Freddie Mercury's Ghost

Seconding this question. I had never heard about Duff degrading Axl like Axl alleged here.

Was it just part of Duff being an alcoholic at the time?

How has attendance been at the first 2 shows?

Last night was full. I was in the balcony, all full to the last section. Sides were full. And the floor was full. Before the show I saw lots of people in line to buy tickets. All in all, it will be a success! Screw the haters who thought other wise.

The correct question: How many tickets were actually sold vs. comped?

None, please. For the love of god.

This.

I don't want to hear Axl sing *any* song in his current voice.

It's postponed because GNR wants to book actual concerts at those 200-seat theaters.

Only saving his voice so it will last a whole tour. We know what happened during the 90s when he blew out his voice. Maybe with age he has realized he can't go to hard on the rasp if he is to be able to last through a whole tour? I don't know, but I certainly find that theory more plausible than the "can't bother" hypothesis.

I feel confident Axl is trying to and wants to do his best every time he walks up on a stage. He even did two gigs when he was feeling ill, right before 12 gigs in Vegas. Doesn't sound like a man who's saving his voice or who can't be bothered.

Not to mention he keeps on booking new tours all the time, rather than making albums. Saving his voice? Nah.

Oh, I am certain he wants to give his best, but not if it means blowing out his voice so he will be really bad for the rest of the tour...

So how was he able to sing from December 2009 to December 2010 with full rasp and no problems?

I can't lie, after seeing the set list I have no interest in going.

It's a cool show but I've seen it 5 times already

Right.

The only reason I saw a show last year is because seeing "Estranged" live was on my bucket list.

Short of a reunion or Axl's voice making a dramatic recovery to 2010 levels, I'm not seeing them live again.

Nothing special about the setlist so far

Setlist:

Chinese Democracy

Welcome To The Jungle

It's So Easy

Mr. Brownstone

Estranged

Better

Richard Fortus Solo

Live And Let Die

This I Love

is that mickey mouse on Axls shirt ?

Yes.

I think it's time Richard does a new solo - he's been doing the James Bond theme since what, 2009 now?

From @Joseevita

Axl flying above the crowd

That's very Taylor Swift of him.

Isn't Adam Lambert fronting Queen now?

Maybe that's what people are hoping for by voting for him?

this video is good.... i don't why he can't sing like this (2010) anymore

I think this is the only time since 1993 that he's done the "growl" intro to the song. Correct me if I'm wrong.

he's trending because he appeared on a talk show. it's not like he's being talked on twitter or yahoo every single day. people remembered axl exists. you won't see him trending in 2 or 3 days. unless axl appears on tv again or something big happens with his band. unlikely though...

If he announced a release date for a new album in Vegas, that would be a good way to follow this up.

It's good publicity.

But like we were talking about last night in chat - it's a shame that it's not publicity for something bigger than a Vegas residency.

I wonder if the production company is trying to cut their losses by releasing this overseas without the band's involvement - it probably cost a shitload of money to travel to the concert/film the concert, and not being able to take in revenue on the live web stream like they planned might be hurting their company.

Just got his official email, saying that the shows in German cinemas is cancelled due to claims of "copyrightholders and band management".

I didn't know sailaway spoke German.

Axl's trending on Twitter!

That went great.

#JimmyaskAxl My Q for Axl: What does 2013 hold? is there a possibility for another album release?

Tweet that with @jimmykimmel @gunsnroses @axlrose added to it.

Done

Can someone tweet 'If Slash was burning to death, would you pee on him?' for me please?

It is beyond me how people could call him fat in 2006.

That one pic from Download Festival 2006 that GNR posted on their website had Axl's gut photoshopped - it's the one where Axl's giving a finger during "It's So Easy":

EDIT:

This one:

http://feta.blog.hr/slike/originals/guns_n_roses-axl_live_crowd.jpg

Rock. That. Vote.

Negative review:

http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Bridge-School-review-A-year-to-forget-3968964.php

Bridge School review: A year to forget

MUSIC REVIEW

Aidin Vaziri

Updated 5:29 p.m., Sunday, October 21, 2012

Wearing a red flannel shirt over a second red flannel shirt, a scraggly Neil Young brought the 26th annual Bridge School Benefit Concert at Mountain View's Shoreline Amphitheatre to a chilly close on Saturday with his usual all-star run through "Rockin' in the Free World." Only one thing was lacking - any discernible stars.

It was an anticlimactic end to an unusually anticlimactic concert that started some seven hours earlier with Young standing in the same spot. The venerated rocker and his wife, Pegi, typically have no problem drawing rock 'n' roll heavyweights to their annual shindig benefiting children with severe physical and speech impairments - from the Who and Paul McCartney to Green Day and Radiohead. It's a great cause and an honor to share the stage with the host.

But this year's lineup felt lacking from the start. The most popular names on the bill could have made up an "I Love the '90s" package show: Sarah McLachlan, the Flaming Lips, k.d. lang, Lucinda Williams and whatever passes for Guns N' Roses these days.

Even worse, they performed like it.

An unkempt Axl Rose arrived onstage late, hunched over a microphone stand and huffed his way through tunes that sounded vaguely familiar with a cast of misfits that looked vaguely like a band. His voice and blue jeans equally shredded, Rose forgot the lyrics to his group's biggest hit, "Welcome to the Jungle," and delivered an off-key version of "Sweet Child o' Mine" that most likely had all the dogs within earshot of the concert howling in pain.

The Flaming Lips did their best to scale down their acid-infused psychedelic pop to the concert's acoustic setting, even drafting the comedian Reggie Watts for live beat-boxing duties. But singer Wayne Coyne, in his unwashed gray suit, seemed unsettled. Determined to rile the crowd, he flapped his arms and beseeched, "Come on! Come on!"

Arriving onstage after the woefully mellow double shot of McLachlan and singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne didn't do his band any favors. Nor did its surreal set, in which Coyne rambled incoherently, played "Taps" on a broken bugle and attempted a cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" with Watts reading the words off an iPhone.

Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, putting in a surprise guest appearance, provided some relief from the general incompetence of the night as he efficiently revived a couple of his band's "Seinfeld"-era hits. "When I woke up this morning, this is the last thing I thought I would be doing," he said, having been drafted to kill time before Guns N' Roses' late arrival.

This year it was the more contemporary acts that put in the most memorable sets. Jack White, backed by a pale all-female band resembling zombies, charged through a handful of blues-tinged songs from his solo album, "Blunderbuss," while coyly flirting with the musicians. He also threw in a couple of White Stripes classics, "Hotel Yorba" and "We're Going to Be Friends," for good measure.

Foster the People, who had a huge hit last year with "Pumped Up Kicks" but skipped it altogether on Saturday, also managed to make the most of their brief time onstage, revamping their synthetic pop tunes with remarkable practicality.

Earlier in the day, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers performed a passable set of bluegrass as the comedian recycled his old stage jokes ("People say to me, 'Steve, why a music career? Why now?' And I say, 'Hey, you guys are my band.' "); Lucinda Williams warbled tentatively; and k.d. lang, well, apparently she was there too.

The lackluster lineup left the weight of expectation on Young and his band, Crazy Horse, to close out the show with something substantial. Instead, the band merely revisited a bulk of its Outside Lands set from August - most of it new, unreleased or entirely forgotten material - only without the gnarled gusts of feedback to drive it along.

Toward the end of the night, Young performed a lovely rendition of "The Needle and the Damage Done," which took on gut-wrenching intensity in light of the past-their-prime performers that came before. Its mournful note struck a tone - with even Rose and White bailing on the jam session, this was clearly a year to forget.

OK - let's say he has strep throat and isn't lying.

Strep throat resolves itself within 5 days without treatment or sooner with antibiotics.

So Axl has *no* excuse if his voice sounds the same for the Vegas shows in 10 days.

I had strep for a month over the summer. It was terrible. First time having strep, too.

That sounds more like maybe you had mono and strep at the same time. That's common - mono can last a while.

OK - let's say he has strep throat and isn't lying.

Strep throat resolves itself within 5 days without treatment or sooner with antibiotics.

So Axl has *no* excuse if his voice sounds the same for the Vegas shows in 10 days.

He can still have moments of brilliance live, and can pull off studio recording.

Why does everyone always say this - Axl hasn't laid down vocals in a studio since he sang on Baz's album 5 years ago.

His voice isn't magically going to restore itself once he steps inside a studio.

Seriously - it sounds like he's dying.