I recently read an article on how the rich buy real estate that reminded me of my only experience with how the super rich, buy a house. Or in this case, build a mansion.
As the article points out celebrities and the wealthy like to buy incognito under the guise of a trust. Well, years ago, back in the days of Heavy Metal and the Sunset Strip here in Los Angeles, the band Guns N Roses seemed like they would always rule the genre.
A good friend who is a plastering and Stucco Contractor invited me to lunch in Beverly Hills and asked if I would like to see the house he is helping to build.
We pulled into the driveway. First thing I noticed was that the property was lacking a front wall. Seems security was all electronic. However, separating the property was a stuccoed wall running down the side.
We waltzed in and I will share just a few of the eye popping features. Every bedroom had an African Cherrywood built in bar. Seems this was a “crash house”. “How the druggies have upgraded since the 60’s”, I thought.
It was then that my friend (Dave is his name) explained to me that this is owned by a trust led by none other than Axl Rose. As I looked at the lazy river running under the glass wall from the backyard. I asked, “how do you know it is owned by the GNR singer?”
He explained to me as we passed thru the glass wall into the pool area that he talked to Axl. Seems that the Metal god had not liked Dave’s stucco work. He wanted wavy and Dave gave him too wavy. Then not enough wavy, and so on.
Dave explained that he had to redo the wall a few times as Axl (going under the alias Steve Jones) explained what he wanted, but never liked the finished product. He even came out to the property once to “really” explain what he wanted. Still calling himself Steve Jones. So Dave ended up having to redo the whole thing like three or four times.
We walked about the lazy river “ride”, I looked over at the pool that seemed conservative next to the newly constructed edifice. But the rock enclosed water slide was almost as big as the pool!
As we exited the backyard and strolled thru the glass wall and into the entrance, Dave pointed out his stucco, wavy wall.
That he got paid for three times. And as I looked at the 14 car garage complete with guest house (which seemed redundant) overlooking an unobstructed view of LA’s San Fernando Valley, I was comforted that Axl would not have a hard time making that payment for the extra work. Or any other creations he may want constructed.
And for your entertainment….Axl and Elton and Queen: