While speaking to Classic Rock magazine, Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven claimed that Slash and Izzy Stradlin once consumed an entire dr*g stash in order to avoid getting caught at Los Angeles International airport.
The incident reportedly took place while the band were heading out on their first Guns N’ Roses tour in Japan. According to Niven, they were waiting for frontman Axl Rose (who was running late) when Stradlin inquired as to where Rose was.
Upon Niven’s response in regards to Rose’s whereabouts, Stradlin held up a small boombox and said, “I don’t care. I’m set. I’ve got my stash.”
Realizing that he wasn’t referencing a stash of “preferred tunes,” Niven came to discover that Stradlin has wrapped his dr*gs in foil and hid them in the battery compartment of his boombox believing that it would get him through security without any problems.
Niven, however, was not convinced the trick would work. “They’ve got dogs and all kinds of electronic sniffing devices,” he told Stradlin, “You can’t take that with you. You’ll get nailed for sure. Go flush it now. You’ll be able to score there.”
“That’s a f*ckin’ waste of good smack,” Stradlin allegedly responded before heading to the bathroom.
Niven then said a short time later Slash appeared and, when asked if he was “carrying,” he became defensive.
After Niven explained Stradlin’s boombox situation, Slash headed to the bathrooms too.
According to Niven, when Stradlin returned, it had appeared he had swallowed his stash rather than flush it. He “stood for a moment, wavering slightly, and then his knees buckled,” Niven recalled.
“Slash managed to make it to his seat on the 747 on his own feet, but only just. He too employed the ethic of waste not, want not,” Niven added.
While Slash and Stradlin made it to Japan, Niven went on to explain that he ended up getting stuck at home waiting for Rose until the next day.
“I had to reschedule for a flight alone with Axl the next day. On a different airline.”
This year will mark Slash’s 19th year of sobriety, as the guitarist has been sober since 2006.
