Your Thoughts and Feelings as the Reunion Draws Near

[Gibson87]

I'm excited for this reunion and also kind of curious as to what a Guns show is like. I've only been a fan since 2012 and by the time I had warmed up to NuGNR, we were only a couple months away from Slash announcing he was cool with Axl, so I've never been able to go to a GNR show. The Illusions records were the background music to my time in high school. Appetite is still the only record I can listen to all the way through and not get bored. I was f****** estatic when I heard the Coachella announcement, even though we all knew it was coming. 

I'll see you guys in Chicago! 

[CAFC Nick]

4 hours ago, Graeme said:

Mainly gutted that the line-up I felt I had a proper connection with throughout my teens ('06-'10) never really got to live up to their potential, and now never will. And that no-one else really seems to care about that, even the people who I shared those times with on here (and IRL), just feels like a lot of wasted energy.

 But far be it from me to tell other people how to feel. I'm glad other GN'R fans are getting a kick out of this.

Pretty much spot on for me too.

Started following GNR in '04 so that lineup (with/without Bucket - before Ron showed up for the Hammerstein gigs!) was the one that resonates with me. I imagine Van Hagar fans may understand this more than old school GNR fans... 

However, flying to Vegas from London next week and unbelievably excited for this! 7th GNR show for me.

[TheDemocracyRose]

Many things can happen in 11 days. I believe it when I see it... ?

[Dazey]

This time next week I'll be sitting poolside at the MGM. FUCKING HELL!!!!!!

[Gilla999]

I was massively into GnR from the age of about 12-13 ('91-'92) and they played a huge part of my growing up. I was supposed to see them in 1992 but couldn't go as had a family wedding so promised myself I'd go "next time"..... they then split up, and I never got to see them! (Could never quite face seeing them without Slash and Duff, though I have friends who did and still loved it). So for me, hearing that they were playing together again (can't quite bring myself to call it a reunion till Adler and Izzy are confirmed) was a massive thing, and I still can't quite believe after 23 years of waiting I'm about to make an epic 24 hour trip to Vegas to see them share a stage for the first time since! 

Their music and their message have formed a huge part of my life - not in a crazy fan kind of way, but just as a backdrop. Weird (and probably borderline mental) that a person or people you've never met can have such an impact on your life, but hey. I genuinely think their music and the message in the songs has had a really positive influence on a lot of things for me over the years.

I think it goes to show that no matter what age you are, you're never too old to indulge in a bit of escapism - you can still book a flight to Vegas and go bat shit crazy like a teenager when they come on and forget about everything else for a while

Edited March 28, 2016 by Gilla999

[Ace Nova]

7 hours ago, Graeme said:

Mainly gutted that the line-up I felt I had a proper connection with throughout my teens never really got to live up to their potential. And that no-one else really seems to care about that, even the people who I shared those times with on here (and IRL), just feels like a lot of wasted energy.

 

I slightly edited your post...only took out "never will" and the years.

That's EXACTLY how fans of the classic lineup have felt for 23 years.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2016 by Kasanova King

[sonofnazareth]

2 minutes ago, Gilla999 said:

I was massively into GnR from the age of about 12-13 ('91-'92) and they played a huge part of my growing up. I was supposed to see them in 1992 but couldn't go as had a family wedding so promised myself I'd go "next time"..... they then split up, and I never got to see them! (Could never quite face seeing them without Slash and Duff, though I have friends who did and still loved it). So for me, hearing that they were playing together again (can't quite bring myself to call it a reunion till Adler and Izzy are confirmed) was a massive thing, and I still can't quite believe after 23 years of waiting I'm about to make an epic 24 hour trip to Vegas to see them share a stage for the first time since! 

Their music and their message have formed a huge part of my life - not in a crazy fan kind of way, but just as a backdrop. Weird (and probably borderline mental) that a person or people you've never met can have such an impact on your life, but hey. I genuinely think their music and the message in the songs has had a really positive influence on a lot of things for me over the years.

I think it goes to show that no matter what age you are, you're never too old to indulge in a bit of escapism - you can still book a flight to Vegas and go bat shit crazy like a teenager when they come on and forget about everything else for a while

Truth.

[KeyserSoze]

My relationship with GNR started around 9 years ago in 2007 when i was about 8 or 9 years old. I used to be a demon of a child. I thought i was entitled to everything and a fight with me usually ended with something being destroyed. One day after i got into a screaming match with my mom, she goes "one day, you are going to end up like Axl Rose!" I never really asked her why she said that, and I'm sure she meant his track record with domestic violence and bad attitude, but i swear to god, not a minute after that i was on my computer looking at the River Port Riot, The Montreal Riot, the incident in 06/07 when he kicked that fan out during SCOM. Holy. Shit. I found someone that pretty much acts like me and gets away with it. After i got over Axls wild antics, i really started to appreciate the music, watching all of the music videos (before they were bought by vevo ) multiple times a day, then really getting into the live performances especially in the late 80s (anyone remember SlashedDuff's channel on Youtube? i think he used to have a different name, but he had the only quality videos of the Ritz and all of GNRs late 80s performances), 

After this first year or so, i had to have everything GNR and all the members side projects and everything. So, inevitably around 2008 i got hooked on Velvet Revolver..... the same year they "broke up." I remember being fairly pissed, but also very in the dark about what was happening. Slashes book was also released around this time, so that kept my GNR tastebuds satisfied for a bit. But I just knew i had to fucking see these guys in concert! At the same time all this was happening, Chinese Democracy came and went and it didn't phase me at all. I didn't even know it existed. I was still living in 1987-1993 as far as anything GNR was concerned. I still kick myself for missing that part of GNR history and not being a bigger fan and living right through it. 

Around this time, high school was right around the corner, so life pretty much caught up with me and i didn't really care much about GNR... until Slashes solo album. That album and subsequent tour really got me interested in GNR again and it wasn't till then that i found out about CD and really anything from 1993-2010.. I finally got to see Slash in 2012 on his Apocalyptic Love world tour and holy shit it was like a moment of revelation for me. I still pinpoint that moment as one of the happiest moments in my life up until this point, and i got to spend it with my mom, the woman who started this whole thing! Also at this period, after lurking for a bit here, i ended up joining! Later that year, GNR announced their first vegas residency and i begged and pleaded with my parents that we need to take a trip there for thanksgiving. We ended up going to see 1 show since i had a week of from school, we couldn't catch the weekend shows. That one show we caught was the one that was recorded for GNRs first official live DVD in 22 years... i know some of you can't stand that show, but i will always be thankful that the only GNR show I've been too was proshot and now resides on my self dedicated to all things GNR. 

So after all these hits and misses, i think what I'm most excited about is getting to see my childhood idols on stage together for the first time since 1993. All the nostalgia that raced through my mind when all of this was first announced really got me super excited. Not only that, but GNR is playing St. Louis for the first time in 25 years, and New Orleans MY HOME FUCKING CITY!!! for the first time in 24! After living through all that GNR history and basically missing most of it, I'm really excited to be spending these times with you guys! And even though i won't be there the first night the lights go down and shit hits the fan in that crowd, ill be on here enjoying every single minute with you guys, and to me thats all that matters! 

 

 

[GNR 1991]

I don't know what to expect really. The 06-10 years were special time to be a fan for me as I started coming here in 06 with the leaks and was hooked. I will say though that the 11-14 era was only treading water, wasting time and energy. At least with this tour, there is a renewed interest and maybe even a new relevance?

 

Axl needs to sound good and who knows where this can go. I'm really excited for Vegas.

[gunsfanoldie]

Its been exciting for awhile now, but I admit the best thing so far was seeing a billboard right as I went into the Lincoln Tunnel from NJ to New York. For those that don't know, there's a big curve that goes into the tunnel and a very prominent billboard. Its literally what you see as you head into NY and its hard to avoid.

Anyway, my whole family (mom, dad, brother) were all in the car on our way into the city for dinner. They've been hearing me babble about this stupid show for months now, and a reunion even longer. We passed by that sign, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. Everyone in the car knew. That "stupid little show" I've been talking about was about to take over the world. They ALL took notice of it and I think it finally clicked with them what a big deal this was. In fact, the whole discussion through the tunnel was their sudden "interest" in the show lol. That billboard really solidified this is real. This band isn't fucking around.

I could go on about how I've felt for awhile now, but let's just leave it at I'm excited lol. Let's keep it brief for once!

[slash23579]

I first heard Welcome to the Jungle when I was like 7 years old, and I immediate fell in love with the band. I remember I went and bought Appetite the first chance I got and that album completely changed my life. Not long after that YouTube started becoming a thing and I was so into watching their old performances. I was basically living in the 90s in the GNR world and had absolutely no idea where they were today. It wasn't until Chinese Democracy came out and I started hearing about GNR in the media that I realized they were broken up. I mean, I knew of Velvet Revolver, but I guess I really didn't comprehend what happened between Axl and Slash until that time. I remember I tried listening to CD, but I brushed it off and continued living in the 90s completely ignoring their modern day projects, just accepting the fact I would never be able to see Slash and Axl on a stage together. It wasn't until like 2012 or 2013 that I started living in the modern day. I started listening to CD, and ended up loving the album. I started listening to Slash's solo work and ended up loving his stuff. I joined this forum in 2014 , and decided that since I'll never see Slash and Axl together, might as well see them separately. The first, and so far only, Guns show I saw was 6/4/14 at Las Vegas. I remember going to that thinking it wasn't going to be that great, but I'll never forget the feeling I had when I saw Axl take the stage that night. I mean, it was HIM, the guy I've spent nearly my whole life listening to his music, watching his performances. The guy who completely changed my life. I was such I surreal experience and one that I'll never forget. A few months later I saw the Slash and Aersosmith show, again in Vegas, and it was the same story. I couldn't believe it was happening at the time.

 

Even though I've been a GNR fan for only a fraction of the time some people have, there is no way I can express my excitement for these shows. The night I'm in Vegas is going to be one of the best experiences of my life. 

[PsychoKiss344]

Very very excited,

Never thought I would be able to see the real Guns N Roses in my life!

[GnRDuff1]

How is it that I'm one of the only people who would have preferred Izzy back in the band to Slash (to my IRL friends) and now I'm the only one who's "content" with it being Slash, Duff and Axl?

[AtGame7]

I'm insanely excited.  Mostly because I'm 45 and have recently realized you only get so many "kicks at the can" as they say when it comes to the things you really enjoy in life.  GnFnR is one of those things I really enjoyed and gave up on ever seeing again.  We all get older (the alternative, I hear, is worse) and you start to learn you just shouldn't miss the things in life you enjoy because you may not get another chance.

 

I'm a big Pittsburgh Penguins fan and in 1992 had you told me it would be 17 years before I got to see my team win another Cup I'd never have believed you.  One of my most prized memories is being in the Joe Louis arena when that 17 years finally elapsed.  I'm hoping GNR hold it together to get through this tour and I actually get to see them because when they left Pittsburgh last time I never would have thought I'd consider myself lucky two decades later that I get to see them again, finally.

 

Yea, I'm pretty excited.

 

[pacu44]

 

[Tyler Drama]

It's still weird.

[Draguns]

1 hour ago, gunsfanoldie said:

Its been exciting for awhile now, but I admit the best thing so far was seeing a billboard right as I went into the Lincoln Tunnel from NJ to New York. For those that don't know, there's a big curve that goes into the tunnel and a very prominent billboard. Its literally what you see as you head into NY and its hard to avoid.

Anyway, my whole family (mom, dad, brother) were all in the car on our way into the city for dinner. They've been hearing me babble about this stupid show for months now, and a reunion even longer. We passed by that sign, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. Everyone in the car knew. That "stupid little show" I've been talking about was about to take over the world. They ALL took notice of it and I think it finally clicked with them what a big deal this was. In fact, the whole discussion through the tunnel was their sudden "interest" in the show lol. That billboard really solidified this is real. This band isn't fucking around.

I could go on about how I've felt for awhile now, but let's just leave it at I'm excited lol. Let's keep it brief for once!

I'll have to try to check this out in the morning when I'm in the bus heading off to NYC. I took a nap so wasn't paying any attention this morning. 

[Draguns]

For me, it's great to see my childhood idols back together again. I fell in love with the music of GNR when I  was fighting for my education in the late 80s. Back then, if you had a disability as a kid, you would not be able to be in a mainstream school. For me, I was born with a short left arm. My fight with my town's Board of Education lasted from September-December of 1987. In October of that year, my dad got my family cable. One night we were watching MTV together. A video montage came on of Bon Jovi, George Michael Def Lepard and Guns N' Roses. My dad said that I should listen to this band. A few days later, I listened to Welcome to the Jungle. It helped me with my anger of trying to fight for my rights. I fell  for the song and the band. I did win the case and went on to mainstream school. So for me,  Guns N' Roses means a lot to me!!!

 

 

[DarkFairy81]

For a while, when Slash left the band, I figured they'd work it out but it just became obvious that the relationship between him and Axl was "beyond repair".. So obviously I never ever thought this would happen!! Especially after the cancer and "not in this lifetime!" comments. Just hoping to see HQ videos from the US shows, that they sound good & vibes are good and come to Europe at some point Never got to see Duff & Slash live, was a fan then but too young.. Just wish it was April 8th already!!

[hpantazo]

I'm still a bit in disbelief and bracing myself for several potential disasters that tend to follow Axl and this band, like Axl not showing up, or a riot, or a fight onstage, or just Axl sounding like shit. I hope none of those things happen, but I honestly can't get too excited until they manage to play a show or two without any disasters. If they do, then shit's real and I'll be totally excited.

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

3 hours ago, BigD62 said:

I have been a GnR fan from the beginning. Absolutely one of my all time favorite bands.  When GnR where at their peak I was starting a career, getting married and having 2 kids. I was so busy I didn't get a chance to see them live and have always regretted that. I never wanted to see the band with only 1 original member. I never thought they would ever get back together. So when Axl, Duff and Slash announced they were going to play Vegas of course I had to go. It is all I think about and all I talk about these days. The night before the concert I will be like a kid on Christmas eve, I doubt if I will be able to sleep!

another GN'R concert virgin! thought I might be only one. wonder how many others will be going? and I mean  real fans not people just going cos they got free tickets or something

[DizzyReed63]

For us old school fans, the idea of a reunion was such a far, far fantasy - so it's still pretty surreal. Until I see them all on stage on April 8, I'm still somewhat in disbelief.

If the "nu-gnr" era had produced more and released more music, things may have been very different. In 2002 and 2006, I was most excited for a "new" era and willing to move on from the original - but it never really came together. Because of that, this reunion is even more exciting.

IMO, Axl seemed tired near the end of the last two tours, and now he appears to be more energized. Hopefully this also re-energizes him to get busy writing with these guys again, and putting something else new and awesome into the music world.

Counting each day down 'til April 8....

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

11 minutes ago, DarkFairy81 said:

For a while, when Slash left the band, I figured they'd work it out but it just became obvious that the relationship between him and Axl was "beyond repair".. So obviously I never ever thought this would happen!! Especially after the cancer and "not in this lifetime!" comments. Just hoping to see HQ videos from the US shows, that they sound good & vibes are good and come to Europe at some point Never got to see Duff & Slash live, was a fan then but too young.. Just wish it was April 8th already!!

it must be that i'm a dreamer or slightly psychic or something but ever since I became absolutely Guns N' Roses obsessed ( since June 30 2014 to be exact ) I have told everyone who will listen that this was going to happen. i have been so sure, not a doubt in the world! I even told my Dr. who is also a GN'R fan this was going to happen and when it did I would be there. now I am looking forward to seeing him, I am sure he will be thrilled for me; he's like the coolest Dr. ever  

[G-Money]

I want Izzy and Steven as much as the next guy, but I'm actually one who thinks we WILL see it happen (maybe even the first show).

 

I'm excited. Before the RRHOF, I thought, "Man, if Axl, Dizzy, and Izzy are out, they need to get Gilby and Myles Kennedy to do at least one song, but they won't."  When I saw online the next day that they did, I was pumped. When I watched the video, I got goosebumps. If I got goosebumps from that lineup, it'll be incredible to see Axl, Slash, Duff, Dizzy, and POSSIBLY Steven and Izzy together.  And even without Izzy and Steven for now, it's going to be phenomenal.

Edited March 29, 2016 by G-Money

[Graeme]

3 hours ago, Kasanova King said:

I slightly edited your post...only took out "never will" and the years.

That's EXACTLY how fans of the classic lineup have felt for 23 years.

 

 

Really? I mean they mentioned it so infrequently during the CD era, I would never have guessed ...

Though in my brief exchanges with them since the reunion was announced, I can't say that "yeah, been there, know how you feel man" has been the sentiment most frequently extended my way.

4 hours ago, CAFC Nick said:

Pretty much spot on for me too.

Started following GNR in '04 so that lineup (with/without Bucket - before Ron showed up for the Hammerstein gigs!) was the one that resonates with me. I imagine Van Hagar fans may understand this more than old school GNR fans... 

However, flying to Vegas from London next week and unbelievably excited for this! 7th GNR show for me.

 

3 hours ago, GNR 1991 said:

I don't know what to expect really. The 06-10 years were special time to be a fan for me as I started coming here in 06 with the leaks and was hooked. I will say though that the 11-14 era was only treading water, wasting time and energy. At least with this tour, there is a renewed interest and maybe even a new relevance?

 

Axl needs to sound good and who knows where this can go. I'm really excited for Vegas.

I'm glad to see other people come out and say that '06-'10 really was as great as I remember it being at the time. Sure, it wasn't beyond criticism (nothing about this band ever is, though I'd argue that they've achieved perfection in various incarnations throughout the entire history of Guns N' Roses) but it was such a fun time, a great community, brilliant music and the best live shows I've ever seen.

I think the difference is with you guys, you're still excited about the shows to come, whereas I feel that supporting it is disloyal to the '06-'10 line-up and they've already had the vast majority of people who supported them at the time totally turn their backs on them. For me, I'm done with Guns N' Roses for all intents and purposes. I hardly come into this section any more, and I definitely won't spend most of my time hanging around here giving people grief for enjoying themselves... 

Edited March 29, 2016 by Graeme