Izzy Stradlin comments on reunion

[Darkenchantress]

Just now, Lio said:

Um, didn't he just tweet he wanted an equal share of the 'loot'? To me, that sounds like wanting more money (rightly so or not, I don't know).

It's wanting the money he deserves, and he obviously deserve equals as a founding member and main song writer. I don't think Izzy is that stupid to ask for more money just to be a guest, to be honest.

[Asia]

2 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

Well this is a stupid argument. To expect 'Guns N' Roses', bona fide Guns, from Izzy's solo albums is no different from expecting Guns N' Roses from Slash's hair rock albums or Axl's mess of overdubs.

So the fact that he writes some stones-immitation unmemorable songs that sound nothing like GNR nor have one third of the overall richness and quality of the latter is supposed to prove he's the most important member of the band? Well, that is a stupid argument.

While, on the other hand, songs like Coma or Estranged were composed completely without him.

[Darkenchantress]

Man, I love to be a rhythm guitarist. We are so silently brilliant yet so underrated 

[God of Thunder]

2 minutes ago, Darkenchantress said:

Sure, the guy who left the band when it was at its peak has a life revolving around money. Not buying it, sorry 

He is even writing himself in that tweet that it is only about money!??? Not sure what this has to do with integrity...It is his right to want more money and it is the full right of the others to refuse that.

About Izzys songwriting. Yes it was a huge influence on Guns, but people tend to forget that Guns had a collective height in songwriting, a magic that I assume was because of the right people, the right vibes in the right time; and most likely this can never be repeated. Nearly all of the songs have more than one credit, it has been a collective effort. Nobody would know how these songs would sound like if the influence of the others would not have been there. The only big gun Izzy wrote himself is Patience.

And about stage presence; the songs were one thing, but without Axl`s wild and maniac behaviour and rock star looks and attitude and Slash`s coolness,  iconic top hat and riffs, Guns would have never become  anywhere near as big. And frankly if I go to a live show I care about the performance and it is not the breaking point for me if a person that cowrote the songs is on stage or not. It would be nice to see all 5 back together, but if it does not work out, I am happy seeing Axl, Slash and Duff and keep the hopes for seeing Adler for the sake of the good old times.

[DieselDaisy]

Just now, Asia said:

So the fact that he writes some stones-immitation unmemorable songs that sound nothing like GNR nor have one third of the overall richness and quality of the latter is supposed to prove he's the most important member of the band? Well, that is a stupid argument.

'Stones imitation' is a very poor description of his music considering the elements of punk, reggae, surf 'Americana' instrumental (Link Wray type stuff), folk/country-rock (a la Gram Parsons) and (1950s) rockabilly in his sound. And I never said his songs 'sound nothing like GN'R' - you will indeed find many aspects akin to Guns in his solo music: indeed, Izzy's solo albums are littered with ballads like 'Patience'.

6 minutes ago, Asia said:

While, on the other hand, songs like Coma or Estranged were composed completely without him.

Vice versa, Patience, Used to Love Her, Think About You, Double Talkin' Jive.

I'm probably in the minority here but Coma is one of my least favourite GN'R songs.

[starlight]

11 minutes ago, Lio said:

Um, didn't he just tweet he wanted an equal share of the 'loot'? To me, that sounds like wanting more money (rightly so or not, I don't know).

Equal share. Not more money than Axl Slash or Duff...you know he has some dignity and feels as important as his ex bandmates. He doesn't want to be treated like some useless piece of shit and I agree with him.

[DieselDaisy]

5 minutes ago, God of Thunder said:

And about stage presence; the songs were one thing, but without Axl`s wild and maniac behaviour and rock star looks and attitude and Slash`s coolness,  iconic top hat and riffs, Guns would have never become  anywhere near as big. And frankly if I go to a live show I care about the performance and it is not the breaking point for me if a person that cowrote the songs is on stage or not. It would be nice to see all 5 back together, but if it does not work out, I am happy seeing Axl, Slash and Duff and keep the hopes for seeing Adler for the sake of the good old times.

I would argue that, without Stradlin's understated troubadour persona, Axl's histrionics and Slash's posturing would be unbearable - if we are discussing the stage chemistry of the original five. Izzy (and Duff also) kept the stage thing grounded and punky - proof being the Ritz show.

[oaka]

2 hours ago, Asia said:

Gee, what an attack on the big three... because what? A guy who hasn't been involved in anything GN'R related for the last 25 years and who never cared to do his job properly even while he was involved, a guy who's more money conscious than any of them (charging a million dollars for temporary Gilby replacement on the UYI tour, charging Axl big money for guest appearances) said he shits on all of you unless he gets an equal piece of the pie for 10% engagement?

And that is Axl's fault? Oh please... That's ridiculous.

Also no wonder they don't give interviews. Axl said just a couple of words about this. Quite unjudgemental, no attack on anybody or anything, he was trying to be as neutral as possible and yet he started a shitstorm of the century and dozens of idiots already blame Axl and hate Axl, even though they have no fucking idea what really happened. But what for anyway? Izzy's so cool. He never does anything, never engages in anything, always runs away from all problems and to some obviously it is the definition of coolness. 

Out of likes but I applaud you. 

It really irritates me how Izzy comes off as a victim, like the other 3 tried to screw him over. Also, the fact that he acts like the integrity checker and a "moral lighthouse" so to speak really puts me off. Even if he feels he was treated in an unjust way concerning money, attacking the Big 3 on twitter is not the classiest or coolest way to do it. Actually it is really not cool. It shows how bitter he is and the fact that his song "F.P. Money" IS  in fact a jab at the other 3, even though he unsuccessfully tried to persuade us that it was insprired by a dark comedy series.. yeah, right..that, my friend, IS bullshit. By the way, his tweets about the supposed inspirtation of the song are deleted. And let's not forget his weird first tweets in which he took a shot at Axl that he later - again - deleted...

I like Izzy but I was let down by him today 'cause it really annoys me when someone tries to publicly portray themselves as a victim - even if they feel so. 

P.S. Personal opinion:I don't think Izzy should be paid the same amount of money as the other guys. Not everyone gets paid equally. Fuck, I would be pissed off if with the responsibilities I have at my job, my qualifications, years of dedication and sacrifices I got paid the same money as other collegues! Noone gets paid equally in the real world 'cause you have different positions and different roles to play and yes some are more important and crucial than the others. Not to say that Izzy hasn't been an important part of the band or that his contribution was not significact (on the contrary, I do value his contibution) but not every plays the same role in a band or a company or an organization. 

Maybe I'll regret writing this after a few days or so when I am not as mad as I am now 'cause as I said I actually like and appreciate Izzy and I have missed him in this tour. I really rooted for him and I was positive that he would be involved in the shows one way or the other when the "regrouping" was announced. 

[Slosh13]

7 minutes ago, God of Thunder said:

He is even writing himself in that tweet that it is only about money!??? Not sure what this has to do with integrity...It is his right to want more money and it is the full right of the others to refuse that.

About Izzys songwriting. Yes it was a huge influence on Guns, but people tend to forget that Guns had a collective height in songwriting, a magic that I assume was because of the right people, the right vibes in the right time; and most likely this can never be repeated. Nearly all of the songs have more than one credit, it has been a collective effort. Nobody would know how these songs would sound like if the influence of the others would not have been there. The only big gun Izzy wrote himself is Patience.

And about stage presence; the songs were one thing, but without Axl`s wild and maniac behaviour and rock star looks and attitude and Slash`s coolness,  iconic top hat and riffs, Guns would have never become  anywhere near as big. And frankly if I go to a live show I care about the performance and it is not the breaking point for me if a person that cowrote the songs is on stage or not. It would be nice to see all 5 back together, but if it does not work out, I am happy seeing Axl, Slash and Duff and keep the hopes for seeing Adler for the sake of the good old times.

 

Yep. I tend not to use credits as a barometer of who did what. It was a collective effort and needed each individual element to make it work. The same applies to films to a certain degree. A writer, as credited, writes a script, yet the audience has no clue that that script may have/will have been rewritten by the director, another uncredited writer, actor rewrites his/her dialogue etc.  If it sucks, the critics blame the credited writer, or if the film is good, the uncredited writer is seething because he didn't get credit.

[Majestic Beast]

It's all about the money,really izzy,you wanted more than Axl gave you,just for some guest appearences? You are out of this cause is your choice,not others fault.

[DieselDaisy]

4 minutes ago, oaka said:

Personal opinion:I don't think Izzy should be paid the same amount of money as the other guys.

How?

He founded Guns N' Roses. Slash and Duff didn't create Guns - they joined it! The band, Izzy's band, already existed before Slash and Duff joined! Further, Izzy made more songwriting contributions than Slash and Duff.

[giuls]

Well, it was really an issue of money, and we actually don't know what the negotations went, by all account they actually talked and i don't believe it went as cut and dry as that and even if it was that cut and dry i can see both side of argument, the big three actually took care of the band affairs together even with all the bullshit for the last 20+ years and they are the one that put together the tour but Izzy was part of the magic and a co-writer, i don't really see the value of the endless "Who was the most important while writing" debate because this band isn't The Rolling Stones or The Beatles they wrote all together.

I think it's better this way, tbh, i wouldn't want the tour to be riddled by resentment, it tends to seep in the perfomance.

Edited September 8, 2016 by giuls

[GNRfan2008]

2 minutes ago, Slosh13 said:

 

Yep. I tend not to use credits as a barometer of who did what. It was a collective effort and needed each individual element to make it work. The same applies to films to a certain degree. A writer, as credited, writes a script, yet the audience has no clue that that script may have/will have been rewritten by the director, another uncredited writer, actor rewrites his/her dialogue etc.  If it sucks, the critics blame the credited writer, or if the film is good, the uncredited writer is seething because he didn't get credit.

I think Adler is a great example of this and drumming in general. His drumming was critical on Appetite and we see it to this day with the lousy tempo Frank is creating for many of the songs. People are quick to dismiss Adler but he played a much more important role than the songwriting shows. John Bonham is not really credited on Led Zeppelin songwriting, yet they knew their band was completely fucked without him. He was incredibly important to their sound. 

[T-Minus]

No surprises really... $$$

[Get In the Ring Motherfker]

8 hours ago, Gackt said:

By the sound of things, the intention was for it to be a reunion tour to fully live up to the original "not in this lifetime" quote regarding a full line-up reunion, but the situations with Adler & Stradlin didn't let that happen so it became marketed as a line-up of the 3 most consistent original members

Fortus deserves to be up on stage as much as anyone else, for how many years he's spent playing rhythm

Everytime I see someone say Fortus is playing rhythm I have a blast

[Darkenchantress]

20 minutes ago, starlight said:

Equal share. Not more money than Axl Slash or Duff...you know he has some dignity and feels as important as his ex bandmates. He doesn't want to be treated like some useless piece of shit and I agree with him.

I'm out of likes, but THIS, basically. 

[DieselDaisy]

If I had a guess, judging from Izzy's ''they didn't want to split the loot equally'' and what we know of the 'partnership', Axl, Slash and Duff are splitting the gate receipts between them and attempted to hire Izzy on salary (like Fortus, Ferrer, Dizzy and that silly girl). Gross insult if true.

[Blackstar]

It's about money, then. Great...  

I haven't read all pages of this thread yet. I see people are hasty to reach a verdict, but, as a quote from about 2500 years says,  "don't condemn anyone before hearing both sides of the story". 

As for the alledged splits, yes, it seems outrageous if Axl gets 50%, but we don't know where the 4 hired hands' and the crew's payments come from. At least the musicians are probably paid from Axl's share.

13 hours ago, MillionsOfSpiders said:

No wonder they're not comfortable playing Don't Cry and Patience in the same show. 

Nah, I don't think it has to do (after all they aren't solely Izzy's). But maybe it has to do with playing DTJ every night, an all Izzy song that says "take the money mf cause I've got no more patience"  I hope Izzy will eventually get the money.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Blackstar

[StrangerInThisTown]

As Izzy said in that 2001 interview, he doesnt want to be "demoted" to a lower position in a band he founded. This was his problem in 1991 aswell and one of the reasons he left. It seems he still feels so

[MYWIFEMYLIFE]

I trust Izzy. Fuck u greedy bstards axl duff slash, fuck u. 

[Towelie]

Well, what use do they have for Izzy now? Dude wrote some good songs 30 years ago, but hasn't written jackshit of worth since. They don't need him for his stage charisma (he has none) and even if they were to release a new album (lol) I think Slash/Axl/Duff have written far better songs in the last 25 years than Izzy. I like Don't Cry and Patience as much as the next GNR fan, but I don't have much faith that he could still contribute songs of that calibre these days.

[Gibbo]

I was told the contract for this tour expires in Oct 2017, then it should be split more fairly

Edited September 8, 2016 by Gibbo

[DieselDaisy]

2 minutes ago, Towelie said:

Well, what use do they have for Izzy now? Dude wrote some good songs 30 years ago, but hasn't written jackshit of worth since. They don't need him for his stage charisma (he has none) and even if they were to release a new album (lol) I think Slash/Axl/Duff have written far better songs in the last 25 years than Izzy. I like Don't Cry and Patience as much as the next GNR fan, but I don't have much faith that he could still contribute songs of that calibre these days.

 

and many many more...

There is no comparison with Slash's cock rock and Axl's Chinese beeps and farts. Superior music altogether (and I quite like some of Slash's stuff).

[rocknroll41]

If anything, at least this whole debacle convinced Izzy to come out of retirement from avocado farming and write some decent new songs and play some decent covers.

[Jane M.]

5 hours ago, melonhead87 said:

But the difference is that Izzy could walk out during/before the UYI tour and the tour STILL WENT ON.

Oh please, that tour went on because they got Gilby, the one that a lot of people claim has zero importance in GNR history. 

2 hours ago, Gibbo said:

2 Coachella dates and 2 Vegas dates. Yeah I think its crap not sure if that was just for the first 4 shows!

I was told this back in March

A direct quote from Duff's mouth " Izzy thinks he's gonna get his fucken 25% back, that's never gonna fucken happen"

Wow.

25 minutes ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

As Izzy said in that 2001 interview, he doesnt want to be "demoted" to a lower position in a band he founded. This was his problem in 1991 aswell and one of the reasons he left. It seems he still feels so

THIS.