Guns N’ Roses have been on their best behavior since the launch of their Not in This Lifetime tour, with the band taking the stage on time and not performing past curfew. However, the trek endangered its lone Canadian concert after the “classic” GN’R lineup was detained entering Canada when a gun belonging to a member of the band’s touring company was found onboard.
Axl Rose shared the story of being detained toward the end of Guns N’ Roses’ gig at Toronto’s Rogers Center Saturday night, Billboard reports. Prior to “Out Ta Get Me,” Rose bantered about the gun incident with the crowd. “So, we weren’t exactly arrested. We were detained,” Rose said of the border stop, which happened as the tour traveled from Philadelphia to Toronto. “They were very nice, they were very understanding. You know, it happens: You can forget you have a fucking gun.”
Rose then added, “Wasn’t my gun.”
A representative for GN’R confirmed to Billboard, “Yes, this indeed happened on Friday, July 15, as they were crossing the border coming from the Philadelphia tour stop on the 14th.” The rep also noted that the gun didn’t belong to any member of the band.
Guns N’ Roses are the second band to have experience a weird brush with border agents this week: In Belarus, Red Hot Chili Peppers were briefly detained in order to sign autographs for customs officials, only they were mistakenly given Metallica photos to sign.
– Rolling Stone