The "Axl's Voice" Thread - Please Keep All Discussion Here

[RussTCB]

2 hours ago, F*ck Fear said:

Naw man, '06-'07 was a great blend of styles. He had the signature rasp mixed with his '02 vocal style.

People can say what they want about 'Mickey', but in my opinion, what is worse is the vocal style of now. It's so fucking weak he sounds pathetic in comparison.

2001-2002 clean voice had power behind it! 

And that's exactly the difference. When he used the clean voice in 2002 and 2006, there was power behind it. Nowadays, there's little to no power. That bothers me far more than the actual clean voice. 

[IncitingChaos]

Agree on the 06/07 vocals. the best clean vocal I’ve ever heard from Axl is on Sailing from :55 on. There’s no distortion, heavy rasp, or anything to mask it it’s just a great display of singing and for a guy like Axl with a low natural voice to hit these notes makes the vocal more amazing. 

[Pedrolg]

3 hours ago, IncitingChaos said:

Agree on the 06/07 vocals. the best clean vocal I’ve ever heard from Axl is on Sailing from :55 on. There’s no distortion, heavy rasp, or anything to mask it it’s just a great display of singing and for a guy like Axl with a low natural voice to hit these notes makes the vocal more amazing. 

Amazing. Really highlights how far he has fallen. I can imagine him absolutely mickeying this in terrible fashion if he attempted it today. Those AC/DC videos showcase him in absolute beast mode. 

I truly hope Axl has another rebirth of sorts in him (a realistic one, bringing close to 2016 levels). I do fear however that this is it. His mid range has been problematic for years, and those heights he reached back in 2016, together with the neverending schedule and whatever his preparation routines (or lack of) are finished frying his awesome upper ranges.

He still has his awesome lower voice to work with though, and that is probably never going away.

[sl4yer]

47 minutes ago, Pedrolg said:

He still has his awesome lower voice to work with though, and that is probably never going away.

I agree 100%, that's why Chinese Democracy, major part of Don't Cry etc. are really good now. 
But there is one thing I don't understand at all.. In 2016 shows he sang "We are the people that can find" "You are very sexy girl" "You got a hunger for what you see" in low, deep, nice voice
In 2017 ( with some exceptions) and 18 he sings only "If you got a hunger" in this voice and rest are in lame Mickey tone

Examples:
2016

2018

But his 2018 low voice sounds more powerful tho

Edited November 16, 2018 by sl4yer

[IncitingChaos]

@sl4yer I think you just have to listen to the lack of control he has in 2018. When you can hear him adjusting his voice from line to line that’s a bad sign he is lacking the power to control his vocals. When he’s vocally good he is switching up vocals but it’s much more cohesive and sounds great because he has the power to do so.  The biggest culprit of Jungle getting botched is at the Golden gods (not counting bridge school) . He can’t sing “welcome to the jungle” lines with enough power to match that low throat voice he uses on the lines you mentioned above. So you distinctly hear two-three voices making the song a roller coaster mess.

When he sings in that mickeyish tone I think it’s an attempt to control the rapid jumps in vocals. He can hear himself better singing in his head voice versus projecting his vocals 

but idk maybe Axl is saving himself for a bigger comeback haha 

[rendestroi95]

it's crazy how we thought he sounded like crap back in 2011 (specially after what he did the year before)

i wish he sounded like this again :/

 

[Gordon Comstock]

1 minute ago, rendestroi95 said:

it's crazy how we thought he sounded like crap back in 2011 (specially after what he did the year before)

i wish he sounded like this again :/

 

I was at that show, it was pretty awesome, but that RQ was definitely above par for that tour. (I think that was actually the last show where Axl kicked someone out of a venue, too.)

[GNRfanMILO]

2 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

I was at that show, it was pretty awesome, but that RQ was definitely above par for that tour. (I think that was actually the last show where Axl kicked someone out of a venue, too.)

Plus it was already December, so Axl had a whole year to improve his vocals. 2011 wasn't that bad though, it's criticized a lot because of RIR and because 2010 was just fucking unbelievable, but leaving that aside it's FAR better than 2012, 2013 and 2014. Those are the truly horrific years. Those could only be compared to 2017-2018, and even back then Axl used to have off-nights where he would sound even better than the best 2016 shows.

[Gordon Comstock]

3 minutes ago, GNRfanMILO said:

Plus it was already December, so Axl had a whole year to improve his vocals. 2011 wasn't that bad though, it's criticized a lot because of RIR and because 2010 was just fucking unbelievable, but leaving that aside it's FAR better than 2012, 2013 and 2014. Those are the truly horrific years. Those could only be compared to 2017-2018, and even back then Axl used to have off-nights where he would sound even better than the best 2016 shows.

Yea, the last half of the 2011 tour was pretty solid, as was the first half of 2012 (Philly and Hiro Ballroom stick out in my memory as the best shows from 2012). After the UCAP tour he started deteriorating faster, I'd say late 2012 and 2013 in general were the worst of that era, 2014 was pretty weak too aside from the last few shows.

[Stro]

Man, if he really damaged his voice for good, 2016 was worth it, imo. The AC/DC shows and the reunion brought him back to a level of respect and stature he hadn't had in 25 years, regained the throne of best front man, played to gigantic crowds all over the world, made tons of money. He rose to the occasion when no one thought he could and absolutely killed it. He probably was never going to be able to top 2016 even if he got in shape and did warm ups and shit. Dude deserves to coast if he wants to, and if he can't do it anymore, he went out with a hell of a bang.

[Pedrolg]

Yeah. Axl singing the brian songs sends shivers down my spine. What he does is not human, it's absolutely ridiculous. If he is done, he probably lasted longer than most singers would doing what he does. I wouldn't discard a comeback though. 

[Georgina Arriaga]

My AC/DC show with Axl in 2016  (Fort Lauderdale, 27th august, 2016) was the most beautiful thing ever! It was vocally perfect. 

I swear that I heard 2 voices at the same time out of Axl's mouth in Thunderstruck! Hell's Bells! oh my God! Fucking perfection!

I cannot explain in words how I felt those Bon songs sung by Axl. 

[sl4yer]

5 hours ago, SAU3R said:

from what i saw on the streams thids was the best show in whole 2018 and definetly one of the best since NA 2016

 

I don't agree cuz 2018 had some really solid performances. He had a few off shows but after Download in Paris it was really decent and from what I heard still better than tonight but he is improving quickly
Here some of the best performances:

 

 

Apart from first verse it has a lot of rasp!

In 2018 he sing this chorus cooler than in 2017 I mean listen to "More than you got" part 

More rasp in outro than even in some 2016 shows and even his Mickey voice didn't sound that bad

Here in for example 1:40 you can hear he is fighting with Mickey Mouse literally and whole song sounds amazing 

[shootingstar]

I havent heard all songs from Tawain but heard dont cry, nightrain, patience, civil war and better. Except better he sounded amazing. But I can hear improvement on better that beats any 2017 or 2018 leg version vocally. Yes, his voice is a bit "too" clean, but on the second vers theres way more crisp and power in his voice than there's been last 2 legs..

The end of patience is great

Nightrain. Maby my favourite version of all time. He sounds amazing.

Better. The first quarters of both verses sounds weak but in general way more crispy compared to versions from previous leg. And the choruses sound strong.

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by shootingstar

[nikothebellic]

2 hours ago, shootingstar said:

havent heard all songs from Tawain but heard dont cry, nightrain, patience, civil war and better. Except better he sounded amazing.

Well, thats actually not true. On Civil War? Amazing? He even didn’t finish both of the screams. Frankly, the Taiwan show still was on a lower bar of 2018’s Axl, there were many a way better gigs in the summer. Though, he is improving, but still needs 1-2 more show to get into an optimal form. And all who thinks the recent show was “best of 2018” or something near (just saw too many such opinions, wtf), c’mon, just listen Mannheim or every show from Paris to Tallin (except Bordeaux and Madrid  maybe) - Axl was superior. Good to him for improving over the course of this leg, but let’s not overemphasize. 

Edited November 18, 2018 by nikothebellic

[jacdaniel]

16 minutes ago, nikothebellic said:

Well, thats actually not true. On Civil War? Amazing? He even didn’t finish both of the screams. Frankly, the Taiwan show still was on a lower bar of 2018’s Axl, there were many a way better gigs in the summer. Though, he is improving, but still needs 1-2 more show to get into an optimal form. And all who thinks the recent show was “best of 2018” or something near (just saw too many such opinions, wtf), c’mon, just listen Mannheim or every show from Paris to Tallin (except Bordeaux and Madrid  maybe) - Axl was superior. Good to him for improving over the course of this leg, but let’s not overemphasize. 

I think people are just excited to see a cool Guns show. The crowd were awesome. Axl in good form and good vocals compared to some other shows in 2018. 

I wonder if the crowd motivated Axl to do better? 

[Jw224]

This is still my favourite performance of this song from the entire tour. 

 

https://youtu.be/KSxv85c_GgE

[sl4yer]

42 minutes ago, nikothebellic said:

Well, thats actually not true. On Civil War? Amazing? He even didn’t finish both of the screams. Frankly, the Taiwan show still was on a lower bar of 2018’s Axl, there were many a way better gigs in the summer. Though, he is improving, but still needs 1-2 more show to get into an optimal form. And all who thinks the recent show was “best of 2018” or something near (just saw too many such opinions, wtf), c’mon, just listen Mannheim or every show from Paris to Tallin (except Bordeaux and Madrid  maybe) - Axl was superior. Good to him for improving over the course of this leg, but let’s not overemphasize. 

People were overreacting after show in Mexico that he is done etc. and now people are overreacting even more but in different way. I am happy is doing better and he sang Nightrain and Soyl with rasp. But when people say that it was the best show in 2018 or since NA 2016(wtf)? Come on, he is struggling so  much with This I Love that they had to drop it...

[nikothebellic]

1 hour ago, jacdaniel said:

I think people are just excited to see a cool Guns show. The crowd were awesome. Axl in good form and good vocals compared to some other shows in 2018. 

I wonder if the crowd motivated Axl to do better? 

Must say, I always thought about that, whether the crowd affects on Axl’s mood and therefore performance. Thats why never used a phone camera on my three GnR gigs on this tour and just enjoyed the show. Suppose, it’s some sort of synergy - if crowd worths it, Axl tries to do better and if he struggles, he just does it a little better, and if he’s in a top form, it’s just becoming magic. Besides, differences between Rio 2017 and Mexico 2018 is that in Rio, although being in a low form, Axl tried to do domething and gave mickey, but an energetic performance. In Mexico he didn’t. 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by nikothebellic

[nikothebellic]

45 minutes ago, Jw224 said:

This is still my favourite performance of this song from the entire tour. 

 

https://youtu.be/KSxv85c_GgE

Let me challenge you thoughts! 

 

[nikothebellic]

30 minutes ago, sl4yer said:

People were overreacting after show in Mexico that he is done etc. and now people are overreacting even more but in different way. I am happy is doing better and he sang Nightrain and Soyl with rasp. But when people say that it was the best show in 2018 or since NA 2016(wtf)? Come on, he is struggling so  much with This I Love that they had to drop it...

For sure, people are excited, but let’s be reasonable. Just a little bit pissed off when Axl’s being trashed for “so-so good” performances and at the same time praised for “struggling ones”. Though, absolutely agree that it’s because of Mexico show, where everyone came from a long hiatus and saw that Axl was done. Some sort of summer Berlin show, when, actually, I was scared too!

[AFGnR]

After three warm up gigs this Fall I think Axl did better in Taiwan.

 

[ColdMarin]

I havent been following GnR concerts in 2018, but can someone post 2-3 best (in your opionion) performances? I see jungle suffered a lot in 2018, are there any improved performances of any song this year (except SOYL). Thx!

[sl4yer]

7 hours ago, ColdMarin said:

I havent been following GnR concerts in 2018, but can someone post 2-3 best (in your opionion) performances? I see jungle suffered a lot in 2018, are there any improved performances of any song this year (except SOYL). Thx!

 

[Pedrolg]

Axl is bouncing back. 

 

Even Better has some nice rasp. Also, in the bridge his full fledged AC/DC voice shows up, with power and none of the ever present cracks from 2017 and 2018

https://youtu.be/HMOONdQmhfw?t=214