sascha

When they enter the studio all I want is Richard Fortus playing 90% of the guitars, Tommy Stinson contributing to songwriting, Ron doing shitloads of weed so that he plays some actual MUSIC instead of 3000 notes per second and DJ Ashba taking a loooooooooooooooong vacation on the other side of the planet far away from the studio. That plus Axl listening to his heartland albums instead of the flavour of the day crap and throwing Pro Tools out of the window, letting the music breathe.

They don't even have to play new songs, they could do so much with just minor changes:

- different sequencing (same songs but different order)

- opening with a real killer track instead of Chinese Democracy

- the Live Era version of You're Crazy

- a slow blues version of You Could Be Mine

- acoustic version of Civil War (Axl's vocals would come out so much better when done acoustic, same with Catcher)

- a blues jam instead of the solo spots

- an a capella spot/intro for Axl

- Breakdown

- There Was A Time

- Locomotive

- Catcher In The Rye

- Coma

- Prostitute

- Oh My God

- Dead Horse

- IRS

- Perfect Crime

- Rhiad

- Sympathy For The Devil (or anything Stones)

- a Led Zeppelin cover (not just Dizzy, the full band with Axl on vocals)

- a Doors cover

- some Bowie (again the full band not just Dizzy)

- some Beatles

- ditch or rotate KOHD in favour of the Neil Young song (wich imo is an awesome cover choice...but also yet one more ballad)

All these are more or less realistic options, most of these have even been hinted at or actually rehearsed at some point. But what do they do? Jungle/Easy/Brownstone...in exactly the same way and sequence every night...

Aside from his annoying constant pounding on his guitar, he's the best fit for a gnr guitarist. He should've been the lead guitarist since the beginning of new guns n roses, Axl could've found a rythme guitarist easily I think. That's it, just 2 guitars... but Axl screwed up as usual.

Richard was actually sopposed to be the lead guitarist in Guns before Buckethead joined the band. Richard joined later on when Buckethead was already on board and Paul wasn't an option anymore.

Buckethead should've never been in gnr. Who in his right mind would hire a guy like Buckethead in a hard rock band anyway? Oh.... right..

Buckethead is much more intresting as a solo artist, but Ozzy Osbourne and Red Hot Chili Peppers also wanted to work with him at some point. But Richard is just more rock and roll and a much better fit to Guns.

Aside from his annoying constant pounding on his guitar, he's the best fit for a gnr guitarist. He should've been the lead guitarist since the beginning of new guns n roses, Axl could've found a rythme guitarist easily I think. That's it, just 2 guitars... but Axl screwed up as usual.

Richard was actually sopposed to be the lead guitarist in Guns before Buckethead joined the band. Richard joined later on when Buckethead was already on board and Paul wasn't an option anymore.

There's been a lot of criticism going for the management, but for me the positive by far outweighs the negative. Since it became official the band is pretty constantly touring, has an actual website, they scored a Vegas residency, Axl did work a bit on the late starts, did a charity concert and a duet with Neil Young, did an interview with USA Today and he even appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Not too lousy, compared to what we've seen before, it it? The familar atmosphere obviously helps to keep things going for the better.

The only negative thing for me is the paid Meet & Greets, I think it's good they offer the chance to meet band members without having connections or boobs and though it all has to be arranged and taken care of I think charging extra money for it is sort of lame. But that's about the only somewhat negative thing I see.

Other than that, the outlook is actually pretty good, isn't it? All they have to yet do is get Axl to work on and relase new music, take off the sunglasses every once in a while and spice up the setlist a bit, but that should be possible. What do you think?

Fair enough, but hopefully Tommy and Richard will be more involved this time, Tommy's solo work is pretty solid and Richard is an awesome guitar player and he's got the right tone and feel for Guns, I want to HEAR these guys on the next album.

The less DJ Ashba is involved the better. I'd rather listen to Buckethead arranging dog poop in the studio than having that Ed Hardy cheeseball channeling Slash on a Guns album.

Richard playing the classic solo here....good stuff!

I don't think it's a secret that Bumblefoot has been unhappy for some time. He's made comments like this in the past. I wonder what's keeping him in the band if he's so unhappy.

My guess is he signed something at some point. Maybe there is no exit for the time being.

Maybe at times he's trying to get fired 'cause he can't just quit the band?

There are easier ways to get fired, just invite Slash to join on stage and that's that.

Aside from maybe health or personal problems, I don't see the point for complaining so much in public. He's playing to appreciative audiences in a band full of talented musicians fronted by one of the greatest singers ever. As a guitarist I think you could do much worse than that. If it's an artistic thing then what keeps him from doing something he's more into on the side? Buckethead released tons of solo albums while he was in Guns and I never heard him complain about the band in public ever.

I'm willing to cut someone in stress or pain some serious slack but sometimes he just comes across like a real drama queen. If he hates playing in a rock band so much then how about switching to a factory working poor job for a change and putting things into perspective for a bit. If he wants out there are plenty of guitarists out there who do not constantly complain about their boss, fans and co-workers. I'd much rather hear him talk about MUSIC, plans and visions, even if he can't realise them all in Guns, it would make him more intresting as an artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43LEjfQ2QTA&feature=plcp

Great video, the guy is all tone and feel and what I appreciate the most about him is he knows what notes NOT to play, letting the music breath without lacking energy. The less they bury his guitar in the mix the better.

That sound, that vibe, it's....awesome!!! Sounds like he's channeling Buckethead, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck all at once, love it.

Watching that clip makes me think do they really NEED three guitars all the time? The guitars come out so much better when not burried in the big band arrangements. If they really work on a new album I would love to hear something like that on there, so vintage and full of energy.

Hands down my favourite guitarist in the current version of Guns.

How about you? More Fortus and his style/sound on the next album or not?

We keep hearing about how happy Axl is with his band and recent interviews suggest that he is in a more stable place in his life. He seems to be having a lot more fun.

I'm glad about this because he's been through a lot if stress in his life and career (a lot, it has to be said, self inflicted)

My point is that Axls creativity and lyrics have been mostly about negative subjects.

Appetite was about being an outsider and trod upon. The use your illusions were about lost love and press intrusion. And CD was largely about Axl being held down in one way or another.

I'm not saying every song on past albums followed these themes but I get a sense of these being the main concepts of the records even to the point that songs on the illusions albums were about his struggles with the band, that slash and co played on without even realising what the lyrics were about.

With Axl being happy and content with his life and band what is there to get off his chest and if he's not venting what is left for Axl to say in 2012?

Inspiration goes a long way. In a perfect world, a happy Axl would still be writing deep stuff, but in reality I guess you just have to go to a dark place sometimes to bring out the best artitically. Songwrting is often sort of a carthasis, you try to get across what you can't get across in normal life, trying to make sense. If you are lucky you hit the sweet spot and end up with something worth being carved in stone. Knowing Axl's perfectionism and work ethic that next album might never happen at all, but I do hope for him to come to peace with himself and in that finding a brighter source of inspiration than depression. He's been to the dark side and shared it with us through his music, but I believe him sharing the brighter side of his soul in his music could bring out fantastic results as well.

Is the set list any different tonight?

We don't know because it hasn't happened yet. And probably not. Maybe a different cover song.

With a normal band, I'd assume they'd HAVE to change the setlist at some point. 12 shows in the same city with the same setlist sounds like one of the worst ideas they could have. But it IS GN'R, so I wouldn't rule it out.

If they are catering to locals then it is a bad idea. If they are catering to tourist it is a fantastic idea!

if they're playing shows for the live audience, they're totally fine to have the same set list every fuckin' night, since only the most deranged stalker would go to every night of a month long residency. they can't build their career around appeasing that one guy. or for that matter, the 30 people who show that freakish, slavish dedication by watching every bootleg and reading every set list. you guys are anomalies - not representative of normal fans. despite fan boy fantasies, the money contributed to gnr inc. by the people on these forums is a drop in the ocean. it doesn't matter if you're tired of hearing paradise city. it doesn't matter if you think oh my god could totally have been a hit with better reverb in the mix.

You are right and not right. I think it does matter.

I'm hardcore and I want to hear the hits as much as I'd like to hear say Catcher or Breakdown and though you can't please everyone every night, I don't see how one rules out the other? Please don't give me that "they play for the people who are there that night" argument because if you go on the internet and see them playing the same set every night, the urge for getting tickets to see them in person goes down, as at one point you've probably seen that show twice and then some already, hardcore or not.

If they always play only the hits, the very mainstream audience they are catering to with that will always want Slash and in that never really appreciate what the current band has to offer. To those it will always be the next best thing as close at it gets, not the "real thing". That's sad but it's a fact even the most loyal nutswingers can't deny.

And on the other hand, if they play to those very hardcore fans of the "new" band, those people will always want more. They will want Buckethead, they want The General, they want acoustic sets and a personal guitar lesson from Ron. You name it. But is it really such a burden to have hardcore fans or is it more of a gift they have fought and worked very hard for? Hardcore implies passion and dedication, I oppose to be refered to as some 2nd grade internet freak fan just because I can't afford to see every single concert in person. I'm a lot more into the band than those who still whine about Slash and are perfectly satified with partying to the greatest hits performed by what they call a cover band. To me it's a lot more than that, so I demand the right to want more without being pushed into the corner of false entitlement. I've seen that on the boards everytime whenever the setlist is being discussed and it's just wrong.

To me it makes perfect sense to play Sweet Child, November Rain and stuff every single show. And it doesn't bother me the least if I don't get to hear Catcher or Breakdown ever. What pisses me off is that they play the same songs in exact the same way and sequence almost every night. No alternative arrangements, no memorable "only at MY show" gems, nothing. Every concert is more or less exactly the same, the only difference is Axl's voice ranging from utter crap on a bad day to the best rock voice in the planet on good days.

They don't have to play Coma every night, but adding at least one or two roation slots to the set and not always playing the same sequence could spice up things dramatically already. They don't have to re-invent the wheel, they just have to be a bit more "tight but lose". Occassinal guests, bringing back Estranged or doing something like the Neil Young cover are good enough for me but that ever same Jungle/Easy/Brownstone sequence just doesn't even get me off my seat anymore when unlike the average "where's Slash?" mainstream fan I know the band has so much more to offer.

You guys shouldn't read too much into Ron's words. He's been making such remarks every now and then for a while now. You have to understand he's a little drama queen but he really went through a lot of shit with his injury and all, so just cut him some slack and relax.

www.rollingstone.com/music/news/axl-rose-promises-new-guns-n-roses-album-sooner-than-chinese-democracy-20121031

The mail also says people are gettng a full refund for any tix purchased in advance.

With the popularity of the german Rock am Ring show from 2006 I don't see how a theatrical screening of a Guns show would tank because of lack of interest, maybe technical problems or just poor promotion? I haven't seen a single ad for these screenings other than a trailer on YouTube.

London wasn't the best gig anyway, maybe they just want to come up with something better, perhaps a best of the Vegas residency?

I have mixed feeling about this. I think it's really cool that Axl went to a tv show, I think he enjoyed being there, he's a funny guy and he definitely should do this kind of thing more often, he's a likable guy. What bugged me is that he's a musician and no question about music were asked, his projects, etc... seemed odd to me, the other thing is that it's really apparent that there was strict restrictions about the questions being asked, and that sucks. Overall it was cool though.

They talked about the Vegas shows and the Neil Young thing, so it's not like they didn't talk about any music at all. He's touring, not recording, no point getting the hype up for a product that isn't finished. We had that with CD and it did hurt the album for a bit, so I'd rather see him promoting actual live shows than getting false hopes up for new studio material. Once there is a new record he could always do another TV show, last night sure did open some doors. The guy got standing ovations for just entering the room, so as a host/production company, how could you not want to have him on your show?

So the appereance on the Jimmy Kimmel show went pretty well, how about him doing some more of that? How about Jimmy Fallon? I remember the guy announcing Guns on the VMA's and I loved how he did it. He's also seems to be the most 'into music' talk show host, doing some hillarious stuff but never taking the piss on musicians.

Axl doesn't seem to be into this kind of stuff much but given the right atmosphere he might get something out of it, if only for giving the whole band a huge boost with such likeable and down earth apperances. I for one got more out of those chilled ten minutes last night than I got out of an hour of That Metal Show interview, much better vibe last night. Bumble joining the show band was pretty cool too. An acoustic performance with just Axl and Richard is what I'd like to see next time he does one of these shows. And I hope he does!

Anyone else would like to see Axl appearing on the Jimmy Fallon show?

The electric guitars are just fine for me, maybe a bit too much compression in Ron's sound but nothing dramatic. But the acoustics just sound too piezo and cold for me, almost no bass and the lower midrange is too icepick, doesn't go too well with organic vocals such as Axl's and his performance is clearly suffering from the mess he must be getting on his monitor. Richard choosing a Humminbird for the Neil Young thing was the right thing to do but it was sort of burried in the mix, that guitar alone (perhaps with a Fishman Rare Earth pickup) would have done the job just fine, then crank up Tommy a bit in the acoustic mix and the acoustic sound is right where it should be. As for tuning down, Led Zeppelin did it, so it's sort of god-approved.

Past is past and gone. I don't give a shit about his hair or anything. Some ideas for the future:

- tune down a whole step

- stop playing or re-arrange the songs even a 20 year old athlet would be struggling to sing

- drop the hats and sunglasses at least on stage, more eye contact with the audience

- sit down for the acoustic shows and mic the acoustic guitars, they always sound too thin

I do. About the strep throat.. i really think that he was sick. Just watch Welcome to the jungle...

Not questioning the sickness, I just thought he sounded pretty good with Neil there, strep throat or not. I imagine these two gentlemen sitting together with an acoustic guitar and a piano and it makes me smile. They really sound good together.

Strep throat my ass, there's something about this jam. Axl and Neil should record a duet togehter, never thought their voices would go together so well, but it sounds pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.c...v=qNfIAReCexY#!

Meet N' Greet is only 10 Minutes

rirst row inclusive!

Please tell me you alone get 10 minutes with the bandmembers, not 10 minutes combined for everybody who bought a VIP package

Probably depends on the location and logistics? When I was backstage in Europe two years ago, it was after the show and for free, about 10 guests in one big room, the guys dropped in one by one and we just hung out until about 4 in the morning, everyone had a chance to speak to them 1:1 and get an autograph or whatever, very easy going. From what I understand the paid VIP thing is more organized and accessable, you don't have to know someone or get invited, but whoever you meet and however you meet them you're in for a treat, they are great hosts and very nice people, nothing to worry about.

Officially anounced!

Looks great. I just wonder why of all shows they choose this for a DVD release? Axl sounds ok here for a live show but he sounded so much better in 2010.

I had one two years ago and it was after the show, don't how that is handled for Vegas now. You should ask the promoter or venue about it. You can also ask the security on location.

Some of what I would ask:

- Where to you want to go and take people with your music?

- How close do you feel you have come so far to realising that and actually communicating the sound in your head?

- What song/album of yours defines you the most as a musician?

- What inspires you?

- Have you ever experimented with drugs and how did that affect your music?

- Where do you see yourself as a musician 30 years from now?