As 1988 neared its end, Guns N' Roses was a lively place to be. The GN'R Lies album was selling well despite the controversy generated by Axl Rose's One In A Million – the singer had spent the month since its release fending off accusations of homophobia and racism – and, behind the scenes, sobriety was an increasingly rare commodity.
In December, guitarist Izzy Stradlin passed out on a flight to Tokyo after consuming the heroin he'd smuggled onto the airplane in a boom box. "He was still out of it when they got to Japan," remembered band manager Alan Niven. "They had to wheel him through immigration in a cart."
