Axl's Agony Aunt Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Sorry to harp on about me and my book, but some people have been disputing my rock pedigree for the last twenty years, and partly inspired by the partly classic line-up reformation and 30th anniversary of Appetite I'm providing the proof at https://travel25years.wordpress.com/ Today's post includes my diary from the night before I left on my trip around Europe, with a similar ethos to Axl and Izzy leaving Indiana for L.A., where the last thing I do is play Appetite to some friends. I was the first one in my town I know about to own and rave about it! It also includes my day hitch-hiking from West Wales to Dover, and the cover of a later exercise book used as a diary with other rock references. I was just a fan of rock and metal, and will always pay homage to the songwriters as some of my biggest writing inspirations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 Was reading my 1987 diary again recently as part of blogging it again, and was delighted to see I'd written about being reminded of a Guns N' Roses song over a month after leaving home, having only had Appetite for about a month before leaving, and having been into other rock in a big way for seven years: https://travel25years.wordpress.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Both threads on this topic merged to keep them all in one place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Sounds like you were quite the fan of rock and GNR. And still are. Wish I wouldve lived through the the rise of GNR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 14, 2017 Author Share Posted September 14, 2017 On 13/09/2017 at 3:01 PM, Gracii Guns said: Both threads on this topic merged to keep them all in one place. Thanks Gracii Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 14, 2017 Author Share Posted September 14, 2017 On 13/09/2017 at 6:11 PM, soon said: Sounds like you were quite the fan of rock and GNR. And still are. Wish I wouldve lived through the the rise of GNR! Thanks soon. Yes, it was special period of my youth, although I regret not being in L.A. when they were emerging, along with all the other great bands there at the time! The U.K. was big on them though at that time, thanks largely to Kerrang magazine, so it seemed like the U.K. was their second home, and quite special to them. At least now you have all the concert videos etc from that time, which weren't around much then apart from in their singles and on MTV; I probably saw most of them the same time as you on YouTube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 39 minutes ago, Axl's Agony Aunt said: Thanks soon. Yes, it was special period of my youth, although I regret not being in L.A. when they were emerging, along with all the other great bands there at the time! The U.K. was big on them though at that time, thanks largely to Kerrang magazine, so it seemed like the U.K. was their second home, and quite special to them. At least now you have all the concert videos etc from that time, which weren't around much then apart from in their singles and on MTV; I probably saw most of them the same time as you on YouTube. Its great to have youtube, I wouldn't care about the internet if it weren't for finding GNR stuff, haha! I hope more concert vids will come to light! Ritz 87 and better quality 88. And Id love the UYI "perfect Crime" documentary, even though its from later on in their run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 14, 2017 Author Share Posted September 14, 2017 Yes, for sure, more the better. Hard to believe it was 30 years ago! Never imagined I'd be discussing them on something like this then. Thought I'd just have a concert video to remember them!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janrichmond Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 @Axl's Agony Aunt just sneaked a peak at your profile, you me and Slash are the same age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 16, 2017 Author Share Posted September 16, 2017 On 14/09/2017 at 9:33 PM, janrichmond said: @Axl's Agony Aunt just sneaked a peak at your profile, you me and Slash are the same age Thanks Jan, Steven was born in '65 too. Duff's a little older, born in '64, while Axl and Izzy are ancient, born in '62!! I read Duff's autobiography last year and thought we had a lot of similarities, as he went to university and took up extreme sports to get him out of the rock n' roll lifestyle: I was of course copying people like him's rock n' roll lifestyle, and was also aware of Aerosmith and Motley Crue going to the gym to recover. When did you get into Guns, and what do you remember from the classic era? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janrichmond Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 11 hours ago, Axl's Agony Aunt said: When did you get into Guns, and what do you remember from the classic era? I heard WTTJ and SCOM on the radio and bought Appetite in about '89 i think. Saw them at Wembley 91 and 92 then 2 nights at Milton Keynes. They were my favourite band but i didn't follow Axl's solo years I went with Slash and all his music/bands. I did go to both London concerts this year but I still love the classic era Guns more than anything. I remember Guns being on MTV a lot and setting the video to record all the stuff they showed while I was at the concerts and i still have the VHS tapes in the loft somewhere. I also bought every magazine or book that had GnR in and back then they actually gave interviews 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 (edited) Thanks Jan. Yes, good to relive the old days, and hopefully there's more new developments to follow... I was there in '91 by the way, and was at Monsters of Rock in '88. I only went on different albums tours, so wasn't as big a fan as you in that way. Edited September 21, 2017 by Axl's Agony Aunt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 21, 2017 Author Share Posted September 21, 2017 Here's some more photos from my time in 1987, and the first page of my diary, previously previewed on my https://travel25years.wordpress.com blog: The passport photo I carried, which was from about five years previously, when I was about sixteen. The first page of my diary, when I write of listening to Guns N' Roses the night before leaving. The cover of The Guns N' Roses Worker-Traveller, published by small press mental health specialists, Chipmunka. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axl's Agony Aunt Posted September 23, 2017 Author Share Posted September 23, 2017 My latest Guns N' Roses relevant blog post: Up the Duff: Criticising Guns N’ Roses Reason Readers who don’t know or understand my writing over the last decade at the greenYgrey, fmpoetry and here might think I don’t like Guns N’ Roses, and especially Duff McKagan, after my last blog post cited some criticisms. However, they will have missed the point, and one of my biggest motivations in my writing: that everything is criticisable, including your biggest heroes. Kill Your Idols: Just Be Open to Criticising Them Really In fact, I’m following the advice of Guns N’ Roses, or Axl at least, as he once wore a t-shirt with Kill Your Idols (metaphorically, I’m pretty sure, as it featured Jesus on, who’s not around any more; I think Axl’s a Christian too, as he wears big crosses now!) on; a punk message I’m sure Duff will understand, and probably support. I’m also probably influenced by my decade in university, when I was taught to look at issues from all angles. I was always a bit of a contrary rebel anyway. I was at a young impressionable age when punk started, followed by Pink Floyd’s The Wall, then a full on Metal and Rock headbanger, so I don’t know if it was nature or nurture. Unfortunately, Western culture seems to be less open now, partly because of political correctness (somebody’s very offended about everything), and partly because of the openness of social media leading to more crassness and less eloquence, volume rather than quality, therefore making more censorship seem reasonable (I accept that some people may think the same about me; and that I could also sound snobby writing that!) Duff’s My Closest Guns N’ Roses Life Comparison Out of the three autobiographies I read, I think Duff was my most comparable life, as he went to university and took up endurance sports to escape the excesses of the rock n’ roll life, or at least to give him another dimension to his life. Duff has also been working as a journalist, and he and his wife have also been supporting animal welfare issues. Of course, our lives are not equal or comparable really, as he’s one of the stars of Guns N’ Roses and I’m one of the fans, and that’s the way it’s always been; and always will be as far as I’m concerned. Dreams do Happen, but so do Nightmares While it may appear I have an Eminem ‘Stan’ relationship to Guns and other stars, I’m completely in touch with reality; but try not to let it box me in. Lars Ulrich of Metallica fame was a fan who did travel to California (from Denmark) chasing the rock n’ metal dream, and it worked for him! I’ve written several books since becoming a Doctor of Philosophy, achieving my initial ambition to be published (against those who want to make me a failure), and had a little success (for the nice people who want me to be humble), but I know my place in rock n’ metal music is just as a long-term and not very fanatical headbanger. Lars Ulrich went to the right place at the right time. Music and writing are both struggling now, due to the internet, but there are still opportunities, and I’m still doing it… because I love writing, and especially writing about things I love, such as rock n’ metal, and its culture of freedom, openness, escape and dreams… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.