Watch Axl Rose Stop “November Rain” Over a Technical Glitch

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(Image credit: Jon Super/Getty Images)

Guns N’ Roses were in the middle of performing their classic song “November Rain” on August 5 in Houston, Texas, when a technical glitch made Axl Rose call the song to a halt.

“Stop!” he commanded. “What the fuck is that?” he said, looking around the stage.

The incident, which begins around the 4:30 mark in the video below, appeared to be caused by a problem with one of the keyboards, which was repeatedly sounding some high and extremely off-key notes.

  • “Can we stop it at least?” Axl asked, before telling the audience, “Wow, the piano’s broken.”
  • As the group continued with the tune, a few more odd notes could be heard, causing Rose to smile and shake his head. “I don’t mind ghosts or gremlins,” he remarked just after the song ended, “but they should probably learn the fucking song.”
  • Whatever the cause of the problem, Rose took it all in stride and carried on with the show, undoubtedly to the relief of all concerned.
Christopher Scapelliti
Christopher Scapelliti

Christopher Scapelliti is editor-in-chief of Guitar Player magazine, the world’s longest-running guitar magazine, founded in 1967. In his extensive career, he has authored in-depth interviews with such guitarists as Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Corgan, Jack White, Elvis Costello and Todd Rundgren, and audio professionals including Beatles engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott. He is the co-author of Guitar Aficionado: The Collections: The Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World, a founding editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine, and a former editor with Guitar World, Guitar for the Practicing Musician and Maximum Guitar. Apart from guitars, he maintains a collection of more than 30 vintage analog synthesizers.