Thoughts of the classic LA rock band Guns N Roses probably conjures up images of sex, drugs and out of control concerts in your head, right? Well it turns out aside from these better-known vices, singer – and all around heavy metal bad boy – Axl Rose also had an affinity for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
According to Alternative Nation, a Tampa Bay DJ – and former associate at a popular Florida music venue – recently recounted a story in which Rose once again partook in his habitual tardiness for a show.
Axl’s management said he was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, and that Axl’s attention was 100% on the movie and couldn’t be bothered.
The whole band had a reputation for being late and disruptive at concerts, but this story has to be one of memorable if for nothing else than how mundane it is. Then again, the event did occur during the early 90’s – when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were experiencing the apex of their worldwide acclaim. While recent outings have struggled to live up to their former glory, this was an era where the first TMNT movie proved to be a hot box office commodity. It would be akin to Eminem failing to arrive at a concert because he had to finish an Iron Man film. However, knowing what we know now – that The Secret of the Ooze proved for a poor sequel – one can only laugh at the sheer absurdity of the proceedings.
A connection between Guns N Roses and pop culture should not come as a total surprise to anyone – the group has a long history of appearing on soundtracks for a number of types of media, ranging from films to video games. Notably in 1991 – the same year as the Turtles incident, Guns N Roses released their fourth album "Use Your Illusion II," which featured the track "You Could Be Mine." Observant viewers will also likely notice that "You Could Be Mine" pops up repeatedly in Terminator 2: Judgment Day – also released in 1991, and has a music video set to the theme of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi action thriller.
If nothing else, this incident shows the engrossing effect that films can have on people – no matter how big or famous.
