mustaine
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Posts posted by mustaine
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What, Axl isn't winning a poll on TMZ? Shocking, he must be devistated. Axl is public enemy number one at the moment. However, the fact is that people are quick to forget, it's fresh now, in a couple of months people in general won't care.
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From today forward I will not be commenting on Guns N Roses . Or making any remarks about the future . Thank you to all the fans. The legacy continues without my commentary. Matt Sorum Former member of GNR - matt sorum.
Matt has a condition called the Lars Ulrich-syndrome so I doubt that this holds. I must say though, he is entertaining at times. I really liked how Matt gave that little shout out to Axl and Izzy last night.
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Axl doesn't want to play with the original band, it's not like that's shocking or a new thing. I love the fact that people are going completely nuts with hate over the fact that Axl doesn't want stand up on stage and accept the induction and play two or three songs with the old band in front of mostly "elite" people (and a handful of fans who will feel let down, which is a shame). Sure, it would be recorded and we'd get to see it on Youtube... awesome... or whatever. Bottom line is that even if that would have happened, that would be it. A reunion isn't happening any time soon (or ever). People really need to accept that fact, they don't need to go see the current GN'R either. If they don't like the new group then don't go to the show. If they want to see Slash, go see him with Myles. Simple really. And in all honesty, it's the "Rock N' Roll" Hall of Fame, what does it matter that he doesn't want to be inducted? It's his choice, whatever the reason.
Also, it seems that Izzy isn't going to bother with the Hall. Why didn't everyone go crazy and call him immature when it came out that Izzy wasn't all that interested? The double standards are unreal.
Anyway, I support all the guys in what they are doing now. Just glad that they are still around doing their thing, be it together or individually.
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The letter changes nothing as far as I'm concerned. I support GN'R and just laugh at the soap opera that has been created by the Hall of Fame induction.
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Well, he was pretty muscular in the early 2000 and you can see that he still packs muscle. When you get a bit of fat on you while having a muscular body it really makes you look big. He just needs a little cardio, anyway, he's fine regardless.
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I can't access the damn thing... anyone else having that problem?
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Guns N' Roses on Twitter/Facebook:
Brrrr - http://wxch.nl/zPqvuF - Looks like we better pack a jacket or 2
Sounds interesting.
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A terrible review here, nice to see the comments as they are very positive and ripping the review to pieces. This has to be one of the most bitter reviews I've ever read:
Here is a better review:
And here is one more, nothing special but not bad either:
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Not sure if this was mentioned on the boards but as I was driving into work this morning I caught the tail end of a conversation on Mark & Brian's morning radio program (KLOS) about Axl being on tomorrow morning and whether or not he'll show (I assume calling in). They were talking about the odd hours he keeps and left it with telling the audience that he will "possibly" be on tomorrow.
Somebody needs to record that show! Just in case
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Reviews, all of them positive:
http://indyrocklive.com/featured/guns-n-roses-conseco-fieldhouse-1282011/
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It would be cool if someone can line up the audio of all these vids to get an even better version of Civil War from last night!
The band might release a good version... hopefully they'll pity us who can't see them live this time around
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Don't damn me next?
Anyway, great perfomance and whole lotta thanks for the band for playing this.
Before i forget: PRO-SHOT, ASAP, PLEASE!
Yes please, start a campaign!
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Here we have a positive review:
http://rockshowcritique.com/2011/11/gnr-hamilton/
Guns N Roses Turn Hamilton Into Paradise City
Posted on November 30, 2011 by Joseph Suto
Guns N’ Roses
Copps Coliseum
Hamilton, Ontario
Monday November 28, 2011
By Joseph Suto
The latest version of Guns N’ Roses invaded the Copps Coliseum Monday evening. This marked the band’s second appearance at Copps, their first since January 2010. Despite a chilly, damp night, the faithful Hamilton crowd had a pretty hefty walk-up and the building filled in comfortably by the time Axle Rose and Company hit the stage. Flanked by the three guitar assault of DJ Ashba, Richard Fortus and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, the band also included bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardists Chris Pitman and Dizzy Reed. Reed being the only member that goes back to the Use Your Illusion era.
Approximately forty minutes after opening band The Pretty Reckless finished their set, the band took the stage precisely at 10:45 PM, a little on the late side in this day and age considering most arena shows end around that time. The band then proceeded to play for a solid two hours and forty-five minutes, giving those in attendance more than their money’s worth. They began with the title cut from “Chinese Democracy” before giving way to a spirited “Welcome To The Jungle”. “Live and Let Die”, the Paul McCartney cover featured a full blast of pyro that really made the song come alive. The band did a great job mixing in newer tracks with older ones throughout the show. An effervescent version of “You Could Be Mine” made one wonder, why didn’t they open with this song, it seemed to be the perfect choice.
The guitarists all took turns performing solos, Bumblefoot delivered a gem during his which was sandwiched between the Pink Panther theme amidst the stage being flooded with pink lights. This latest version of Guns N’ Roses may very well be the best line-up Axle has put together, perhaps even giving the original classic lineup a run for their money.
One of the highlights featured an exquisite “November Rain” that fit the weather outside to a “T”. One downside to the show was the inclusion of “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”. While GNR has the best cover version of the song in popular music, there are just too many bands out on the touring circuit playing this song to death. Whatever stream that may have been lost was quickly made up by a intensified rendition of “Nightrain”, which closed the show. The band came out for an encore segment that featured some instrumental jams enveloped around “Madagascar” and “Better” two cuts
extracted from the latest release “Chinese Democracy”. As the show wound down the band closed with “Patience” and “Paradise City”!
There have been many detractors and naysayers who continue to not give any non-classic GNR lineup a chance. After witnessing this show first hand I can honestly say to anyone who has any doubts, go see this band if they make it anywhere near your backyard. You will surely not be disappointed.
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Review... seems like he can't count well as he only counted two guitarists:
http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2011/11/28/axl-rose-shows-up-for-concert/
Axl Rose Shows Up at His Own Concert in Camden
Unfortunately, the Guns N’ Roses frontman showing up is less exciting than him not showing up
By Victor Fiorillo 11/28/2011
The last time 11 p.m. rolled around at a Philly-area Guns N’ Roses show with no sign of Guns N’ Roses, unrest was in the air. It was December 6, 2002, and some version of Axl’s band had managed to sell out the 17,500-seat First Union Center (now Wells Fargo Center) more than a decade after releasing any notable material. When word came shortly after 11 that Axl had decided to take the night off, fans rioted, destroying sound equipment and leading to the hospitalization of several people. Promoters canceled the remainder of the tour.
On Saturday night at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, the mood was decidedly calmer, even when Axl and friends took the stage at 11 p.m. sharp with pyrotechnics and the 1987 breakthrough hit “Welcome to the Jungle.” The 6,500-seat venue was almost full, though nearly a quarter of those in attendance got their tickets for free. Prior to the start, there were no “Guns. And. Roses!” chants, no fights, no unruly behavior of any kind. Just a lot of well-behaved people drinking a lot of beer. $12 beer.
The current tour got off to a seriously rocky start in October when Guns N’ Roses headlined Brazil’s Rock In Rio festival. They didn’t take the stage until 2:40 a.m., the production was rife with technical issues, Axl botched the lyrics to some of his most memorable songs, and, perhaps worst of all for the rock-and-roll image, he seemed bloated and fat. (Yellow is so not your color, my man.)
But other than a lame, unappreciative crowd (and an even lamer light show and video projection element, which seemed like a middle-school project rather than state-of-the-art animations and graphics), there was little to complain about at the Camden performance.
A leaner-than-Rio Axl blazed through all of the hits, including the often underrated “Estranged” (here’s live video of that tune), as well as a hefty amount of material from 2008′s Chinese Democracy, one of the most expensive albums ever made and a commercial disaster. Fans used the Democracy spots in the set list (and the drawn-out, indulgent instrumentalist solos that are obligatory in a two-and-a-half hour rock concert) as opportunities to get beer, use the bathroom, or catch a smoke outside.
The highlight came mid-show after “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” The band’s two guitarists (Slash is long gone) traded licks from Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In the Wall Part I” before a Monster-swilling Axl appeared at a grand piano, leading into “Another Brick In the Wall Part II” (aka “We Don’t Need No Education”). The crowd halfheartedly sang along. Axl abruptly cut short that song, played a little bit of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” followed by even less of Sir Elton’s “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” before eventually landing on the nine-minute “November Rain.” “Epic!” texted a friend also in attendance, and he was right.
Axl Rose may be as crazy as they say he is, but the man wrote some great songs and performed them well on Saturday night. But short of a full scale Guns N’ Roses reunion, which has been hinted at in light of the original lineup’s nomination to the 2012 Rock Hall of Fame (Sammy Hagar wants to manage them), there’s little chance that he’ll ever be coming back here again.
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Found this fan review... good one but the bold bit stood out to me:
While visiting family in the Philadelphia area over the holiday weekend, I had tickets to see Guns N' Roses last night. The other time I attempted to see them in Philly was in 2003, the first tour with the then new-lineup. That tour had gone wrong from the beginning and the Philly show never happened because the band never showed up. Chair throwing, t-shirt burning, and riot police in the parking lot followed. The rest of the tour was cancelled and I was worried I'd seen the end of one of my favorite bands. Thankfully, it wasn't.
I saw them again in 2006, this time in NYC, and have been wanting to see them again ever since. This current tour had been rolling along without a hitch...until last week. The show in Albany was cancelled the day before it was scheduled. Also the band hadn't been going on until 11pm, and with this show being in Camden, NJ rather than Philly, it seemed like the city's midnight ordinance would run into a problem. But I kept the faith and was rewarded with an amazing show.
The band came on just around 11pm, as expected, opening with "Chinese Democracy" as they have during the entire tour. I love this song as the new set opener. It's a great lead-in to "Welcome to the Jungle," and the two songs make for a great start to the show.
Axl sounded amazing throughout the show. At times the vocals were a bit overwhelmed by the three guitar attack of this line-up, but boy can those boys play. Bumblefoot, returning home to New Jersey, was insanely good last night.
The setlist on the current tour has done a great job of mixing in songs from every era. And now that fans have been familiar with the Chinese Democracy songs that have stayed in the rotation, "Madagascar," "Sorry," "Better" and "Street of Dreams," are all tunes that blend well with the Illusion era songs. I do miss some of the Chinese Democracy songs that have been dropped this time around like "I.R.S." and "Rhiad..." but I don't see where they'd fit. The band played for 3 hours and there wasn't a song I didn't want to hear. They can't play everything. And I can't really complain with any of the choices.
On the other side, some older songs have reappeared, including "Estranged," one of their most underrated songs. "Rocket Queen" has also come back into rotation. Of course there will always be songs I'd miss, even in 3 hours, "Civil War" and "Move to the City" most of all. But they always do a good job playing the musts. In the above photo Axl is playing piano on "November Rain." The lead-in for that song was a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." The band also played a cover "Whole Lotta Rosie," an AC/DC song that they used to play in the early days. Also, Tommy Stinson covered "Sonic Reducer," which sounded real good.
The highlight for me was a great version of "Patience," a song I think they hadn't been playing. In the spirit of GNR shows, Axl told the crowd they wanted to dedicate the next song to their agent and manager, then added that he hated them both. Classic. They rocked all the way through to "Paradise City" complete with blasts from confetti cannons and pyrotechnics. Once again the hardest working band in rock delivered an unforgettable show...thanks guys.
Special thanks to the Missus for the great pix and for being my date.
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Good review:
Guns N’ Roses arena show late, but great REVIEW
With a deafening display of pyrotechnics after a long wait, the band wowed crowd.
By Brad Patton bpatton@timesleader.com
Freelance Music Writer
It took Axl Rose and his seven hired guns a long time to make it to the stage Sunday night. As in just getting started when most concerts are ending. As in more than an hour and a half after the opening act left the stage.
The tickets for the Guns N’ Roses performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza showed a 7:30 p.m. start time. For the typical arena show, that means the opening act – in this case, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach – hits the stage about 7:30 and the headliners take over about 9.
On Sunday, Bach never appeared until 8:30, played for just more than an hour and finished up at 9:35. Because most of the massive stage already was set up for the GNR occupation to come, the sizable but not overstuffed crowd hoped for a 10 p.m. start by Axl and the gang.
And the crowd tried to will something to happen throughout the night. At first, it would cheer wildly whenever there was a break in the recorded music pumped through the arena. When that didn’t work, it began booing as the minutes slowly ticked away.
When the lights finally went off at 11:15, the theme from “Dexter” played as images and GNR logos danced across the nine video screens. With a deafening display of pyrotechnics that would give the Trans-Siberian Orchestra a run for its money, the band appeared and the audience went wild.
Was it worth the wait? An emphatic yes.
From the moment Rose took the stage with his reconstituted GNR consisting of three guitarists, two keyboard players, a bassist and a drummer, the crowd quickly forgot the long wait.
By the second song – a blistering “Welcome to the Jungle” from 1987’s “Appetite for Destruction” debut – all was forgiven.
The early part of the show was split almost evenly with songs from the debut album and from 2008’s “Chinese Democracy.”
Rose, now 49 and the only remaining original member from the band’s glory days, seems to be having a good time these days and seems to still have most of his voice – though it’s a little hard to know for sure considering his bandmates drowned him out more than a few times Sunday night. That was fine for songs such as “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone.” (Everyone knows those by heart anyway.) But it made it a little tougher for the more unfamiliar parts of “Chinese Democracy.”
As Rose retreated from sight, each of the band’s three guitarists – Richard Fortus, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and DJ Ashba – got extended showcases, as did bassist Tommy Stinson, who led the group through The Who’s “My Generation,” and piano player Dizzy Reed, who played a solo version of that same band’s “Baba O’Riley.”
Fortus’ solo spotlight on “The James Bond Theme” led nicely into “Live and Let Die,” but the latter was marred by way too many explosions. Thal treated the crowd to a nifty if somewhat baffling version of the “Pink Panther” theme.
Ashba, who provided most of Slash’s iconic moments Sunday, took his solo turn then unleashed the opening riff of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and the crowd went crazy.
As the grand piano was moved to center stage, the band played a mostly instrumental version of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2,” before it was joined by Rose, who noodled his way through part of Elton John’s “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” before kicking off GNR’s epic “November Rain.”
The main set ended with GNR’s “Don’t Cry,” AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie,” Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and GNR’s “Nightrain.”
The encore consisted of a brief instrumental jam, followed by “Madagascar,” “Patience” and a celebratory “Paradise City,” as confetti and streamers hit the arena floor and the show closed at 1:55 a.m. Monday.
It was long, it was late, and the waiting made it almost unbearable, especially for those who stood all night long in the general-admission section on the arena floor. But it was so worth it.
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Ashba on Axl, GN'R and Christmas
People seem to have a lot to say about Guns N’ Roses these days. “Why bother” and “It’s not the same without the original members” seem to lead the litany of complaints. Then there’s the chronic lateness at concerts — some recent GnR sets have started as late as 10:45 p.m. and went on for more than two-and-a-half hours — and hundreds of articles alone could be written about GnR’s perennially petulant frontman Axl Rose.
But for Dj Ashba, the band — and Rose, for that matter — is much more than all that.
“The one thing people don’t realize about Axl is he is probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life,” the laid-back guitarist told the Weekender from his Houston hotel in early November. “We’re constantly texting each other just the funniest shit. You’d never probably look at him and go, ‘Wow, he’s a funny guy,’ but he actually is.”
Despite the late starts, Ashba “couldn’t be happier” about the current GnR tour, which stops at Mohegan Sun Arena Sunday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach opening.
The reception to the group — which also includes keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Frank Ferrer and guitarists Richard Fortus and Ron Thal — has been “insane,” Ashba said.
“Sold out every night … We’re all excited to be here. We’ve been looking forward to touring the States for quite a while now, and the response has been just overwhelming.”
Rose formed Guns N’ Roses with Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler in Hollywood in 1985. This original lineup went on to release its smash debut “Appetite for Destruction” and “G N’ R Lies” before Adler, who struggled with addiction, was replaced by Matt Sorum. GnR released two “Use Your Illusion” CDs, which debuted in the top two slots of the Billboard charts in 1991. The cover album, “The Spaghetti Incident,” followed in 1993, and exactly 15 years later, the long-awaited and much joked about “Chinese Democracy” ushered in a new era of Guns N’ Roses.
“They’re going to hear everything from ‘Appetite’ to ‘Chinese,’” Ashba said of the current setlist. “We’re doing a massive, massive show, huge production. They’re just going to get blasted by the whole catalog.”
Earlier this year, Ashba, a longtime songwriter/producer in his own right who also plays in Sixx: A.M., the side project of Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx, hinted that a new GnR album could be on the horizon.
“There’s been a lot of talk about (it),” he told the Weekender. “Of course, me being a songwriter/producer, I’m constantly writing around the clock, so I have tons and tons of new stuff, and I know Axl has a lot of new stuff up his sleeve, just a shitload of songs that no one’s ever heard yet, which is really cool.
“I think it’s just a matter of all of us deciding what’s going to be the next move.”
Will that CD be another 15 years in the making?
“No,” Ashba replied with a hearty laugh. “That’s probably the most-asked question.”
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Indiana native Ashba moved to Los Angeles at age 19 and cut his teeth with various bands, including BulletBoys, Beautiful Creatures and his solo band, Ashba. In 2006, he and Sixx created Funny Farms Studios and began writing, producing and performing together. The guitarist, Sixx and James Michael formed Sixx: A.M. and released the soundtrack to Sixx’s memoir, “The Heroin Diaries,” which had a hit with “Life Is Beautiful” in 2007. When Robin Finck left GnR to rejoin Nine Inch Nails in 2009, Ashba stepped in.
“In the beginning, it was tough because the Guns N’ Roses fans, I didn’t realize how hardcore they are,” Ashba shared. “You have to win their loyalty — you have to really go out and really give them 200 percent. When you’re stepping into a position like I did, there’s a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations.
“It’s neat going out and winning fans over every night. It’s been a lot of fun for me; it’s definitely some big shoes to fill. I never came in to replace Slash or replace anybody, I just want to do the gig justice.”
Over the course of the past two years, Ashba, whose favorite song to play live is “This I Love” from “Chinese Democracy,” has seen GnR become closer and tighter together when it plays.
“You can sense it on stage. We’re actually up there having an amazing time playing music again,” he said. “I think that’s the No. 1 thing, and I think the fans see us up there having a blast. They see the chemistry on stage.”
When he’s not performing with Guns N’ Roses and Sixx: A.M. or producing other artists, Ashba’s favorite music might come as a surprise to fans.
“My true love, my true, true love is listening to Christmas music all year round,” he said, chuckling. “I can be in the worst mood, and I’ll put on a Christmas song, and it just takes me back to when I was a kid and that feeling that Christmas always gave you. Those feelings come boiling back up to the top and put a smile on my face — the day usually goes pretty good from there on.”
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A review, complaining about start time and the solos, likes the songs but leaves after November Rain because it was late (oh, how I dislike reviewers sometimes). Then ends the GN'R discussion with a question mark and goes on to praise Bach.
http://www.theweekender.com/music/REVIEW_Welcome_to_Axls_jungle_.html
Here is a link on the same page to some photos:
http://www.theweekender.com/photos/Guns_N_RosesSebastian_Bach_.html
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Two reviews from the show:
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All we can really do is wish him well. It sucks that he's in pain all the time.
Having said that... The people close to him, his family, friends and band mates are the ones who ultimately will have to judge what his mental state is like and help him. Hopefully Axl and the rest of the guys would recognize if something big was going on and make a decision based on that. It's obvious that Ron is in pain though and that by itself should not be taken lightly, being reliant on drugs is a shitty thing. But I have to add that we really don't know what is going on for sure and we're really in no position to judge his state of mind.
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LOL any thought about when they'd go on? Midnight?
It's New Years Eve... who goes to bed early? Having said that, I'm sure we're looking at a late start for this show.
Who isn't planning to party all night long,its NYE!!
Exactly
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LOL any thought about when they'd go on? Midnight?
It's New Years Eve... who goes to bed early? Having said that, I'm sure we're looking at a late start for this show.
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They should stream this live on Youtube...
"Live from The Joint, Las Vegas - New Years Eve with Guns N'Roses... get ready for some real fireworks."
Make it happen management.
Axl Rose not attending HOF
in 2012
Posted
In Defense Of... Axl Rose skipping the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
By Colin McGuire 17 April 2012
I’ve never particularly liked Guns N’ Roses. Maybe it’s because I never really bought into the whole hair metal or power rock thing throughout the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but I’ve always been a little dumbfounded at how much praise those guys continue to receive. No, Appetite for Destruction or the Use Your Illusion albums didn’t reinvent the wheel, nor did they offer up anything we hadn’t already heard before. They were just records that gained more popularity than their contemporaries, records made by a band whose members hated each other so much that they never even had the opportunity to tarnish their legacy by jumping at the thought of a nostalgia-packed reunion tour for a few extra bucks.
In fact, that discord is probably a big part of the reason why Guns N’ Roses continuously go down in some type of fantastical allure to a lot of music fans. Lead singer Axl Rose has never claimed to be the most pleasant person on the planet, and his penchant for public arguments with basically anyone in his peripheral has added a layer to the group as a whole that makes them a more intriguing act to follow than, say, Motley Crue or Poison, two similar bands that continue to tarnish the shiny, sex-drugs-rock-‘n’-roll legacy they left behind a couple decades ago. Sure, one might argue that Axl can screech a little better than the best of them, and yeah, Slash is sort of a neat character to contemplate in the annals of power rock history, but the reality here is that nobody in Guns N’ Roses is going to be up for a Gershwin Prize any time soon.
Are they the worst band in the world? Of course not. But do they deserve the amount of praise—an amount that seemingly lands somewhere between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Beatles—they somehow continue to receive with every spin of “November Rain” in every dive bar in the middle of every section of every nowhere in the world? My God, no.
That’s why when it was announced months ago that the group was going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I merely shrugged my shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Laura Nyro finally got the credit she’s always deserved. Who cares, really? We all knew Guns N’ Roses would land in the Hall of Fame eventually, anyways, if only because of the constant admiration thrust upon them from every writer or critic who has ever laid pen to paper, so to speak. The announcement was more of a formality than anything, and since Genesis somehow landed a spot in the room a couple years ago, my interest in each subsequent class has waned considerably.
And then last week happened.
As we all know by now, Axl took to the Interwebs to address the possibility of a reunion at the induction ceremony on Saturday night by penning an open letter to the Hall (“Axl’s Letter”) ...
“When the nominations for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were first announced I had mixed emotions but, in an effort to be positive, wanting to make the most of things for the fans and with their enthusiasm, I was honored, excited and hoped that somehow this would be a good thing. Of course I realized as things stood, if Guns N’ Roses were to be inducted it’d be somewhat of a complicated or awkward situation,” he wrote.
“Since then we’ve listened to fans, talked with members of the board of the Hall Of Fame, communicated with and read various public comments and jabs from former members of Guns N’ Roses, had discussions with the president of the Hall Of Fame, read various press (some legit, some contrived) and read other artists’ comments weighing in publicly on Guns and the Hall with their thoughts.
Under the circumstances I feel we’ve been polite, courteous, and open to an amicable solution in our efforts to work something out. Taking into consideration the history of Guns N’ Roses, those who plan to attend along with those the Hall for reasons of their own, have chosen to include in ‘our’ induction (that for the record are decisions I don’t agree with, support or feel the Hall has any right to make), and how (albeit no easy task) those involved with the Hall have handled things… no offense meant to anyone but the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony doesn’t appear to be somewhere I’m actually wanted or respected.
For the record, I would not begrudge anyone from Guns their accomplishments or recognition for such. Neither I or anyone in my camp has made any requests or demands of the Hall Of Fame. It’s their show not mine.
That said, I won’t be attending The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction 2012 Ceremony and I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N’ Roses to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame”.
And boom goes the dynamite.
If you haven’t read it by now, the rest of the letter goes on to address a few more concerns he continues to have regarding his band. A few typos appear. A P.S. marker is added after his name in somewhat of an awkward gesture, considering the tone of his essay. And the word “ya” is frequently used in reference to the word “you”.
Naturally, the decision to skip the weekend’s ceremony was met with criticism and anger.
“Frontman Axl Rose composes a surprisingly cogent — though, nevertheless, staggeringly wrongheaded — letter declining to participate in Guns n’ Roses’ upcoming 2012 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, the website Something Else wrote (“Are they still Guns n’ Roses?”, 11 April 2012).
“He’ll think, ‘I should have done it’”, Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones and the Small Faces/Faces (who were also inducted Saturday) told The Associated Press. “Drop all the qualms and all the differences.” (“Ronnie Wood: ‘Axl Rose will regret skipping ..”, NME, 14 April 2012)
... But I’m not so sure that’s the case.
Rose’s letter was surprising because of its unexpected thoughtfulness. It’s clear that at some point, Slash and Axl—the two most celebrated members of the classic lineup—had a falling out. Slash continues to remain flippant in present day interviews about the rift, recently saying that “he doesn’t even know” why Axl “hates his guts” and that “it’s over a lot of different stuff”. The singer, meanwhile, has called the guitarist “a cancer” in the past. (“Slash: ‘Axl Rose Hates My Guts’” Rolling Stone, 2 April 2012), So, yeah, we get it. Axl and Slash don’t get along and the possibility of them getting on a stage together to perform ever again is as unlikely as Lana Del Ray (Axl’s rumored current girlfriend) putting out an album that actually lives up to the hype she once enjoyed.
And with that in mind, we must ask the following: Why are so many people seemingly so quick to begrudge this move?
For once, Rose did something by writing that letter that he’s almost never publicly done before—he showed an ability to act responsible. He knew that no matter how many good intentions everybody involved may have had before the evening, his presence would ultimately result in a visible mess of ego and baggage that has been begging to boil over for decades now. He clearly took a look at the gaping hole of a difference between the risk level and the reward level and rationally decided against a situation that had all the ingredients to be contentious if not embarrassing.
To argue that he was merely being stubborn and child-like is unfair if not unfounded. Granted, he’s never been one to play nice in the past, but the backlash he received for opting not to attend Saturday’s ceremony proved to be both reactionary and irresponsible.
“The five-and-a-half hour show wrapped up at 1:30 a.m., and as the crowd poured onto the Cleveland streets in search of their cars or an after party, not a single person was talking about Axl Rose”, Rolling Stone‘s Andy Green wrote, “It turns out they didn’t even need him”. (“Guns N’ Roses, Chili Peppers Bring Magic to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction, 15 April 2012)
Wait a second. Who’s that dude at the head of the increasingly irrelevant Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, again? You know—the one who insisted on organizing a series of made-for-TV “Hall of Fame” concerts a couple years ago that ultimately proved to be nothing more than a series of giant “Hey, look at how many friends I have” reminders. And—wait—what mainstream rock magazine did that guy begin publishing decades ago, again? Ahh, that’s right. Diss the Hall, and the Hall—along with all its unquestionably massive reach—will diss you right back.
But back to Axl. Interestingly enough, his decision to skip the ceremony, when dissected objectively, actually had the ability to teach Guns N’ Roses fans a lesson. When considered thoroughly, one must ask the question of why most fans ultimately wanted to see the group unite for this one evening in the first place. Would it be for a reunited performance? Probably. Would it be to celebrate the victory lap that being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame proves to be? That might be a little part of the reason. But most importantly, would the desire to see something like this occur have an undercurrent laced with a sentiment completely immersed in unpredictability? Of course it would.
And that’s precisely why Axl was justified in saying “no” to the Hall. Everyone’s unshakable quench for seeing things blow up drove the desire to see this band get back together for one night. Even the most dedicated of fans unquestionably knew that getting them all in a room together had just as much potential to result in something ultimately degrading and humiliating, yet the cry for them to “suck it up and do so” was loud and clear. Such an argument is selfish for reasons both un-pure and ignorant, considering the people making those arguments more than likely have a good grasp on exactly how much hatred lies between the lead singer and the rest of his band.
You can argue that Guns N’ Roses hasn’t been Guns N’ Roses for a while now, and you’d probably be correct. Axl Rose assembling a band of players every couple years to reclaim its spot as the best Guns N’ Roses tribute band in the world is a far cry from seeing the original members gather onstage with pianos, top hats and enough pyro to outshine the sun. But the one thing you can’t do is argue that it’s a good and/or productive idea to force a proverbial square peg into a proverbial round hole if the peg feels the hole isn’t ready. Sure, it might be a site to remember, but at what point do you begin to question the reasons that site was forced upon us in the first place, especially if you claim to be an uber-fan of what that site entails?
Ultimately, not showing up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was probably the most rock and roll thing Axl Rose could have done. More importantly, though, it was also the most pragmatic and judicious action the bad boy lead singer may have ever offered publicly throughout his oftentimes ridiculed musical career.
And you don’t have to be a fan of Guns N’ Roses to appreciate that.
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/157293-in-defense-of-...-axl-rose-skipping-the-hall-of-fame-induction-cerem/