Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN
May 28th & 29th 1991
Review



FREEDOM OF SPEECH COSTS GUNS'N'ROSES $5,000
- Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, 1991

Exercising his right to freedom of speech has cost band leader Axl Rose and his group, Guns'N'Roses, $5,000. Hamilton County, Ind., authorities charged Rose and his group with two counts of curfew violation for playing past the county's limit for outdoor concerts at Deer Creek Music Center twice last week. The rock band played 55 minutes past the 11 p.m. curfew for weeknight concerts on Tuesday and 25 minutes past the next night. "That in and of itself wasn't so significant," Hamilton County Prosecutor Steve nation said Saturday in announcing the charges. "What makes this different is that Axl Rose said on stage Tuesday that he knew about the curfew and thought it was stupid. And he said a few things about our county and about our state." Rose, who grew up in Indiana, delivered a profane five-minute tirade on stage Tuesday when he discussed the curfew. Nation said other bands have played past the curfew at Deer Creek since it opened in 1989 but that this is the first time he has filed charges. The prosecutor said attorneys for the band have said they will not fight the charge or the fine. Rose said the same thing in announcing he would play past the curfew.