About Axl's performances

[The Holographic Universe]

I feel your frustration entirely. 2006 axl to this guy is a huge difference. I can't understand why he looks so fucking weird. I would think with his cash he could get hair plugs. That rats nest on his does not compliment him at all. his physical appearance is horrible, too. This is the victory or death guy version of axl. But, I'm fucking happy about this tour. 

[ZoSoRose]

I haven't been paying much attention since the USA tour. TBH I got everything I wanted out of the reunion with the 3 shows I attended last year. He sounded really good at those shows (and at the ACDC show I saw) and I have superb memories. I guess he isn't as strong now, but it seems good enough and people at the shows seem just as happy as I was.

So... unless we ever get new music, I guess I am kinda meh on whatever comes next since I got what I wanted

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

5 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

I haven't been paying much attention since the USA tour. TBH I got everything I wanted out of the reunion with the 3 shows I attended last year. He sounded really good at those shows (and at the ACDC show I saw) and I have superb memories. I guess he isn't as strong now, but it seems good enough and people at the shows seem just as happy as I was.

So... unless we ever get new music, I guess I am kinda meh on whatever comes next since I got what I wanted

i still want an AFD5 reunion and at least a pro shot DVD of maybe a best of concerts from this year. but if i die tomorrow i will be happy cos i got to see Axl and Slash reunite and perform 

[Tadsy]

I'm caught somewhere in the middle with this argument. 

This forum at times really is harsh and OTT in negative bitching (not this thread) but out the truth lies somewhere in between. 

Lets not forget that during the UYI tour Axl (and the band) were sloppy and all over the shop, guns were always regarded as a band where you never knew what you were going to get. 

I think Axl has sounded horrible on NR for a long long time yet I thought Sydney night 1 he nailed it. So it is possible for him to deliver. 

We have a range of issues here, firstly, he's 55 and not in awesome shape, he hasn't looked super fit since 2006 IMO. The endless touring behind him and in front of him could be an issue in what he's delivering on any given night. I persobslly didn't have any issues with what he dished up in Sydney given the heat, his age and what he dished up, I thought it was awesome. 

As someone else said, the shows are great, you do tend to miss the mistakes when you are there watching live rather than on periscope or YouTube or whatever. 

I don't think anyone can accuse Axl of mailing these shows in (on the whole) but I do think we are witnessing the begging of the long goodbye for these guys. Slash n Duff could do this well for another 20 years, but Axl has the most work on his shoulders vocally and age is always going to affect him and his performance as a frontman more than any guitar player. 

No doubt there is some valid points of view with regards to rasp, ac/dc v guns performances and the differences in quality show to show, and some of the criticisms of Axl are valid, but I choose to just enjoy the shows now, and look, if you want old Axl back, watch the ritz or whatever show/footage you can get your hands on and just enjoy it, that's my advice.

I was privileged to see my heros last weekend, anyone who can get to a show do it, these guys will be finished one day, and when that happens they will be retired a very long time. 

 

[Stoymatic]

My thoughts: I wonder why he doesn't give it a full go at each concert regarding his voice and singing? He clearly has a good sound with AC/DC but not as much with his own band? I wonder if he feels he doesn't need to sing at his top notch voice, because the concerts are going to sell out regardless of what kind of voice he uses. 

[6lake sa66ath]

I think a lot more credit needs to be given though to his overall stage craft, dance moves, footwork and presence he brings with this reunion, especially the last few shows..

I mean he's still defying his age and many of his contemporaries and those far younger than him with his moves on stage. 

From the strutting walk to the snake dance to the sideways moon walk thing, I'm stunned how entertaining he's been in that department during tracks like Easy, Jungle and RQ. Lovin' it!

It all adds to the overall performance enjoyment along with strong bouts of vocal delivery! 

[Jordan Rose]

6 hours ago, Tadsy said:

I'm caught somewhere in the middle with this argument. 

This forum at times really is harsh and OTT in negative bitching (not this thread) but out the truth lies somewhere in between. 

Lets not forget that during the UYI tour Axl (and the band) were sloppy and all over the shop, guns were always regarded as a band where you never knew what you were going to get. 

I think Axl has sounded horrible on NR for a long long time yet I thought Sydney night 1 he nailed it. So it is possible for him to deliver. 

We have a range of issues here, firstly, he's 55 and not in awesome shape, he hasn't looked super fit since 2006 IMO. The endless touring behind him and in front of him could be an issue in what he's delivering on any given night. I persobslly didn't have any issues with what he dished up in Sydney given the heat, his age and what he dished up, I thought it was awesome. 

As someone else said, the shows are great, you do tend to miss the mistakes when you are there watching live rather than on periscope or YouTube or whatever. 

I don't think anyone can accuse Axl of mailing these shows in (on the whole) but I do think we are witnessing the begging of the long goodbye for these guys. Slash n Duff could do this well for another 20 years, but Axl has the most work on his shoulders vocally and age is always going to affect him and his performance as a frontman more than any guitar player. 

No doubt there is some valid points of view with regards to rasp, ac/dc v guns performances and the differences in quality show to show, and some of the criticisms of Axl are valid, but I choose to just enjoy the shows now, and look, if you want old Axl back, watch the ritz or whatever show/footage you can get your hands on and just enjoy it, that's my advice.

I was privileged to see my heros last weekend, anyone who can get to a show do it, these guys will be finished one day, and when that happens they will be retired a very long time. 

 

Great post. 

I used to analyse every song of every show back in 2006-2010 when he was seemingly 100% in the zone with something to prove and a chip on his shoulder. Now it's just nice to see him happy.

Having said that I would honestly love to know how he personally thinks about his singing/fitness. Why is he willing to go full 2010-style hardcore rasp for 20 FULL AC/DC rehearsals and a tour but is clearly holding back for his first tour with Slash in 24 years?

Why did he get himself in literally almost Illusions shape physically in 2006-07 and Illusions shape vocally in 2010 but never again since, even for the reunion?

We'll probably never know. 

 

 

[gt72]

Father time is undefeated.He's in his mid 50's of course he doesn't sound as good as he once did.But to my ears he sounded passable to good at the 2 shows I attended in the last year .It could be worse David Lee Roth and Vince Neil are prime examples .Seen VH and Crue in the last couple years and wish I never did .Im glad I went to see Guns both shows kicked ass

[Jordan Rose]

I just don't understand how anyone can be so daft as to just drop in to a voice thread and say "He's old now." The last 15 years have proved without a doubt that he CHOOSES how he's going to fucking sing. Last year ALONE proved that. 

In 2011-2014 so many people said "His voice is shot, he's done." I replied "Bullshit, you need to observe the correlation between his relative lack of giving a shit in his stage performance, not to mention The Disguise, and his half-arsed clean vocals. Then compare to him physically running around like Illusions with no hats or glasses in 2006-2010 and singing like a demon. If and when he is motivated to bring his A-Game again he will bring it." 

I'd bet a grand that the next time he begins a tour with AC/DC/Angus that he will have done the same 20-odd full-pelt rehearsals and will be singing like he was last year. 

Edited February 14, 2017 by Jordan Rose

[maynard]

Here's the truth: He sounds bad, his voice doesn't improve as they play more shows, his mid-range is completely gone, he doesn't rehearse, his clean voice is not good, he looks like he will collapse at any moment in some songs.

Here's what a nutter says: He doesn't sound so bad, his voice will be better by show #10, he's getting in shape, his voice is clean but has power and control. This is all fiction.

Post 2000, Axl sounded good in two cycles. 2006-07 and 2009-10. (Aside from ACDC)

Starting in 2011 he went full lazy and fat mode. It's a shame he is not even trying to sing like the real Axl Rose in the reunion shows. Honestly, between him and Myles Kennedy singing GNR songs, I can't tell who's worse.

Shows are lots of fun? Yes. Is there an elephant in the room and even Duff has to tweet Axl sounds great? Yes.

[tsinindy]

2 hours ago, gt72 said:

Father time is undefeated.He's in his mid 50's of course he doesn't sound as good as he once did.But to my ears he sounded passable to good at the 2 shows I attended in the last year .It could be worse David Lee Roth and Vince Neil are prime examples .Seen VH and Crue in the last couple years and wish I never did .Im glad I went to see Guns both shows kicked ass

Completely agree with this

[AlexC]

It's obviously a choice. He's 55 not 70 and his monster AC/DC performances prove he's still more than capable of delivering the kind of magic that we all want. I honestly just think it's a conscious choice. He can afford to take it easy on certain parts of certain songs. It still sounds good in the venue, he's hitting the notes and running around, putting on a great show, producing evil screams and consistently nailing most of the material.

He's more than good enough right now. I will however criticise him for his lack of preparation before legs. The first few shows suffer as a result and it's not fair to the fans who've paid the same amount for the first or second show as someone who attends show 6 or 7. Most might not care or notice but it would annoy me.

Overall he's still a thoroughly impressive frontman and formidable vocalist.

[AxlRoseCDII]

You all ignore that AC/DC songs are in a key that is much easier for Axl to nail then GN'R songs now. SCOM and YCBM require a middle range, not a high range. He still sounds "Mickey and clean" on songs like Dirty Deeds. He's not phoning it in with GNR- AC/DC is simply much easier to sing for him then Guns songs. You hear it in OTGM, Jungle, My Michelle...Enough with those who say Axl doesn't try with Guns- he definitely is. 

[AlexC]

40 minutes ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

You all ignore that AC/DC songs are in a key that is much easier for Axl to nail then GN'R songs now. SCOM and YCBM require a middle range, not a high range. He still sounds "Mickey and clean" on songs like Dirty Deeds. He's not phoning it in with GNR- AC/DC is simply much easier to sing for him then Guns songs. You hear it in OTGM, Jungle, My Michelle...Enough with those who say Axl doesn't try with Guns- he definitely is. 

No that's just not true. Many AC/DC songs require mid voice and are in similar ranges to YCBM and SCoM. Plus on the North American AC/DC leg he no longer sounded like "Mickey" on Dirty Deeds. He's obviously more meticulous when singing for AC/DC as he's under the microscope and knows people can't wait to criticise him. With GN'R he knows that he can impress more easily as the only people who've paid attention to him over the past 20 years are die hards who are gonna come to the show regardless. The casuals are blown away by Axl on a bad day so why bother with full rasp 100% of the time if its harder work? Seems unnecessary. Not saying he's not trying he just doesn't push himself as much with GN'R as there's no need to.

[Underhardy]

16 hours ago, The Holographic Universe said:

I feel your frustration entirely. 2006 axl to this guy is a huge difference. I can't understand why he looks so fucking weird. I would think with his cash he could get hair plugs. That rats nest on his does not compliment him at all. his physical appearance is horrible, too. This is the victory or death guy version of axl. But, I'm fucking happy about this tour. 

Damn dude, judging 50 year old men so harshly on their looks... 

[Underhardy]

1 hour ago, AlexC said:

No that's just not true. Many AC/DC songs require mid voice and are in similar ranges to YCBM and SCoM. Plus on the North American AC/DC leg he no longer sounded like "Mickey" on Dirty Deeds. He's obviously more meticulous when singing for AC/DC as he's under the microscope and knows people can't wait to criticise him. With GN'R he knows that he can impress more easily as the only people who've paid attention to him over the past 20 years are die hards who are gonna come to the show regardless. The casuals are blown away by Axl on a bad day so why bother with full rasp 100% of the time if its harder work? Seems unnecessary. Not saying he's not trying he just doesn't push himself as much with GN'R as there's no need to.

Finally someone who knows what they're talking about. +1 

[The Holographic Universe]

1 minute ago, Underhardy said:

Damn dude, judging 50 year old men so harshly on their looks... 

Not really. I love Axl dearly for many reasons and Im still inspired by the guy, but he just looks like shit. Anthony Keides is in his 50's, too, and he looks great. So does duff and fortus.

[IncitingChaos]

3 hours ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

You all ignore that AC/DC songs are in a key that is much easier for Axl to nail then GN'R songs now. SCOM and YCBM require a middle range, not a high range. He still sounds "Mickey and clean" on songs like Dirty Deeds. He's not phoning it in with GNR- AC/DC is simply much easier to sing for him then Guns songs. You hear it in OTGM, Jungle, My Michelle...Enough with those who say Axl doesn't try with Guns- he definitely is. 

sorry, you are wrong. 

[AxlRoseCDII]

1 hour ago, IncitingChaos said:

sorry, you are wrong. 

The choruses are full of Mickey

[IncitingChaos]

12 minutes ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

The choruses are full of Mickey

We can all just hope that you are joking. 

[tkarmy]

He sounds pretty good, not 2010 good but pretty good overall. Listen Stephan Pearcy or Vince Neil... he could sound like that. But then there are guys like Steven Tyler who still sound awesome live into his late 60's and sound great. Sebastian is almost 50 and sounds as good as he did 20 years ago.

The fact is if you don't use it you lose it. I get the feeling Axl hasn't rehearsed a GNR song  in over 25 years.

[StrangerInThisTown]

31 minutes ago, tkarmy said:

He sounds pretty good, not 2010 good but pretty good overall. Listen Stephan Pearcy or Vince Neil... he could sound like that. But then there are guys like Steven Tyler who still sound awesome live into his late 60's and sound great. Sebastian is almost 50 and sounds as good as he did 20 years ago.

The fact is if you don't use it you lose it. I get the feeling Axl hasn't rehearsed a GNR song  in over 25 years.

Axls chainsaw vocal style is a lot different to guys like Steven or Sebastian and that's why it's hard for him to sound like he used to. Sebastian shouts a lot and Axl almost never does. That falsetto he does now was very rare before nugnr so it alienates a lot of fans now, while Sebastian has always used the same voice, which is not as demanding as Axls. It's really unfortunate

[IncitingChaos]

I said this in another thread but the one voice he has trouble finding is this one 

at 1:11 you hear how high his voice goes but with grit on it.

same song here and see what happens

at 1:04 he seems to me atleast to be going for that high note again but his voice isn't catching any grit so it's just high and clean creating that mickeyish note 

[War2k14]

I don't want Axl to kill himself like at times he seemed to do with AC/DC. The fan bootlegs are passable.  With proper rehearsals Axl could sound tight. I think he could still go if he wanted.  They play a lot of songs and I don't expect him to go all out every one.  I'm more worried about him regulating his breathing. He's out of breath a lot because he moves around.  If he was back in the chair I think his vocals would be stronger.  Maybe he's saving it for the studio.  

[ali Z]

The truth is Axl Rose is 55 years old! Almost the age of some of our parents! He has done 10000's of concerts in his life. How do we expect his voice to remain the same? I'm sick of seeing so many comments about his 'Mickey Mouse' voice or comparing it with '92 or '06. 

We should be glad that he's alive and kicking and still doing shows. For a huge fan like me, I am really excited to see GnR live for the first time in my life. I will take anything what he offers. After all it's Guns n Roses!