About Axl's performances

[Ramoncitos]

Axl sang with ACDC like a fuckin hell...i mean perfect, like in the 80...After Couple of months he backed to.Mickey Mouse Era...So..can you explain this dissaster saying "he is fat, he is 55..bla bla" when he probed he could sang with ACDC like a fuckin rock.machine??? 

[Sprite]

You can't really explain this to people who aren't ready to understand it but art is organic. It's ever changing. It can be tweaked. It doesn't have to repeat. Today the twilight zone is a comedy, in the 60s it was frightening. Things change.

Sometimes it's just nice to acknowledge the nice weather for a moment and not regretfully look to the next storm. That's partly all the internet really is. A place for people to bitch about the way they wish it were or how it could be. It's the 21st century water cooler. You gossip queens.

55 years old, touring stadiums with 3/5 the original band, still belting out notes and running around better than most here(who are half his age) could do with professional training. He is a professional musician. A stark difference from your garage band, mental fantasy or musical fandom. I don't tell a comedian how to tell a joke you dig? The weather is nice let's just enjoy it.

When people complaining realize it's their own wishing causing them the pain, then we can be done with complaining I guess and enjoy what is. But until then they'll manage to find controversy in anything they see. We could have the original 5 and it wouldn't even be the next day until we got the first complaint thread about izzy not moving enough, afd set list growing stale, the arrogance of that daisy guy "I cannot believe 55year old men are singing about get this -panties round your knees with your ass in the breeze- GASP. Neil young does such and such." I can see it now. Those kind of people will complain about anything. Even if that guy reads this he'll have his "but" rebuttal to the point I'm making. Break free of your hard wiring.

If it ended today, how long until this era is missed? 

Its like how politics keeps getting stranger and stranger. In 2020 we'll long for the normal days of 2016.

Many are needing Axl or Guns to be something novel or nostalgic. That's a tough hurdle for any older/professional musician to deal with. "If he could just hit that note, than I'd have recreated that perfect memory of when I was a kid". That's just not going to happen. Experience happens only once. "Yes but Bruce Springsteen does 3 hour...." and you sit and complain from your keyboard you cuckold. Check your balls and accept reality. That's true happieness. Not Axl sounding note for note the same as whatever '92 concert fantasy you have. Enjoy the now.

luckily for me i don't play any if's or maybe's because I'm not insecure about anything.

Trying to rationalize with some people is like making a deal with a mule. Particularly American ignorance and South American over zealousness of how this band could/should be. Europeans just like to critique everything and let you know how it's not as good as what they like, or how immature it is in comparison to how they see things. 

We'll all be dead soon so here's to the complete roll of the dice and being lucky enough to be born in the era of Guns N' Roses and seeing a great performer like Axl. Truly one in a million. Make that 7 billion.

[jafeijo]

1 hour ago, Ramoncitos said:

Axl sang with ACDC like a fuckin hell...i mean perfect, like in the 80...After Couple of months he backed to.Mickey Mouse Era...So..can you explain this dissaster saying "he is fat, he is 55..bla bla" when he probed he could sang with ACDC like a fuckin rock.machine??? 

100% this. The difference for me is pretty simple - in AC/DC he's Angus employee, so in my conception it's pretty reasonable that he'll do his best in order to please his boss. On the other hand in GNR he is the boss, therefore he will sing however he wants to, It may seem unprofessional to some but who knows, honestly I think it's a smart move. Nonetheless he's a helluva singer even when singing clean, and those who's blaming his age and saying he's not capable of putting a great show should really take another look at the AXL/DC vids.

[Sprite]

24 minutes ago, jafeijo said:

100% this. The difference for me is pretty simple - in AC/DC he's Angus employee, so in my conception it's pretty reasonable that he'll do his best in order to please his boss. On the other hand in GNR he is the boss, therefore he will sing however he wants to, It may seem unprofessional to some but who knows, honestly I think it's a smart move. Nonetheless he's a helluva singer even when singing clean, and those who's blaming his age and saying he's not capable of putting a great show should really take another look at the AXL/DC vids.

So much of singing is in the emotion happening inside that we can't see. Singing rocket queen aggressively (raspy) is easier when your young and lived it. It's like Anthony Kiedis said the struggle as you get older is writing with the same tenacity. It becomes a different game living a Malibu lifestyle writing rock songs. Emotionally, perhaps his cleaner way of singing helps him perform and connect with the songs on a new level. He's a different person today than he was then. Just like me and you. 

If I lost my blanket as a little kid, my world was over. I lose one now and get another. We handle similar situations differently as we age.

He still hits the notes and is a great showman.what more are you seeking?

as for AC/DC, I'll roll it out like this. with any marriage, routines are developed. A band is a marriage. Sometimes for fun or perhaps commitment, you incorporate something new into the sexual routine. You might be a little more excited with the extra something, whatever that might be. It might make you uncomfortable and inspire you in some way.That is AC/DC to Axl on one level. It's new and exciting.Maybe this style requires a little more pump here or a rasp there. But let's not throw out the routine, it's kept us young. Im not even sure what I'm talking about anymore but wondering why he doesn't sound the exact same in AC/DC as GNR is silly. Totally different situation.

[6lake sa66ath]

Even after watching some 2006 footage where his vocals are on point, the spectacle of it all with the hired Guns just makes it less enjoyable. 

Give me his vocals now with Slash by his side any time!

[coolranchdressing!]

11 hours ago, ali Z said:

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!

I agree...all this analysis and nit-picking is oh so rock n roll...gimmie a break...I'm into going to the live shows and enjoying the moment. I rarely watch any of the live vids...even when I was a pre-teen w/ the Live in Tokyo vids I rarely watched. Most older artists are not going to sound like they used to (Mariah Carey for eg) ...it's the most difficult instrument to preserve w/ time. 

I do agree that Axl should've taken more responsibility w/ his gift and not smoke and work out more...but in the end I too am grateful they're all alive!! that's a miracle in itself. Sorry if I sugarcoat it and am positive but I guess I'm enjoying the moment!

[Pedrolg]

11 minutes ago, coolranchdressing! said:

I agree...all this analysis and nit-picking is oh so rock n roll...gimmie a break...I'm into going to the live shows and enjoying the moment. I rarely watch any of the live vids...even when I was a pre-teen w/ the Live in Tokyo vids I rarely watched. Most older artists are not going to sound like they used to (Mariah Carey for eg) ...it's the most difficult instrument to preserve w/ time. 

I do agree that Axl should've taken more responsibility w/ his gift and not smoke and work out more...but in the end I too am grateful they're all alive!! that's a miracle in itself. Sorry if I sugarcoat it and am positive but I guess I'm enjoying the moment!

Your argument makes me even wonder if you follow the band at all. You make it seem as if his voice has been deteriorating over the years due to age and people were unable to understand that. That is not the case at all.

His voice was normal and awesome when he was 48, and then gone when he was 49. It all happened literally over the course of one single layoff between tours. He went off sounding great after a great tour in 2010, and came back after a few months in 2011 with the falsetto thing (has been like this ever since, with ups and downs, but he sticks to this technique, which is not the one he used up to 2010).

The voice change was sudden and not due to gradual aging. You don't become old in a few months, it's a gradual process. The voice change has been a point of discussion for fans ever since RIR 2011 and is something that rightfully detracts from the enjoyment of some of those fans, since Axl's voice is a massive part of what made GNR what it was. I had never been discussed or touched upon by Axl or anyone associated with the band. What happened between 2010 and 2011 is as big as mistery as those shitload of songs recorded that didn't become public.

Add to that a reunion tour, and people think "well, if his voice is ever coming back it will be now". Then it doesn't, and then it kinda does, but he is singing with other band, AC/DC's material. A little confusion and discussion by fans is understandable, we were waiting to hear his proper voice again for nearly 6 years.

So, the tour is a massive success regardless of Axl's performances or how I perceive his voice. There are also lots of threads solely dedicated to the enjoyment of the shows and all that, filled with positive comments. This one, though, is specifically created to discuss Axl's performances, specially why they fail to replicate even his best ones last year, with AC/DC.

[IncitingChaos]

5 minutes ago, Pedrolg said:

Your argument makes me even wonder if you follow the band at all. You make it seem as if his voice has been deteriorating over the years due to age and people were unable to understand that. That is not the case at all.

His voice was normal and awesome when he was 48, and then gone when he was 49. It all happened literally over the course of one single layoff between tours. He went off sounding great after a great tour in 2010, and came back after a few months in 2011 with the falsetto thing (has been like this ever since, with ups and downs, but he sticks to this technique, which is not the one he used up to 2010).

The voice change was sudden and not due to gradual aging. You don't become old in a few months, it's a gradual process. The voice change has been a point of discussion for fans ever since RIR 2011 and is something that rightfully detracts from the enjoyment of some of those fans, since Axl's voice is a massive part of what made GNR what it was. I had never been discussed or touched upon by Axl or anyone associated with the band. What happened between 2010 and 2011 is as big as mistery as those shitload of songs recorded that didn't become public.

Add to that a reunion tour, and people think "well, if his voice is ever coming back it will be now". Then it doesn't, and then it kinda does, but he is singing with other band, AC/DC's material. A little confusion and discussion by fans is understandable, we were waiting to hear his proper voice again for nearly 6 years.

So, the tour is a massive success regardless of Axl's performances or how I perceive his voice. There are also lots of threads solely dedicated to the enjoyment of the shows and all that, filled with positive comments. This one, though, is specifically created to discuss Axl's performances, specially why they fail to replicate even his best ones last year, with AC/DC.

Axl's voice change between 10 and 11 has a few theories. 

1. He developed vocal nodes or whatever and had to have surgery to save his voice. 

2. CD2 was turned down by the record company or money to finance it was and Axl went into depression over this. Stopped giving a shit. 

[Pedrolg]

1 hour ago, IncitingChaos said:

Axl's voice change between 10 and 11 has a few theories. 

1. He developed vocal nodes or whatever and had to have surgery to save his voice. 

2. CD2 was turned down by the record company or money to finance it was and Axl went into depression over this. Stopped giving a shit. 

The nodules are a strong possibility, it happened to Elton John. Elton had to find a completely different voice as his tone got significantly deeper after that. Rocket man is a song that really shows that. 

As singers age and hurt their vocal chords, have surgery etc. their voices usually deepens. Elton John dealt with that by singing in a deeper voice, but perhaps Axl's choice is to keep hitting the same notes he always hit, but to do that now he has to use falsetto. Still, the AC/DC performances kind of contradict this theory.

I don't think Axl/DC sounds like 90's, 2006 or 2010 Axl by the way. I do think he fucked up his voice somehow after 2010, badly, and worked very hard to find a way around it with AC/DC - it shows during concerts that he is fighting a bit to get that voice. While it is indeed unrealistic to expect prime Axl at this point, I do feel that with a lot of vocal work and particularly a lot of study on changing his delivery a bit, Axl probably can safely perform at a higher level with GNR, something closer to his AC/DC form and, consequently, a bit more like his prime.

Edit: with all that said, it's important to say that Axl in 2016 is a hell of a performer and a competent singer. His movement on stage and energy at that age are astonishing, and even though he carries a belly it surely took a lot of work and cardio to be able to perform like this.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Pedrolg

[ali Z]

6 hours ago, coolranchdressing! said:

I agree...all this analysis and nit-picking is oh so rock n roll...gimmie a break...I'm into going to the live shows and enjoying the moment. I rarely watch any of the live vids...even when I was a pre-teen w/ the Live in Tokyo vids I rarely watched. Most older artists are not going to sound like they used to (Mariah Carey for eg) ...it's the most difficult instrument to preserve w/ time. 

I do agree that Axl should've taken more responsibility w/ his gift and not smoke and work out more...but in the end I too am grateful they're all alive!! that's a miracle in itself. Sorry if I sugarcoat it and am positive but I guess I'm enjoying the moment!

Well Said. We should be grateful that these guys are alive considering they are from 'live fast, die young' era. Each to it's own but we should be appreciating that the band is together and playing music again. 

[tbaugerud]

Guys, Axl sound great and has been okay since the reunion.

Mobile phones record badly. He is better live than some of the recordings.

Yes, he downplays some of the songs, but at least he is able to bring full fire on will.

That has not been the case since the classic era.

[maynard]

So ummm, what kind of special cell phones do AC/DC fans use? Because Axl sounds like vintage Axl in ACDC cell phone recordings.... and with GNR he sounds like SHIT. So you blame the cell phones?

[Whiskey Rose]

10 hours ago, IncitingChaos said:

Axl's voice change between 10 and 11 has a few theories. 

1. He developed vocal nodes or whatever and had to have surgery to save his voice. 

2. CD2 was turned down by the record company or money to finance it was and Axl went into depression over this. Stopped giving a shit. 

Adele has said after her vocal chord surgery her voice was too clean and pure..and she had to work to get it back to a kind of rawness. And she took a lot of time off right? So perhaps Axl didn't take enough time and practice to be able to work through his new voice..and/or he didn't have the best surgeon.

Either way, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Everyone who goes to a live show..whether it be AC/DC or Guns, leaves happy.

17 minutes ago, maynard said:

and with GNR he sounds like SHIT. So you blame the cell phones?

No, he doesn't. Sorry, it's just not true. a few parts of a few songs here and there, he has trouble. At a live concert, this is no big deal and doesn't take away from the whole experience. Go to a show.

[Gnrcane]

5 minutes ago, Whiskey Rose said:

Adele has said after her vocal chord surgery her voice was too clean and pure..and she had to work to get it back to a kind of rawness. And she took a lot of time off right? So perhaps Axl didn't take enough time and practice to be able to work through his new voice..and/or he didn't have the best surgeon.

Either way, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Everyone who goes to a live show..whether it be AC/DC or Guns, leaves happy.

No, he doesn't. Sorry, it's just not true. a few parts of a few songs here and there, he has trouble. At a live concert, this is no big deal and doesn't take away from the whole experience. Go to a show.

Agree.  When you watch a recording you analyze and nitpick as if it were a produced studio album.  When you are there live, you enjoy the show and the spectacle and don't think "OMG, there's the mickey voice" in the middle of a song.  Hell, at the Orlando show that I was at, you could barely even hear Axl singing NR over the crowd singing along.  Axl's voice is much better than thousands of (mostly drunk) fans singing!

I saw the UYI tour and even though Axl sounded different back then, the band as a whole didn't sound like you were listening to the CD.  Plus, Axl was running around so much that half the time he was out of breath.  "Don't you cry...ay..*pant*..ay...*pant*..." didn't sound better just because of the rasp.

As for aging and voice changing, a decent amount probably has to do with physical conditioning.  I saw Aerosmith when Steven Tyler was in the 50-55 range and he sounded like Steven Tyler.  He probably couldn't hit every note he did in the 80's but he had his trademark tone.

I saw Billy Joel in his late 40s and he sounded very different than he did in his prime.  Common between Axl and Billy Joel is that neither seems to spend a lot of time in the gym or with a nutritionist.  Steven Tyler turned from a junkie to a health nut.  Both he and Joe Perry had 6 pack abs in their 50s.

I'd rather hear Axl sing naturally live and hear "mickey" then have them run his voice through autotune or some other manipulation so I can pretend it is 1991 and fantasize that I'm still in high school and not middle aged. 

[maynard]

56 minutes ago, Whiskey Rose said:

No, he doesn't. Sorry, it's just not true. a few parts of a few songs here and there, he has trouble. At a live concert, this is no big deal and doesn't take away from the whole experience. Go to a show.

Yes he does, there are portions of songs he sounds fine but 95% it's Axl sounding like utter shit. At a live concert it is a big deal because Axl should do so much better than that. He sounds great in ACDC and like shit in GNR, that's a big deal.

I've been to 3 shows in Brazil, he sounded like crap and exactly like what I listened to on Youtube. Don't blame the poor cell phones. Axl sounds like shit.

[IncitingChaos]

I want to see Axl get back in front of a live tv audience again and put on a great performance for everyone to see. Unfortunately the song selection would have to be right or people would rip him. 

Thats really one of my main concerns about his voice. I'd like to see him relevant with the top artist today and he can't be if he can only sing half the songs good 

[IncitingChaos]

Anyone wonder why Axl sometimes has a really raw and great sounding clean voice like here 

i was at this show and I kept waiting for the Mickey...I was actually bummed out bc I knew it meant no OTGM, then he started singing and I was like ok he's holding on...still waiting for his voice to break into Mickey though, but it never did. Hearing it live sounded like the album version. I was really shocked. It was the best version of my Michelle I'd heard Bc he use to always do it with Bach in 06. 

Sometimes he just has it I guess and sometimes no 

i would have been thrilled to have Steven at my show! But he couldn't save Axl here...this is what I expect when he sings this song. Just go full Mickey 

I'd like to seee more grit on that clean voice like in Arlington versus River Plate where his vocals weren't grasping anything but clean air or however you want to describe. 

Also for me this proves Axl isn't always stuck in his ways about how to sing a song. He can get a little more out of his voice if he needs to 

[TheSeeker]

Axl knew he had to bring it last year vocally to sell the reunion. He did - and now that people are buying tickets, he's decided he can coast again.

[IncitingChaos]

heres a better audio video of that My Michelle from Dallas 

[IncitingChaos]

12 minutes ago, TheSeeker said:

Axl knew he had to bring it last year vocally to sell the reunion. He did - and now that people are buying tickets, he's decided he can coast again.

Might not be too far from the truth. That NA tour is becoming more legendary as we go. There were great performances to be found at every show. His voice was full and had power...not perfect by any means but I never felt like he was coasting. 

[TheDemocracyRose]

32 minutes ago, IncitingChaos said:

Might not be too far from the truth. That NA tour is becoming more legendary as we go. There were great performances to be found at every show. His voice was full and had power...not perfect by any means but I never felt like he was coasting. 

Axl came directly from the AC/DC euro tour and straight into the US tour. This hasnt been the case before the SA tour and the Eastern tour right now. I think he over all sound pretty good on most songs and in some songs better than the US tour.

[IncitingChaos]

10 minutes ago, TheDemocracyRose said:

Axl came directly from the AC/DC euro tour and straight into the US tour. This hasnt been the case before the SA tour and the Eastern tour right now. I think he over all sound pretty good on most songs and in some songs better than the US tour.

I think as a whole NA tour was way better. The only songs you could justify being better now are SCOM and NR and neither of those are that great still. It's like Mickey or more Mickey? I'd also say Better has been better than the US leg, but I can't think of another song 

I agree the AC/DC thing could have helped him. But that makes it more disappointing as a GNR fan to have to say he just cares more about them than us. 

[IncitingChaos]

Everyone do themselves a favor and put on some headphones, put this on full blast and enjoy. One of the reasons I liked the NA leg so much is he killed jungle every night 

 

[TheDemocracyRose]

19 minutes ago, IncitingChaos said:

I think as a whole NA tour was way better. The only songs you could justify being better now are SCOM and NR and neither of those are that great still. It's like Mickey or more Mickey? I'd also say Better has been better than the US leg, but I can't think of another song 

I agree the AC/DC thing could have helped him. But that makes it more disappointing as a GNR fan to have to say he just cares more about them than us. 

The last shows in Australia has been really good and some of them better than some of the shows from the US tour. But yes the US tour was better than 2017 so far. But no big differents to me. Axl had like 5-7 shows in the US tour where he really was phenomenal. The rest was 2017 aussie standard.

[onurbayrak03]

HOW AWESOME IS THIS VOICE...