Former Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven has filed a lawsuit against the band, claiming they are attempting to block the release of his upcoming memoir, Sound N’ Fury: Rock N’ Roll Stories.
Niven, who managed several major rock and metal acts during the 1980s and 1990s, is best known for his work with Guns N’ Roses during their formative years, from 1986 through 1991. The conflict stems from a buyout agreement signed when Niven and the group parted ways. The band reportedly argues that Sound N’ Fury violates a confidentiality clause from that agreement, while Niven maintains that the clause is “void and unenforceable.”
According to the lawsuit’s legal documents, Niven’s lawsuit claims that the buyout agreement “was not signed by all of its members,” which was necessary for it “to be effective.” The filing specifically notes that Axl Rose “did not sign the contract.” Niven further asserts that the band members themselves have violated the same confidentiality clause by publicly discussing him in ways the complaint describes as “inflammatory or even defamatory.”
The suit names Slash and Duff McKagan, alleging that both “wrote about Niven in a manner that violates the agreement,” while claiming that Rose has repeatedly spoken about him in ways that “violate the agreement.”
The filing also points out that Guns N’ Roses have never objected when Niven has addressed past comments or participated in media appearances about his time with the band. Niven alleges that he was even invited by band members to take part in documentaries about Guns N’ Roses, and that between 2015 and 2018, “a member of GNR exchanged emails with Niven multiple times regarding the book and encouraged him to write it.”
Challenging the validity of the contract further, Niven claims he was “under severe personal distress” when he signed the buyout deal. The suit states that he had been “betrayed by his former employee, the band’s lawyer, and his band,” and that he “was forced to take a buyout that was far less than he would have received had he stayed with GNR.”
Originally slated for release in late June, Sound N’ Fury has been delayed after Guns N’ Roses reportedly sent a letter to Niven’s publisher, ECW Press, in May invoking the confidentiality clause. The lawsuit claims that “[d]ue to GNR’s threats, Sound N’ Fury languishes in a warehouse,” adding, “Thousands of copies of Sound N’ Fury have been printed and continue to incur storage expenses. The release date has been moved several times. The public is expecting the book to be released, and Niven has accrued advance orders.” Current pre-order listings now show an April 2026 release date.
Niven’s suit seeks a declaration that the confidentiality agreement is unenforceable, along with rulings for breach of contract and interference with a contract.
