Guns ‘N Roses star out-whines drone that buzzed his concert

So much for the abide-no-rules rock and roll attitude. Whoever said UAVs produced some of the world’s loudest whining hadn’t heard Guns ‘N Roses singer Axl Rose complain about drone flights at the group’s recent concerts for having distracted him, rather than for posing potential (and illegal) danger to his fans.

Alternatively notorious and idolized across the musical world for the wreckage, chaos, and bloodied noses he left in his wake over the years, Rose took time off Guns ‘N Roses’ current Australian tour to issue what some may consider an incongruous “whaaah” about an unruly drone that had gotten up his nose – figuratively, of course – and had left him quite cranky.

“People were pissed,” Rose tweeted this weekend, saying a drone at Guns ‘N Roses Gold Coast gig had flown in low and close enough to the stage to nearly throw the artiste off his game. “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 the stage… However much fun anyone’s having ur still trying to stay focused n’ do ur job n’ give the fans the best show you can.”

Read: NFL voices drone fears as counter-UAV legislation nears expiration 

Rose’s vexation also appeared to be rooted in his assumption the drone’s mission was to capture unauthorized concert video footage that Guns ‘N Roses should own the rights to (and income from). In retaliation to that suspected aerial pickpocketing, he slandered the offending craft with the worse insult imaginable – the “t-word.”

“Anyway… we get it can be ‘fun’ to get ur drone bootleg vid but we’d appreciate it if anyone planning to b a drone pirate took the fans n’ band into consideration and n’ played w/ ur toys somewhere else,” he said.

Guns ‘N Roses fans with an equal affection for, and understanding of drones will probably applaud Rose’s appeal, though more likely for safety reasons – if not in respect of the legal bans on flying craft over major spectator events. Indeed, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the singer’s complaint is its revelation of such illicit flights apparently being more frequent than imagined.

“According to the police it happens more often than not lately especially with sporting events,” Rose tweeted, clearly still too annoyed to bother with punctuation.  

If his information is correct, however, it would appear Australia is struggling the same kind of illegal drone flights in restricted spaces – whether airports or during big outdoor events – that the US is. 

Read: FBI cites bomb-toting UAV inquiries in urging counter-drone action 

Earlier this month, FBI director Christopher Wray told a Congressional committee that “hundreds of drones that have been acting in violation of federal law” regularly entered banned airspaces, echoing similar warnings from officials of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and other major sports organizations.

Photo: Yvette de Wit/Unsplash