80s Music Central News

Axl Rose has filed a $5 million countersuit against Irving Azoff's Front Line Management claiming they violated the consent decree by coercing and bullying artists to do what he wants. Rose says that Azoff tried to sabotage Guns N' Roses leaving them no other option but to reunite the original band. According to the lawsuit, "Upon realizing that he couldn't bully Rose and accomplish his scheme, Azoff resigned and abandoned Guns N' Roses on the eve of a major tour, filing suit for commissions he didn't earn and had no right to receive." Rose says that this cost him more money in production startup and rehearsal expenses. He claims breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud and breach of contract. The suit is also linked to the U.S. Justice Department's recent antitrust lawsuit that sought to stop the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation over concerns of the new company having too much control of the artists and venues. Azoff's company does artist management, concert and touring promotion and ticket sales which Rose alleges he promotes or punishes artists according to how they follow his orders. Azoff's original lawsuit, filed in March, claimed Rose violated an oral agreement to pay 15% of earnings or nearly $2 million from the concert tour.