It wasn’t just a concert. It was an eruption. A night of musical mayhem that made rock history—and nearly blew the roof off Wembley Stadium.
June 13th, 1992. A date every true rock fan should engrave into their memory. That was the night Guns N’ Roses, Soundgarden, and Faith No More tore through London with a show so legendary, it still echoes like thunder through the annals of rock ‘n’ roll lore. And if the mere lineup wasn’t insane enough, GNR dropped a nuclear bomb during their encore: Queen’s own Brian May stormed the stage for an earth-shaking rendition of “Tie Your Mother Down” and a mind-melting “We Will Rock You.”
Let’s rewind the tape.
The Stage Was Set for Chaos
Wembley Stadium was sold out—72,000 roaring fans, packed shoulder to shoulder under the London sky. The energy was electric. People didn’t just show up for a concert—they came for a spectacle. And they got one.
Faith No More opened the night with their signature chaos and eccentric brilliance. Mike Patton was in rare form—clad in a straightjacket at one point, spitting lyrics like venom. Their explosive set of “Epic,” “Midlife Crisis,” and “We Care A Lot” had fans moshing and screaming before the sun even set.
Next up: Soundgarden. Grunge was still rising, but Chris Cornell’s haunting howl and Kim Thayil’s seismic guitar riffs made it clear—these guys were no warm-up act. They pummeled Wembley with “Outshined,” “Rusty Cage,” and a vicious version of “Jesus Christ Pose.” By the time their set ended, the stadium was already shaking.
But everyone knew who they came for.
Guns N’ Roses Arrive Like a Hurricane
As the first notes of “Welcome to the Jungle” screamed out from Slash’s Les Paul, the stadium detonated. Axl Rose, in full rock god mode with a bandana and leather, sprinted across the stage like a man possessed. Guns N’ Roses were in their prime—dangerous, unpredictable, and utterly untouchable.
They ripped through hits like “Live and Let Die,” “You Could Be Mine,” “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” and a haunting “November Rain” that saw the entire crowd light up Wembley with lighters and tears.
It wasn’t just a performance. It was a riotous sermon of rock excess. There were pyrotechnics. There were backstage fights. There were rumors that Axl threatened to walk if his monitor wasn’t fixed mid-show. And there was Slash—chain-smoking and shredding like a maniac, delivering solos that could split concrete.
But the night wasn’t done.
Enter: Brian May — A Moment of Pure Rock Majesty
As the final notes of “Paradise City” faded, most fans thought the night had reached its climax. But Guns N’ Roses had one last card to play—and it was a royal flush.
Suddenly, a lone figure walked onstage, long curly hair and Red Special guitar glowing under the lights. Brian May.
The roar that followed could’ve cracked the Tower of London.
Without a word, Slash and May traded smirks, and then—BOOM—they launched into Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down.” The sheer force of two of rock’s greatest guitarists dueling in real time had fans in full meltdown mode. It was a six-string slugfest, a loud and lethal tribute to Queen’s legacy.
Then came the ultimate closer: “We Will Rock You.”
With May on lead, Axl channeling Freddie Mercury’s larger-than-life energy, and the entire crowd stomping and clapping in unison, Wembley became one massive thunderclap. It wasn’t just a song—it was an anthem, an earthquake, and a spiritual experience all rolled into one.
By the end, Axl and Brian hugged center stage. Slash bowed. The lights blazed. The stadium roared.
Behindthe Scenes: Tensions, Tequila, and Total Mayhem
What most fans didn’t know? That historic moment almost didn’t happen.
Sources close to the band later revealed Brian May was hesitant to perform. Freddie Mercury had died just months earlier, and emotions were still raw. But Axl Rose—famously a massive Queen fan—begged May to join them. It wasn’t until the very last minute that Brian said yes, reportedly walking into the venue just 45 minutes before showtime.
Backstage, chaos reigned. Faith No More’s Mike Patton allegedly urinated on Axl’s teleprompter screen. Soundgarden’s crew and GNR’s roadies nearly came to blows over sound checks. And Slash, ever the rock outlaw, was nearly kicked out of his own dressing room for throwing empty Jack Daniel’s bottles at the wall in celebration.
In other words: it was everything a real rock show should be. Loud. Unpredictable. Absolutely insane.
Why June 13, 1992 Still Matters
Over three decades later, the footage of that show continues to go viral. Bootlegs are traded like holy relics. Fans still argue about whether that was the greatest GNR show of all time.
For many, it was the final flash of the golden era—before the lawsuits, the breakups, the spirals. Before grunge took over and the excesses of the ‘80s imploded under their own weight.
June 13, 1992, wasn’t just a concert. It was a supernova. A wild, sweaty, unhinged, and glorious collision of three bands at the height of their powers—and one legendary guitarist who turned a great show into something immortal.
So if you weren’t there?
You missed a piece of rock history that will never be repeated.
But if you were?
You know. You felt it.
And you’ll never forget the night Guns N’ Roses and Brian May set Wembley Stadium on fire.
SHARETHIS if you love rock history—and TAG someone who needs to hear this story!
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