Legendary GNR Shows: Mannheim 1991
The show that took place on August 24, 1991, at the Maimarktgelände near Mannheim Germany is widely cited by GNR historians and Izzy himself as the "last straw" that convinced him he could no longer stay in the band.
The tension on the Use Your Illusion tour had been building for months, especially after the St. Louis riot in July. By the time they reached Germany, the band was on edge. During the Mannheim set, Axl became frustrated - reportedly due to monitor issues and people throwing things at the stage -and simply walked off, throwing the microphone up in the air behind him. Izzy can be seen in footage of the show kicking the mic back toward him.
Axl didn't just go to the dressing room; he walked straight out of the venue, got into a car, and demanded to be driven away. The show's promoter, realizing that another riot (similar to St. Louis) was about to erupt with tens of thousands of angry fans, took drastic action. He ordered the security teams to lock the venue gates, physically preventing Axl's car from leaving the premises. The promoter allegedly threatened Axl with massive legal action and criminal charges if he didn't return to the stage. After about 30 to 45 minutes of chaos backstage - during which drummer Matt Sorum famously challenged Axl about his behavior -Axl eventually went back out and finished the show.
Izzy, who had recently become sober and was already traveling separately from the band on his own bus to avoid the party atmosphere, watched the entire meltdown from the side of the stage. For Izzy, the Mannheim show represented everything he hated about the new era of GNR. He was tired of the constant threat of riots and the stress of never knowing if a show would actually finish. He felt the band had become a "tyranny" where one person's mood could jeopardize the safety and livelihood of everyone else.
Izzy later noted that after he finished the Mannheim show, he looked at the chaos and the anger backstage and realized the "brotherhood" of the band was dead.
While he finished the remaining European dates (ending at Wembley Stadium on August 31), Izzy returned to the U.S. and officially resigned from the band in November 1991, famously sending his resignation via his legal and management team rather than calling Axl directly.