New Axl Interview

[axlsalinger]

well done beta put that foot down, should of done it ages ago heres to a great 2012

Its what any good mother would do.

It must be REAL easy to be a manager if she can do it

That isn't fair. Are you telling me that if you spent 20 years dealing with a big rock band on a daily basis, attempting to learn some things and also acting as a de facto manager for the lead singer along the way, that you would still not be qualified to manage that singer's rock band?

.

Edited December 21, 2011 by axlsalinger

[tingirl]

Beta should get him to release a live album of this last tour it would be fresh and combine the classics with a kind of rerelease of cd it would be cheaper and quicker than a studio album. People would buy that now and it would create revinue.

[Georgy Zhukov]

well done beta put that foot down, should of done it ages ago heres to a great 2012

Its what any good mother would do.

It must be REAL easy to be a manager if she can do it

Considering she has 20 years experience, she's fit for the job.

[sleeper]

That's what GNR almost feel like, just one giant big family taking on the whole world of non believers.

Awesome way to sum it up.

I can imagine them all having dinner together every night on the tour.

This is just heart warming!

It sounds like a 50's sitcom. I know Wally and the Beaver oh and Eddie Haskell. I guess that makes Beta June Clever!

[chevelle]

It's been a great many years of false starts and almost-theres with this band, but it finally feels like things are picking up. They've been touring monsters the past year, and seem to have been winning over some of the anti-GNR crowd, Axl's been in a great mood this whole tour, we got the TMS interview, we're going to be getting a brand new site, and now Axl himself has said there are plans to put out new music, and while half the band has said that at various points, it's finally coming from the horse's mouth.

2012 is shaping up to be the year Guns N' Roses solidifies itself as it's own band, that can tour and release music on a regular basis. If only the world wasn't going to end so soon.

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

Maybe he wants to decide latter so he can still ponder it.

Exactly. I think he'll leave himself the OPTION of participating- but by no means guarantee it...

[Georgy Zhukov]

The Year of the Dragon!

[axlsalinger]

I can't imagine a scenario where either the band or the record company has zero interest in releasing a new Guns n' Roses album. Therefore, they must each have a proposal for negotiations. We don't know how far apart they are, but I am hoping that all this positive momentum convinces Axl to lower his demands a bit in the interest of moving forward, and also convinces the label to offer some sort of olive branch.

Edited December 21, 2011 by axlsalinger

[Janabis]

Also, bad:

A professional manager was fired.

Beta and family know more about running Guns N' Roses than I do, but... mixing business with family is "one of those things you don't do" the old saying is - can they leverage the label? LiveNation?

Label stuff still isn't sorted out (like I've been posting for months, THIS is what keeps us from new music).

Beta finally taking over the band is terrible news. She's spent many years ingratiating herself to Axl to get to this point. The band's horrible relations with pretty much every promoter, record label, and manager in the business over the past 10+ years suggest that she and Axl are incapable of efficiently operating anything larger than their own family.

[KBear]

I can't believe how everyone is buying into this idea that we will have a new album soon. Look, it would be great if the band was entering a very productive phase, but don't you all remember the optimism we got from Axl in 2001/2002 and then the silence after that? A 2012 release is about as likely as a reunion - I'd be glad to be wrong on either of those.

How anyone can blame the label and managers for the lack of an album up until 2008 is silly. The label invested $13M into the new band. It did not give this money to Axl thinking he was in studio with Slash, Duff, and Izzy recording an album and that they were funding a reunion. And do you really think the label gave him this sum of money and wanted 10 years of development, culminating in a release that fizzled out as quickly as it started? Obviously not. Universal has only released thousands of albums, I think they know a thing or two about the process. No one wanted the album released and successful more than them, and no one was more equipped to make it happen than they were, but after all that time and money it's not difficult to understand why they stopped playing ball with Axl. It's funny how most labels seem to be productive with their talent, yet with GN'R it's different.

Finally, I don't get people proclaiming that a reunion (if even for just one day) is off the table. Axl seems to be leaving the door slightly open for one. I have little doubt that two or three years ago he would have slammed it shut. We've no idea what his intentions are, and likely he isn't sure himself. So we will just have to wait and see on that one. Frankly though, it looks a lot more promising than it did one month ago.

The label spent over $13 million dollars on CD and got one record ... surely they want to recoup some more of that money back with a new album. I don't understand what these label issues could possibly be about.

Tommy mentioned this in a recent interview. He said something to the effect of after how long that it took in the first place, that they wouldn't give Axl the final few weeks to finalize the artwork and liner notes. Hence why the album was full of errors.

Half this forum could have fixed the errors in one afternoon. I'm sure the label informed the band well in advance regarding when they wanted to release the album and what deadlines they faced as far as things like artwork and liner notes. And that stuff doesn't take weeks. Again, this is old hat for Universal. It just doesn't make sense to me that they dropped the ball on the business end.

Edited December 21, 2011 by KBear

[Ali]

I am guessing the problem with the label is that they are trying to get him back together with former members.

No, likely he wants to record music, and they don't want to pay for it because they already paid for a bunch of stuff that is collecting dust.

Look at his comment on the touring size, I am sure in his mind he wants another massive advance to start recording new material with his current line-up. The label likely told him to buzz off, and that if he wants to release music there is plenty of stuff on the shelves.

I am 100% sure it is nothing more than a budget dispute that has him pissed off they won't give him anymore money for what he wants to do. Whether he realizes it or not though, he has no one but himself to blame.

I'm 100% sure that as a fan on a messageboard, you are not capable of having that degree of certainty with regards to this situation.

Ali

Edited December 21, 2011 by Ali

[The Real McCoy]

Also, bad:

A professional manager was fired.

Beta and family know more about running Guns N' Roses than I do, but... mixing business with family is "one of those things you don't do" the old saying is - can they leverage the label? LiveNation?

Label stuff still isn't sorted out (like I've been posting for months, THIS is what keeps us from new music).

Beta finally taking over the band is terrible news. She's spent many years ingratiating herself to Axl to get to this point. The band's horrible relations with pretty much every promoter, record label, and manager in the business over the past 10+ years suggest that she and Axl are incapable of efficiently operating anything larger than their own family.

Way to be positive.

[izzy92]

What I get from this interview is that Axl doesn't want to be the one guy who ruins it-as in he'll show up if theres not too much being asked from him with regards to performance. Its great promo for the new band, and he can go a long way to dismantling his reputation as a careless axhole.

He knows its for the fans, and hes always wanted a way to show his appreciation for the true fans without conventional media and word twisting-this is his chance. The whole world will be watching and this may genuinely be his last chance to save his image.

As for a reunion tour or album, I cant see that ever happening. The original lineup has never written an album without either living together in a 12x12 box, or carrying hundreds of tapes around the country for three years. How would they possibly know where to start?

I think Axl probably realizes he could sell out 5 nights at Wembley Stadium with the original lineup, so props to him for not taking the money. Though it sure may help finance Nuguns making some more new music...

[Bards]

well done beta put that foot down, should of done it ages ago heres to a great 2012

Its what any good mother would do.

It must be REAL easy to be a manager if she can do it

That isn't fair. Are you telling me that if you spent 20 years dealing with a big rock band on a daily basis, attempting to learn some things and also acting as a de facto manager for the lead singer along the way, that you would still not be qualified to manage that singer's rock band?

.

Hanging out in the background dusting while business is happening does not make one a businessperson. Saying "Great idea, Axl" only goes so far.

I'm sure they have a close personal relationship and that's fine and dandy. But this is business. Fact is, she's woefully unqualified. I'm not saying it to be negative, but facts is facts. There's a reason Coca-Cola doesn't turn the cleaning staff into VP's.

[Gagarin]

Beta should get him to release a live album of this last tour it would be fresh and combine the classics with a kind of rerelease of cd it would be cheaper and quicker than a studio album. People would buy that now and it would create revinue.

Not really. It's the label that releases music - not Axl. If they can't get a studio record out, they can't get a live album out, either. From a label point of view, they'd have much of the same work - production, distribution, convincing retailers to make room for it, paying GNR it's minimum advance. The general public isn't interested in a live record of the last year, and the record label has to be convinced there's a business case for re-releasing Chinese Democracy.

It's not like someone needs to convince Axl to pull the trigger.

The trigger doesn't really belong to him.

They need record company support to do anything, whether a live album, the unreleased Chinese sessions, or a new fresh 12 song album.

[vaida]

Wow, that was a great read, very insightful.

So, it seems now that Beta is officially Guns' manager?

It goes to show how small their opperation is these days. Beta as manager ?

..I get the impression Beta is the one person Axl can't fire

Edited December 21, 2011 by vaida

[axlsalinger]

well done beta put that foot down, should of done it ages ago heres to a great 2012

Its what any good mother would do.

It must be REAL easy to be a manager if she can do it

That isn't fair. Are you telling me that if you spent 20 years dealing with a big rock band on a daily basis, attempting to learn some things and also acting as a de facto manager for the lead singer along the way, that you would still not be qualified to manage that singer's rock band?

.

Hanging out in the background dusting while business is happening does not make one a businessperson. Saying "Great idea, Axl" only goes so far.

I'm sure they have a close personal relationship and that's fine and dandy. But this is business. Fact is, she's woefully unqualified. I'm not saying it to be negative, but facts is facts. There's a reason Coca-Cola doesn't turn the cleaning staff into VP's.

Did you have a job when you were young, maybe delivering papers or something? Can I then refer to you as a paperboy for the rest of your life, regardless of what job you currently do? I can see that you have no interest in evaluating and discussing this as an adult, unless you're mentally retarded, because clearly anybody can understand that your "example" is idiotic, unless a member of the cleaning staff had managed the vice-president's affairs for well over a decade. Not to mention the fact that being a VP at Coca-Cola is probably more difficult than managing a rock band.

Also, I guess you are admitting that you could not manage a rock band even with twenty years of on-the-job training. I am sorry for you, maybe you really should stick to delivering papers. I am pretty sure I'd be able to do it, especially when you consider that I would have lawyers to handle legal stuff, tour directors to handle tour stuff, assistants, roadies, yada yada yada.

Or maybe you're just sexist, and don't think she can handle it because she's a woman, based on your ridiculous belitting comment about dusting.

Edited December 21, 2011 by axlsalinger

[gnrkoncerti]

well done beta put that foot down, should of done it ages ago heres to a great 2012

Its what any good mother would do.

It must be REAL easy to be a manager if she can do it

That isn't fair. Are you telling me that if you spent 20 years dealing with a big rock band on a daily basis, attempting to learn some things and also acting as a de facto manager for the lead singer along the way, that you would still not be qualified to manage that singer's rock band?

.

Hanging out in the background dusting while business is happening does not make one a businessperson. Saying "Great idea, Axl" only goes so far.

I'm sure they have a close personal relationship and that's fine and dandy. But this is business. Fact is, she's woefully unqualified. I'm not saying it to be negative, but facts is facts. There's a reason Coca-Cola doesn't turn the cleaning staff into VP's.

Did you have a job when you were young, maybe delivering papers or something? Can I then refer to you as a paperboy for the rest of your life, regardless of what job you currently do? I can see that you have no interest in evaluating and discussing this as an adult, unless you're mentally retarded, because clearly anybody can understand that your "example" is idiotic, unless a member of the cleaning staff had managed the vice-president's affairs for well over a decade. Not to mention the fact that being a VP at Coca-Cola is probably more difficult than managing a rock band.

Also, I guess you are admitting that you could not manage a rock band even with twenty years of on-the-job training. I am sorry for you, maybe you really should stick to delivering papers. I am pretty sure I'd be able to do it, especially when you consider that I would have lawyers to handle legal stuff, tour directors to handle tour stuff, assistants, roadies, yada yada yada.

Or maybe you're just sexist, and don't think she can handle it because she's a woman, based on your ridiculous belitting comment about dusting.

great to read...I like Beta as menager...Maybe Bata can make a reunion or Beta can be fired

[Laparka]

well done beta put that foot down, should of done it ages ago heres to a great 2012

Its what any good mother would do.

It must be REAL easy to be a manager if she can do it

That isn't fair. Are you telling me that if you spent 20 years dealing with a big rock band on a daily basis, attempting to learn some things and also acting as a de facto manager for the lead singer along the way, that you would still not be qualified to manage that singer's rock band?

.

Hanging out in the background dusting while business is happening does not make one a businessperson. Saying "Great idea, Axl" only goes so far.

I'm sure they have a close personal relationship and that's fine and dandy. But this is business. Fact is, she's woefully unqualified. I'm not saying it to be negative, but facts is facts. There's a reason Coca-Cola doesn't turn the cleaning staff into VP's.

Did you have a job when you were young, maybe delivering papers or something? Can I then refer to you as a paperboy for the rest of your life, regardless of what job you currently do? I can see that you have no interest in evaluating and discussing this as an adult, unless you're mentally retarded, because clearly anybody can understand that your "example" is idiotic, unless a member of the cleaning staff had managed the vice-president's affairs for well over a decade. Not to mention the fact that being a VP at Coca-Cola is probably more difficult than managing a rock band.

Also, I guess you are admitting that you could not manage a rock band even with twenty years of on-the-job training. I am sorry for you, maybe you really should stick to delivering papers. I am pretty sure I'd be able to do it, especially when you consider that I would have lawyers to handle legal stuff, tour directors to handle tour stuff, assistants, roadies, yada yada yada.

Or maybe you're just sexist, and don't think she can handle it because she's a woman, based on your ridiculous belitting comment about dusting.

great to read...I like Beta as menager...Maybe Bata can make a reunion or Beta can be fired

[WhazUp]

This is probably the most insightful, non-cryptic Axl interview since the old days. Cool read

[Guest gunns5]

I think it's great news that Beta is the manager, she will always have the best intentions and as a few members have experienced on this very forum, she goes above and beyond for the fans where she doesn't have to.

Great fuckin news, Rock on Beta and GnR 2012!

[tsunami1982]

"We decided, 'No more managers,'" said Lebeis a few days after the Seattle concert. "Between me and Fernando and my daughter, we're dealing with the management." Lebeis added that she characterizes Rose as "more than a son to me," and that after Katsis' departure, "I told [Rose] if he hires another manager, I quit."

Wow

[Nick83]

The record company and all managers are so fucking stupid. I mean, if they would have thrown their full support behind new Guns and givin it an honest opportunity to succeed, then they could have profited off that success or if it failed, they'd have a better chance of getting their reunion.

Instead they wanted to dick around, which has only delayed and fucked everything up. Let's hope the industry gets it once and for all: promote the band get it into peoples heads it will sell.

[rock4eva]

It seems a big change of heart from Axl considering his thoughts on women in the past. Now he's got a woman managing him, nice to see and hope this doesn't create any bad feelings between the Lebeis family and him in the future. Hopefully they can work together well and be a success.

I would love it if they released a live album of the tour, I know it's a re-run of songs that people already have but the live versions are so much better than the recorded ones eg: KOHD.

If Beta quit where would she go and what would she do??

[loko]

But fast reunion is easy and big money, so why they should working hard for GNR when they can only grab money?