themadcaplaughs

Yay? 

3 hours ago, RussTCB said:

From the email above on this page of the thread (I don't want to quote it because it's huge) it reads to me that it's only for people who bought a Paradise City package in the past. 

Huh....I got the email and I have never bough anything from directly from the GN'R online store. 

2 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Other artists:

Doing online streams for free, talking directly to fans, raising money to help in the fight, releasing archive material and concerts for free

 

Guns N Roses:

We've added select fans who've spent a lot of money on us to a VIP list so they can spend even more money on us 

 

Solid work as always. 

Is it to a select group of fans? I just figured it was to anyone who was on the Guns N' Roses email list. 

19 minutes ago, Sydney Fan said:

48 full songs, is pretty much 4 albums worth.....

Bob geldofs 80s band, the boomtown rats have even released a new album .GNR ?, nah would prefer to sit at home and do jigsaw puzzles.

The Boomtown Rats' new album isn't half bad for the typical new/wave - punk band releasing an album in the 2000s to stay relevant. 

So is he saying the virus caused the delay in release? I thought we knew about it being delayed back toward the beginning of March. 

Wanted to clarify that this was a great episode; just having a laugh at Trunk!

I like how Trunk downplays the Troubadour show and keeps calling the Las Vegas show the "first show" to sweep over the fact that he wasn't important enough to get an invite to the Troubadour show 

As interesting variant: try to re-create the actual Live Era tack listing with different performances. I'd be open to seeing it done with either 1987-1993 performances only, or where any live era is fair game. 

Thanks for sharing. I cannot believe that was almost four years ago.

The funny thing watching the little bit of footage from the video is you can tell Slash was still mainly hanging around Duff on stage at this point. It wasn't until later that I remember Axl starting to interact with Slash more.

I've wondered what has happened to Axl's grudges that came about solely because of people associating with Slash. Back in 2014/2015, Josh Freese said he was bummed out about the fact that he ended up on Axl's shit list for playing on a couple tracks on Slash's 2010 solo album. So what happens now that Axl and Slash are cool again? Do people like Freese automatically end up back in Axl's good graces? 

According to certain wrestlers (so believe it if you want) there's, for no real known reason, still bad blood on Axl's side regarding Sorum. Apparently, early in the negotiations, Slash and Duff even tried to bring up bringing Matt on board and Axl laughed it off. 

I think the news of Matt Sorum's book caused more excitement than this. 

And the crowd goes mild...

I listened to most of it last night. Although I keep up with Guns n' Roses through this forum, I realized that, outside of the show I saw in 2016 and the occasional YouTube clip, I really hadn't heard a full Axl performance in a long time. I was prepared for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised by how good it sounded. the band sounded absolutely incredible and in tune with each other. If I remember correctly, this was at the height of "Frank fucks up the songs" mania, but he sounded good to me. Just some random thoughts I had. Note that I started listening on Estranged: 

• If you took out the talk box section, the Rocket Queen jam was not nearly as long as boring as I remembered. Unfortunately, the talk box took it to "just a little to much" for me, but still enjoyed the song. 
• Was surprised at how much the "New Rose" cover got me pumped. When I saw them previously, Duff played "Raw Power" when I saw them in 2016, and I'd never heard the current lineup play "New Rose." Band killed it, and it sounded much better and more energized than the version on The Spagheti Incident. 
• I can get behind most of Slash's solos on Chinese Democracy songs, but he really seems to phone it in on "This I Love." Honestly, and I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I thought DJ Ashba's version of the solo he played from 2011-2014 suited the song better. Slash's solo reminded me of that footage in the Metallica video where you see Kirk Hammett's first attempt at the solo for "The Unforgiven:" technically impressive but lacking any soul. 
• I had completely forgotten the band dusted off "Yesterdays" every now and again, so I had an actual fun moment of not realizing what song was being played until Slash started playing. 
• "Coma" would be the only song that I would say Axl sounded truly bad on, but understandable. That one killed him in 1991/1992. That being said, hearing the song without all the cheesy sound effects and dialogue was really cool. 
• The "Johnny B. Goode" bit grew tired, but nothing beats Slash seamlessly going from his guitar solo into "Sweet Child O' Mine."
• The "Wish You Were Here" improv goes on WAY too long, and Slash overplays the hell out of it. The "Layla" jam gave me shivers though. 
• Band killed "Whole Lotta Rosie," but Axl (technically the current AC/DC singer) sounded like he was struggling. This was the only other part of the show where I'd say Axl sounded pretty rough. 
• I understand why the band played "Black Hole Sun." At that point Chris Cornell's death was still raw, but definitely not the best cover they've done (although I dug Dizzy's piano intro). 
• No reason, absolutely no reason, why "The Seeker" should ever be on a Guns N' Roses set list.

Overall, I'd say it was an A- show. I realized what it felt like to just be a "normal" Guns N' Roses fan. When you put all of your nitpicking and comparisons aside, it's a tight band with chemistry and Axl sounds good for his age. Also, if you put performances of these songs next to any performance from 2010-2014, the chemistry and energy from the band cannot even be compared. 

14 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

Yea it's crazy that the best vocals from the CD-era weren't actually on the album, they were on Angel Down and a remix track.

The seemingly effortless rasp, the charisma, the anger, the unpredictability... 2010 was really the last year of 'classic' Axl Rose. The guy tried to punch a paparazzi photographer at an airport, tried to cancel his tour on twitter, had several incidents during live shows, and he was still the best frontman on the the planet. But he's older and wider now so it's not surprising that he isn't as good as he used to be

Forgot about the paparazzi incident. I remember everyone watching the video to see if Axl still had the corn rows or not. We had literally seen zero pictures of him since he left stage at the last show in 2007. I feel like even now there are the occasional photographs of him out and about between tours. 

4 hours ago, SAU3R said:

I've never heard of the Abu Dhabi fiasco, can someone tell me what happened there? 

More MSL scuttlebutt. I am too lazy to look up the original post, but it came down to rumors that Tommy Stinson was refusing to take the stage before this show, that the rest of the band was fed up with him being a drunken asshole, and that Axl had been in clsoed-door talks with Duff about possibly re-joining the group. 

No. Josh introduced Buckethead to Axl in late 1999/early 2000 shortly before he left. Buckethead recommended Brain for GN'R sometime in early 2000 (shortly after Josh officially left). Brain joined and started recording in mid-2000. 

18 hours ago, soon said:

It almost starts to seem like the best way to get into NuGuns was to not want to get into NuGuns. Tommy tells Axl he doesnt like GNR. Brain shows up without prepping.

Brain also had the Buckethead connection. 

9 hours ago, ToonGuns said:

Brains ass in shape in terms of his ability to play the songs?

Yeah, in one of the Appetite for Distortion podcasts, Brain mentioned that when he first auditioned for Guns N' Roses, he didn't really prepare, and thought he could just wing it with the more improvisational, "go with the flow," type playing he brought to Primus and Tom Waits (which isn't a knock on his playing; just a different style in those contexts). He said the initial rehearsal with Tommy was awful, and Tommy made some crack like "I thought you were a great drummer." After that, Brain requested a second rehearsal where he modified his drum kit to sound more "classic rock" and really worked to nail the songs as they were recorded, and landed the gig. 

Even after that, it was apparently Tommy who really worked with Brain to understand the mentality of "I'm here to play these parts as the fans want to hear them" instead of "I'm a drummer who was brought into the band to bring my unique sensibilities" (at least when it came to older material), which Brain said caused him to really dive into Steven Adler's playing style since it felt foreign to him (he said the Matt parts were more of his natural playing style). Both Brain and Tommy, in separate AfD interview, however, said they loved working with each other. 

17 hours ago, RONIN said:

Going by all the interviews, rumors, and behind the scenes chatter that found its way onto this forum over the past 17 years - here's my impression of nuGnR dynamics w/ Tommy:

*Axl recruits Tommy as a replacement for Duff - he has the same punk background but with more indie cred than Duff which was a perfect hire in Axl's mind. Axl in the 90's was a slave of trends and trying to align himself with every hip band's talent that he could poach. Tommy is thrilled to get a high paying steady gig as he was apparently working as a telemarketer to make ends meet. It's a perfect fit.

*Axl and Tommy grow very close during the early years of nu-guns (97-2003). Tommy ( a domineering force like Axl), assumes the #2 position and leads the band as Axl is usually MIA. Tommy also becomes tight with Axl lackey Del James during this time. He has no issues with Freese, Pittman, Dizzy, or Finck as none of them challenged his dominance in band politics. Dizzy and Pitman were sycophants, Freese was a paycheck gunner who had no intention of sticking around long-term, and Finck's loyalties were more with NIN than GnR. Paul Huge on the other hand may have had friction with Tommy - lack of talent + serious entitlement issues would have put him on a collision course with the 2nd biggest ego in the band. 

*Enter Buckethead, Axl's new muse. Bucket was serious about the job in a way that none of the others were - he was here to stay and assume the position Slash had held with Axl. He wasn't there to collect a paycheck or play band politics. Soon enough, Axl, who recognizes how much of a talent Bucket is, starts to shape the creative decisions of the band around him in a semi-collaborative way - a courtesy likely not extended to the others. Buckethead is getting more attention and face time with the boss than the others who have to jockey for attention. This annoys Del James and Tommy who resent Bucket's talent, commitment, and dedication. Naturally, they bully and alienate him from the band. Tommy also behaves like an ass with Bucket's friend, Brain - the band's new drummer.

Bucket's immense talent and taking over lead guitar duties creates a rift with Finck. Finck was used to being the solo lead guitarist of the band. Hence you get the clusterfuck of the '02 nu guns shows where Bucket, a virtuoso, is playing second fiddle to a b-list talent like Finck.  Del James, Finck, and Tommy essentially drive Buckethead out of the band. The final straw comes with Axl missing the album release date and the disastrous 2002 tour - Bucket has had enough. Axl throws Buckethead under the bus in a press release in 2003 which effectively ends any chance of Bucket's return to GnR. To this day Buckethead does not speak of GnR/Axl publicly and dislikes being asked about his time in the band.

*After a 3 year lull where they've been working as a 2-guitar band, enter Ron Thal. Even though he doesn't enjoy the vaunted position Buckethead had with Axl, he's still perceived as a threat by Tommy, Finck, and Fortus and is given a hostile welcome. Thal's talent, like Bucket, far exceeded what they brought to the table and hence he was the odd man out. 

By 2009-2014, there's a general cooling off in Tommy's relationship with Axl. They weren't as tight as they used to be in the early days. The realization that the nu band was in a death spiral and that they had missed their moment is the vibe I get from his post-CD interviews. GnR was a paycheck gig for him from the start but he was no longer invested in the band. Needless to say, the redhead himself had stopped giving a shit by that point.

Excerpt from a Thal interview:

Does that play a part anymore, after seven years? Like Tommy would go, “pfff, you're a kid!”.

- I've always just felt like me in the band. But now I think that the other guys in the band feel like I'm actually part of the band and not the outsider-new-guy. Whether they would admit it or not, or agree or not, you know, I wasn't made. I was Morrie in “Goodfellas”. They were all made. I could have been as nice as possible and gone along with the business - but I was never gonna be made. I think now, at this point, I'm more accepted. I don't think I'll ever fully be accepted, honestly.

Really?

- I don't think so. The way I came into the thing, the way I was brought into it, and the things that transpired in the beginning - and even previous relationships that I inherited - everything about it... If I'm gonna be completely honest - and maybe it's not them, maybe it's me, maybe it's how I feel about it, and maybe it's just me passing that onto them and saying this is how they feel - but in my opinion, my thought is that, I don't know if I'll ever fully be part of it. I don't think I'm a guy they're gonna call and say, “hey, you wanna hang out?”, or “hey, I'm working on my solo stuff - you wanna lay a track?”, or “hey, I'm going out to dinner - you wanna join?”, or “hey, I'm coming to town, let's get together!”. I don't think I'm ever gonna be the first guy in the band that they call. And you know what? Maybe it's because I've been such a pain in the ass in the band! Maybe if it was the other way around, I wouldn't call me either. Because I haven't been the easiest.

In what way?

- Well, when I first joined the band, they did not want me in the band. And it's not me - they just didn't want a third guitar player. ‘Cause at the time they had worked it out for two guitar players. Then suddenly the old manager at the time hits them up one day, and the tour was, like, two weeks away. He said, “your new guitar player is coming down”. And they're like, “what the hell - who the fuck is this?”, and I showed up, and they wouldn't even look at me. For that first tour, you know, I was treated like shit. Like absolute shit. They wouldn't really talk to me. If I spoke, they'd roll their eyes and walk out of the room. I was made to feel as unwelcome as possible. Until, finally, I had to get a little violent. And then they started realizing that I'm not gonna leave. They're gonna get hurt.

In what way?

- Physically.

Really?

- Yeah. Then they realized that they couldn't bully me, and that I was gonna fight at a level they weren't prepared for. And then they started loosening up how nasty they were. It was about three years before they would really start warming up and start talking to me. Even about things back then. ‘Cause I didn't know why they were so cold to me, and I realized that they would have treated anybody that way. It was a set of circumstances, a lack of communication from the management that was there at the time, that set it up so it was almost like a stranger thrown into a crowded cage.

https://htgth.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=2302

Pretty nail on the head (a lot of this information came from me, and I got it from other sources). The only caveat I'd make is that I do not think Tommy and Brain ever had any sort of rift. In the Appetite for Distortion podcasts with Brain and Tommy, they both seem to speak fairly highly of the other. I think Tommy had to get Brain's ass into shape a little bit for playing in Guns N' Roses, but I do not think it became a personal thing like it did with Tommy and Buckethead. 

18 hours ago, tsinindy said:

He (walker aka LOSER) posted today that it looks like "Billy said yes to the money".  There's no way in hell Smashing Pumpkins are an act that is on the level of GnR deserving of a "co-headlining" label.  Guns is headlining, Pumpkins are opening.  This also explains the early set time as I bet the Pumpkins get at least an hour and 15 minute set (if not a full hour and a half).  

Then go somewhere else and see them where they are opening.  They suck live, worst band I've ever seen live (twice).  

I hate to say it, but I actually have to believe Walker on this one. Billy has turned down some festivals/opening gigs with large bands (particularly in the beginning of the last decade) because he thought Smashing Pumpkins were above those kind of shows and should be headliners. 

I have seen Smashing Pumpkins seven times (will be seeing them at Shaky Knees in May) and every show has been spectacular. Maybe you just don't like the band? As to why I don't travel to see GN'R, I'll ignore the smart ass tone of your questions and respond sincerely. At this point in my fan hood, I will not travel to see GN'R. Even with some new songs on the set (which I am stoked to see), nothing they have done since starting touring in 2016 has warranted my spending money to travel and see them in the hopes Axl might sound slightly raspier on "Better" than he did at a show in Atlanta. That being said, since there are new songs, and the band will play within walking distance of where I live, why the hell not. 

Smashing Pumpkins are my all-time favorite band; even above GN'R. I'm bummed they won't be opening in Atlanta. 

Got my ticket to Atlanta with the pre-sale. I haven't seen them since they were last in Atlanta in 2016, so they've added a bunch of songs I'd really love to see live ("Slither," "Shadow of Your Love," possibility of "Dead Horse" or "Locomotive"). 

I just had a chance to listen to Eddie Trunk and Rick's interview. Listening to those two virgins try to out yell each other was one of the saddest things I've seen in the GN'R community in some time (and we do not have a shortage of sad going ons around here).

In all seriousness though...

-Rick comes across like some creepy redneck (and I am in NO WAY saying he is; just how he comes across in the interview). The parts where he was trying to rant and rave about song titles from the leaks, Team Brazil, and the "Mac Daddy" to an audience that had no idea what the hell he was talking about cracked me up. Even Trunk had to tell him to shut up. Hell, Trunk could barely contain his derision for Rick after he hung up. I understand Rick's idea was to make it public that he did not leak any audio, and call me crazy, but I believe him, but I'm guessing he has not retained legal counsel. Any lawyer would have told him to just keep his mouth shut until this blows over.

-Then there's Trunk. The dude dick swings like he's some kind of music business professor - trying to lecture Rick about who owns songs - yet does not seem to understand that basic concept that the $150,000.00 per song UMG seeks are statutory copyright damages. Eddie thinks the record label tried to directly sell ownership of unreleased Guns N' Roses songs to Rick Dunsford. Trunk should be banned from talking about music ever again for having an idea that stupid. Hell, maybe instead of ranting and raving like a 16 year old girl about how he left a GN'R concert, he should read one of those books on the basics of the music business.

To give credit to Trunk, I do not think he sees himself as a celebrity per se. I do believe he'd be the first person to tell you he's just a random dude whose persistence paid off. To me, his error seems to be thinking the people he interviews (especially the GN'R guys) are his personal friends. I give Trunk complete credit for scoring some great GN'R interviews; particularly with Axl. I still listen to that 2006 interview from time to time. But Trunk needs to understand that his guests come to his show to promote products and control their narratives. Just look at the Axl interviews. When Axl came to the radio station in 2006, it was on the eve of Guns n' Roses' first tour since 2002; a tour that resulted in two riots, was cancelled prematurely, and ended with Axl looking like a complete loose cannon unable to move on from the wrongs of Duff, Slash, and Izzy. Axl gave that interview because it was an easy way to show people he actually intended on showing up to the concerts, and made a lot of people realize Axl has at least one foot in the real world (and can even be charming. When Axl did the television interview in 2011, the band needed to promote a grossly undersold arena tour (when the band, at that time in the United States, was at best an amphitheater band). Also, the music press and internet were still mocking Axl relentlessly for the Rock in Rio show. Even with all that, Beta and Fenando had to essentially trick Axl into giving the interview.

Sorry for the rant; just my two cents.

1 hour ago, username said:

Rick cannot go to prison from a civil suit. I suppose criminal charges could be pursued like they were in 2008, but I'm sure after that fiasco, the FBI never wants to deal with Guns n' Roses again (cannot believe I just typed that sentence).