Wacky World of The Ominous Ninja Izzy Stradlin and NO! Gang

[BorderlineCrazy]

9 minutes ago, Kris_1989 said:

@SerenityScorp Looks like its time to change the thread back to the ominous Izzy Stradlin & the No! Gang.

The rest doesn't really surprise me. All of those VR interviews were when Slash & Duff had relapsed. They were a bit of the mess so I'd take everything they said back then with a grain of salt.

& I think the "I played on his records" was that recording session that happened in the late early 2000s (Maybe late 90s?) that was never released. This one:

Can't find the full picture anymore but that Slash's leg next to Duff's.

I think this is before they relapsed. Dave Kushner also said that when he was worried about losing his job because now Izzy was around, Duff told him not to worry because he was going to disappear at some point 

Izzy's recolection isn't exactly the same, though, but his interview was 5 years later:

Why did you reject the invitation to reunite with Velvet Revolver? 

Izzy: "I wanted it to be a quartet: Slash, Duff, Matt and I, but they really desired a singer, and as we know, singers can be quite problematic sometimes. So I simply decided to follow my own path." 

Is it true that you suggested that you Duff would take care of the vocal tasks in the band? 

Izzy: “Yes. That would have been better." 

How did they respond to that idea? 

Izzy: “I believe that Duff liked the idea, but Slash said no." 

----------------------------

This part is for those who claim Izzy wouldn't want to be back in GNR other than for a few guest spots

Steven Adler has spoken frequently lately of his desire for a reunion of the original GN'R. Tell me what you think of that and how your relationship with Steven is at the present. 

Izzy: “Steven lives a very confused life." 

But if it were to occur, you would consider the possibility of a reunion? 

Izzy: “Yes, of course. I wrote a great deal of that material." 

------------------------

Here you go, @Kris_1989. Four Wheels, No Axl 

I'd love to hear the music they did together! 

[BorderlineCrazy]

9 minutes ago, Kris_1989 said:

Wasn't this interview proven to be fake?

Was it? That sucks! 

9 minutes ago, Kris_1989 said:

Me too

How bad ass would it be for Izzy to release a massive box set of all the unreleased stuff he has. The japan tour footage, the MIA recordings and any other stuff he's hoarding from us.

Name your price, Izzy!

_{Pretty please?}

That would be the coolest thing ever!! The "Now the loot is mine" box set!! 

[penelope]

Hello. I love this thread, and just passing by to show you guys this photo I saw in tumblr:

 

 

http://stradlingizzystradlin.tumblr.com/post/159391801752/i-dont-know-if-this-one-is-recent-or-not-but-oh

 

[Darkenchantress]

7 hours ago, BorderlineCrazy said:

I almost came here earlier to say the exact same thing.

Stizzy are not important? Why don't you go fuck yourselves?!! 

I just cannot process that thought if you are a GnR fan. I might not be the biggest fan of Axl as a person BUT he is the fucking biggest frontman ever and his talent is out of discussion. For me, the five of them were and still are equally important, so i really don't get it no matter how much i try.

4 hours ago, BorderlineCrazy said:

I've heard a lot of fans saying, 'Why don't you have Izzy in the band now?' Well, this isn't cut out for him — he's more of a guy who will be here one day and be gone the next, and you won't know where he's gone to. But he added a new energy that we probably needed at that point." "You have to understand our relationship with Izzy," Slash explains. "Izzy's always been the guy who's sort of there and sort of not there.

 

We all know that Izzy loves to come and go but seriously, did he ever missed a single GnR show for his bandmates to think he is not reliable in that aspect? I don't really think so. 

[MillionsOfSpiders]

9 hours ago, Darkenchantress said:

Yeah! She always finds some great "new" ones.

I know I said on the main section that I was done with this band and their dramas, but sometimes I read some things... Whatever, I find hilarious to read people saying "Izzy and Steven are not important" but then Izzy tweets a thank you for the support to the forum and suddenly they all take credit for said support. Like the ones that want Izzy on studio but not on stage. A big fat fuck you is what you deserve.

I'm done with the rant, you can go on with your lives and ignore me. 

 I barely read D&N any more, it's the same old song and dance so I just have a quick look and roll my eyes then come back to the jungle 

Edited April 12, 2017 by MillionsOfSpiders

[Tori72]

I never knew this was Duff's (and Slash's) opinion on Izzy, I always assumed they were on good terms. I can be so naive.

I remember some quote from Duff's book saying something like Izzy always had to be somewhere else. Like you could not really hold onto the guy. Izzy quitting Guns must have been quite some shock to the other guys. I wonder if that is what gave him this rep or other things too, which we don't know about. Because as soon as they got sober they must have been able to understand why Izzy left. (This and Izzy's difference on how the band is run, how Axl became, the circus onstage and all that.)

Not tp be illusional about Izzy, he probably just is someone you're never sure whether he is committed to the band or not. He walked out on JuJus as well, that is an issue to think about when forming a new band. I can understand that somehow.

The other thing is musical differences. Izzy like his stuff simple and somewhat raw. He wanted to leave the songs as they were and tour, which seems kind of eager to me. And Izzy doesn't like singers anymore. VR wanted a more produced and mainstreamable (is that even a word?! ) album. So that didn't really go together. I find that understandable too.

And let's face it. If Duff and Slash relapsed while on VR, I'm kinda glad Izzy wasn't there. He would have hated that - and busted sooner or later anyway. Or struggle with his sobriety which would have been worst of all.

Sorry, does my post make sense? I might have thoughts that contradict each other 

 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Tori72

[Jane M.]

2 hours ago, Tori72 said:

And let's face it. If Duff and Slash relapsed while on VR, I'm kinda glad Izzy wasn't there. He would have hated that - and busted sooner or later anyway. Or struggle with his sobriety which would have been worst of all.

THIS.

[Słash]

I would be pretty interested in some solo shows by Izzy. 

[Darkenchantress]

Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty content with Izzy being happy and healthy as he said, and doing his own thing. I just hate when people make absurd assumptions about him like "he doesn't like touring", "he isn't reliable", "he can't play guitar", "he has no stage presence", "he adds nothing to the band". Seriously, but you are begging to have him in the studio. I don't think at this point in time anyone can hold a grudge against Izzy for leaving GnR, both Slash and Duff have said they totally understood Izzy once they got sober. He didn't bail or didn't show up to a show, nor was he late either. Yeah, he left the Jujus and we actually don't know what happened. Rick is still playing with him after all this years so I suppose nothing on bad terms. Whatever, maybe he left because he got tired, maybe he felt the call of the avocado farming and one does not simply ignores the call of avocado farming. 

Jokes aside, I think Izzy is unfairly treated by most of this fandom and it gets me on my nerves. Whatever, I don't have the strength to fight people anymore... well, who am I kidding? One day,  I will probably rise from my deathbed and scream: "IT WAS IZZY'S FUCKING BAND!". 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Darkenchantress

[MillionsOfSpiders]

I wonder why some fans say those things about Izzy, I really don't get it. Do they have to do it to convince themselves that the band we have now is so great and perfect, nothing's wrong with it?? Down play Izzys importance so as they don't feel they're missing out? I can't work it out 

[MillionsOfSpiders]

Hmmm I just watched an interview Matt Sorum did on jonesys jukebox and he was talking about the Kings Of Chaos and how they came up with the name.  He said it was Duff who came up with the name but he's been calling him about it and he said Duffs been getting on at him I guess for using the name. Sorum was like "really, even though he has all this other stuff going on" then he said "screw you" 

There's the interview if you want to see. I just can't believe Duff would be so petty about a band name that is nothing compared to the one he has. Not sure I like Neds true colours, at least with Axl and Slash you know to expect this kinda shit. 

-----

Matts hair 

Edited April 12, 2017 by MillionsOfSpiders

[beautifulanddamned]

5 hours ago, Darkenchantress said:

Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty content with Izzy being happy and healthy as he said, and doing his own thing. I just hate when people make absurd assumptions about him like "he doesn't like touring", "he isn't reliable", "he can't play guitar", "he has no stage presence", "he adds nothing to the band". Seriously, but you are begging to have him in the studio. I don't think at this point in time anyone can hold a grudge against Izzy for leaving GnR, both Slash and Duff have said they totally understood Izzy once they got sober. He didn't bail or didn't show up to a show, nor was he late either. Yeah, he left the Jujus and we actually don't know what happened. Rick is still playing with him after all this years so I suppose nothing on bad terms. Whatever, maybe he left because he got tired, maybe he felt the call of the avocado farming and one does not simply ignores the call of avocado farming. 

Jokes aside, I think Izzy is unfairly treated by most of this fandom and it gets me on my nerves. Whatever, I don't have the strength to fight people anymore... well, who am I kidding? One day,  I will probably rise from my deathbed and scream: "IT WAS IZZY'S FUCKING BAND!". 

I think what it comes down to, is that for the majority of GNR fandom, Slash and Axl are GNR. If one thing has really surprised me in the last year, that's it. I knew casuals only cared about those two, but that the majority of diehards do too has shocked the hell out of me. It's Slash and Axl and everybody else can fuck off. That opinion is completely valid, if that's who the band is to someone that's absolutely fine. But de-legitimizing other members seems to be one of the main ways to defend that stance, which is why we see it so much. And that sucks. I know I have done that to S/D/A in my frustration with this whole thing. It's just very agitating when that faction is coming at you from a place of getting everything they ever fucking wanted. 

It would be nice if a few of those people would just say, "Slash and Axl is where it's at for me and I'm thrilled with the current band but I acknowledge that if the Appetite 5 (or whoever) is GNR to you, this is probably wildly disappointing." Instead it becomes, "You people are never fucking happy!" And then everything devolves into a circle jerk of terribleness.

Edited April 12, 2017 by beautifulanddamned

[Tori72]

3 hours ago, Darkenchantress said:

Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty content with Izzy being happy and healthy as he said, and doing his own thing. I just hate when people make absurd assumptions about him like "he doesn't like touring", "he isn't reliable", "he can't play guitar", "he has no stage presence", "he adds nothing to the band". Seriously, but you are begging to have him in the studio. I don't think at this point in time anyone can hold a grudge against Izzy for leaving GnR, both Slash and Duff have said they totally understood Izzy once they got sober. He didn't bail or didn't show up to a show, nor was he late either. Yeah, he left the Jujus and we actually don't know what happened. Rick is still playing with him after all this years so I suppose nothing on bad terms. Whatever, maybe he left because he got tired, maybe he felt the call of the avocado farming and one does not simply ignores the call of avocado farming. 

Jokes aside, I think Izzy is unfairly treated by most of this fandom and it gets me on my nerves. Whatever, I don't have the strength to fight people anymore... well, who am I kidding? One day,  I will probably rise from my deathbed and scream: "IT WAS IZZY'S FUCKING BAND!". 

I totally get what you're saying and I'm with you there 100%. But what and where is going on - again - in this forum? When first reading it I thought you meant me but I guess it's not the case. 

14 minutes ago, beautifulanddamned said:

 

It would be nice if a few of those people would just say, "Slash and Axl is where it's at for me and I'm thrilled with the current band but I acknowledge that if the Appetite 5 (or whoever) is GNR to you, this is probably wildly disappointing." Instead it becomes, "You people are never fucking happy!" And then everything devolves into a circle jerk of terribleness.

This.

[Archtop]

3 hours ago, Darkenchantress said:

Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty content with Izzy being happy and healthy as he said, and doing his own thing. I just hate when people make absurd assumptions about him like "he doesn't like touring", "he isn't reliable", "he can't play guitar", "he has no stage presence", "he adds nothing to the band". Seriously, but you are begging to have him in the studio. I don't think at this point in time anyone can hold a grudge against Izzy for leaving GnR, both Slash and Duff have said they totally understood Izzy once they got sober. He didn't bail or didn't show up to a show, nor was he late either. Yeah, he left the Jujus and we actually don't know what happened. Rick is still playing with him after all this years so I suppose nothing on bad terms. Whatever, maybe he left because he got tired.

Jokes aside, I think Izzy is unfairly treated by most of this fandom and it gets me on my nerves. Whatever, I don't have the strength to fight people anymore... well, who am I kidding? One day,  I will probably rise from my deathbed and scream: "IT WAS IZZY'S FUCKING BAND!". 

I want clarification on it all, I think that would shut a lot of the bitching about Izzy up. The most likely reason nobody has come forward from the GnR camp and done that is because it won't look good on them. So what does that say about the "big three"?

I'm tired of the argument 'you wanted Slash back, now his back your bitching about Izzy, your never pleased'. But did anyone suppose Izzy wouldn't be there if Slash and Axl reconciled? It was not part of the scenario, Izzy played with everyone, he was the least likely member to not be in a reunion, he even said he would love to do it. So yeah I have every right to bitch now and not except this as a reunion, it's not my happy ending.

57 minutes ago, MillionsOfSpiders said:

Hmmm I just watched an interview Matt Sorum did on jonesys jukebox and he was talking about the Kings Of Chaos and how they came up with the name.  He said it was Duff who came up with the name but he's been calling him about it and he said Duffs been getting on at him I guess for using the name. Sorum was like "really, even though he has all this other stuff going on" then he said "screw you" 

There's the interview if you want to see. I just can't believe Duff would be so petty about a band name that is nothing compared to the one he has. Not sure I like Neds true colours, at least with Axl and Slash you know to expect this kinda shit. 

The whole tour has damaged my perception of Duff one hell of a lot, he appears to put on a display of the peace keeper, a reasonable solid family man. His book bangs on about him finding wisdom in life 'it's a good day to die'  blah blah, but his coming across as a player, he knows how to make the best of an opportunity, clever, admirable even, but not seemingly at the expense of the people who had your back along the way.

Rant over and out ?

[KURT19]

Kurt's Book on How to Be a Man:

Chapter 1: Don't EVER turn your back on your friends.  EVER.

Chapter 2: Recognize that Money is the Root of ALL EVIL.

Chapter 3: Stay Humble and Speak the TRUTH.

Chapter 4: When someone asks "Where's Izzy?" KNOW the answer and see Chapter 3.

Chapter 5: HONOR your wife, your parents, your elders, your friends AND the NO! GANG.

Chapter 6: Brush Your Teeth With ROCK N' ROLL.

The End.

 

 

 

[Archtop]

11 minutes ago, KURT19 said:

Kurt's Book on How to Be a Man:

Chapter 1: Don't EVER turn your back on your friends.  EVER.

Chapter 2: Recognize that Money is the Root of ALL EVIL.

Chapter 3: Stay Humble and Speak the TRUTH.

Chapter 4: When someone asks "Where's Izzy?" KNOW the answer and see Chapter 3.

Chapter 5: HONOR your wife, your parents, your elders, your friends AND the NO! GANG.

Chapter 6: Brush Your Teeth With ROCK N' ROLL.

The End.

 

 

 

As an active member on the No gang, I fully endorse this book 'How to be a Man' by @KURT19 it's better than the old one 

[BorderlineCrazy]

13 hours ago, Darkenchantress said:

I just cannot process that thought if you are a GnR fan. I might not be the biggest fan of Axl as a person BUT he is the fucking biggest frontman ever and his talent is out of discussion. For me, the five of them were and still are equally important, so i really don't get it no matter how much i try.

It truly is insane! I mean, I can undestand some people thinking certain members are more important or liking them more, but to claim some of them were not important? How dellusional do you have to be? AND HOW FUCKING DEAF?! 

13 hours ago, Darkenchantress said:

We all know that Izzy loves to come and go but seriously, did he ever missed a single GnR show for his bandmates to think he is not reliable in that aspect? I don't really think so. 

I guess he's not the same way as Slash and Duff (you know Slash is a workaholic and if the band needs him to be in the studio 25/7, he'll definitely do it) and maybe at times he needs his own space and he fades away from a few days or something but he's definitely not unreliable.

Izzy's last two years in the band might have left a bad impression in Slash and Duff, though. Maybe they didn't like the way he handled things when he wasn't happy with the way thing were being done (not showing up for videos, not being at the studio that much, quitting) and maybe they think that as soon as there's a disagreement over something, Izzy might be hard to deal with and might even quit again. Izzy doesn't seem to be the most normal person (or maybe he just ran out of patience after dealing with baby Axl and even the Jujus had to pay for it) but if he says he want to be back, then they should believe in him and give him the chance. Maybe the biggest problem is that what Izzy apparently wants to do (which is basically what I want; AFD5, new music...) is too far from what Axl wants to do and/or is willing to accept so Slash and Duff know they're bound to clash and things won't work out. Sadly, Sluff made many concessions that Izzy probably won't make. I guess the only way to have the real band  back is Slash and Duff pulling the "we do it the right way or we're gone" card or Axl having an epiphany like in that shitty Christmas story 

12 hours ago, MillionsOfSpiders said:

 I barely read D&N any more, it's the same old song and dance so I just have a quick look and roll my eyes then come back to the jungle 

It's really painful, isn't it? I can't stop myself from going but then I can't believe the shit my poor eyes have to go through everyday  

12 hours ago, Tori72 said:

The other thing is musical differences. Izzy like his stuff simple and somewhat raw. He wanted to leave the songs as they were and tour, which seems kind of eager to me. And Izzy doesn't like singers anymore. VR wanted a more produced and mainstreamable (is that even a word?! ) album. So that didn't really go together. I find that understandable too.

I think the musical differences wouldn't be a problem between these three (now throw Axl in the mix and I'm not so sure...). If they were willing to accept Izzy's idea of he and Duff sharing the vocal duties, I'm sure Izzy would have accepted to work on the songs until all of them were satisfied. I mean, I'm pretty sure Izzy was told pretty much from the beginning they were gonna get a singer/frontman and still he jammed with them for a few weeks.

12 hours ago, Tori72 said:

And let's face it. If Duff and Slash relapsed while on VR, I'm kinda glad Izzy wasn't there. He would have hated that - and busted sooner or later anyway. Or struggle with his sobriety which would have been worst of all.

Honestly, I don't think their relapses were that big of a deal. Duff especially was a minor thing (maybe not minor for him but not something that affected his behavior to have Izzy pissed/worried IMO), I think he was developing an addiction to painkillers and he took care of it right away. Slash's might have been worse but still seems to be far from the old fucked up days. Still it's true that drugs could have been a problem because there was someone else in that band who did have a massive problem with drugs and made everyone pretty miserable for quite some time. What a talented fucker, though, miss him so much!

5 hours ago, MillionsOfSpiders said:

I wonder why some fans say those things about Izzy, I really don't get it. Do they have to do it to convince themselves that the band we have now is so great and perfect, nothing's wrong with it?? Down play Izzys importance so as they don't feel they're missing out? I can't work it out 

I think they have this fucked up idea that Axl is always right, that his vision (whatever that is) is perfect. They only seem to accept the truth (that the band is WAY BETTER with the original members) when Axl accepts it and acknowledges it himself, as it happened with Duff coming back and then with Slash. All those deaf naysayers need to change their wet pants after every solo Slash plays now...

----------------------------------------------------

About Matt's interview, I can't believe the kind of shit Duff has been pulling lately. He seemed to be a sweet, simple and genuine man, a good friend, a great guy... now he's even getting mad at Matt for a stupid band name (which is completely irrelevant anyway, people go to those shows if they like the musicians involved, not because of the Kings Of Chaos brand) after leaving him 100% out of the GNR reunion. I feel embarrassed for him...

Reminds me of when Slash was mad at Steven for wanting to use the name Road Crew for a new band. Difference is that was around 1992, Slash was young, fucked up on drugs, clearly mad at Steven (probably disappointed) and it seemed to be around the time when his ego peaked  Never thought I would have this image of Duff as a huge money driven, egomaniac dick...

4 hours ago, beautifulanddamned said:

It would be nice if a few of those people would just say, "Slash and Axl is where it's at for me and I'm thrilled with the current band but I acknowledge that if the Appetite 5 (or whoever) is GNR to you, this is probably wildly disappointing." Instead it becomes, "You people are never fucking happy!" And then everything devolves into a circle jerk of terribleness.

Why doing the effort of understanding us when they can just think of us as a bunch of ungrateful pricks? 

4 hours ago, Kris_1989 said:

I've never said this because I didn't want to get attacked but Axl is the main reason why I have no issue with skipping the shows now. His voice just isn't consistent enough to fork out that ticket price. When he uses his lower register he sounds great but that's like what? 10% of a 3 hour show? If this was still 85'-95' I would agree with you but I just don't think he's got it anymore. (only my opinion, obviously) I do think if he rehearsed like he did with AC/DC he could get better but we all know that's not going to happen.

So your whole Izzy fandom was just a charade to avoid telling us that you don't wanna see GNR because you think Axl sucks nowadays? 

4 hours ago, Kris_1989 said:

As for Izzy not being reliable I think that's more Axl, Duff & Slash taking cheap shots at him when he isn't doing what they want. Those three have been showing their true colors more and more and it's fucking yellow. They're extremely two faced no matter how you look at it. Slash & Duff especially. Axl may be a dickhead sometimes but at least he doesn't seem to play as many games as those other two.

But I don't think that is their true opinion, I never noticed it before this year but when I've been looking up Slash & Duff interviews - mainly to defend Izzy in D&N - they are SO inconsistent about him. In one interview they will talk about what a role model he's been for them to live a better life and in the next they will call him a flake and act like he can't play. The only thing that is consistent is the insults seem to line up with when they are pissed at Izzy for something. They do the same thing with Axl if you really pay attention. During VR, Slash talked a TON of shit about Axl and Duff would just sit there, nod in agreement and repeat the same crap Slash said. Now that they're back in GNR they've changed their tune. It's the same with Izzy. 

I don't see Slash and Duff being the same in this situation honestly. I think Slash's comments and actions have been way more consistent when it comes to Izzy. The only time he called Izzy to do something with him, it was to play on one song for his solo record, which seems to be the kind of thing Slash considers he can do with Izzy (something small, not long term). I'm not saying he's right but Slash doesn't seem to appreciate Izzy's work ethic (nor Axl's but GNR's calling loaded like a moneytrain(?)). He does seem to appreciate Izzy's abilities both as a songwriter and as a guitar player, though. It's true he did put Izzy's playing down but that was when he was still in GNR and he was clearly pissed at Izzy (according to him, Izzy didn't even rehearse/relearned the songs for the 93 shows) but I've never seen Slash say a negative thing about Izzy's playing in the last 20 years. I could be wrong/missing something, though.

Duff's case is way worse IMO. It was like everything was roses with Izzy, he didn't have to be in the middle of Slash and Axl's child fights, he trusted Izzy's musical ideas more than anybody else's, he wanted to do music with him forever and then.... who is Izzy again? 

4 hours ago, Archtop said:

The whole tour has damaged my perception of Duff one hell of a lot, he appears to put on a display of the peace keeper, a reasonable solid family man. His book bangs on about him finding wisdom in life 'it's a good day to die'  blah blah, but his coming across as a player, he knows how to make the best of an opportunity, clever, admirable even, but not seemingly at the expense of the people who had your back along the way.

Exactly, that's happening to me to and I hate it. I hate having negative feelings towards Duff because I love him but I can't help it, I can't believe the way he's acting...

 

[Darkenchantress]

6 hours ago, MillionsOfSpiders said:

I wonder why some fans say those things about Izzy, I really don't get it. Do they have to do it to convince themselves that the band we have now is so great and perfect, nothing's wrong with it?? Down play Izzys importance so as they don't feel they're missing out? I can't work it out 

Yeah I don't know, could be. I know that for the general public is all about Axl and Slash but well I guess this forum is not full of general public  The die hard/long time fans not wanting Izzy back, I don't get it.

An thanks for the Sorum interview. Oh you Flanders, greedy bastard, I'm so so so disappointed in you. Like he cares, but well, there, i said it. 

5 hours ago, beautifulanddamned said:

I think what it comes down to, is that for the majority of GNR fandom, Slash and Axl are GNR. If one thing has really surprised me in the last year, that's it. I knew casuals only cared about those two, but that the majority of diehards do too has shocked the hell out of me. It's Slash and Axl and everybody else can fuck off. That opinion is completely valid, if that's who the band is to someone that's absolutely fine. But de-legitimizing other members seems to be one of the main ways to defend that stance, which is why we see it so much. And that sucks. I know I have done that to S/D/A in my frustration with this whole thing. It's just very agitating when that faction is coming at you from a place of getting everything they ever fucking wanted. 

It would be nice if a few of those people would just say, "Slash and Axl is where it's at for me and I'm thrilled with the current band but I acknowledge that if the Appetite 5 (or whoever) is GNR to you, this is probably wildly disappointing." Instead it becomes, "You people are never fucking happy!" And then everything devolves into a circle jerk of terribleness.

This whole post is perfect, but especially the bolded part. 

4 hours ago, Tori72 said:

I totally get what you're saying and I'm with you there 100%. But what and where is going on - again - in this forum? When first reading it I thought you meant me but I guess it's not the case. 

 

Oh fuck, no, not you hahaha. The main section, you know, every post turns into the same. Every post about Izzy and Steven gets closed because of arguments and personal attacks, even the one about the Izzy tweet that had such good vibes at the beginning. That's why we cannot have nice things. 

4 hours ago, Kris_1989 said:

I've never said this because I didn't want to get attacked but Axl is the main reason why I have no issue with skipping the shows now. His voice just isn't consistent enough to fork out that ticket price. When he uses his lower register he sounds great but that's like what? 10% of a 3 hour show? If this was still 85'-95' I would agree with you but I just don't think he's got it anymore. (only my opinion, obviously) I do think if he rehearsed like he did with AC/DC he could get better but we all know that's not going to happen.

Well, yes, I agree with you, I should have said he "was". I also don't think he is in the better shape now, back in the day, he had no rival meaning voice, charisma and stage presence. I'll tell you my impressions next June if i don't fall asleep while CD songs are being played. 

4 hours ago, Archtop said:

I want clarification on it all, I think that would shut a lot of the bitching about Izzy up. The most likely reason nobody has come forward from the GnR camp and done that is because it won't look good on them. So what does that say about the "big three"?

I'm tired of the argument 'you wanted Slash back, now his back your bitching about Izzy, your never pleased'. But did anyone suppose Izzy wouldn't be there if Slash and Axl reconciled? It was not part of the scenario, Izzy played with everyone, he was the least likely member to not be in a reunion, he even said he would love to do it. So yeah I have every right to bitch now and not except this as a reunion, it's not my happy ending.

 

This so much. The fact that the other three haven't spoken at all says a lot for me about the legitimacy of Izzy's tweet about the loot and Steven's words before he got muzzled again. 

[Zoot]

6 minutes ago, BorderlineCrazy said:

So your whole Izzy fandom was just a charade to avoid telling us that you don't wanna see GNR because you think Axl sucks nowadays? 

No, not at all?? I'm just saying that Axl isn't the same frontman that he used to be... He's not the greatest anymore. Basically the band for me now is this:

• Duff & Slash I can't stand anymore because of the way they're acting
• Axl sounds good with AC/DC but doesn't seem to care too much about GNR shows anymore
• and I could care less about the other members

So without Izzy & Steven there is nothing left for me in GNR. The only reason why I stay on the forums (other than you guys) is there's a small part of me that hopes things will get better. To be honest, I really want to be wrong. I want one of them to come out and say this is all a big misunderstanding. But I don't think that's ever going to happen. 

Quote

I don't see Slash and Duff being the same in this situation honestly. I think Slash's comments and actions have been way more consistent when it comes to Izzy. The only time he called Izzy to do something with him, it was to play on one song for his solo record, which seems to be the kind of thing Slash considers he can do with Izzy (something small, not long term). I'm not saying he's right but Slash doesn't seem to appreciate Izzy's work ethic (nor Axl's but GNR's calling loaded like a moneytrain(?)). He does seem to appreciate Izzy's abilities both as a songwriter and as a guitar player, though. It's true he did put Izzy's playing down but that was when he was still in GNR and he was clearly pissed at Izzy (according to him, Izzy didn't even rehearse/relearned the songs for the 93 shows) but I've never seen Slash say a negative thing about Izzy's playing in the last 20 years. I could be wrong/missing something, though.

Duff's case is way worse IMO. It was like everything was roses with Izzy, he didn't have to be in the middle of Slash and Axl's child fights, he trusted Izzy's musical ideas more than anybody else's, he wanted to do music with him forever and then.... who is Izzy again? 

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Granted I do know a few things about Slash's recent behavior that others might not know about so that could be why I think he's exactly on the same level as Duff in terms of sleazyness.

[BorderlineCrazy]

51 minutes ago, Kris_1989 said:

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Granted I do know a few things about Slash's recent behavior that others might not know about so that could be why I think he's exactly on the same level as Duff in terms of sleazyness.

And what are you waiting to share those few things with us? 

Still I think I'll never see them on the same level, I'm sure it was thanks to Slash that Steven got to be part of the """reunion""", I'm sure the other two couldn't care any less about him. Anyway, let us know what you know!! 

[beautifulanddamned]

5 hours ago, Archtop said:

I want clarification on it all, I think that would shut a lot of the bitching about Izzy up. The most likely reason nobody has come forward from the GnR camp and done that is because it won't look good on them. So what does that say about the "big three"?

I'm tired of the argument 'you wanted Slash back, now his back your bitching about Izzy, your never pleased'. But did anyone suppose Izzy wouldn't be there if Slash and Axl reconciled? It was not part of the scenario, Izzy played with everyone, he was the least likely member to not be in a reunion, he even said he would love to do it. So yeah I have every right to bitch now and not except this as a reunion, it's not my happy ending.

The whole tour has damaged my perception of Duff one hell of a lot, he appears to put on a display of the peace keeper, a reasonable solid family man. His book bangs on about him finding wisdom in life 'it's a good day to die'  blah blah, but his coming across as a player, he knows how to make the best of an opportunity, clever, admirable even, but not seemingly at the expense of the people who had your back along the way.

You spoke very well to the surprise of Izzy not being involved at all. It did feel kind of shocking didn't it? I haven't really thought about that.

The rest of it feels like the 5 stages of grief where you land finally on acceptance. And, for me at least, acceptance means viewing GNR as just a business. When you view it within that parameter, everything makes sense. Duff, frankly, was always the least essential musically to the classic lineup. His songwriting skills are poor to mediocre and there is nothing special about his bass tone. But Duff is the best businessman in the group. He was smart enough to barnacle himself to Slash's ass and has worked hard to create a certain smart ,good guy ,family man image of himself. It's an image though, one he has used to sell himself to the public. And it worked. Good on him, I guess. 

I'm not a romantic person in any sense of the word, so I don't know why I held on to my romantic delusions with this dumb band. They aren't friends or even band mates so much as long term, sometimes friendly business partners.  Slash, Duff, their managers and Team Brazil have clearly done everything imaginable to get Axl onstage on time every night. Not poking the bear is what keeps the money rolling in- every safety net imaginable has been put in place, and that includes not talking to anyone. If clarification is going to come, it probably has to come from Izzy.

But you gotta view him through this lens too. I don't really believe that Izzy was holding out for Steven or some "band of brothers" scenario. He wanted more loot. And that's fine. It really is. I hope it works out for him and they pay him half a million to guest at six shows, or do one killer Appetite performance. There's no reason why Izzy shouldn't be making (a relative amount of) bank on this thing like everyone else.  And honestly it seems like he would prefer a one-off kind of thing where he made a lot of money.  

Don't come to the dark side with me though, it sucks here.  Close your eyes and pretend that we might see a big-boy version of this:

(and don't think of how much they would have to be paid to take a picture together.)

 

[dgnr]

I love you and I love this thread! And I agree with you all! It's really painful to go through the main section and read all the shit people are writing about Izzy. I mean, shit, go buy some ears, yours are not working. The only thing I could think to tell them is 'Go listen to Appetite. You still can't see it, can't feel it, can't hear it? You're doomed' 

I also agree with the all Ned Flanders thing. I also lost lots of respect and admiration for the guy. What the hell happened to Duff? I still want to give him some love, but he's making it hard! I think he's spending too much time with TB, I don't know. Come back to the dark side, man!

 

10 minutes ago, BorderlineCrazy said:

Still I think I'll never see them on the same level, I'm sure it was thanks to Slash that Steven got to be part of the """reunion""", I'm sure the other two couldn't care any less about him.

I agree with this. I still think that one of the best images of this threeunion is that one of Slash grinning during 'Michelle' in Cincinnati. He knows how the real deal sounds like, he knows what it should be, that's why you can read all over his face the 'Hell yeah, now we're talking' while Steven hits those drums  Besides, as much as I try, my love for Slash is so big that I can never think of him as the bad guy. Maybe I'm doomed too  

[Zoot]

19 minutes ago, BorderlineCrazy said:

And what are you waiting to share those few things with us? 

Still I think I'll never see them on the same level, I'm sure it was thanks to Slash that Steven got to be part of the """reunion""", I'm sure the other two couldn't care any less about him. Anyway, let us know what you know!! 

I'm not waiting for anything. It has nothing to do with GNR and is pretty personal so I'm not going to be the one to share it.

5 minutes ago, beautifulanddamned said:

He was smart enough to barnacle himself to Slash's ass

You have no idea how hard that made me laugh. I love you. Don't ever change.

[BorderlineCrazy]

16 minutes ago, dgnr said:

I agree with this. I still think that one of the best images of this threeunion is that one of Slash grinning during 'Michelle' in Cincinnati. He knows how the real deal sounds like, he knows what it should be, that's why you can read all over his face the 'Hell yeah, now we're talking' while Steven hits those drums  Besides, as much as I try, my love for Slash is so big that I can never think of him as the bad guy. Maybe I'm doomed too  

I think the best thing about the reunion is this picture

EDIT: And look at Slash waiting for him here 

 

8 minutes ago, Kris_1989 said:

I'm not waiting for anything. It has nothing to do with GNR and is pretty personal so I'm not going to be the one to share it.

That's not fair!! You can't claim to have information and then keep it to yourself. You're betraying the gang 

Edited April 12, 2017 by BorderlineCrazy

[Zoot]

9 minutes ago, BorderlineCrazy said:

That's not fair!! You can't claim to have information and then keep it to yourself. You're betraying the gang