Gnrcane

I was going to post the exact same thing!

I don't think lazy is the right word. If he was lazy he wouldn't tour in his late 50s and early 60s doing long tours with 3+ hour shows two or three times a week for months on end when he could lay around on his couch and do nothing and still live in a mansion and have enough money to go anywhere or do anything he wants for the rest of his life. I don't even think it's a lack of motivation. I think, especially after CD, it is probably very related to self confidence. As an artist, he is a perfectionist and up until CD most of the songs he created were considered above average at minimum and were very well received. The reception of CD probably had a LOT more to do with the makeup of "Guns n' Roses" and the crazy long delay than it did with the songs themselves. Granted the songs would have been somewhat different but if, hypothetically, the exact same album was released in 1996 with the UYI lineup several of the songs would have been "hits." CD wouldn't have been as popular as WTTJ but I think it would have been a "known" song by many more casual fans than it ended up turning out. I think Axl might have anxiety about creating new music and having it panned by critics and disliked by fans. He doesn't have any "risk" by releasing Chinese leftovers because he isn't putting his heart and soul into them. He's just handing them over to Slash, Duff and a producer and they are the ones actually releasing the song. His involvement is just some old recordings being pasted on top of their playing. With Axl, we have to accept the bad because it also gave us so much good. The same personality that was able to create or be a large part of creating so many amazing, iconic songs is also what has prevented any output for almost 2 decades. If he didn't have a few screws loose than he wouldn't be the same artist.

I did observe a few years ago that he seemed to sound better in the more humid environments. I've seen them since 2016 in Orlando (humid), Miami (outdoor, humid), Missoula MT (outdoor, dry) and 2X in Hollywood FL (indoor AC). From my personal experience the only thing that counters the humidity theory is that the best he sounded at a show I attended was the indoor at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL for the final show of the 2021 tour. I think it might have been that he knew he wasn't performing for months after that show so he was willing to push it a bit. There was even some rasp on the Patience outro. I do agree that in general he sounds a little better when it is humid. I don't think I would call it "high performance" but definitely better than average.

Perhaps after 414 pages, it is time to accept the reality that there will never be a new GNR album. There may be some single releases and maybe an EP but you are delusional if you think there will ever be a new full length album of new (or newish) material.

Which is exactly why I don't take the GNR shows for granted. No, Axl doesn't sound like Axl from 30 (or even 15) years ago, but he is still capable of having sounds that are mostly on pitch come out of his mouth and he, Slash and Duff are still alive and up on stage performing. With Slash and Duff's substance abuse induced medical issues, if you made a guess in 1993, there was probably a 70% chance that the NITL reunion wouldn't have even been possible. Add the miracle that Steven was able to do a few guest appearances.

Or if there will be an AFD 5 reunion!

Axl shouldn't retire as long as he still enjoys performing. It's up to us, the fans/consumers to decide if we want to spend the money to see him perform. I've had a great time at the 5 shows I've attended since 2016 even though Axl does not sound like Axl from the 80's and 90's. It's rock music, not opera. He can still "sing" just not with the rasp and power he once had. He still gives off great energy on stage and is a great frontman. Once in a while you still get a mini rant on something or a random story about a song. I attend a GNR show to have a good time and enjoy myself and have fun with friends and other fans. As long as that happens and Axl doesn't sound like bad Karaoke like Jon Bon Jovi was sounding like then I'll continue to attend shows on the next tour. If they could pop out 3 or 4 new songs that would add to the value.

They pretty much have to do NR which tends to be quite sketchy.

Axl was a pioneer on the UYI tour! I know most bands do but I was curious if Billy Joel normally does. I guess he has a much bigger catalog to remember the lyrics of!

Does Billy normally use teleprompters for lyrics or did they bring them in just for Axl?

After hearing AFD when I was 13 and thinking it was the most incredible music I'd ever heard, I was shocked to see Axl's "glam" look in parts of the WTTJ video and I was very confused about why the lead singer was dressed in drag.

Absurd would make a great kids movie sing along scene! Just put a bunch of cats on the screen and it'll be fine!

It's not really the selling out part that I found weird. If their music is used to promote adult movies, action movies, even superhero movies it would make some sense. GNR being used to promote a kids cartoon is what is odd to me.

I find it slightly bizarre that a GNR song (albeit a ballad) is used for marketing a kids movie. From "the most dangerous band in the world" to cartoon trailer soundtracks...

12/31/1991 - Joe Robbie Stadium- Miami Gsrdens, FL As an aside, for DEFCON, lower is more severe so you should have used DEFCON 1 in your analogy.