Former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven is suing the band, alleging that they are trying to block his memoir from being released.
Niven’s biography is titled Sound N’ Fury: Rock ‘N’ Roll Stories, and was originally set to be released this year, in July. The release was inexplicably bumped to September as rumors began swirling that Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose — who is also a recent author — was trying to stop it indefinitely.
Niven’s Relationship With GNR
This all seems to trace back to the early ’90s, when tensions between Niven and Rose hit a boiling point, and the singer allegedly refused to continue work on the GNR’s Use Your Illusion albums if Niven remained employed as the band’s manager.
Ultimately, Niven — who managed the band from 1986 to 1991 — exited after reaching a settlement agreement with the band, which was signed by members Slash, Izzy Stradlin, and Duff McKagan. Rose, however, did not sign the agreement, but in a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, Niven is accusing the frontman of having “breached the terms of the agreement in 1991.”
Bad Blood
Offering some context on why he chose to write the book in the first place, Niven told Classic Rock that, “by 2009,” he “had enough of [Rose’s] public comments and began to do interviews” for the memoir. “Slash emailed me that I should set the record straight and that obviously, I am allowed to say what I wish,” Niven added. “He also, in email, consistently encouraged me to get the book finished.”
Niven later surmised that the bad blood between himself and the band stems from his contributions to their success being taken for granted by Rose. “Axl seems to forget that no one, and I do mean no one, wanted to manage him in 1986,” he told the outlet. “In 1991, I put Wembley Stadium on sale. I did my job. I think what we have here is failure to appreciate.”
According to Louder Sound, there are some legal documents relating to the lawsuit, which indicate that Guns N’ Roses is attempting to invoke an alleged confidentiality clause that was part of the 1991 buyout agreement between Niven and the band. This, Niven’s lawsuit claims, may have been done as a way of stopping the book from being published “through repeated threats to Niven and contact with [ publisher] ECW.”
“Keep in mind the settlement agreement was formed to allow GN’R to purchase my perpetual commission rights from me,” Niven added. “It was not designed to be an NDA [non-disclosure agreement].”
In his lawsuit, Niven is asking the court to allow his memoir to be published and distributed. He is also reportedly asking to be awarded exemplary or punitive damages plus “any other relief deemed just and proper.”
Niven previously accused Axl Rose of profiting off Guns N’ Roses significantly more than his bandmates
Notably, back in April, Niven made a public claim that Rose “wants to be in control of everything” and now takes 50 per cent of the band’s income.
“It’s a control thing with Axl,” Niven alleged while appearing on the Appetite For Distortion podcast. “Here’s another little snapshot that is illuminating and goes to forming a correct perception. Axl takes 50 per cent of the income of Guns N’ Roses now. 50 per cent, OK? That, to me, is anathema. He is not Guns N’ Roses.”
NME stated that it reached out to representatives of Guns N’ Roses for comments on the story, but, at the time of this writing, had not received a response. Niven’s book is now expected to be released in March 2026 and remains available to pre-order online.
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