Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has reacted after fans flew “intrusive” drones into shows on the Australian leg of their tour.
Rose took to Twitter after a particularly zealous fan distracted him during the band’s three-hour show at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast the previous night.
“Had a few drones this leg,” he wrote. “Last night (Gold Coast Australia) was probably the most intrusive. Was a bit of a distraction as obviously someone thought it was just ok to be doing that but also it coming that close in front of the stage and then actually over n’ on stage.”
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) November 25, 2022
Rose spoke to local authorities about the incident, who told him “it happens more often than not” lately – particularly around sporting events.
“It’s not something we’re all that used to,” he continued. “A lot of impulse reactions went thru everyone’s minds that after thinking about it (which when ur live there’s really no time to really sort things out like that) didn’t make much sense.”
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According to the Daily Mail, Rose told the drone pilot what he thought during the show.
“To the anonymous Mr Drone flyer, you’re a f***ing c**t,” he quipped between songs.
His message on Twitter was clear: “People were pissed.”
“However much fun anyone’s having ur still trying to stay focused n’ do your job n’ give the fans the best show u can,” he wrote. “We get it can be ‘fun’ to get your drone bootleg vid but we’d appreciate it if anyone planning to be a drone pirate took the fans n’ the band into consideration n’ played w/ur toys somewhere else.”
According to the Herald Sun, police identified the “drone pirate” on Thursday night and seized the device, issuing the 20-year-old man a “move on direction” and advising him not to return to the stadium.
The matter has been referred to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and the owner of the device could face fines up to $1,100 if it’s deemed he was flying the device illegally.
Guns N’ Roses have three more shows on the Australian leg of their 2022 world tour.
