niven, who has managed artists including Great White and Mötley Crüe, discusses his time with Guns N' Roses in his upcoming book, Sound N' Fury: Rock N' Roll Stories, which will be released on August 5.

Niven explained how guitarist Slash persuaded him to take on the management role after he initially declined multiple times.

“No one wanted Guns N' Roses. They’d been through at least two other management situations,” Niven told the Daily Mail, describing the group as “a nightmare.” He credited Slash for eventually convincing him, noting his intelligence and charm during their first meetings.

Reflecting on the band’s rise to fame, Niven described incidents such as being approached by fans while driving Slash around town, observing, “Everybody knows you’re famous before you do.”

He shared memories of an early band meeting where Izzy Stradlin fell asleep at the table, leaving Niven alone with Slash, who then showed him a snake feeding on a rabbit in the bedroom.

Niven also spoke about Axl Rose, describing him as a “narcissist” and noting that fame “amplified” Rose’s personality.

He recalled his departure from the band in 1991, which came via an unexpected phone call from Rose, stating, “I never heard from him again.”