burden

Maybe the question should be, how many bands are still talked about as much 20 years after they broke up? Very few bands would have the potential for a reunion where stadium tour would be warranted 20 years after they broke up. Led Zeppelin? Stones? U2? Beatles? I always find it shocking that there is any relevance to GnR today yet alone the potential to do a stadium tour. So there was a massive impact. I'd say about 5-6 albums with high quality songs and may that are classic and amongst the top 500-1000 ever written. Not sure where they are but probably in the top 20 and had the potential to be top 5.

Well, Pearl Jam are also confirming their European summer tour (with festivals) this Friday, if the rumors are true.

So, Reading might be confirming Pearl Jam. Though I do doubt it, seeing as they'll be starting in June. Bands don't tend to tour for more than two months in Europe.

Bruce Springsteen is also rumored to be announcing a tour on Friday. So that probably has nothing to do with either of these bands, and isn't rumored to involve Europe, but I'm just excited for that.

I just watched the River documentary on HBO. Fantastic. Bruce is so proud of his songs and his work. It's also amazing how many songs he writes during the recording process. Hundreds for the album. I feel like Axl always got bogged down in trying to be perfect. Look at the number of songs Bruce or the Stones have written. They all not masterpieces but in continuing with the creative process they wrote so many masterpieces. Axl is trying to make everything a masterpiece and thus gets bogged down. That is why Izzy is so important to the process. He can write fast and furious like Bruce.

Slash has wasted the last 20 years in pettiness and bitterness. By the numerous songs he has since released he has proven that he is a great guitarist and an average songwriter. He left Guns N' Roses volunatarily because Axl refused to let him be the primary songwriter. In retrospect this was a blessing for Slash and GnR as he would have ruined the legacy of old Guns N' Roses. Axl and Izzy were the major force behind GnR, Duff was the engine, and Slash was a creative genius when he had the right song to work his magic on. But he is not a primary songwriter though and that is a big difference.

Revisionist history mate as that is not why Slash left Guns...but it fits in well with this conspiracy theory thread.......

That is straight from Duff. He just did an interview where he said Slash came in with a bunch of songs that were not good but the band was willing to work with 2 or 3 of them. Slash took his ball and did his Snakepit thing which used those 2-3 songs. he then quit for whatever reasons you cite - but he quit. Axl could not fire him. Duff stayed on for 2-3 years but left because of the slow progress of a new album and the fact that the working hours were not conducive to a family life. He also saw that Axl was not in a good state and that without Izzy who was going to write the songs. It's easy to blame everything on Axl but the fact is that is Slash didn't run away like a baby and didn't do a thousand press interviews criticizing Axl that GnR would probably be intact and probably have Izzy back by now as well.

Slash is the only person who is constantly trying to promote himself while blaming Axl for everything. Slash quit, he should be man enough to admit it and move on with his life. It's 20 years ago already!!! That is a long time - i feel bad for Slash that he can't move on with his life.

I never said Axl fired Slash only that your claim is not the reason he quit. Slash outlined his reasoning in his book and that was not the reason he cited. And Slash has moved on mate as he has released 6 albums of new music since then....sounds like you are the one who can't move on....

And you are being selective in citing why Duff left and part of it was because of Axl's meglomania......if you are going to post this stuff at least be factual....

Axl is no doubt a hard person to work with. But you don't have to quit. Slash and Duff could have as easily waited it out and refused to work on Axl's time. What's the difference? The fact is that Slash quit 15 years ago!!! yet today he refuses to let it go. He also has released 6 mediocre albums which proves he was not the primary songwriter. His ego got so big he thought he wrote the structure of those songs. The most telling thing about Slash is that he didn't even recognize the potential of the Sweet Child O' Mine rift. Slash needs someone to write songs for him and he can layer over his fantastic solos. Isn't Axl really a control freak in Slash's mind because Slash really wanted the control?

Slash has wasted the last 20 years in pettiness and bitterness. By the numerous songs he has since released he has proven that he is a great guitarist and an average songwriter. He left Guns N' Roses volunatarily because Axl refused to let him be the primary songwriter. In retrospect this was a blessing for Slash and GnR as he would have ruined the legacy of old Guns N' Roses. Axl and Izzy were the major force behind GnR, Duff was the engine, and Slash was a creative genius when he had the right song to work his magic on. But he is not a primary songwriter though and that is a big difference.

Revisionist history mate as that is not why Slash left Guns...but it fits in well with this conspiracy theory thread.......

That is straight from Duff. He just did an interview where he said Slash came in with a bunch of songs that were not good but the band was willing to work with 2 or 3 of them. Slash took his ball and did his Snakepit thing which used those 2-3 songs. he then quit for whatever reasons you cite - but he quit. Axl could not fire him. Duff stayed on for 2-3 years but left because of the slow progress of a new album and the fact that the working hours were not conducive to a family life. He also saw that Axl was not in a good state and that without Izzy who was going to write the songs. It's easy to blame everything on Axl but the fact is that is Slash didn't run away like a baby and didn't do a thousand press interviews criticizing Axl that GnR would probably be intact and probably have Izzy back by now as well.

Slash is the only person who is constantly trying to promote himself while blaming Axl for everything. Slash quit, he should be man enough to admit it and move on with his life. It's 20 years ago already!!! That is a long time - i feel bad for Slash that he can't move on with his life.

Slash has wasted the last 20 years in pettiness and bitterness. By the numerous songs he has since released he has proven that he is a great guitarist and an average songwriter. He left Guns N' Roses volunatarily because Axl refused to let him be the primary songwriter. In retrospect this was a blessing for Slash and GnR as he would have ruined the legacy of old Guns N' Roses. Axl and Izzy were the major force behind GnR, Duff was the engine, and Slash was a creative genius when he had the right song to work his magic on. But he is not a primary songwriter though and that is a big difference.

I thought Slash was done talking abd GnR and Axl?

Dizzy doesn't belong in the rock n' roll hall of fame. The Guns N' Roses that was inducted are Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff, and Steven. All Illusion songs were written long before Matt and Dizzy were involved. I have no issues on the "new" Guns N' Roses. But if anyone had an ounce of honesty they'd agree that the 5 names above are the reason that anyone knows Guns N' Roses or cares about them today.

Unles you attend every single concert I don't understand commenting on the setlist. 99.9% of the people at these concerts don't give GnR a second thought during their daily lives. If they purchase a ticket to see GnR they want to see Jungle, PC, SCOM, NR, Patience, and the hits. I think most people own Appetite and the Illusions and would love to hear Estranged. Personally, not seeing Estranged play in 20 years I would hope its staple in the set before any new stuff that I have no idea what is coming. Save the new stuff to get rid of ACDC covers. Please.......be thankful Estranged is in the setlist and is making Axl happy. Hopefully Civile Way and many others start to get played as well. So I can see them when I go to a live event and not written on a piece of paper (i,e, message board).

Why should you have to attend every single concert to be able to comment on the setlist? It's not possible for starters

I like the old songs but the Chinese Democracy tour has been going for ten years it's time for CD 2 + CD 3

Why do you care about a setlist at a concert you don't even attend? Axl is not playing a concert for the minority - he is playing it for the majority, Meaning you don't get your personal wishlist for a setlist.

Only people on message boards want new stuff. They are the die hards. Everyone else going to the shows want to hear the classics. If you want to hear new stuff then Axl needs to release it at least.

Unles you attend every single concert I don't understand commenting on the setlist. 99.9% of the people at these concerts don't give GnR a second thought during their daily lives. If they purchase a ticket to see GnR they want to see Jungle, PC, SCOM, NR, Patience, and the hits. I think most people own Appetite and the Illusions and would love to hear Estranged. Personally, not seeing Estranged play in 20 years I would hope its staple in the set before any new stuff that I have no idea what is coming. Save the new stuff to get rid of ACDC covers. Please.......be thankful Estranged is in the setlist and is making Axl happy. Hopefully Civile Way and many others start to get played as well. So I can see them when I go to a live event and not written on a piece of paper (i,e, message board).

Just went to purchase Wilkes-Barre tickets thinking I may not get any or would be at top of arena and there seems to be ton of tickets avail. Small market but if any indication of a broader issue they better get the promo out soon!!!

Axl's job is to write music, take care of his voice and stay in shape. Period. He doesn't get up in the morning and do construction. If he is going to charge $100 per ticket and try and get 10,000 plus fans at a concert at a minimum he should make sure he is physically fit to perform and mentally ready to perform. He is tarnishing his own legacy by continuing to perform and not meet the minimum standards of his job. I watched Pretty Tied Up at Rock in Rio II the other day - that was a great band!!

He's 50 but he can easily stay in shape. I saw Springsteen perform 3 hours straight without any breaks and he was amazing. Why? Because he cares.

I don't understand why he would put himself in that position to fail. If he worked out, ate healthy, rehearsed with the band, took care of his voice, etc. he could sound and look a lot closer to 1991 than like someone who seems to have let themselves go completely. Someone needs to give him a good kick in the butt. He may be doing it his way but his way his tarnishing his own legacy. Twos words - personal trainer!!!!

Axl should retire. If he can't take the time to get in shape, get his voice ready, and rehearse with his band what is the point? It was an embarrasing performance that reminded me of 2002 MTV awards. He is fat, out of shape, out of tune, and obviously not ready to perfom from a mental aspect. This is the only thing he does!!! Take some pride in himself. I think he thinks he's still in his 20's and he can roll out of bed and just perform. Those days are long gone - he needs to put in work. Better diet, workout regimen, vocal practice, mental prep, etc. Awful. I may not even go in the U.S. as it will tarnish the good memories I have of Axl as a performer.

I bet things actually change a lot. There were hints on Facebook earlier of releasing some new music earlier in the year. I think the idea is being discussed. The albatross called Chinese Democracy is out. It was a nice album that fits in well with the GnR catalog. Not Appetite but not as bad as the ridicule it received by a long shot. I happen to think songs like Better, Madagascar, This I Love will definitely stand the test of time. Maybe Prostitute. There is no rule that every song a band writes needs to be a classic. The other songs on the album are just fine. But - with the release and ridicule over I think Axl can now go out and freely do what he wants. Rock bottom was hit a long time ago. I'm expecting a new setlist with more Illusion songs, maybe a new song or two to prime the pump for the next album, and traditional classics that the non-message board people want to hear. I think 2012 will be a nice year for GnR assuming they have the material written. U.S. Tour, RnR HOF induction, etc. Round 3 starts Sunday.

They will play Estranged. This tour is being promoted as a "greatest hits" tour not a Chinese Democracy tour. I think for the first time in a long time you will see all the classics in the regular setlist. You'll get some Chinese Democracy stuff as well. Maybe a new song if it is hit material. I'm thinking the set-list will consist of:

Jungle

Paradise City

Sweet Child

Patience

Used to Love Her

Live and Let Die

Don't Cry

November Rain

Knockin on Heavens Door

Civil War

Estranged

You Could Be Mine

Chinese Democracy

Better

This I Love

Other songs to compliment set-list

It's So Easy

Nighttrain

Mr. Brownstone

My Michelle

Rocket Queen

You're Crazy

Move to the City

Perfect Crime

Double-Talkiin Jive

Yesterdays

Down on the Farm

Shacklers Revenge

Street of Dreams

There Was A Time

Catcher in the Rye

Sorry

IRS

Madagascar

I think it would have a much better chance at not tanking if they lowered the ticket price

They look reasonable to me. A U2 ticket was $275 this year at the Meadowlands. Springsteen is $90 in the upper deck.

It's very easy to bolster attendance.

1. Axl getting out and doing promotion (radio interviews (Howard Stern), TV late shows, Daily Show, etc. Be proud of the band and the music. If they're not why should the people come. Velvet Revolver promoted the heck out of their first album and it sold 3 million copies. That is almost unheard of today.

2. Release a "single" properly. Video, record label support, play it live (see 1 above)

3. The biggest key which is the hardest - win back the media and win back middle America. To do that play a benefit show - whether its Hurricane Irene, Haiti Relief, 9/11, etc. Something to show people that the band is human and alive. Interviews explaining and apologizing for the some of the past will do that as well.

4. Play the shows on-time. I'm almost 40. Believe it or not it gets harder and harder to go to a show that ends at 3 AM even though I am pumped up for it. It's hard to stay awake. The atmosphere in the audience would be "electric" if shows began at 8:30. No one would be tired, people would not worry about getting home, their "buzz" would be a buzz and not a snore.

A little humble pie for the past, promotion of the product with a bit a pride, consideration of the fanbase, media outlets doing their jobs, and others will go a long way.

The music is brilliant. America is a forgiving nation. Give them a reason to come back and they'll be their more supportive than ever!!!

If Axl has a song that is a guaranteed hit then now is the time to release it. With the GnR catalog a big hit will easily carry the tour. If there is no hit then I am at least hoping for a more balanced set-list with a lot more of the UYI albums added to the set-list. Personally I would love to see the usual suspects added to the set-list (i.e. Estranged, Civil War, Don't Cry) with a some dropped for sure (Live and Let Die, Knocking on Heavens Door, Street of Dreams). I would have loved to have seen a Chinese Democracy heavy show 2 years ago but with all the You Tube clips I just want the best songs regardless. A pleasant surprise for me would be Breakdown.

But if he has the hit now is the time to release it. If he doesn't then he should go with the best 18-20 original songs in the catalog.

To me the Illusions are 4.5 star albums. The thing that is missing in the mix is Izzy's guitar. Also, in general the guitars are not as loud as in Appetite where the mixing was just genius as everything works, everything is heard.

The mixing is exactly where this band started to fall apart. Slash drowned out Izzy and Axl kind of drowned out the Slash. Also, the drums are not very loud in the Illusions. If you brought the guitars and drums up a little it would be ingteresting to hear. I think the Rolling Stones have always mixed exceptionally well, They really know when to lower JAggers voice and bring the guitars to the forefront and vice versa.

I always believed that Slash was more to blame for the GnR break-up than Axl. Axl has a tremendous amount of faults and carries a huge share of the blame. However, for a time being many believed that Axl was 100% to blame with the rest of the band blameless. The fact is that Slash is the only member that broke ranks and talked bad about another member from 1996-2008. Whatever garbage and blame that was going on internally in '96 could have probably been solved had Slash not gone on a media tour ripping Axl apart. He KNEW how sensitive Axl was and he continued to bash him. then over the years he wondered why Axl wasn't willing to get back together with him? How many here would get back together if another aired your dirty laundry with the intention of gaining favor with the public while ruining anothers public image. So I think Slash ultimately carries the blame as to why they have never been able to put their differences behind them.

Many have stated that GnR never wrote a hit again after Slash left. I think the better characterization is that they were not the same band after Izzy left. It is clear to me that Izzy was the best pure songwriter with Axl and Slash being able to amplify their talents over the rifts he wrote. The songwriting key to GnR is Izzy. The magic is then Axl's voice and sense of melody and Slash's amazing guitar solos. They all worked great together. But Slash is not a great songwriter. The best thing for his legacy was to have GnR break-up.

The honest truth is that Bon Jovi plays bigger crowds today than GnR. Answer is simple and has nothing to do with talent.

Bon Jovi plays fun, shore-style rock, that girls really like. It's fun and catchy but it candy. The fact that people go to Bon Jovi concerts has more to a "get-laid" vibe or "party" vibe. But it is not quality music. Basically Bon Jovi is representative of all the bad '80 bands. You can't deny the appeal and fun, but the music is nothing extraordiary.

Had GnR stayed on course they were the Rolling Stones of the generation. The fact that Axl can pull in crowds of 10k plus after 15 years of doing nothing, not having the original band, pissing off his fans for years, and taking all kinds of shots by the press is amazing!!! Lets flip the situation - would Bon Jovi with all his "fun" music, be able to do what Axl is doing if he left the rock world for 15 years, his band was only him, he pissed his fans off, was accused of doing bad things to women, etc, Of course not.

GnR music will stand the test of time for millions of people in all kinds of situations. Bon Jovi music willl stand the test of time at a bar, the shore, a party with drinking with guys trying to get laid and girls singing badly.

Axl did what he did, His legacy will stand on what he and the band produced from '87-'93. The best he can do now is what he has been doing. If could actually make up with the U.S, public in some way so many people would come back to GnR - even without the rest of the gand. I don't know how he does that though. People from his generation moved on to live their lives a long time ago. They go to Bon Jovi concerts because they don't have to think, they'll be home by 10, and they can have fun singing corny songs.

I don't understand why forum members get so upset about events that have zero impact on them or their lives. Who cares if Axl went on late in Reading, Leeds, Dublin, etc. and the fans their were upset. The only people that should have any passionate opinion should be the people that went to these shows. Yet I see crazy and wild comments attacking Axl and the band. Why do you care? Why are you even a fan if it is so upsetting to you that someone goes on stage at 11 PM instead of 9 PM? It's bizarre.

Axl no longer has control over how his music is used. He sold his publishing rights to Merc's company a couple of years ago. I think it was 20 million pounds for the next 15 years or so. Slash/Duff would still own their righst and would have had to agreewith the publishing company to sell PC for this ad.