Nintari

16 hours ago, Karice said:

The braids in 2006  looked ridiculous to you? 🤨 They looked badass to me, along with his cool shades! 😎

To me, it looked like a middle-aged man who was trying to be "hip", and didn't understand quite which direction to go in. It also was pretty obvious that it was a move to conceal a receding hairline/hair transplant that everyone at time had ripped him for.

But the rest of him was spot on. It was probably the last time he looked fit (in the US definition) and healthy.

Probably the 2006 look. The braids looked ridiculous, but he was in shape, happy, and otherwise put together well for a man his age.

I think those of us debating whether or not GNR can make it post-80 are deluded. They clearly couldn't make it post-50, let alone 80. And by "make it", I mean get within earshot of their performances between 1987-1993. Axl hasn't had his full voice since the early 90's, and Slash mostly just stands still now, and his playing has become tired and bored sounding. Duff is still in the ballpark, but that's mostly because he's a gym-nut, and his younger stage presence wasn't really about running around anyway.

The last time I saw GNR looking and sounding like peak GNR was 1993. Since then, at least one component has been off, and/or a shell of its former self. So to be arguing about post-80 performances? lol You gotta be kidding me.

GNR is like the Beatles, Floyd, Nirvana and Zeppelin now. Legendary band, legendary records, legendary stories, shows and concert footage... but it's over. Nothing can take away all the aforementioned things, and nothing is preventing anyone of us from grouping together on forums to talk about one of our favorite bands (just look at all the Beatles forums out there for proof of that). But it's done. Everything that happens now, is just an imitation of something (far, far better) that came before it.

On 1/26/2023 at 12:59 PM, Rovim said:

but he's not doing Jungle at 80 or Rocket Queen

Does Helter Skelter count?

1 minute ago, allwaystired said:

In their 80s?! 

I hope they're sat at home with their feet up- there's a very real risk they'd be in severe pain performing on stage on their 80s! 

Paul McCartney is doing it lol

Interesting view... but it's really no deeper than a failing relationship lol.

"With your ass in the air!"

Just now, F*ck Fear said:

You're right no question about it. And I appreciate your post.

I've checked back many times the last few years to see if Axls voice has improved because it has in the past. 

It isn't improving to my ears so it's time.to check out again!

I wish Axl the best, and I'll always have my fingers crossed that things improve, but as of right now, I'm done with current GNR. Even the band is barely a whisper of what they were in 1992.

But this is a GNR forum. It's not a 2023-GNR-forum. You don't have to listen to, or enjoy what they're doing now to be here. You can be like me, and be a fan of their original run up until 1993 only. It's totally fine.

21 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

This. When I saw this cross my feed last night and I clicked on it. I wanted it to be amazing, but same. He sounded like a dying cat. It wasn't because he was choked up, because this is how he always sounds. It was just more in your face in this performance. The worst part is that I could hear him using his lower register voice (not necessarily baritone) in my head as he was singing, and it would have sounded great. 

Yes, lower register is what I meant lol. I have no idea what baritone, tenor and soprano actually mean in the literal sense. I just know they are low, medium and high haha.

But yes, if he doesn't use his lower voice, he needs to just stop imo.

On 1/22/2023 at 6:29 AM, Gnrcane said:

My friend's otherwise healthy daughter in her 30s died from the flu in early 2019. It can be just as serious as COVID.

Hard to believe she was "otherwise" healthy. Healthy thirty-year-olds don't die from the flu. There had to be something else going on. Perhaps she didn't take it seriously and stay in bed and ran herself down etc. But it doesn't kill young, healthy people. There's always going to be something else at play.

I listened through the piano intro, hoping, praying... and then he started to sing.

Sigh.

I love the guy, but if he isn't going to sing in baritone, maybe he should retire. His voice is ruined, and it's painful to listen to him now. It's really sad (literally).

Catcher is my favorite, and IRS is my least favorite. The latter is too generic sounding to me; too paint-by-numbers.

In their prime, it was Axl and then Slash, sort of like Mick and Kieth. But now, in hindsight, I view it as the Axl and Izzy show. And if you want to start an argument, you can even claim it was the Izzy and Axl show... but I won't do that.

Oh, to hell with it... yes I will.

Pick any shows between 1987-1993, aside from the riot shows, and I'm good. Metallica and Guns tour would have been awesome. I really wanted to go, but my mom would not allow it lol.

As a fan of rock, I'm okay with it. Rock needs to be manic to be good. But you gotta admit, now that we're mostly all adults, Axl was way over the line. So over the line, that to me, it probably speaks to whatever he suffers from, be it borderline personality disorder, or bi-polar, or whatever. It's no different than that guy who goes into McDonalds, orders a value meal and starts screaming and assaulting people because his fries aren't fresh, or because they forget to put a pack of ketchup in his bag. Axl was clearly having a bad day with his mental health, and the camera guy was just the thing that pushed him over the edge.

Having said that, I think the band should have publicly stood up for him, and then in private, let Axl know that that shit has to end. You can stop shows to rant, or leave if someone gets hit with a bottle etc, but diving into crowds because of a camera and punching someone? Way over the line.

I'd just tell them what happened to one another and bring proof so I didn't look like a lunatic. They're smart guys. They'd figure it out from there.

Anyone else feel sorry for Rocket Queen girl? I listened to the entire Ritz show the other day, and heard her calling out for the song at least four or five times (might have even been more) between songs... and nada. Nothing.

I wonder if she's still bitter.

Yeah, but Steel Panther is basically the new Spinal Tap. They're not actually a real band. It's just an act.

Axl has clearly always been the most entertaining (on and off stage), but for me, it's Izzy. Everything about the guy is right.

Don't be ashamed. Between 1999 and 2016, that was about 90% of the fan base lol.

1 hour ago, Hollyangel said:

True, but it doesn't help, especially if one of things you are known for is high energy on stage and entertaining the crowd.  Much harder to stay in top shape and vocal abilities also draw on diaphragm, lungs etc.  Anyway in Axl's particular style, music and physiology I don't think it has helped.  Although from all accounts on his recent tour down under and NZ he has put on a good show.   Bono from U2 has also struggled a bit in recent times with his voice, I saw them back in 2019 and I still enjoyed them but it was a very different show to their early concerts at their peak and the sound wasn't always the best.  Mick Jagger, well he is a bit of a freak lol.

The problem with Axl's voice is that it use to be so gritty and now it's (mostly) clean. Tyler's was gritty, and it stayed gritty. Brian Johnson, as well. Whereas Axl doesn't even sound like the same singer half the time. And when your identity is so rooted in your vocal style, that's going to be a problem for most people.

But I think Axl's issue is just damage. He blew it out too many times when he was younger, and now it's shot. There's nothing he can about it, other than singing differently. I've accepted that, and pretty much only listen to older stuff when he was young and it was still there. He had a hell of a voice... one of the best in rock history. It's a shame it's gone, but it's gone. People really need to come to terms with that. Axl has.

19 hours ago, Hollyangel said:

At 60 things change.

Yes, but not everyone loses their voice. At 60, Steven Tyler still sounded like Steven Tyler. Same with Brian Johnson of AC/DC. Being old is not an automatic excuse for a bad voice.

Having said that, I believe this is also somewhat of a physiological issue. If Axl's vocal cords are just shot, then they're shot, and a person should either accept it, or move on.  Bitching about something that can't change is pointless.

8 hours ago, nikosgnr said:

DAMN. I really missed those rants.

Fun and games now, but back in the 80's, that wish would have been far more daring...

1 hour ago, Karice said:

But Mickey's voice is cool and iconic! 😀

Yes, but Mickey Mouse never told Mick Wall to suck his dick, or sang about wanting to bury Minnie in the backyard because she was bitching too much.