MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — For many Guns N’ Roses fans in the St. Louis area, Thursday marks a rather historic day when 34 years ago lead singer Axl Rose stormed off the Maryland Heights stage, which ultimately led to a riot that injured 65 fans.
The infamous day is remembered as the “Riverport Riot,” which made national headlines following the chaotic night. What began as a concert filled with dancing and good times ended when an unruly fan taking photos entered the scene.
The band was performing the song “Rocket Queen” when Rose got agitated with the fan, Bill “Stump” Stephenson, near the front taking pictures. He asked security to stop Stephenson and take the camera.
When security didn’t respond quickly enough, Rose jumped from the stage to confront Stephenson.
A scuffle took place on the ground before Rose was pushed back on stage. He grabbed the mic and said he was leaving, then slammed it to the ground. About 15 minutes later, the crowd realized the band was really not going to keep playing, and the Riverport Riot—or the Rocket Queen Riot—had started.
As tension began to build in the crowd, that’s when bottles started flying, stage equipment was destroyed, and things got physical.
By the end of the night, there were 270 police officers from around St. Louis County at Riverport making several arrests, while paramedics took dozens of people to area hospitals with injuries. The Maryland Heights concert venue sustained thousands of dollars in damage.
Following the riot, Rose was eventually dragged into court and has repeatedly bad-mouthed St. Louis in the years since. Many of his cases were settled out of court, and a judge ultimately ruled that Rose was not responsible for starting the riot.
It took over a quarter-century before Guns N’ Roses returned to St. Louis in 2017 at The Dome at America’s Center.
Ahead of the concert, the band issued a statement regarding a rather lengthy list of items they could not bring to the concert. The list included items like ‘recording equipment,’ ‘peanuts in the shell,’ and ‘poles or sticks of any kind.’
The band was supposed to return to St. Louis again in 2023 but canceled the show due to an illness.
Guns N’ Roses did not specify more details around the reported illness but shared this message Friday via Twitter: “Hang on to your tickets—fans who are unable to make the rescheduled date will be eligible for a refund. Thank you for the support.”
Note: Video above is dated Jul. 26, 2017
