THE BAND That Toured With Guns N’ Roses and Wished They Hadn’t: 'I Don’t Want To Be Around Them'

In the early ’90s, opening for Guns N’ Roses was considered a golden ticket, massive crowds, media buzz, and a shot at mainstream fame.

For Soundgarden, a loud and rising band from Seattle, the offer felt like a fast pass out of the grunge underground.

What they didn’t expect was a backstage circus that would leave a permanent sour taste.

Fresh off the release of Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden had momentum. But that didn’t prepare them for the surreal chaos of Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion tour: private security for each band member, rock star excess, and the kind of delays that would make any promoter sweat.

Even the tour announcement was awkward. The Soundgarden manager tried to get the band excited, only to be met with silence. One member showed mild interest in the box of T-shirts their rep brought. That was it.

Bassist Ben Shepherd later described the entire experience as a cultural collision (via Classic Rock).

“I’m a punk guy, man. I like Black Flag, heavy stuff. That glam rock thing isn’t me. I’m not a rock star, I don’t like rock stars, and I don’t want to be around them… it was pure excess. I never wanted to play in stadiums. And there we were, surrounded by the same people who used to want to beat me up when I was a punk kid. I had a lot of resentment toward those fans.”

Drummer Matt Cameron walked away with a mental list of everything not to do as a touring band.

Each Guns member had their own bodyguard, parties were nonstop, and Axl Rose operated on his own time, often delaying shows by an hour or two, sometimes more.

On one occasion, Axl reportedly threatened to cut the show short in front of the crowd. Soundgarden left the venue quietly that night, hoping not to get caught in a riot.

Frontman Chris Cornell seemed especially affected. He wasn’t bashing Axl directly, but he couldn’t help notice how much dysfunction lurked behind the band’s larger-than-life image.

“Duff, Slash, and the others were down-to-earth guys who just wanted to play rock. But it felt like there was a Wizard of Oz behind the curtain, making things unnecessarily difficult. They were the biggest band in the world. They had every reason to go out and make people happy. And somehow, it was always a mess. That was sad to see.”

Guns N’ Roses’ road crew even gave Soundgarden a nickname: Frowngarden, a jab at their quiet, non-partying vibe. Ben Shepherd didn’t deny it.

“They called us that because we weren’t into partying or rock star stuff. We weren’t there for models and cocaine. We were there to play loud and crush your eardrums.”

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