Now Chinese Democracy is out of the way, will the next album have a better chance at making a real impact?

[gnrfan2007]

With over 3 millions sold and 5+ million shipped, I'd say that's pretty good success! Any band today would die for those numbers. Not that many ROCK bands can even hit the 3 million mark. With these numbers, GnR can definitely get backing to release another album and more money for promotion.

One also should consider that CD doesn't have that many radio friendly pop songs (AFD has more radio friendly pop songs!) Hence, the reason you don't hear it as much on rock stations.

Half of UYI sale numbers were due to hype and GnR being flavor of the month. Half of AFD sales were to people who grew up in the 70's and 80's. So, 3+ million sold and 5+ million shipped is about right for how big the hardcore GnR fan base truly is.

As well, CD would not have sold any better with Slash/Duff/Matt/Izzy in today's music scene - especially when you consider that the best VR did was 2+ million for Contraband - and they had Scott Weiland who has a huge STP and modern rock following.

As the old saying goes - TIMING is everything.

[old] GNR broke into the scene when there was not much other than a bunch hair-bands and Madonna-like pop singers. GnR was the bridge between the OLD-school rock and what became grunge rock. So AFD attracted both young and old rock fans at the time. SCOM and PC gave AFD a mainstream-friendly vibe that helped them attract the POP kids (especially the girls), while songs like WTTJ, ISE, and Brownstone gave them the hard edge street credibility that many of the bands at the time lacked. And as I've stated already, UYI sold mostly on hype and flavor of the month status.

Then the alternative rock (grunge) scene exploded! And POOF...GnR became yesterday's news. Luckily, UYIs were release before Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder took over. So, the mid-90's would have been a very bad time to release any new materials from GnR - as evident by the sales of The Spaghetti Incident, Slash's Snakepit, and the luke-warm reception to their cover of Sympathy for the Devil.

But I'll say this - today's music scene is a lot friendlier to Axl/GnR than it was in the 90's. The stripped-down barebones sound of the 90's rock scene did not suit Axl's vision for GnR - that vision of course being the CD album. Had Axl released CD in the mid 90's, it would have totally flopped. GnR definitely have the coolness and style to hang with today's music idols while bands like Nirvana would have certainly gone out of flavor and into obscurity.

The release of CD has put GnR back on the map. Their next album will most definitely put them back into the mainstream conscience.

Lets face it, commercially and critically speaking, Chinese Democracy never stood a chance. I don't think I read a single review which didn't dwell on how long it took to make and the constant line-up changes etc. It was pre-destined to be a anti-climax (except to the fans).

So now it's over, do you think when they drop the next record - whenever that may be - it will be given a fairer chance?

[SunnyDRE]

No. It's not the fact that it took 15 years to make that made most people dislike it, it's the lack of Slash, Duff, and Izzy. No yet-to-be-released albums from GN'R will fare any better.

Bullshit. They sold out just about every arena when they started their Chinese Democracy Tour 8 years ago (!) and they did very good in 2006 too. Media interest was there.

The album sold several milllions without any effort in promotion.

So this leads to the following conclusion:

It's the lack of marketing.

People go to see the train-wreck once, but how many times will they com back around to see Axl and some nobodies? - Bob Lefsetz

Edited May 30, 2010 by SunnyDRE

[AbominableHoman]

Maybe if Slash was on it.

[YOUCOULDBEMINE.]

No. It's not the fact that it took 15 years to make that made most people dislike it, it's the lack of Slash, Duff, and Izzy. No yet-to-be-released albums from GN'R will fare any better.

Bullshit. They sold out just about every arena when they started their Chinese Democracy Tour 8 years ago (!) and they did very good in 2006 too. Media interest was there.

The album sold several milllions without any effort in promotion.

So this leads to the following conclusion:

It's the lack of marketing.

People go to see the train-wreck once, but how many times will they com back around to see Axl and some nobodies? - Bob Lefsetz

seriously, why are you still around

[Nintari]

No. It's not the fact that it took 15 years to make that made most people dislike it, it's the lack of Slash, Duff, and Izzy. No yet-to-be-released albums from GN'R will fare any better.

Bullshit. They sold out just about every arena when they started their Chinese Democracy Tour 8 years ago

Lies. Only a few were sold out, the rest were half empty. As a matter of fact, they were GIVING tickets away for promotions to some of those shows towards the end.

No, No, No, don't try that spin. The 2002 tour sold out most of the shows, including Madison Square Garden in 15 min.

Produce a link, or don't even bother making claims. We all know that won't happen though, because you know I'm right (I hope you do anyway, because that would be pretty sad otherwise).

Edited May 30, 2010 by Nintari

[The Glow Inc.]

Besides, I'm more interested in seeing the "nobodies" than Axl himself...

I suppose that even though I'm not in the majority, I'm not alone either...

[YOUCOULDBEMINE.]

Besides, I'm more interested in seeing the "nobodies" than Axl himself...

I suppose that even though I'm not in the majority, I'm not alone either...

i'm with you, i'm a stinson fan. and ron made me listen to some bumblefoot material which i really like

[Nintari]

Guns N' Roses' (GN'R) first tour in nine years started off bad and ended worse, doing serious damage to the band's reputation in the process.

And in a chess game with ongoing financial and possibly legal implications, neither band, primary promoter Clear Channel Entertainment (CCE), nor management company Sanctuary wanted to take the blame for pulling the plug, although a spokesperson at Interscope, the band's label, stressed that CCE was the canceling party for at least one show. CCE issued a statement late Dec. 11 that the tour was canceled.

Whatever the case, in the latest chapter of the infamous GN'R legacy, the Chinese Democracy tour is history. Set up as a 34-date arena trek that was to begin Nov. 7 at the GM Place in Vancouver, the tour—named for a long-touted but yet-to-be-realized album release—staggered out of the gate when the opening date was canceled because lead singer Axl Rose, the lone original GN'R member, never left Los Angeles.

Several shows did come off, albeit to mixed critical and commercial reception. Nine shows reported to Billboard Boxscores grossed $3,228,311 and sold 70,086 tickets out of a possible 118,611 capacity, topped by $733,525 from 13,639 at Allstate Arena near Chicago. But the tour seriously derailed when a Dec. 6 date at the First Union Center in Philadelphia ended in chaos when the show was canceled after 11 p.m., the band apparently unable to make the short jump from a Dec. 5 show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

According to Philadelphia news stations, the opening act at the First Union Center date performed for two hours before the show was called off. Described in some media reports as a "riot," it appears the reality of the Philadelphia situation was something less than that, with no arrests or major injuries reported. Still, the arena suffered damage and a major hassle in getting ready to open for a 1 p.m. hockey game the next day.

"We were informed around 8 p.m. or so [Friday night] that Axl Rose was still in Manhattan and a helicopter was being sent to get him," explains Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor Ventures and chairman of Global Spectrum, management company for the First Union Center. "Basically we were in touch with band management as to what the progress was, and at 10:45 we were informed [Rose] wasn't coming.

"At that point a decision was made to make an announcement at 11:15, giving us a half-hour to get security in place and police backup from the city of Philadelphia," Luukko says. "We did have some chairs thrown and some damage in the building, but all in all, considering the difficulty of the situation, we were able to get people out with no major injuries."

Following that debacle, a second Philly show at the adjacent First Union Spectrum (Dec. 8) was also jerked, along with a scheduled show at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. (Dec. 9). Next was the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., where arena officials received firm word their Dec. 11 show was lost less than 24 hours before load-in. Bi-Lo Center executive director Ed Rubinstein says about 6,000 tickets had been sold for the concert—less than half the house.

The Compaq Center in Houston received word from promoter Stone City Attractions Dec. 11 that its Dec. 17 date was off. "I would be reluctant to enter into negotiations with this artist again," says Jerry MacDonald, senior VP/GM of the arena. After the Compaq cancelation, CCE issued a briefly worded statement that the entire tour was finished.

Eleven other shows were lost. They were the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. (Dec. 13), the Coral Sky Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla. (14), Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss. (16), American Airlines Center in Dallas (19), Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M. (21), America West Arena in Phoenix (22), the San Diego Sports Arena (27), Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas (28), Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif. (30), a New Year's Eve date at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and a Jan. 3, 2003, show at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

The vagueness of the tour's status left arena managers and others in a quandary as to how to handle the release of information locally. "Until we hear official word, we have a signed contract for the promoter to use our building on [Dec. 13]," Rob Franklin, GM of the St. Pete Times Forum, said just before the press release was issued. Less than 6,000 tickets had been sold for that show.

Sources close to the situation point the finger at Rose for the loss of the Philadelphia show—and perhaps the tour. Rose's appetite for self-destruction dates back to the band's tours in its heyday, often noted as much for terminally late start times and early endings as high grosses and powerful performances.

Ultimately, whomever accepts responsibility for lost shows may well have to pick up the tab for any costs incurred therein. Contacts at tour promoter CCE declined to comment, and booking agency Creative Artists Agency referred calls to the band's label, Interscope, which in turn named CCE as the party that canceled the Greenville show.

http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4648996-1.html

Edited May 31, 2010 by Nintari

[YOUCOULDBEMINE.]

seriously, some people are to obsessed with being right.

go out and get a life ffs

let people believe what they think

as long as you and i know he's wrong it's perfectly fine

many people are bashing axl for his behavior, while 60% of these people act just like the guy

[sweetness]

seriously, some people are to obsessed with being right.

go out and get a life ffs

let people believe what they think

somebody sounds butthurt about being wrong

[YOUCOULDBEMINE.]

seriously, some people are to obsessed with being right.

go out and get a life ffs

let people believe what they think

somebody sounds butthurt about being wrong

kinda weird since he ain't replying to my, and really weird because i obviously agree with what he said

[iftheworld]

I don't know about any of you but Chinese Democracy made a huge impact on me. I absolutely fucking love the album. "When" the other album hits, it's just a bonus to me.

[chaos]

This thread is making my face hurt.

[lost in the garden]

Lets face it, commercially and critically speaking, Chinese Democracy never stood a chance. I don't think I read a single review which didn't dwell on how long it took to make and the constant line-up changes etc. It was pre-destined to be a anti-climax (except to the fans).

So now it's over, do you think when they drop the next record - whenever that may be - it will be given a fairer chance?

Nope.

Chin Dem had 15 years of free publicity thanks to Axl.

He will never be given this ever again.

[Christian]

There's only one way for Axl to make an "impact" again, and that is to call those other guys... I'm not saying this to be a he-pussy, but I believe that's the truth.