MaoAxl

I'm SO relieved they just got through this show.... this is the one that worried me. Wednesday should be no problem and they should then hit Europe with some good buzz and momentum.... especially if Izzy shows up on Wednesday or something...

Actually... a pretty decent set list tonight. I hope you guys enjoyed it! rock2

Sounds like this is a night that Axl needs to just grind out.... resort to his "Mickey Mouse" voice if he has to... but he CAN'T walk off!!!

If he can get through this decently (a lot of the MSG '02 show was with the "Mickey Mouse" voice... and most people STILL loved it)... he can catch a few days rest and rock hard on Wednesday.

Hey guys... remember that these are WARM UP shows.... it's possible that Axl thought the band fucked up a few of the old songs on Friday night and wanted to redo them again tonight... and then he obviously wanted to bring RQ into the set list... so that eats up a slot right there... and it is LATE SUNDAY NIGHT with ANOTHER show to take place in a matter of hours... so I'm not surprised if tonight was a bit shorter/blander.

SO WHAT. Everybody there just got treated to a live band rehearsal as they get ready to go conqueor Europe... NOBODY should be complaining. Concerts are luck of the draw. I know plenty of fans in St. Louis, Montreal, Vancouver and Philadelphia who would of cut their arms off to have attended that kind of a show.

sweetness,

I'm not familiar with your posts in the past, but I just want to point out that I don't think for a minute AXL thinks HE WAS GN'R. Some of his real nutswinging fans may think that, but I honestly feel he has a healthy respect for the old band and what they brought to the table creatively and performance wise. I think he felt the need to wrestle control of the band away from the others because he thought they were on a self-destructive path- both physically (drugs, booze) and professionally (a general "head in the sand" approach to the alternative/grunge revolution)... BUT NOT because he thought they were shitty musicians or easily replacable. If nothing else, the fact that he's taken so damn long with this album demonstrates a pretty healthy respect on his part for the fact that GN'R sustained some MAJOR losses when Slash, Duff and Izzy walked out the door... the kind of losses where you don't just hire three other schmucks and turn the page...

I wouldn't be opposed to it.... it's kind of lame that their first Greatest Hits album has FIVE fucking covers on it... especially when they have so much other great original material. Maybe tack on a few tracks from the new band at the end as a bonus...

Even back in the day... GN'R was about taking those elements of Led Zeppelin, The Stones, The Sex Pistols, ACDC, etc. that people loved, packaging them all together in a cutting edge way and then adding their own "FUCK YOU" attitude to come up with a very original and authentic, but derivative mix. The Illusions albums brought in some Floyd and Elton John elements. Now Axl's adding a touch of NIN/Moby (emo) and Pearl Jam/Soundgarden ingredients to the recipe. If it still comes off as being "authentic" and something Axl and the band have their 100% heart and soul behind... then the public will eat it up just like the back catalog. If it comes across as ... "oh shit.. the kids are in to loops these days.... better add a loop here..." then it will be laughed it. I think that's a major reason why he's taking his time with this... he wants it to sound modern... but he also wants it to be genuine. Not easily done for a product of the 80's sunset strip scene... but I would be encouraged so far... after a couple listens... the leaks sound like a logical progression from the UYI albums to me.

He looked pretty good in '01- just a little chunky.

I think he looks fucking awesome now- like what you would expect a cool, veteran rocker to look like.

It was just '02 where he looked a little... umm.... fresh off the operating table.

Tommy Stinson was asked about "Prostitute" a few years ago, and he said it was as good, if not better than, "Sweet Child O' Mine". Take that for what it's worth. Anyone else who's had the privilege of hearing it as been similarly glowing.

"Better" itself is a great tune. It will get play. If nothing else, the morons at the radio stations will hack it up (like they did with November Rain) and come up with a radio friendly version comprised of just the two "easy listening" segments.

Slash looks like the missing sixth member of the Jackson 5 in that shot... weird.

The dude in the Yankees hat is Joey Fatone formerly of NSYNC. My sources have confirmed him as the 3rd guitarist for the upcoming tour. Apparently Richard Fortus was instrumental in getting him on board.

"Nice!!!! thanks man ...you guys think Axl's been hitting that

Kannon."

No way. Axl takes his women super-model skinny. Don't get me wrong though... she's cute.

He looks good/great. He can take the stage looking like that and not take any shit. In '02 he had a bit of a "what the hell happened to him?"/Michael Jackson type thing going on. I think the various surgeries, botox and physical training/diet have all taken hold now... I think he pretty much looks like the UYI Axl a couple years later on or whatever.

All I know is that the silence from the Slash camp is officially DEAFENING. Where is that statement he was going to release and how come he hasn't been quoted about the new VR album in months?

Excellent initial post. A player like Slash is the one thing the new band lacks... and it would get the fans and media of Axl's back... let's face it... beyond us diehards... no one else gives a damn just as long as Axl and Slash are back together... most people would go to a Guns' show and figure Tommy Stinson was Duff and Fortus was Izzy anyway... Also, CD would be GUARANTEED HUGE... which would get the record execs. off Axl's ass too.

The only thing I conclude from the Duff article above is that Duff, Scott and Matt are all still in VR... and that VR... in some form... will carry on. Frankly, the stuff Duff is talking about doesn't sound anything like Slash would be into at all... in fact, it almost sounds like ideas you would throw around if you knew that your star lead guitarist was no longer in the band... do you think if given a choice... Slash would rather try to write riffs to a Prince concept album produced by a hip hop star... OR... come up with riffs for CITR, TWAT, IRS and tour around with the biggest rock band in the world and be a part of rock history?

By my count... that gives us Rose, Fortus, Stinson and Reed confirmed for this summer... haven't been able to track down anything about Finck (he could give Axl lessons on being a recluse), Brain, Pitman or a 3rd guitarist....

Seriously... I'm sure Axl packs more lovin' into single months than we'll see in our entire careers...

The guy's a legend and he's rich as fuck... I don't think he's strugglin'...

Over at HTGTH Jarmo is reporting that he's received some kind of independent verification from management that Tommy's GN'R obligations take priority over SA- and that he'll basically help out with SA's tour only when schedules permit... mgmt (according to Jarmo) is definitely saying that Tommy is in GN'R and will be on tour with the band this summer.

Strange... the only thing I can think of is that Axl is throwing Tommy a bone for being so loyal through the years and letting him collect on some SA pay days before the GN'R tour. Otherwise, this is a bad sign.

Odd that Dizzy gets his ass hauled off the Hn'B tour and is told to be at rehearsals, but Tommy is rehearsing with another band that will be touring Europe at the same time as Guns!?? And isn't Tommy supposed to be "The General" when it comes to GN'R rehearsals these days!?!

I'm gradually getting back to my premise of a few weeks ago... count on Axl, Dizzy and Fortus in Europe... rest of the line-up?! Who the hell knows...

I'm speculating here... but I don't think Axl is particularly fond of or proud of much of the UYI material... at least that's the vibe I picked up from the Loder interview in '99 and the setlists from the 01-02 shows. I believe the only UYI material we heard was You Could Be Mine, November Rain, Live and Let Die and Knockin' on Heaven's Door (two of which are covers). I'm sure Axl probably still loves Civil War, Estranged and Coma- but those are extremely difficult songs to pull off live and are kind of "set eaters" in terms of time.

Don't Cry is an interesting possibility. Perhaps it's "retired" when things aren't going well with Izzy... but if they're on friendly terms (as it seems they are)... maybe Axl would break it out as kind of a tribute or something. It's a "can't lose" song live for the new band... the crowd will go nuts, it doesn't seem that hard to play and it doesn't take that long to perform. I wouldn't rule it out.

I think everything else off UYI, TSI, as well as, Anything Goes, You're Crazy (both versions), and all of Lies (with the exception of Patience) is off the list too.

Anyway, for it to be a GN'R show... you HAVE to have: WTTJ, It's So Easy, Nightrain, Brownstone, PC, SCOM, Rocket Queen, Patience, YCBM, LALD, NR and KOHD. If you have to cover all that territory and still feature the new material... you really don't have time for obscure UYI, TSI or Lies tracks...

I just hope it's something they've been looking at and considering for quite some time. The idea that the clock is ticking down on Lisbon and they still haven't found anybody would scare the sh1t out of me. I think just about any great guitarist you name would at least be curious about replacing Buckethead in GN'R... but you would have to contact them early enough so that they could make arrangements. You can't just ring up John 5 in the middle of the Zombie tour and a month or two before his debut album with Loser and say "come join GN'R" and EXPECT that it could work out. Maybe it still could... but your chances are much lower.

Anyway, I don't think Axl will take the stage without a big name lead guitarist alongside him... the tendancy of the media and fans alike to compare everything to the "Slash days" is too strong... I like Finck and Fortus... but marching them out there to be compared against 87-93 GN'R is suicide... this band needs a virtuoso.

Though an interesting idea.... let's face facts. Axl obviously doesn't dig the guy or think he brings anything to the table with regards to new GN'R... throw in the fact that 15 minutes after this guy left GN'R the first time.... they became the freaking Rolling Stones.... I'd say Tracii's chances are next to nil. Might as well be campaigning for C.C. Deville.

Next.

John-5 also has his own band called "Loser". Their debut album will be released in May or June. So the chance that he will tour with GnR is 0.0001 %.

True. He's extremely busy... but I think he would put his Loser plans on hold in a second if contacted to join GN'R. He'll sell 10x the amount of Loser records if he's the new lead guitarist for Guns.

Seems unlikely that it's John-5 though considering that he was on tour with Zombie last week and there are rumors that the new player was rehearsing with the new band last week...

So far the only "hints" on the boards that we've gotten that I can remember are:

(1) someone from the New York area;

(2) someone closer in vibe and feel to Robin Finck than Buckethead;

(3) someone who would have been available to rehearse as of last week.

I don't know... Tracii can be outspoken and difficult at times... not sure if that's a good fit with Axl at this point in time... let's face it... if this shit's going to come off... Axl basically needs a band of 100% professionals that aren't going to stir any shit and make it very easy for Axl to show up night-in and night-out and do his job. A Michael Angelo Batio or Brian May much more fits that mold than Tracii Guns, Slash, or Buckethead for that matter...

I'll take Nightrain with the new band (+Buckethead) over the old band... that's how much I respect Buckethead's work on that song. Hopefully Axl & Co. can dig up another virtuoso to play alongside Robin...

HAHAhahaha WTF - that's the most fucked up comment yet on this board. Nightrain is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs ever recorded and Slash n Izzy fucking wailed on it both in the studio and live. I piss on Buckethead, his brutal gimmicks and his widdly widlly scientific guitar schlock. Buddy, go jerk off to your Vai and Malmsteen discs and leave the REAL rock n roll to those that understand and appreciate it. Prefer the new band's version!!!!!! ROFL what a douche

So I'm thinking you disagree... fair enough. No insults required.

In the meantime though... and go find a hobby. What a loser. Newsflash... you're not the guardian and keeper of the original band's legacy. Quit the vicarious existence... you're not going to be partying with Slash and Izzy this weekend.

I like Finck... not sure if he can shoulder being THE lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses though... and Axl doesn't seem to be either... it does drive me crazy that he seems to play every 5th note off-key when he plays the old stuff... not sure if he's screwing up or that's just his style... but I don't think it shows much respect to Slash's material. Buckethead on the other hand struck a brilliant balance (to my ears) of being extremely faithful and respectful of Slash's legendary solos... and then taking them even a step further by adding some additional speed or further developed sounds... I'll take Nightrain with the new band (+Buckethead) over the old band... that's how much I respect Buckethead's work on that song. Hopefully Axl & Co. can dig up another virtuoso to play alongside Robin...

If there can't be a reunion.... I much prefer Slash (as well as Duff and Matt) to be in a band like VR where he'll at least get some of the exposure and recognition he deserves... I just hope he can stop Weiland from putting out a fvcking dance album...

An "Axl Rose representative" is getting close to confirmation... but I still want to hear something from Axl or Merck about all this...

The annoying thing is that I'm ready to support whoever takes the damn stage... I'd just like to know who I'm supposed to get excited about though a little bit beforehand...