Blackstar

Maybe some people should change their usernames to "Doom and Gloom" or "Drama Queen". Even in the worst case (albeit unlikely) scenario of no digital release, we'll still be able to hear the song.

It's only two sources (the Italian website and UMG Italy store) that are actually one and the same source, since the website got the info from UMG Italy.

It also has the original press release (about Perhaps being written by Axl/Slash/Duff and recorded this year) that was later removed from GN'R's and Universal's US store. I looked at Universal France, and it has the updated press release without mentioning anything about no digital release: https://vinylcollector.store/collections/guns-n-roses/products/guns-n-roses-perhaps-vinyle-45t-exclusif (The main Universal FR website leads to the link above).

Probably there's no notice and Universal Italy just hasn't been informed of any schedule for a digital release prior to the physical release, so it relies on that.

https://streamable.com/cvoji9 Is this what he said? Oh, and by the way, I wasn't wrong in what we just sang. That's the song, time will tell, perhaps... No, no, I just wasn't.

This just confirms that the source of the Italian article that reported about it was Universal Italy. So it doesn't change anything.

Yes, the backing track stands out in the videos, too - even more than the track they use on Locomotive (because there Axl sings over it in his low voice). I think Axl should either sing the main part of the chorus in high-pitched voice and harmonize with Duff (and Dizzy), and let Melissa do the "you're all alone" parts, or sing the main part in low voice (with Melissa doing the high notes) and the "all alone" parts in high voice.

There were a couple more additions before this leg: Locomotive in 2019 (although they have played it scarcely), You're Crazy and Absurd/Hard Skool in 2021, and Reckless Life and Street Of Dreams in 2022 (plus the two AC/DC covers).

Axl's Absurd story: You know, that song, I didn’t make that shit up. It’s really old, that line. It’s from a Howard Stern show. There was some crazy individual in a bikini with, like, a 7-Eleven Big Gulp full of maggots pouring it down in her bikini. It fit the song because I was writing about an asshole, so, you know… I am a sick motherfucker, but not sick enough to make that up by myself. [Music Midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA, September 17, 2023]

Is there a curfew? They're playing KHOD already and it seems they have skipped some regular songs.

Have Estranged, Live and Let Die and Reckless Life been played yet?

He has told it once before. The line came about while he was watching the Howard Stern show. Here is what he said the other time (in Moncton): … that song, but it’s true. It was a long time ago and it was blurred out on TV [on the Howard stern show], but some scary ass chick took a Big Gulp from 7-Eleven filled with maggots and put it on her bikini. I thought that was pretty absurd, I was writing about somebody who I thought was absurd, and just thought it fit. That’s all. Poetic license... Creativity.... Inspiration. Well, enough of that... So, good ole Howard is part of GN’R history. Just saying. Now he said that he was writing the song about an asshole, so it fit.

Axl told the "pussy full of maggots" story again.

He said that he smelled some "medical products" (or something similar), although he didn't remember the ER smelling like that.

Just google it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxTD_ihxKSb/

Exactly. I remember an old thread about Axl's voice where someone had developed a whole pseudo-scientific argument about how Axl's weight affected his voice and how the Pavarotti example was irrelevant. Having said all that, and although the shape of Axl's voice is what matters the most and certainly more than his physical shape, I like seeing him look good (without judging him when he doesn't). I have really enjoyed seeing pictures from this tour. Not only does Axl look the best he has looked since 2006 or even since the '90s, but the pictures also capture the on stage energy of the whole band (Axl included, despite his vocal issues).

I agree. I wasn't being judgemental, btw. I have never been and haven't even commented on Axl's weight too often. I just made an observation because, for some reason, Axl's appearance is a recurrent topic on the forums. Not long ago, one of the most popular theories about the shape of Axl's voice was that its deterioration was due to his weight gain. At least that ridiculous theory has been put to rest now.

Axl's hasn't had a completely flat stomach in at least 20 years - even in his slimmer periods during that time, he had a little gut (btw, Slash hasn't had a flat stomach in a while either). Most of the time, especially after a certain age, once someone gets a gut the slightest weight gain (particularly when it's due to eating junk food that is all saturated fat), tends to go mostly in that area, so it's more noticeable. But it can also be partially temporary and that area may be more bloated on some days than on othes for various reasons (e.g. after having a few beers, or because of a digestive system condition of because of medication, etc.). And then, of course, it's the clothes and the angle of pictures/videos.

I don't think they had a film crew following them behind the scenes, like around the city or at the hotel, so much before though (although the behind the scenes footage on the NA leg seems to be mostly from inside the venues, like soundchecks).

I don't think that they would be paying a filming crew just to make 1-min. long show recaps or a promo for the next tour (which will be in at least two years from now). I thought that a live release/Blu-ray might be in the cards when these show recaps first appeared on the European leg, which made obvious that they had a filming crew with them. Then there was the Perhaps video, but they still have the film crew, so I think something more is being planned (although "plans change" etc.).

http://lithorati.com/2020tour/2023-09-17 Atlanta.html

That has been discussed thoroughly in the Spotify thread. A plausible explanation is that the metadata of the songs (not the songs themselves) have been in the Spotify database as a way to monitor and prevent potential leaks.

They're still shooting footage (probably for a potential future live release), so it's not that.

There are two videos of most of the show (one about 2h10min long and another about 2h45min long).