themadcaplaughs

As others have said, it sounds like a lot of the tension came from the fact that Axl foisted him on the band, and continued to do so once everyone else disapproved. The final straw seems to have been Axl sneaking Paul's parts on "Sympathy for the Devil". Also, it seems he might have had a better shot at fitting in if he had been deferential to the existing band members, but by their accounts, he also had an air of "I'm here and you can't make me leave". 

It seems the fact that he had no prior experience recording music professionally or touring played a factor as well. Even Tommy Stinson (without specifically naming Paul) did some interview where he said something along the lines of "some of the guys making the record hadn't even made a record before, but I learned to begrudgingly accept that they had good ideas as well." 

Honestly, at this stage, I'd really be interested in an in-depth Paul interview/profile more than just about anyone else. He really was the guy who, in some form or another, saw everything go down from the early 1980s through at least 2002 (if not later). I imagine he'd have some amazing insights. 

Also, my "controversial" Gn'R has always been that I actually really dig Paul's "response" parts to Slash's solo on SftD. 

2 minutes ago, JimiRose said:

to be fair, he works in customer service, i highly doubt they would have access to upcoming releases they could accidentally let slip, but A star for effort and ingenuity. 

I would call it rock bottom, but another man's trash is another man's treasure. Few things in life are certain, but one of the certainties is that the customer support employees have no knowledge or say on pending releases. They probably shared this message with their group as a "wtf is this" moment of working in customer service. 

EDIT: That is not a slam on the poster who did it, but just the depths GN'R makes its fans plunder. 

45 minutes ago, Jakey Styley said:

Also, they’d clearly rename the song St8 of Grace.

With a backwards capital "R" in "Grace". 

38 minutes ago, Blackstar said:

I don't know, Tommy's demos have been added recently for sure, but people say that Ashba's demos have been there for a while. I guess that's what happened with Tommy, because he said that he was trying to get them back from GN'R. Ashba probably registered his when he left the band.

Axl didn't do anything with Ashba's demos, so why would Slash and Duff?

When I did a meet and greet with Tommy before a show in January, he specifically said he'd been asking the band for some of the songs back since his tenure in the band ended. He wasn't upset, jusat said that like everything else in GN'R land, it took forever for anything to happen. He specifically said he considered "Goin' Down" a "good, but far from great" song. 

Would DJ have been able to register them when he left the band? I figured, like Tommy, he would have to get the copyrights back. My assumption would be that any of the members of "nuguns" had to sign all their material over to Guns N' Roses. Again, speaking as a former IP lawyer, that would be my guess. Explains why Axl was able to re-configure the songwriters on "Abursd" and "Silkworms". I believe we've heard over the years that pissed off Buckethead after he left when he realized he couldn't use any of the riffs he brought to the band. 

Reading over this, not sure why people think "The General" might not be the final title. IIRC, Brain mentioned it was a "joke" title Brain and his buddy made from the fact that they were eating General Tso's chicken when they were messing around with loops and stumbled upon a loop that inspired the song. That being said, in the same interview, I believe Brain said Axl really liked the name "The General" and then seemed a little deflated after learning the somewhat trivial origin of the name, but kept calling it that. Also add that there is an element of "meta" to the name (Tommy's nickname at one point was "The General") and the fact that GN'R social media have called it that before, and that Baz specifically referred to it by that name all lead to me think that could be the final title. 

I will not fall into the trap of judging the song's epicness by its title or short description we received from Baz (or an ear bleeding cell phone recording of part of the song). Bear in mind that: (i) prior to the song being released, many assumed "Prostitute" was going to be one of the most soul-crushingly heavy songs ever recorded (I love the song, but would not describe it as a rocker) and (ii) Baz once referred to the riff in "Sorry" as doom metal. 

2 hours ago, siraddam said:

Does this actually mean anything though? Couldn't it just be showing 'Guns n Roses' because of search results for that song? Does it actually mean that the song is due to be released? Why is it only happening in the UK?

@Blackstar explained before, but whoever is uploading the music for Guns N' Roses  (typically, I'd say the record label, but I believe the record labels licensed the previous two songs to GN'R, so possibly a third party distributor) in each region could upload at different times, although the different regions would likely be in close proximity to one another. Apparently, we found out about "Hard Skool" in a similar manner, and as we know, that turned out to be true. 

It could be that the UK distributor uploaded the information already, even though the release may be a little way away. Again, as Blackstar stated, if other regions start showing the same thing in the next few days/weeks, it would suggest a release is imminent and the U.K. just happened to be the first to upload the info. If nothing else occurs, it could have occurred for some other reason and no song release will occur and you would be correct that it ultimately didn't mean anything. What that other reason would be , I have no idea. 

With any other band, I would take this as almost 100% confirmation that a song will be released within, at the most, a month. This being GN'R, however, I set my expectations realistically at, let's say 25%, and I am only being that optimistic because of the successful MyGNR snooping regarding "Hard Skool". I know people found out Axl registered trademarks for GN'R before in 2014, only to have them expire, so who knows. 

Don't think he seemed drugged up at all. My guess would be a mixture of (i) he really didn't want to be there and (ii) he's choosing his words very deliberately and carefully, and probably pausing to give the attorneys chances to enter any objections. 

Ok: fair enough that Alan did specify that he wanted to have similar artwork created using the existing public domain work. I retract my previous statements. That being said, as @Lio said, it speaks better to Axl that he paid the money to take the work that inspired and pay appropriately for it, instead of just making his own "knock-off" version (which very likely would have caused litigation regardless). 

3 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

They don't have shows listed on their website

Per various Twitter comments, it is some sort of private gig, so probably not listed on the web site. It may not even be under the "Kings of Chaos" banner at all. 

Other than recalling old GN'R war tales, I wonder what Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum would have to talk about. Who will cover the cab fare back to the motel? 

On 8/22/2022 at 4:03 PM, Blackstar said:

1. I think the story was that Slash agreed to sign off on Appetite For Democracy and subsequently Axl signed off on the 2014 SMKC DVD/Blu-Ray that included GN'R songs. However, Slash had released another DVD/Blu-Ray in 2011 that also featured GN'R songs (and there was also a VR DVD released in 2012). So if that was a thing, it had started earlier. Unless the issue was only on Slash's side, and although Axl had signed off on his video releases, he refused to sign off on Axl's, and that changed in 2014; but, I don't know, it doesn't sound very likely. EDIT: I've just noticed that Slash's DVD's before 2014 were released only outside the U.S., but I don't know if that's relevant.

It was also probably about the three of them agreeing on licensing GN'R songs to be featured on films and TV, but that had started earlier as well - it's evident from this list that there was an increase in the use of GN'R songs on films and TV after 2012. Regardless, Duff must have definitely had a big part, since he and Axl started talking again after October 2010.

2. I agree.

3. I'm not sure about Ashba. There is an interview with him from early October 2014, where he said (paraphrasing) that he "hoped" to record parts on CD2. Which means that he hadn't done so until then, and it's doubtful if he did after that.

4. We know though that Axl called Slash on the phone in March 2015, months before Ashba left. Maybe Axl hadn't made up his mind yet, however he took the step to approach Slash and talk to him directly.

As you pointed out, the fact that the Slash DVD was released outside the United States is definitely a factor. Most other countries don't have a synch license set-up like we do where a songwriter can essentially hold a release hostage by claiming whatever fee it wants. I remember that was also the reason the Neil Young cover the played at the time didn't make the Appetite for Democracy DVD. The rights to get permission from Neil Young were too high. 
 

By all accounts it was basically Slash and Duff holding the releases hostage, with Duff taking a more lenient stance on the issue after he reconciled with Axl. I always thought this might have been more MSL b.s., but back when the House of Blues show was leaked, the Appetite for Distortion podcast interviewed Dunsford about how he got it. He was told the same thing. The DVD/VHS  of the 01/01/01 House of Blues show was ready to be released later in 2001, but Slash and Duff refused to sign off and it killed the project. It certainly provides perspective as to why Axl had such hard feelings for them during this period. 

9 hours ago, jamillos said:

Yeah, that's what I figured, it makes sense. I wonder whether there was like a satori or whether it was a gradual process (bet on the latter). I wish they'd open up about this sometime. 

From what I have been able to drudge up on the years from various forums (and I am sure Blackstar can correct as needed:)

• In 2014, the Guns N' Roses management approached Slash's management for signing off on the rights to use the old songs for the Appetite for Democracy DVD/Blu-Ray. In the past, Slash and Duff had been the ones who held up releases of Guns N' Roses DVD. Unlike audio, artists can set their own price for concert movies. Duff was playing with GN'R again and agreed to sign off on the movie. He might have been part of convincing Slash to sign off. Either way, Slash apparently signed off with rates much more reasonable than anyone expected. Apparently this was a big "aha" moment that, even though they did not have to be friends, they could actually enjoy a mutually beneficial business relationship. All of the negotiations were done via third party, but apparently began the "thaw."
• Per what Bumblefoot said in some interview (and Tommy has hinted at), the 2014 band got word of this and, along with the word that the band would be on hiatus following the second Vegas residency, took this to mean a full-fledged reunion was happening. 
• Nonetheless, we know that in 2014/2015 Axl was working in the studio and taking stock of all the material the band had recorded and what stage of completion it was. Chris Pitman tweeted pictures of work in the studio, and one of the mods here said the plan was to really bear down on new music with the hope of releasing it in 2016. Per MSL, DJ was in and out with the plan of having him record guitar parts as needed, and Axl even spoke to him about potential replacements for Ron. A rumor was started that it was Orianthi, but nothing came of that. 
• DJ left (which apparently took everyone by surprise) and essentially destroyed the then current plans to release new music. Per the various interview we've had with Slash and Axl, the Coachella reunion offer was still on the table, and Axl apparently took a "hey why not" approach to it. 

On 8/5/2022 at 3:34 PM, Rovim said:

favorite part of the interview: "there's Tom, he's on the ground, pounding shit".

That quote quite literally made me laugh out loud. It's too bad Brain doesn't gig/record with bands anymore, because he seems to be the perfect temperament for a touring/studio musician. He can adapt to any scenario or session. As the author says, you could not get more different than the Chinese Democracy sessions and the 2002/2006-07 tours with Guns N' Roses and all his work with Tom Waits. 

Also, props to Brain for giving what is, in my opinion, the most truthful assessment of Matt Sorum I have read to this point. To be fair, I think he might have meant that more light-heartedly than it came across in print. In one of his podcast appearances (I believe the 2018 one linked above), he spoke higher of Matt. Brain talked about how difficult it was learning Steven's parts (as he addresses in the RS article), but that he "understood" where Matt was coming from with his playing, and it was easier for Brain to adapt to his style. 

Love Brain and love this series in Rolling Stone of interviewing famous studio/touring guys. Some really cool stories. 

Guess he needs to supplement the revenue he would have made from the new GN'R songs that were supposed to drop  

Honestly, when it comes to the inside scoop involving things like this with bands, I've seen more stories on Reddit proved true than false. A lot of times, you have a slightly more neutral person conveying information or, at the very least, providing a different point-of-view. Without looking at the actual thread, I do not know what the context here is: if this is someone trying to "stick up" for the stadium, but nothing in here sounds overtly untrue I am also not saying some details couldn't have been confused or made to look better for the stadium, but I really have no suspicion that the information in that thread is false or grossly exaggerated. The only thing I would point out to the poster would be that, while it is not necessarily the "norm", it is also not entirely uncommon for bands to bring in their own sound; particularly ones at the level of Guns N' Roses. 

Just now, 6lake sa66ath said:

To be fair, the couple of mainstream reviews I read for the London shows pointed any lack of enjoyment or blame squarely at the organisers and not Axl’s own abilities 

This. From an outsider's perspective, even the few reviews of these shows that mentioned the state of Axl's voice, they added the disclaimer that the horrible sound at the venue was likely a contributor. 

21 minutes ago, estrangedtwat said:

Getting deja vu here.......2002 all over again.....

I thought this for a second as well, but really a much better situation. The 2002 tour ended among riots and rumors that the band had completely splintered and ceased all activity. The news of the last few days is, of course, a massive bummer; particularly for fans that were going to the show tomorrow. In this instance, however, we are pretty much 100% certain what the cause is (and Richard more or less confirmed this), and while the lack of communication from the band's management is - as usual - frustrating, we are at least getting enough verifiable information to know the situation. 

Obviously, Axl having damaged his vocal cords is terrible, but at least it points to a problem that can be quickly addressed and rectified, as opposed to a serious mental health issue, which can be difficult to treat. Obviously, in either scenario, his health is the most important thing, but at least with damages vocal cords, immediate steps can be taken to improve the situation. Also, Richard's message to the fan seems to indicate that the vocal damage Axl suffered resulted from attempting to compensate for the venue's terrible sound, and not an illness or permanent damage, but that could be me reading too much into it. This was an ongoing problem during the Use Your Illusion tour, and similarly resulted in cancellations. 

For all the crap we give Axl/the band/management over the years, the dude has taken the stage under some seriously negative conditions; particularly from 2016 onwards. I remember there was one show during the NITL tour were Axl was so sick that Duff and Slash both mentioned Axl was getting IVs 

EDIT: I am not trying to downplay any anxiety Axl might be feeling. Obviously, taking the stage the second night was a huge ask considering that it was obvious after the first night that the venue's sound was less than ideal, and playing a second night was, in many ways, setting himself up to fail. My point is, all of this seems to be stemming from his anxiety over the negative conditions of the London shows and not the state of the band or his voice in general. As others have pointed out, last week they were playing, on a consistent basis, some of the longest shows of their career and Axl seemed to be having a blast. Again, this differs from 2002 where Axl made it clear the whole time he really wasn't up to the task of touring and the rumor was that he suffered a massive breakdown. In the last few months, we have truly seen the realities of the fact that many of our favorite rock/hard rock/metal musicians are having to cope with the stress of singing and playing challenging music as they age. 

52 minutes ago, mystery said:

Thank you. I think there could have been a compromise where the song is called Street of Dreams (The Blues) much like Locomotive (Complicity) or Pretty Tied Up (The Perils of Rock n' Roll Decadence).

In the chats from 2008, I think Axl specifically said "The Blues" was just a band working title, and he wanted to save a name like that for a song that was actually based more in the blues. 

1 hour ago, Beto 22 said:

Thats the same thing people said in 1996,1997 when slash and left 

Gnr continued to headline festivals and Arenas like they do now.

 

In 1996, there was still curiosity over how Axl would continue as a song-writer and front man without the older band members. It seemed like there was still "unfinished business" in terms of GN'R in the immediate aftermath of the Use Your Illusion era. Add to that, from 1996-2016, fans slowly accepted that the "new Guns" would be the only way we'd get to see Axl performing Guns N' Roses classics.

With Slash returning, and this lineup of the band continuing for more than half a decade (with no end in site), with a high level of professionalism, people aren't going to return to the way it was if Slash leaves. The returns on "new Guns" were diminishing before he rejoined, and if he were to leave again, I seriously believe Axl would hang it up. Furthermore, how Slash plays his solos in regards to studio recordings is something only hardcore fans obsess over. To the general public, Slash has entered the level of Keith Richards, Angus Young, Kirk Hammett, or Joe Perry. He's a true "guitar hero" and most people are much more interested in just seeing him and observing him as performer than how he plays his solos in relation to the studio versions. 

13 hours ago, sl4yer said:

Discussions about phone recordings not being accurate are getting ridiculous 

When I saw them live recently I thought he was singing awesome. He doesn’t sound that awesome on my recordings. So yes, of course he sounds better live. That’s 100% true. But phone recordings are (usually) very accurate. 

There are multiple reasons why he sounds better in person

1. Everything is way more loud and powerful live, so you won’t hear nor pay attention to his weaker spots

2. You are excited that you’re seeing Guns N’ Roses, you don’t analyze his vocals

3. If you’re the real fan you’re constantly singing along, so that also takes some of your focus.

But on the slower and softer songs like NR I could still hear that his voice sounds weak and weird, even live.

Anyway, these are the reasons he sounds better live, Axl doesn’t have a magical voice that can’t be accurately captuered on the video.

Don't bring this kind of common sense to discussion of Axl's vocals  

20 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Doesn't mean the song isn't about him. It just means they finally played it. 

That's a very Pele-ish response  

On a serious note, cool to see "Street of Dreams" played. Having just listened, it sounds like Axl singing it on an average night in 2012. Slash disappointed me. As other have said, Richard coming in completely saved it. I thought of every song on Chinese Democracy, this was one he could really sink his teeth into. I can't say it's bad, per se, but it sounds like what a guitar student was play if his or her teacher said "play your own solo over this song." Hopefully, if it gets played more, Slash can improve upon it. 

Like I said in another thread, I do not think it is a case of Slash "disrespecting" or "sleepwalking" through the Chinese Democracy songs. I just think the solos on that album (Robin's in particular) seem to be outside Slash's skill set of playing (a skill set of which he as an absolute master and genius). In my opinion, for Slash to really "nail" the Chinese Democracy solos, he'd have to rethink his approach to guitar a little bit, and I just don't think he will do that at this point in his career; same way Joe Perry, Angus Young, or insert whatever guitar hero here will not be changing their style substantially. 

9 hours ago, Live Like a Suicide said:

Imagine seriously thinking someone would put themselves in legal and financial jeopardy by selling material they don't own for 10k, lol.

This. If Chris said anything to said fan, it was to placate him. If he did anything like that, Guns N' Roses would hunt him down like a dog. 

14 hours ago, Axl S said:

Now I'm picturing Slash having to miss a show and Axl getting on the phone to Bumble and Robin to call in a huge favour.

Funny image! Robin would not answer because he's too busy touring with a band that kills it every night on a consistent basis. 

Bumblefoot probably still harbors so many bitter feelings that he'd purposefully book a show at a 200 person capacity bowling ally the same night he was needed (six people would show up). I jest; love Ron!