Catching Axl’s UYI 1993 Microphone 30 Anniversary

[Oxford]

Exactly thirty years ago to the day I was at my second show of the weekend at Milton Keynes Bowl.  After a massive downpour that left us all soaking and covered in mud on the Saturday, we returned on Sunday with still wet boots to the sodden and sucking mud for another show. The organisers had put down straw to try and soak up the mud, but to be fair, it didn’t do much.   Some people moaned about the state of the place that day, but many more enjoyed the show and left with high spirits.   But not as high as mine were. 
 

As usual, after Paradise City, Axl threw the microphone into the crowd.  Not the recent gentle underarm toss he has been using of late, but a full on overarm throw.  I’ll never forget the noise it made over the PA as it turned over and over through the air (in fact, I always look out for that noise on recordings of live performances as it’s nearly always there).  To be honest it looked like it was going to fall far short of me, and I’ve been there before when that happened at Wembley. Everyone in front jumped up in front of me to try and get it - like a small Mexican wave.  One person a few people in front of me actually got a hand to it, which then caused it to smack me right in the chest and fall on the floor.  I don’t  remember seeing it come my way, just that it did. There  was a massive ruckus in front and to the side of me as they tried to find it or see who had caught it, but it was only the guy in front that turned around and saw me pick it up as I had friends all around me.  
 

I still have it.  It used to be framed and on my bedroom wall until I moved out a couple of years later and started to forge my way through life.  It stopped there at my parents house for a few years in a box in the spare room until they also moved house and I had to take all my stuff or lose it.  So it sat up in the attic for another 7 years or more. I then used the frame for something else and the mic got lost to the bottom of a box of old band t-shirts and other memorabilia from the 90’s.   Then covid happened and my daughter asked me to dig my guitars out and teach her how to play.  And out came my memorabilia and the mic, and all those band t shirts.  Most of which she’s stolen off me.  
 

It’s still in exactly the same condition that I got it.  It still has traces of mud on the tape and on the end.  The windscreen was pure white, but has slightly faded to a dull brown and has shrunk and become slightly crumbly from the attic heat.  Unfortunately it is also marked from the tie wrap that secured it in the frame too.  And it still has the grubby marks left on it by Axl handling it throughout the concert.    It brings back some great memories.  
 

I’d love to get a recording of that concert.  Right up to the point when you hear the thump of the mic hitting my chest, and me fumbling quickly to pick it up before it was cut off from the PA system.  
 

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Oxford
Typos

[Stay.Of.Execution]

i was hoping to catch one of them every time i went to a show. at the end of PC i always tried to stand somewhere where the mic might land. but thanks to some fucking idiot in australia or new zealand, that's out of the window.

[Oxford]

4 minutes ago, Stay.Of.Execution said:

i was hoping to catch one of them every time i went to a show. at the end of PC i always tried to stand somewhere where the mic might land. but thanks to some fucking idiot in australia or new zealand, that's out of the window.

He did always throw it to the same area.  I noticed that, and he liked to watch the chaos it created too.   I was in the right area a couple of times over the UYI period.  
 

Didn’t it turn out the Aussie woman was hit trying to get to the mic, and not actually by the mic?   Some of the people trying to get to it that I saw were really vicious, even pursuing the person that eventually got it at times. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Oxford

[Stay.Of.Execution]

2 minutes ago, Oxford said:

He did always throw it to the same area.  I noticed that, and he liked to watch the chaos it created too.   I was in the right area a couple of times over the UYI period.  
 

Didn’t it turn out the Aussie woman was hit trying to get to the mic, and not actually by the mic?   Some of the people trying to get to it that I saw were really vicious, even pursuing the person that eventually got it at times. 

dont know. just remember she made a big fucking deal out of it and went to national tv. what an idiot

[wendirosez]

Oxford, I had to take a moment to absorb this post. I , for one absolutely adored reading this. 30 years ago , and it seems like yesterday.  

I appreciate the detailed photos and for taking off the foam cover which he always would fiddle with, especially on those 'rants' back then.

I still see those fingermarks, It is a pretty awesome snapshot in time. that's for sure, And you kept the mic in great condition  for all these years. I am so glad you can share the memories with your daughter and  that it went to someone stellar in the community !  and not someone who might think , "ah well , done with that" and  otherwise sell it on, We grew up  ...Life's ups and downs  ...But still you kept and preserved it and those memories and what he spoke /sang into that mic.   You know what i mean? (Hey , sorry for getting sentimental )

But I love that fact that you can share this here exactly ,30 years on. 

Your beautifully written recollection is such a cool one , as it takes us all back to that bank holiday weekend in 1993.  And what makes this captivating memory so  extra special is that , times have certainly changed and he won't ever be throwing it again.  I completely  appreciate you posting musical history and our childhood memories with Axl.

Well, Here's to Axl n his  "class of 1993" !   Thank You so much.

Edited May 30, 2023 by wendirosez

[Oxford]

There have been hundreds of shows. Hundreds of mics that Axl has thrown into the crowd.  Where have they all gone?  I’ve just searched the www and can only find reference to two more, and I know someone personally who has one from a post 1996 concert. But that’s it.  Where are they?  

[Oxford]

10 hours ago, wendirosez said:

Oxford, I had to take a moment to absorb this post. I , for one absolutely adored reading this. 30 years ago , and it seems like yesterday.  

I appreciate the detailed photos and for taking off the foam cover which he always would fiddle with, especially on those 'rants' back then.

I still see those fingermarks, It is a pretty awesome snapshot in time. that's for sure, And you kept the mic in great condition  for all these years. I am so glad you can share the memories with your daughter and  that it went to someone stellar in the community !  and not someone who might think , "ah well , done with that" and  otherwise sell it on, We grew up  ...Life's ups and downs  ...But still you kept and preserved it and those memories and what he spoke /sang into that mic.   You know what i mean? (Hey , sorry for getting sentimental )

But I love that fact that you can share this here exactly ,30 years on. 

Your beautifully written recollection is such a cool one , as it takes us all back to that bank holiday weekend in 1993.  And what makes this captivating memory so  extra special is that , times have certainly changed and he won't ever be throwing it again.  I completely  appreciate you posting musical history and our childhood memories with Axl.

Well, Here's to Axl n his  "class of 1993" !   Thank You so much.

It’s probably something I’ve taken for granted for the last 27 years.  And it’s thanks to my daughter Poppy for making me dust off my old guitars and get back into something that was a huge part of my life for decades.  Our house is filling up with guitars as she  has gotten into rock in a big way and is an exceptional player now after just three years.  She loves Guns.  It’s bloody marvellous. 

[Gaanzer]

Always liked this mic a lot more than the current red/black combo.

[gavgnr]

Man was at that show! Thanks for sharing

Edited May 30, 2023 by gavgnr

[wendirosez]

33 minutes ago, Oxford said:

There have been hundreds of shows. Hundreds of mics that Axl has thrown into the crowd.  Where have they all gone?  I’ve just searched the www and can only find reference to two more, and I know someone personally who has one from a post 1996 concert. But that’s it.  Where are they?  

So  4 , out of  all  of those shows ....Each mic tells a different story doesn't it?  It is an epiphany moment when we think about it. 

I would think that some (a majority)  would have done the unthinkable and sold it on..and on ...and on . Everything  gets lost to the matter of time then.  

Maybe someone has one sitting in their garage, not caring where it come from, because it came from so & so, who got it from so & so  etc but they can't be sure it's authentic , but they keep it , just in case .

Someone might have one passed down from family/house clearance  and is not too bothered about the origins of it.  Or maybe a spiteful  ex took it and then it got lost,...or "lost". 

Some would have more than likely been  discarded, so the remains are  festering in a dump ( ..since we didn't recycle back then did we ?  ) , Ouch- now, that thought is painful ! Maybe some got destroyed in house fire/ floods/ etc . Someone simply might not disclose they have one , there are so many reasons. We will never know for sure.

[wendirosez]

I love this thread ! This date was 10,909 days ago ...I feel old haha.

Edited May 30, 2023 by wendirosez
More to add ~

[alfierose]

I always enjoy a good mic catch story. Thanks for sharing.

[Chris 55]

23 hours ago, Oxford said:

There  was a massive ruckus in front and to the side of me as they tried to find it or see who had caught it, but it was only the guy in front that turned around and saw me pick it up as I had friends all around me.  
 

 

I'm curious, what happened next? Did he try to get it from you? Did you hide it right away and quickly leave the venue? Did you tell your friends that you had it that night? What were their reactions? 

Edited May 31, 2023 by Chris 55

[Oxford]

2 hours ago, Chris 55 said:

I'm curious, what happened next? Did he try to get it from you? Did you hide it right away and quickly leave the venue? Did you tell your friends that you had it that night? What were their reactions? 

The guy in front didn’t react in any way.  It hit me then just bounced onto the ground in front of me, I crouched down to pick it up so quickly that it was still moving (at least in my mind anyway).  The guy was just looking at it when I straightened up, but he didn’t react at all.  He was only small and around 17 or so, and I was 6ft 2ins and 23.   But that’s all I remember.  What I do remember really clearly was buying three concert programmes and not having anywhere to put them.  So I had to stick them down the front of my jeans the whole concert with my t shirt and jacket over the top.  I can’t remember what jacket I had on, possibly a black denim or blue denim New Jersey jacket.  The mic went head first into the deep inside pocket right away as people were still looking for it to the front and left.  I had six friends with me and they were either side and the two with girlfriends were behind I think.  I just remember still standing there for a while and the scrum in front just dying down as quick as it had started.  Not all my mates knew right away that I’d got it, but my best mate at the time just said something like ‘you jammy bastard’ and word got around pretty quickly.   I can just remember being on a massive high and not much after that.  We got back to the cars and then I got it out and showed everyone.  Some of our group wasn’t that well known to me, being friends of friends, so I was a bit on edge as it was passed around.  I remember one person asking why he tapes them up like that.  But I got it back Ok after what seemed like ages. 
 

I also pulled out my programmes which was a real relief as they’d been shoved down my jeans for hours, the top and bottom one was ruined from sweat and moisture, but the one sandwiched in the middle was OK.   I still have that somewhere.  I had my ticket safe in that one too, and that’s the one in the pictures above. I also found and kept a ticket that was dropped in the car park. I think that’s still in the programme.   That’s pretty much it.  There was no quick exit and no real drama.  If anyone else had seen me pick it up ( and some people behind must have done), then nothing was said or done about it.  It’s weird how your memory changes.  I can remember clearly everything leading up to me putting it in my jacket, then it’s all fuzzy.  I remember walking past the merch stand which was on my left as we walked to the car park, and that’s it.  I wanted to get more stuff (and a clean sweat free programme), but for some reason that never happened.  And I can’t remember if it was just too packed out, closed, or whatever.  

[ssiscool]

Always cool to read stories. I guess the others are owned by people who aren't die hards 

[MaskingApathy]

Great story, thanks for sharing!

[Nintari]

That's awesome! Not only do you have a mic, you have one from the Illusion Era, which makes it way cooler, imo.

Edited June 2, 2023 by Nintari

[Nice Boy]

So: do we know exactly when Axl became a tosser?

[janrichmond]

3 hours ago, Nice Boy said:

So: do we know exactly when Axl became a tosser?

I think he's always been a bit of a tosser tbh

[Nice Boy]

1 hour ago, janrichmond said:

I think he's always been a bit of a tosser tbh

Yeah I thought someone might pinpoint it to 1962, maybe Soulmonster knows 

[SoulMonster]

6 minutes ago, Nice Boy said:

Yeah I thought someone might pinpoint it to 1962, maybe Soulmonster knows 

When he became a tosser? I don't know, I am more interested in the whys.

Edited June 3, 2023 by SoulMonster

[wendirosez]

1 hour ago, janrichmond said:

I think he's always been a bit of a tosser tbh

@janrichmondMade me choke on my tea !

[Caught_in_a_Coma]

Wow! Crazy story!

[raggedyman]

On 5/30/2023 at 5:06 PM, Oxford said:

Exactly thirty years ago to the day I was at my second show of the weekend at Milton Keynes Bowl.  After a massive downpour that left us all soaking and covered in mud on the Saturday, we returned on Sunday with still wet boots to the sodden and sucking mud for another show. The organisers had put down straw to try and soak up the mud, but to be fair, it didn’t do much.   Some people moaned about the state of the place that day, but many more enjoyed the show and left with high spirits.   But not as high as mine were. 
 

As usual, after Paradise City, Axl threw the microphone into the crowd.  Not the recent gentle underarm toss he has been using of late, but a full on overarm throw.  I’ll never forget the noise it made over the PA as it turned over and over through the air (in fact, I always look out for that noise on recordings of live performances as it’s nearly always there).  To be honest it looked like it was going to fall far short of me, and I’ve been there before when that happened at Wembley. Everyone in front jumped up in front of me to try and get it - like a small Mexican wave.  One person a few people in front of me actually got a hand to it, which then caused it to smack me right in the chest and fall on the floor.  I don’t  remember seeing it come my way, just that it did. There  was a massive ruckus in front and to the side of me as they tried to find it or see who had caught it, but it was only the guy in front that turned around and saw me pick it up as I had friends all around me.  
 

I still have it.  It used to be framed and on my bedroom wall until I moved out a couple of years later and started to forge my way through life.  It stopped there at my parents house for a few years in a box in the spare room until they also moved house and I had to take all my stuff or lose it.  So it sat up in the attic for another 7 years or more. I then used the frame for something else and the mic got lost to the bottom of a box of old band t-shirts and other memorabilia from the 90’s.   Then covid happened and my daughter asked me to dig my guitars out and teach her how to play.  And out came my memorabilia and the mic, and all those band t shirts.  Most of which she’s stolen off me.  
 

It’s still in exactly the same condition that I got it.  It still has traces of mud on the tape and on the end.  The windscreen was pure white, but has slightly faded to a dull brown and has shrunk and become slightly crumbly from the attic heat.  Unfortunately it is also marked from the tie wrap that secured it in the frame too.  And it still has the grubby marks left on it by Axl handling it throughout the concert.    It brings back some great memories.  
 

I’d love to get a recording of that concert.  Right up to the point when you hear the thump of the mic hitting my chest, and me fumbling quickly to pick it up before it was cut off from the PA system.  
 

 

Definitely audio and video of this on yt but the audio you can the mic hit you search guns n roses Milton Keynes, 9th video down " guns n roses: live at Milton Keynes national bowl  London 30th may 1993

[Oxford]

On 6/8/2023 at 1:30 PM, raggedyman said:

Definitely audio and video of this on yt but the audio you can the mic hit you search guns n roses Milton Keynes, 9th video down " guns n roses: live at Milton Keynes national bowl  London 30th may 1993

Cheers for that.  I’d watched the video version, but it cuts out the mic sound.  You do see him hurl it from the show the day before, he really gives it a run up and hard overarm throw like he did on the Sunday.  Someone did send me a sound bite of Paradise which includes the mic hitting me.  It’s so cool hearing that as you hear the bloke further in front get a touch to it first. I’ll listen to the whole thing Sunday when I have more time. 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Oxford