kiwiguns

You guys must live a very simple and non complicated life. Brain left the band due to personal reasons ie, being a new dad. A very normal situation that makes life complicated for all involved including the band at that particular time. Richard recommended a person and that person answered the call, being thrown into a  situation at the deep end.. I would suspect at the time, it would have been very easy for Frank to think, he is pushing shit up a hill and to pass on the opportunity. 

Given what we know about Axl, I think Frank is highly respected for taking on the challenge and is a very important part of Guns N Roses today both musically and as a band member... 

Taking Melissa under his wing, also shows the type of person Frank is, having walked in the same shoes....

Judging by the Perhaps video, the band is extremely tight and that is contributing to us getting to see and experience the band post the reunion.

That appreance, only means good things for us as fans in the future...

Props to all involved. 

Great video... 

Nice to see Dave Grohl and also the band welcoming Motley Crew in the video. 

Just not sure who is giving John 5 a hug and it's cool to see Frank extend a hand shake to Tommy Lee. 

The guy has to stay active given Reznor has stated that NIN isn't going to be active nor tour in the near future. 

If you haven't seen his other project - Eyes Out you should check it out. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Robin when GN’R played a show in Auckland.

He had the Jesus look back then but behind the beard he was very musically knowledgeable. 

I was surprised to learn that he was a massive fan of the New Zealand band Split Enz. 

I believe he was going to meet Neil Finn and Tim Finn and he was really buzzing about getting that opportunity. 

2 hours ago, The Real McCoy said:

That website wouldn’t have gone live without some kind of agreement in place between the label, the band, and management. 
 

The band may not have acknowledged it, but it’s clear that a plan was in place, and that the song was supposed to come out on the 11th. That site wasn’t activated by accident.

Actually the band might have had no knowledge of this information being available or being released. 

Take a step back and look at it from this prospective. 

Is Universal Music making any financial revenue from the band touring over the last 7 years when it's core business is selling records.

The answer is very simple - 0% revenue. 

Maybe the record label are trying to get in on the action without the support of the band or their management.

It might be the band pushed back..

12 minutes ago, Martin Riggs said:

Well you also now have a GNR insider over at HTGTH posting the Italian story. Seemingly confirming that it was scheduled for 8/11, regardless if it was officially announced or not. Just some more bullshit from this band (read Axl). 

Again. The band aren't behind the release of this information. The band have not publicly promoted any release of any music via any platform. 

Universal Music are the creaters of this platform and we're responsible for the release of the information. 

Is it that hard to understand...

I suppose when you cannot put a name or face to Universal Music, its easier to point the finger and blame others.... 

1 hour ago, ChrisMaciel said:

I have no problems with TB and I agree with you, but they’re officially GN’R management team…

TB handles the bands business affairs. 

An A & R representative would handle the release of music on behalf of the band. 

Tom Zutaut was this person in the past. 

TB have never indicated they are promotors, A & R representatives or booking agents. 

In the music industry these roles are very separate and different... 

Given the experience of Axl, Slash and Duff, collectively they might be dealing with the record label directly or indirectly themselves. 

On 7/15/2023 at 6:02 AM, guitarpatch said:

The agent negotiated the deal. The agent also takes direction from management/the artist on any specific demands. It’s not entirely impossible they brought it up. However it was probably not negotiated by them 

The promoter pays the band up front to perform (usually in this case, a lump sum for the entire tour plus a deal for adding shows) It’s up to the promoter to make the $ off of the shows. 

Live Nation has a leg up on most other promoters because they also own the venues and are able to take $ from other avenues such as alcohol, vendors, etc… to help mitigate their risk 

It's common for promotors to lock artists in 360 deals were the promotor covers all touring costs up front with the promotor taking percentages of merchandise and any of the artists external commercial business dealings in return. 

A number of high profile artists like Billy Corgan and Shirley Manson have spoken about these deals as often the artist walks away with nothing financially in the hand on the back end. 

If the alcohol sales story is true, it further highlights the current state of how the music industry has changed in relation to revenue generated from album sales of the past versus live touring of today. 

There is a great interview with Josh Freese on how he would get up in the mornings and go to work each day to a different recording studio to record music as a studio musician. Those days are long gone, and he had to change to touring on the road with artists to make a living. 

There is also a great interview with Nicole Row on the reasons why she took the job as the touring bass player for Incubus after Panic and the Disco desolved. 

Simply, she needed to pay the bills and that was via touring not recoding music in a studio. 

2 hours ago, vloors said:

Narr ive seen him multiple times live with smkc and gnrs. He hasnt been on drugs since mid 2000s and has just changed in very recent years. 

I think his just bored playing the same stuff over and over

It seems like he has changed to using a Fractal Axe - Fx and his tone is now being controlled off stage or pre programmed. 

He doesn't seem to use his knobs like he use to, making adjustments.

I also think the change to using in ear monitors (I think he concentrates on listening to what the mix is in his ear) and the cabinets now being located under the stage have made a big difference to his live sound more so the tone.. 

Slash always preferred hearing himself live via the stage monitors. 

1 hour ago, mikeman5150 said:

100% agree with this! The first 2 NA legs of NITL had awesome pyro, the pandemic is over, I gave them a pass for it with the 21’ tour because I know everyone was having a hard time getting workers to do it and everyone was trying to keep crew minimal. But now, I can’t understand the reason for it. I really hope they bring it back for the NA stadiums. Seeing a stadium show with no pyro is so anticlimactic. I told my wife how the November Rain pyro showers were always a highlight of any GNR show, she’d now been to be 2 shows with me and nothing but the screens in the background, which is disappointing. Also the explosions during LALD were always killer

For a band to use pyrotechnics, you need pyrotechnic experts. There aren't alot of those experts available to commit to having people travel the world with an artist or a band as part of the traveling crew.

The other issue is having access to the pyrotechnics explosives themselves. 

You don't travel the world with explosives in the luggage hold of the plane you are traveling around the world on or on the tour bus. 

Commonly the company responsibile for pyrotechnics services will be responsible for sourcing the pyro and it's transportation locally or internationally. 

With high transport costs and inflation, it's not cost effective to have pyro as part of your stage production.

The tour promotor is responsible for those costs, not the band or artist and that expensive is factored in when the booking agent is dealing with the promotor.

A band will have a small group of experts traveling with them as lightning, stage techs, FOH techs, monitor techs etc.

Those people are joined by local contractors to rig the stage, the lights and PA etc. 

Those costs are all covered by the tour promotor who factors those costs into ticket prices to recover the cost of the investment. 

Taylor Swifts ticket prices are so high, because each promotor is looking to recover the cost or paying for her production and the entourage she travels with. 

2 hours ago, TheSlashrose said:

I think the guys that were in the band between 1999—2015 were tired of Axl. Well, playing in Guns is a good job, but I think Robin Finck and Buckthead got fed up with Axl not putting shit out. Axl is really troubled and insecure when it comes to releasing new music. I really take seriously what Slash said when he said he recorded some songs, well, Slash and Duff with their panic attack got richer than they were in the Illusions days. And like I said, being in Guns today is just a good job. There's pressure gone when Slash and Duff got back on board

I don't think you understand the music industry of today, compared to the past. 

Touring is were the money is made today by all musical artists, not selling albums. 

Musical artists today, don't require a major recod label for financial support nor to release there material. They can do it all themselevss and control the publishing, distribution etc. 

Live Nation are the power brokers of the music industry today, not Universal Music via Interscope or Geffen.

No record label is going to pay Axl to hire out a studio or studios for years on end, and pay the band members to sit around and record an album. Those days are long gone... 

If you look at the Foo fighters and Metallica as examples. Both have there  own in house record label and both have released there albums via this method. They also have there own in house recording studios (studio 66 and the HQ) 

The foo fighters even had control over Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts to announce their retun and their new drummer. No major record label involvement at all and the band even sold merchandise via this marketing tool. 

You may have even noticed the style of official music vidoes being released by both Metallica and the Foo fighters. Lots of animation and lyric videos or a live performance. 

There is no money in the bank to create expensive music vidoes via record labels anymore. So the artists themselves are creating cost effective alternatives. 

There any many reasons why this band hasn't released a new album and it could simply be, the band taking control of its own product, compared to the past when the music industry was very different.. 

Every artist tours more regularly and longer now compared to the past. The demand and financial revenue is to good to pass up, between a promotor like Live Nation promoting your own standalone shows, to what Danny Wimmer can offer for a one off festival appreance. That's the music industry of today.. 

Life is complicated and not everyones circumstances are the same including trying to compare how one band does things to another band. 

Bands these days have created there own in house record labels to control their product. 

Both the Foo Fighters and Metallica currently release music via this method.

There are a number of factors that might be preventing the band from releasing any material.. and those factors might be outside of the bands control. 

It's possible that the band don't actually have a record label agreement or are waiting for the current agreement to expire, to look elsewhere or renegotiate. 

That would explain the box sets being released and the continued touring, killing time... 

The band might be playing lip service to Geffen/interscope until the band gets what it wants...

Geffen/interscope don't make any profits out of the band touring. 

The band currently has leverage over any record label and is in total control of its own circumstances due to touring successfully around the world.

That's a powerfull position to be in to negotiate or take control of your own product and how it's released. 

I don't think the situation is as simple as people think it is...

3 hours ago, ChrisMaciel said:

You guys are talking like “celebrities” walking around alone are common thing. On contrary. Everytime i had the opportunity to see a famous person in public (or watch them @ YouTube), they were always with 2 or 3 persons from their staff, like an assistant and or security guys.

Or a person who can speak the local language, when in a foreign country were English isn't spoken commonly or fluently. Hence his assistant accompanying him on his travels. 

2 hours ago, sofine11 said:

I just can’t think Duff didn’t know what he was doing by posting that clip. I still think it’s clearly Axl. Just so odd, however on brand for this operation.

People are looking into this far to much. Duff is filming his Amp head that has had new tubes installed and a song happens to be playing in the background. It's not cryptic, it's just a guy excited that his Amp head has had an upgrade.

Happens all the time to us humans when we film on our cell phones, sounds are captured in the background, some times purely accidental and by chance...

I don't understand why people are that put out. There is a section of the music industry that operates in a very different world then what we are use to. 

Glastonbury like many festivals today, the music is the secondary element compared to attention seeking via an artists performance or the people attending via soical media attention. 

I went to Glastonbury last year and found it to be a very different vibe compared to when I went in the late 90s when the music was at the forefront of wanting to attend Glastonbury. 

I can remember being in a giant mosh pit in 99 when Fun Lovin Criminals were playing scobby snacks.. 

It was an insane experience and something I remember to this day.. 

I don't expect people to have that experience today as its all about how many followers you have or what you can tweet about that creates attention for yourself. 

I would not worry about what other people think about our favorite band appearing at Glastonbury, its attention seeking for them and thats all it's about... 

3 hours ago, steelestar said:

I respectfully disagree and am open to examples supporting your position.  High-priced stadium ticket sales are driven by initial tour announcements and on-sale dates - absent significant price discounts, sales tend to drop-off considerably as time goes by.  Repeat business from more casual fans typically requires the perception of something new or enhanced value for the high prices being paid.  Again, I'm open to examples that would indicate otherwise.  Particularly for a "legacy" (and I hate that characterization) band that tours with predictable regularity with essentially the same setlist and show.  

On for the record, I love the band.  That does not mean I have to give up the right to cast a critical eye.  I've been to 15 shows since the '16 reunion and have EE pit tix for San Diego.  My criticism is with regard to how the tour is being managed - they intend to sell out stadiums with a tour that brings absolutely nothing new to the table - they no longer even feel a need to suggest otherwise.  There is no attempt or perceived need to enhance value or interest in the band or tour.  And again - it's all about context - for arenas, I think it works just fine.  But when you're intending to double or triple capacity at much larger venues with high ticket prices, it becomes something else entirely.

The band and there management don't control the touring aspect nor ticketing prices. 

The band have a booking agent, a tour promotor or promotors and those promotors will have a relationship with a ticketing agency. 

A tour is dictated by supply and demand and the financial risks lie with the promotor. 

If the tour sells poorly the promotor loses financially interms of covering overheads and reduced revenue. The band gets paid regardless. 

A promotor would have seen a demand, approached the bands booking agent, and made a financial offer (guaranted upfront payment to the band). 

The bands management would have been presented that offer, either accepting or declining the offer.. 

Most people don't understand.. There is a demand for people to see this band live and it's making a profit for all involved from the promotors to the band itself. 

Playing in stadiums, arenas or when to announce support acts don't matter in the grand scheme of things. 

We on this forum are a small manority compared to the majority, who are more then happy to pay money to see the band, who don't fret over the set list, the venue the band plays in, Axl's vocals or new music being released. 

The causal fan is causing the supply and demand for the band to tour.. not us on this forum. 

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is the old Richard Petty Motorsports Team. 8 time Nascar champion Jimmy Johnson recently purchased a percentage of the team. 

26 minutes ago, AtlasShrugged said:

Not sure. I was being sarcastic.

He sounds frighteningly bad, and the circumstances shouldn't take away from that. Nice of him to do, nice speech. But Jesus, sort your voice out. One of the more basic songs to sing as far as GN'R goes. 

I see you like to kick people when they are down. Nice touch of class by someone as yourself. Clearly no respect for the dead. 

There is a time and place for everything. This isn't the time nor the place.. 

Plenty of other threads to air your grievances..

Jon Bernthal. His podcast series is outstanding. Axl would be comfortable around a dude like Jon and would probably open up more. The interview with Shia LaBeouf was all about being comfortable with the person opposite you asking the questions allowing you to open up and let it all out... 

10 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

There was millions of dollars on the table for years before the reunion happened.

The huge payday from Coachella was a factor, but the bottom line is Slash and Duff came back because Axl needed replacement musicians.

That doesn't appear to be the case based on body language nor the way they treat each other on stage. 

They placed repairing and rebuilding there personal relationships before filling a spot in the band or for financial gain. 

It's very clear based on there interaction on stage, they have moved on from the past and put all behind them.. 

Thats a mature approach to life and business. 

I would suspect the reason why Izzy isn't in the band, is a very simple one. 

Issues were going to be created that would place those repaired personal relationships at risk including the individual relationship each of them have with Izzy. 

I think all involved are at peace with there respected decisions and directions in life. 

7 hours ago, BangoSkank said:

I really don't mean to sound naïve, but is $93 million really that much for a tour this scope? An international tour, with private jets, big staffs, tons of crew, the record company, Axl, Slash, & Duff getting guarantees, the rest of the band, the promoter...

I know they're not hurting for money, and that is obviously a ton of money to me, but I really wonder how much there is to go around when you consider everything listed above.

It's not about them.. 

It's supply and demand. 

Clearly promoters around the world see the demand and the value. 

It's the tour promoter who takes on the financial risk, not the band as they get paid regardless. 

If the tour is successful, the promotor makes a profit. If its not, the promotor makes a loss or in some cases the promoter will cancel the shows, often based on ticket sales, as they won't make a profit to cover the artists up front booking fee and guaranteed payment. The promotor can be legally liable and obligated to pay the booking fee as per written agreement aka a contract. 

The tour promoter covers the cost of the bands tour expenses via the upfront booking fee. The band would then have  set costings factored in to cover there own traveling costs mainly crew and personnel. 

The actual band members or artist would be on a set retainer in terms of direct remuneration. I would think, the big 3 would have received a larger percentage of the over all up front booking fee profits.. 

The band doesn't pay for hotel accommodation,local transportation (from the hotel to the venue etc), flights etc. Thats covered by the tour promotor. 

11 hours ago, Coma16 said:

Not random, ticket sales are poor. This is good for us who want "new" music!

Actually ticket sales are strong considering we have only recently opened our borders again and Eden Park is new to hosting concerts of this size compared to Western Springs stadium. The band will sell out in Auckland in advance of the show. We have the woman's rugby world cup on today' and Eden Park has sold out with 47,000 people. That wasn't the case 2 weeks ago or 4 days ago..