MYGNR NEWSWIRE

Our Neighbor Rocks - Robin Finck

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:29:01 +0000

DATE: Oct. 26, 2009
SOURCE: The LA Times

Our neighbor rocks
We had our doubts when we heard a rock musician was moving in, but we changed our tune when we got to know Nine Inch Nails' Robin Finck.
By Ray DeTournay

October 26, 2009

In a man's lifetime, he finds he has little influence over two important things: growing older and choosing his neighbors. Usually these two items run separately, but on occasion they come together in unexpected ways. A little more than a year ago, my wife and I were in one of those situations.

We were in a local sports arena standing at the edge of the crowd when a security guard came over.

"Sir," he said, "no offense, but do you know where you are?"

"Sure," I said. "I'm at the Forum."

"And do you know what's happening here?" he asked.

"A concert by Nine Inch Nails."

He nodded, as if I had just passed a test.

"No disrespect, sir," he said, "but what are you doing here?"

I got his drift. My wife and I didn't quite fit the audience profile. She was wearing a plaid blouse and a denim skirt; I had on a Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra T-shirt. Pretty much everyone else was wearing black and was easily 30 years younger than we were.

"I have a pass," I said, showing my wristband.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"We are invited guests." I was getting a little defensive. "The lead guitarist is my neighbor. He wants us to see what he does for a living."

The guard's eyes grew wide. "No way!" he said. a

His reaction was exactly how I'd felt some years earlier when the agent removed the "For Sale" sign from the house with which we share a driveway. On paper, the previous neighbors had seemed like a great fit. He was in law enforcement, and she worked for a public utility; still, they turned out to be the neighbors from hell. When they decided to sell, we were overjoyed but apprehensive. I asked what we were in for next.

"Oh, you'll just love them," the agent said. "They're great kids."

Kids, I thought. How can kids afford to buy in an upscale neighborhood? "The gal is just great and so pretty," she enthused. "She was an aerialist with Cirque du Soleil."

OK, a trapeze artist doesn't sound too bad. "What about the guy," I asked.

"Oh, he's so sweet. You're just gonna love him."

"But what does he do for a living?"

"He plays a musical instrument in a group," she said, eyeing her car nervously.

"Which group?" I asked more pointedly.

"He's the lead guitar for the rock group Guns N' Roses," she said. "But you're gonna love 'em." She raced for her car and was down the drive before I could react.

I headed for my computer. Clicking on the Guns N' Roses website didn't ease my concerns. Maybe it's him, I thought, or it might be him. It turns out it was the tall, lanky guy with frizzy hair below his shoulders holding a guitar in a cocky manner. There were photos of thousands of crazed fans with hooked fingers pointed skyward, presumably singing unprintable lyrics.

It didn't take much imagination to conjure what was to come. The noise level would be deafening. Our block would be crawling with groupies carrying scissors to clip memorial blades of grass from my neighbor's lawn. They would camp in the street at night, while the odor of marijuana overcame the fragrance of barbecued ribs from my Weber grill.

On the day the new neighbors moved in, a small parade of vehicles came up the driveway. His family, her family and his and her friends. They weren't loud, boisterous or destructive, and the only smoky smells came from chicken and steaks barbecued for the celebration. So far, so good.

Several days later, the rock star came down the drive with a mailbox under his arm. In the spirit of neighborliness, I offered to help him install it. To my surprise, he was an intelligent, gentle young man, friendly and talkative, who had no problem working with his hands. He'd made his money for guitars and lessons by mowing lawns and doing odd jobs in his hometown in Georgia.

"If you ever need help," he offered, "just give me a call."

Praise be to God: a neighbor with tool skills, a work ethic and a willingness to lend a hand. I decided to overlook the hair.

Since that day, Robin Finck and I have helped each other on many projects. There was a trapeze to erect in their sideyard when his wife went freelance. (The unexpected benefit is we can watch her practicing routines while sipping wine on our patio.) One day, while clearing brush on my hillside, he announced he had joined Nine Inch Nails.

We've made only small adjustments in our values. Our taste in music still runs to the Three B's -- Bach, Beethoven and Brahms -- but we started to read rock concert reviews in The Times. a

At the Forum, the security guard was fascinated. "That's awesome," he said.

I'm not sure what he thought was cool, that a rock star lived in the suburbs next to neighbors who looked like us, or that the rock star would deign to speak to the old folks, let alone invite them to a concert?

"Thank you for explaining things, sir," the guard said, giving me one last careful once-over. Then he reached into his pocket.

"Better take these," he said, putting four earplugs in my hand. "You're gonna need 'em."

Boy, was he right.

The next morning, I went up the driveway to give Robin the earplugs, having burned the ends with a match.

"What happened to these?" he asked.

"That's why we had to leave early," I said. "They kept catching fire."

It's great to have a helpful neighbor with a sense of humor too.

Ray DeTournay is a retired television producer. Nine Inch Nails disbanded as a touring group in September.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-detournay26-2009oct26,0,3143713,full.story

SLASH discusses new single "Sahara" and collaboration with Koshi Inaba; Video/Audio included

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:57:23 +0000

DATE: November 1st, 2009
TITLE: SLASH Talks About Collaboration With Japanese Singer KOSHI INABA; Video Available
TEXT:
VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash will release a two-track CD single in Japan on November 11 containing the song "Sahara" (featuring singer Koshi Inaba of the Japanese hard rock duo B'Z) and a version of the GN'R classic "Paradise City" (featuring CYPRESS HILL and Fergie [a.k.a. Stacy Ann Ferguson] of the BLACK EYED PEAS).

"Sahara" is expected to appear on Slash's forthcoming solo album, which will be released under the "Slash & Friends" banner. According to the guitarist, "the [record] is in its mixing stage and the mixes to this point sound great. We have recorded 18 songs, with one more I want to track." He added, "the record is still slated for a February/March release."

Video footage of Slash talking about his collaboration with Koshi Inaba during a Japanese TV interview can be viewed below. (Note: The "Sahara" track can apparently be heard in the background.)

Slash tracked most of the CD with former NINE INCH NAILS drummer Josh Freese and ex-JANE'S ADDICTION bassist Chris Chaney. Other confirmed guest singers so far include Ozzy Osbourne, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows and Chris Cornell (SOUNDGARDEN, AUDIOSLAVE). The CD was produced by Eric Valentine (GOOD CHARLOTTE, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) and features additional appearances by ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist Flea and former NIRVANA drummer and current FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.

Slash left GUNS N' ROSES in the mid-'90s, forming SLASH'S SNAKEPIT before later assembling VELVET REVOLVER with several other ex-members of GUNS N' ROSES and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland (who was dismissed in April 2008).

SOURCE: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=129658
RELATED DISCUSSION: http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showtopic=156072

GNR Ticket Sales Going "Very Well"

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:54:48 +0000

DATE: Oct. 23, 2009
SOURCE: CKOM

Guns and Roses Ticket Sales Going "Very Well"
Band promoting 'Chinese Democracy': Its first album in over 15 years

Posted October 23, 2009 - 2:36pm

Ticket sales for the upcoming Guns N' Roses concert are going "very well", says a representative of Evraz Place Ticketmaster.

The January 20th show at the Brandt Centre still has good seats available, but Ticketmaster is "very pleased" with the sales thus far.

While there wasn't any G n R pandemonium at the box office this morning, a few fans decided to show up and buy their tickets the old fashioned way.

"We're very excited... seeing the band come to Regina," said a couple of Guns and Roses fans - with their tickets in hand.

The show is one of thirteen Canadian stops on the band's "Chinese Democracy World Tour",

Chinese Democracy, G n R's first album with new material in over 15 years, has sold a disappointing 5 million copies worldwide after its release last November.

Before coming to Canada in the new year, the band will kick off its world tour on Dec. 11th in Taiwan: the first of four Asian tour dates.

Related forum discussion:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showtopic=155851&view=findpost&p=2527723

Guns N' Roses To Tour Canada?

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:37:15 +0000

DATE: Oct. 16, 2009
SOURCE: Ultimate-guitar.com

Guns N' Roses To Tour Canada?

Canadian concert promoters Gillett Entertainment Group (Groupe Spectacles Gillett) have launched a countdown on their web site to a "major announcement" that will be made on Monday, October 19 at 7:00 a.m. EST. The accompanying image, which can be seen here, features a close-up of Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose's mouth, which suggests that some Canadian dates may be in the works for the GN'R band.

Guns N' Roses are scheduled to play several shows in Taiwan, Korea and Japan in December:

12/11 - Taipei, Taiwan - Taipei County Stadium
12/13 - Seoul, Korea - Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium
12/16 - Osaka, Japan - Osaka Dome
12/19 - Tokyo, Japan - Tokyo Dome

"Chinese Democracy", the sixth and most recent album from Guns N' Roses, was released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14.

The tracks are available for purchase as an album or individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system. The tracks are available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.

Aside from Billboard and Spinner interviews and answering a number of fan questions at a Guns N' Roses message board, Rose has done no promotion of any kind for "Chinese Democracy".

"Chinese Democracy" was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies.

Thanks for the report to Blabbermouth.net.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_tours/guns_n_roses_to_tour_canada.html

GNR 'vigorously contest' claims 'Chinese Democracy' Stole A Sample

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:47:09 +0000

DATE: Oct. 6, 2009
SOURCE: Rollingstone.com

Guns n� Roses �Vigorously Contest� Claims �Chinese Democracy� Stole a Sample

Guns n� Roses manager Irving Azoff has formally responded to claims the band illegally borrowed music from two songs by German electro artist Ulrich Schnauss on Chinese Democracy�s �Riad N� the Bedouins.� As Rolling Stone reported yesterday, the Independiente and Domino labels announced they were suing the band for $1 million in damages, alleging the ambient noise at the top of the Gn�R track was created by Ulrich and used without permission. Today, Azoff said the band �vigorously contests these claims and intends to respond accordingly.� He added the band and production team�s legal reps will be responding soon, as well. His full statement follows:

�The band believed when the record came out and still believes that there are no unauthorized samples on the track. The snippets of �ambient noise� in question were provided by a member of the album�s production team who has assured us that these few seconds of sound were obtained legitimately. Artists these days can�t read the minds of those they collaborate with and therefore are unfortunately vulnerable to claims like this one. While the band resents the implication that they would ever use another artist�s work improperly and are assessing possible counterclaims, they are confident this situation will be satisfactorily resolved.�

Brian Caplan of Caplan and Ross, an attorney representing Schnauss� team disagrees, telling Rolling Stone, �The band and the record company are ultimately responsible for copyright infringement.� He added, �I can tell you that there is no paper trail authorizing the use of these songs and nobody from the plaintiff�s side authorized the use of this song.�

The most recent high-profile accusation of musical plagiarism � the case of Joe Satriani vs. Coldplay over their hit �Viva la Vida� ૼ recently ended with a dismissal and, presumably, an out-of-court settlement.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/inde...stole-a-sample/

Related forum discussion:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...5237&st=100

Record Labels Sue GNR For Copying Songs

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:40:55 +0000

DATE: Oct. 5, 2009
SOURCE: Reuters

Record labels sue Guns N' Roses for copying songs

NEW YORK, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Two independent record labels sued U.S. rock band Guns N' Roses for $1 million, claiming the group used portions of two songs by a German musician on their last album "Chinese Democracy."
Guns N' Roses and Universal Music Group's Interscope-Geffen A&M label were sued by British label Independiente and the U.S. arm of Domino Recording Company, who own the licensing rights to songs by German electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss.

Singer Axl Rose and Guns N' Roses band members and album producers copied portions of two of Schnauss' songs -- "Wherever You Are" and "A Strangely Isolated Place" -- for a song used on the band's last album called "Riad N' the Bedouins," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday but made available on Monday, seeks $1 million in damages. A spokesperson for Interscope-Geffen A&M, owned by Vivendi's (VIV.PA) Universal Music Group, was not available for comment.

"Chinese Democracy," the band's first new album in 17 years that was released last November, resulted in disappointing sales.

Besides Rose, the only original member in the band, the other current and former band members named in the suit include guitarist Brian Carroll, better known as "Buckethead," bassist Tommy Stinson, and Robin Finck, who currently plays lead guitar with rock act Nine Inch Nails. (Reporting by Christine Kearney; Editing by Michelle Nichols and Philip Barbara)

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews...538697220091005

Related forum discussion:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...5237&st=100

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

GNR To Play 2 Dates In Japan In December

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:46:39 +0000

DATE: Sept. 14, 2009
SOURCE: Blabbermouth

GUNS N' ROSES' Japanese Shows Confirmed By UNIVERSAL MUSIC - Sep. 14, 2009

The Japanese branch of Universal Music has confirmed on its web site that GUNS N' ROSES will play two dates in Japan in December:

Dec. 16 - Osaka Dome
Dec. 19 - Tokyo Dome

Tickets go on sale on October 3.

More information in English is available on the web site of the Japanese concert promoter Hayashi International Promotion Co. Ltd. (H.I.P.).

A special web site for GN'R's Japanese shows has been launched by the promoter at this location.

As previously reported, GUNS N' ROSES is also being advertised by Taiwanese concert promoter Brokers Brothers Herald, Ltd. (BBH) as playing Taipei County Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan on December 11.

A short commercial for the Taipei concert can be viewed below.

"Chinese Democracy", the sixth and most recent album from GUNS N' ROSES, was released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14.

The tracks are available for purchase as an album or individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system. The tracks are available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.

Aside from Billboard and Spinner interviews and answering a number of fan questions at a GUNS N' ROSES message board, singer Axl Rose has done no promotion of any kind for "Chinese Democracy".

"Chinese Democracy" was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermo...wsitemID=126901

Related forum discussion:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...t=0&start=0

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...t=0&start=0

Del James' Book Signing In LA On Aug. 30

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:46:11 +0000

DATE: Aug. 27, 2009
SOURCE: GNR myspace

Del James, the author of the story that inspired GNR's November Rain video, will be attending a book-signing event in LA on Aug. 30.

Here's the bulletin:

Aug 27, 2009 1:06 PM
Subject: Hello Everyone

Body: On Sunday, August 30th at 2 p.m., there will be a book signing for Dark Delicacies III: Haunted (hardback $26.95 and trade paperback $15.95) with editors Jeff Gelb & Del Howison, plus authors Del James, Heather Graham, Michael Boatman, Mick Garris, R. C. Matheson, Victor Salva, Eric Red, Maria Alexander, and others to be announced. Dark Delicacies III: Haunted features contributions from Kevin J. Anderson, Clive Barker, Richard Christian Matheson, David Morrell, and Chuck Palahniuk, and many other great writers.

Dark Delicacies
4213 W. Burbank
Burbank, CA 91505
1-888-DARKDEL or 1-818-556-6660
www.darkdel.com

And for those of you who still need a copy of The Language Of Fear, Dark Delicacies has a few signed copies. Below is a link to a Times.com article about memorabilia/collectibles where The Language of Fear is mentioned:

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/...1918156,00.html

Related forum discussion:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...t=0&start=0

Motley Crue's Vince Neil Says GNR Rocker Axl Let Fans Down

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:24:51 +0000

DATE: Aug. 19, 2009
SOURCE: The Sun

Music Biz
By JAMES PUGH

Published: 19 Aug 2009

MOTLEY CRUE'S VINCE NEIL has blasted erratic GUNS N' ROSES rocker AXL ROSE for letting his fans down.

Outspoken Neil's scathing attack on the November Rain star comes after his latest album Chinese Democracy, the band's first since 1993's The Spaghetti Incident, failed to live up to the hype its 10 years in the making generated.

The veteran singer believes GNR's loyal fans have finally grown sick of the band, thanks chiefly to Rose's failure to turn up to rehearsals and perform live shows.

He told The Sun: "For it to fail was pretty crazy after so many years of being recorded. Then the tour got cancelled.

"A buddy of mine went to go play guitar for him. They rehearsed for three months and Axl never once turned up. Rule number one: show up!

"He's been doing that for many years. Finally I think the fans just went, 'F*** it - can't do this anymore.'

"You can't be a fan when you can't see the band."

The LP, estimated to have cost around �8 million, had to settle for third place behind KANYE WEST and TAYLOR SWIFT in the US albums chart when it was released in November last year.

Neil added: "I heard one track and then it just disappeared off the radio. It was never talked about again."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showb...-up-on-him.html

Related forum discussion:

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...t=0&start=0

Slash Ranks #2 Among World's Top 10 Electric Guitar Players

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:23:20 +0000

DATE: Aug. 18, 2009
SOURCE: Time Magazine

Time Magazine's list of "10 Greatest Electric Guitar Players" named Slash number two, just behind Jimi Hendrix.

1. Jimi Hendrix
The greatest of all time? Maybe. No one merged the blues, rock and psychedelia with as much ease, or wielded his guitar with as much charisma.

2. Slash
A remarkably precise player who had to put up with more crap from his lead singer than any guitarist on this list. Does he make the cut partially because of the hat? Yes. Yes he does.

3. BB King
He doesn't call his guitar Lucille to be cute. With King's emphasis on vibrato, she sounds like a real woman singing the blues.

4. Keith Richards
The most notable of Chuck Berry's many disciples is also the creator of more memorable riffs�"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Gimme Shelter," "Start Me Up," etc.�than anyone in rock and roll.

5. Eric Clapton
Fluent in every blues style, Clapton is probably best known as the king of the Tulsa Sound. He's also among the most melodic of guitarists, using his solos to move a song along instead of stopping it cold.

6. Jimmy Page
Page's guitar sounds like six guitars, and the heaviness of his right hand is key to the instant recognizability of Led Zeppelin's sound.

7. Chuck Berry
The father of rock and roll guitar, his staccato influence is still heard on most songs today.

8. Les Paul
An amazingly talented guitarist, Paul had a series of futuristic sounding hits in the 1950s. But his music has been superseded by his invention: Paul pioneered the design and construction of the modern electric guitar, which made everyone else on this list very rich.

9. Yngwie Malmsteen
The Swede's superfast "neo-Classical" style �he credits Bach and Paganini as influences�is a blur of scales and technical precision. It almost makes you forget that the great bulk of his music is so fast that it's unlistenable.

10. Prince
He does a little singing, but Prince also plays a mean lead guitar. The solo on "Let's Go Crazy" is a frequently cited example of his frenetic style, but covers of "Just My Imagination" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" prove he can also play under control.

11. Johnny Ramone
No one hated guitar solos more than Johnny Ramone, so it's not surprising he perfected the Punk style, packing chords together tightly and leaving no space for freelancing.

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29...1921910,00.html