Tidbit about the break up

[Vincent Vega]

On 4/20/1995, the day after the Oklahoma City Bombing, Axl and Slash were in two separate places. Axl was still not really over the break up with Stephanie, and he was in litigation her and Erin--n court. Slash was giving a radio interview

Here was Axl: "'I was sitting in my litigation with my ex-wife, and it was the day after the bombing,'' Rose remembers with a wince. ''We had a break, and I'm sitting with my attorneys with a sort of smile on my face, more like a nervous thing - it was like, 'Forgive me, people, I'm having trouble taking this seriously.' It's just ironic that we're sitting there and this person is spewing all kinds of things and 168 people just got killed. And this person I'm sitting there with, she don't care. Obliterating me is their goal.""

Now, Axl was dealing with immense shit in court with the both of them. Here's how Slash felt about Axl's emotions and what he was going through, same day as Axl was sitting in court:

Slash: ''At one point he said he was gonna a solo project, then he decided his solo-project he could do with Guns, which I was like, after doing all those videos and this and that and the other, I was like: "No". [laughs] No, I don't wanna get involved in any kind of Stephanie Seymour ballads or any of that shit." (Slash, Canadian Radio, 04/20/95)

So, Axl's in court, dealing with the bombing and how it effected him, and having his break up with Stephanie and with Erin shoved in his face again--Two women he once loved assailing him in court (And they had been in court since 1993, so this was TWO YEARS) and Slash thought it was funny to mock Axl's material as "Stephanie Seymour ballads."

[SunnyDRE]

this is a reach..

[Vincent Vega]

this is a reach..

It has no direct bearing on the break up; It's just ironic.

Slash is so passive aggressive. Remember, in April '95 Slash was still in Guns, and he's OPENLY mocking Axl's material and the shit that he's going through? I'm sure Slash knew about Axl's feelings on Stephanie, or the fact that for the last two years he and Stephanie were in court. It was a little insensitive in retrospect on Slash's part.

[Cdlove]

Those "Stephanie Seymour ballads" ended up being some of the best songs of all time. Great job on making yourself look like a dumbass Slash.

[Encore]

his pain, our gain

[WhazUp]

this topic is not going to end well...

[KBear]

Those "Stephanie Seymour ballads" ended up being some of the best songs of all time. Great job on making yourself look like a dumbass Slash.

He didn't say they were shitty songs. Only that that isn't the kind of music he wanted to make at the time.

And they probably were Stephanie Seymour ballads. I don't know if that is mocking Axl, or just stating a fact. He shouldn't have said what he did on air though, even if it was surely out of frustration. By 1995 I'm sure he and Axl already hated each other. And what do you do when you feel that kind of emotion. You end up saying things you regret.

This type of shit has gone on in bands like Metallica and Aerosmith and on and on.. Difference is that those guys recognized they were ultimately great together found a way to keep it going. GN'R let all that petty schoolyard bullshit end the most badass band going.

Edited November 11, 2010 by KBear

[Vincent Vega]

Those "Stephanie Seymour ballads" ended up being some of the best songs of all time. Great job on making yourself look like a dumbass Slash.

He didn't say they were shitty songs. Only that that isn't the kind of music he wanted to make at the time.

And they probably were Stephanie Seymour ballads. I don't know if that is mocking Axl, or just stating a fact. He shouldn't have said what he did on air though, even if it was surely out of frustration. By 1995 I'm sure he and Axl already hated each other. And what do you do when you feel that kind of emotion. You end up saying things you regret.

This type of shit has gone on in bands like Metallica and Aerosmith and on and on.. Difference is that those guys recognized they were ultimately great together found a way to keep it going. GN'R let all that petty schoolyard bullshit end the most badass band going.

In the same interview, he outrightly bashes Axl by saying Axl is a rockstar in his own mind as much as he is in the press.

In yet another interview from the same year, he said "Guns is (Axl's) solo project" to Axl

In yet another interview from '95, he called Axl a "diva."

And Slash was still in the band in 1995, and was even meeting with Axl after this. Slash didn't leave the band--both officially and in fact--until October '96.

He and Axl were still having meetings and sessions until August '96, according to Duff at the time. Duff claimed he was on his way to rehersal with Axl, Slash, and Matt in an August 1996 interview.

So unless Slash and Duff were lying at the time, Slash was still in Guns and actively talking to Axl as of August 1996 at the latest.

"Axl and I have been meeting recently and everythings progressing." (Slash chat, 07/30/96)

"Axl and I are having a very civil relationship as we speak." (Slash chat, 07/30/96)

"I really have no idea what's goin on with the next GNR cd. I still haven't played with them yet." (Slash chat, 07/30/96)

"'I've been going to see Axl a little bit to try and get things rolling again,' says McKagan. 'Matt's gonna start coming down, and we'll see how it works out. It's always kind of like that, trying to start.' Note: an insider source says that Axl Rose has apparently done a few practices since this interview. (Hypno Magazine, 1996)

"Axl and I could've done this sooner, if we'd just made a few compromises. But I guess that when bands get so big indecision becomes everything." (Slash, Kerrang, 09/21/96)

"We'll see where it goes. I haven't rehearsed with them, or even been in the same room with them, since before the Snakepit record came out (in February´95)." (Slash, Kerrang, 09/21/96)

"[slash] also enthuses about the new material Guns N' Roses have been writing. Apperently, the band members are currently trading tapes amongst themselves [before the actual recording sessions]. "It's amazing stuff," he says." (Slash, Kerrang, 09/21/96)

"Axl is rhythym guitar on his own songs for the time being." (Slash chat, 07/30/96)

"For the last couple of years, [Axl] started to go, 'Okay, I'm going to play guitar and actually learn what these notes are.' It's an innocent guitar, not unlike Izzy (Stradlin, ex-GN'R guitarist) was, but Axl's got a lot more musically than Izzy ever did.'" (Duff, Addicted to Noise, 08/30/96)

"Right now, he's playing guitar and it's like he plays that instrument for 10 years." (Matt, 1996)

"As far as I know, Axl's intention is not to be the rhythm guitar player." (Slash, 10/18/96)

"I went back to Guns for like 12 rehearsals on the forthcoming Guns N' Roses record to re-establish the band and where it was headed," Slash said." (Slash, Addicted to Noise, 11/01/96)

"Guns N' Roses is back working together again, according to bassist Duff McKagan. [...] "We've been in for two weeks as a full band with Slash and Axl (Rose) and me ([...] Dizzy Reed is also back [...]), and we go from midnight to five in the morning," McKagan said from L.A." (Duff, Addicted to Noise, 08/30/96)

"With Guns, there's no problems with material. The problem has always been getting us in the same room. So now that we're in there, it's rockin'." (Duff, Addicted to Noise, 08/30/96)

"It's fun and the energy is there," [Duff] said only hours before joining Axl Rose, Slash, Matt Sorum and rhythm guitarist Paul Huge at a GN'R rehearsal and writing session." (Duff, Metal Edge, 11/96)

"Sorum reports in the last week that Slash has been rehearsing with G N' R bassist Duff McKagan (who plays guitar in Neurotic Outsiders), Rose, Reed and "an anonymous guitar player" who may or may not be Clarke's replacement, and Sorum. 'It sounds like the band again. Everybody's in good shape and Duff's looking really good and healthy. It was good that we took the time off, because at the end of the tour Duff was one foot in the grave. I mean it was like we were all drugged out. We just all stepped back out of the whole rock and roll debauchery for a while and just sort of mellowed.'" (Matt, Toronto Sun, 09/04/96)

"[Gilby's replacement is an] unknown. But I can't tell you his name because I don't know if he will tour with us." (Matt, 1996)

"The songs are really good, and I have a good vibe about it. I wouldn't want to go out and do a bad Guns N' Roses record." (Slash, Kerrang, 09/21/96)

"We have been doing mostly Axl's material." (Slash chat, 10/16/96)

"Even if we don't sell any copy of the next album, I will be very proud of what we did. But I don't worry about it, I know that what we are doing right now is great. [...] We are working on rock songs that last only 4 minutes (laughs). We already did 7 songs and we will write 7 others. [...] It will be a single album with 10 or 12 songs." (Matt, 1996)

"The record will be all up-tempo rock songs ("No ballads," McKagan said firmly) and it will be just 12 songs, with a release planned for next spring." (Duff, Addicted to Noise, 08/30/96)

"It's gonna be an angry record, but that's what we were built on." (Kerrang, 09/21/96)

"This is not as sophisticated as Illusion, but not as wild as Appetite. It's in the middle. Maybe more groovy. Musically, we are all better. I never heard Duff play like that." (Matt, 1996)

"I would like it to be hard-edged like Appetite, but at this moment in time I have no idea what direction it's going in." (Slash chat, 10/16/96)

"3 years ago, I had a real role to play. Now it's between Axl and Slash. It's working well, so it's cool." (Matt, 1996)

"Rather than having the Neurotic Outsiders spell death for that band, apparently Sorum and McKagan are now set to return to the Gunners' fold hoping to complete a new disc by years end." (Hit Parader, October 1996)

"H.R.: Duff told us that the deadline is for Spring 97...

Matt: Absolutely! We want to tour next summer. [...] And now, we work together and an album will be released in 97." (Matt, 1996)

H.R.: What do you think about (Snakepit)?

Matt: There was some good songs, but it wasn't a band effort, it was Slash's songs. It had nothing to do with 5 guys working hard in a studio, what we are doing with Guns right now. When Slash says "I'd like to work on that riff" and Duff answers "Yeah, let's work on it", it's really GNR. This has nothing to do with "This is a Slash song, you will play like that and Axl will sing like that". (Sounds like "Shut up and sing" to me)

"We're definitely getting geared up to do another record," says Sorum, who brings his all-star side band, Neurotic Outsiders, to the Warehouse on Sunday. "We're already starting to make tour plans. We've got a possible tour starting in South America in January and then we're going to stop and finish the record and probably tour next summer." (Matt, Toronto Sun, 09/04/96)

"Me and Duff are flying back to LA 'cause we're rehearsing with GN'R every night. [...] And now that we got this band together, GN'R decides: "Ok, we're gonna do a record". So, hopefully, you know, we're gonna come out with a GN'R record soon as well. It's kinda thrown a little bit of a quality problem in the Neurotic Outsiders because, you know, we got a lot going on, me and Duff. And... [...] [Neurotic Outsiders] is single most responsible for putting GN'R and the Pistols back together, maybe." (Matt, Rockline, 09/09/96)

"I think Neurotic Outsiders is single-handedly responsible for Guns N' Roses being reunited," says Sorum. "It seems like every time something good starts happening, I get a phone call from Axl, `We're going to start rehearsing tomorrow.' But seriously, when Axl heard that me and Duff had gone out and gotten this multi-million-dollar record deal and we're going to go out on the road, he started getting a little nervous." (Matt, Toronto Sun, 09/04/96)

Edited November 11, 2010 by Indigo Child

[KBear]

Wow dude, I'm not going to read every quote you just posted. I know when Slash left the band. But his leaving didn't just happen overnight the way some Axl obsessed fans spin it (Slash just up and walked one morning, almost as careless as deciding what shirt to wear that day). The bad blood was simmering for years and by 1995 matters were clearly coming to a head. Do the Slash comments you brought up in this thread sound like they are coming from a guy who was happy in his current situation?

Edited November 11, 2010 by KBear

[Vincent Vega]

Wow dude, I'm not going to read every quote you just posted. I know when Slash left the band. But his leaving didn't just happen overnight the way some Axl obsessed fans spin it (Slash just up and walked one morning, almost as careless as deciding what shirt to wear that day). The bad blood was simmering for years and by 1995 matters were clearly coming to a head. Do the Slash comments you brought up in this thread sound like they are coming from a guy who was happy in his current situation?

Not really, but his quotes kind of alternated with whatever day it was like now.

He's never really kept a consistent narrative. The basic story has stayed kinda the same, but never the details.

For example..First, Slash never visited Axl's house. Then he did, and was drunk. Then he did, and dropped off a note to sort things out, while drunk.

Kind of like how Slash claims in July '96 he and Axl's relationship is going pretty well. Then in January '97 he claims he and Axl are just having their usual arguments, even though HE was the one who quit and Axl called everyone Slash knew to convince him to come back, and he wouldn't (as he claims in his autobiography). .

Then for the next few years in interviews he claims he's only a phone call away if Axl wants him back. He said this as late as 1999, that if Axl wanted him back he just needed to call and ask him. Yet in Slash's autobiography, he makes it seem like Axl practically begged for him to come back, and Slash said no.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Indigo Child

[Dead Flower]

I knew This I Love was to blame.

[Vincent Vega]

I knew This I Love was to blame.

Well, that was Slash's story in April '95. Axl wanted to do Stephanie Seymour ballads. Slash turned that down.

Then you have him later saying Axl wanted to be Pearl Jam. (And GASP! Slash later goes on to team up with a GRUNGE frontman) And Slash turned that down too.

Then he wanted to do Industrial.

Then Axl wanted GN'R to do that totally overproduced MTV Unplugged thing (How horrible!) in the mid '90s when that was pretty huge. Even Page and Plant went on that, but that was just too good for Slash, right? Totally un-rock N' Roll, unlike going on American Idol or playing with Fergie.

Then evil Axl brought in totally Industrial, anti Slash guitarist Zakk Wylde just to upset poor Slash.

Then you have Gilby saying that Slash (and Mutt) have a separate idea for Guns' next album than Axl and Duff.

Then Axl wanted Slash's down and dirty AFD style Snakepit songs. Wait a second..I thought he wanted to do Industrial? What the hell? An apparently he asked to work on 4 Snakepit songs, and Slash said fuck you, took them and ran out on tour. The Slash narrative is getting a little weird here.

Then you have Matt and Duff claiming that the songs they were doing in the mid 90s were all uptempo rock songs.

Then you have Slash claiming in his autobiography (contradicting his own earlier words) that he was willing to do an Industrial album or whatever Axl wanted to try.

And the narrative keeps changing so Axl can be the big meanie Hitler type and Slash the innocent, childlike victim of Axl's diabolical plans.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Indigo Child

[FuddMckagan]

Keep in mind that Axl changed his words on numerous occasions too. There was an interview with Axl somewhere in 1993 or 94, saying how "The guys in the band loved "My World", so I'd like to do something along those lines" In the Rockline interview he was alluding to the idea of a solo album. Obviously that didn't happen.

It is well known that Axl wanted to go in not necessarily a more "industrial" direction, but in a more contemporary and more pro tooled direction. Not only Slash has said this, but everyone in the band at the time.

Then in whatever time he did that Kurt Loader interview, he said he wanted to do a "Slash style record". Well...no, he didn't.

And as I've said before about the Snakepit thing, yes Axl did want 3 or 4 songs back. Unfortunately they were already recorded and ready to be put out on the Snakepit album. Too late on Axl's part.

[Dead Flower]

I knew This I Love was to blame.

Well, that was Slash's story in April '95. Axl wanted to do Stephanie Seymour ballads. Slash turned that down.

Then you have him later saying Axl wanted to be Pearl Jam. (And GASP! Slash later goes on to team up with a GRUNGE frontman) And Slash turned that down too.

Then he wanted to do Industrial.

Then Axl wanted GN'R to do that totally overproduced MTV Unplugged thing (How horrible!) in the mid '90s when that was pretty huge. Even Page and Plant went on that, but that was just too good for Slash, right? Totally un-rock N' Roll, unlike going on American Idol or playing with Fergie.

Then evil Axl brought in totally Industrial, anti Slash guitarist Zakk Wylde just to upset poor Slash.

Then you have Gilby saying that Slash (and Mutt) have a separate idea for Guns' next album than Axl and Duff.

Then Axl wanted Slash's down and dirty AFD style Snakepit songs. Wait a second..I thought he wanted to do Industrial? What the hell? An apparently he asked to work on 4 Snakepit songs, and Slash said fuck you, took them and ran out on tour. The Slash narrative is getting a little weird here.

Then you have Matt and Duff claiming that the songs they were doing in the mid 90s were all uptempo rock songs.

Then you have Slash claiming in his autobiography (contradicting his own earlier words) that he was willing to do an Industrial album or whatever Axl wanted to try.

And the narrative keeps changing so Axl can be the big meanie Hitler type and Slash the innocent, childlike victim of Axl's diabolical plans.

How many people do you have chopped up in your freezer at the moment?

[bacardimayne]

I knew This I Love was to blame.

Well, that was Slash's story in April '95. Axl wanted to do Stephanie Seymour ballads. Slash turned that down.

Then you have him later saying Axl wanted to be Pearl Jam. (And GASP! Slash later goes on to team up with a GRUNGE frontman) And Slash turned that down too.

Then he wanted to do Industrial.

Then Axl wanted GN'R to do that totally overproduced MTV Unplugged thing (How horrible!) in the mid '90s when that was pretty huge. Even Page and Plant went on that, but that was just too good for Slash, right? Totally un-rock N' Roll, unlike going on American Idol or playing with Fergie.

Then evil Axl brought in totally Industrial, anti Slash guitarist Zakk Wylde just to upset poor Slash.

Then you have Gilby saying that Slash (and Mutt) have a separate idea for Guns' next album than Axl and Duff.

Then Axl wanted Slash's down and dirty AFD style Snakepit songs. Wait a second..I thought he wanted to do Industrial? What the hell? An apparently he asked to work on 4 Snakepit songs, and Slash said fuck you, took them and ran out on tour. The Slash narrative is getting a little weird here.

Then you have Matt and Duff claiming that the songs they were doing in the mid 90s were all uptempo rock songs.

Then you have Slash claiming in his autobiography (contradicting his own earlier words) that he was willing to do an Industrial album or whatever Axl wanted to try.

And the narrative keeps changing so Axl can be the big meanie Hitler type and Slash the innocent, childlike victim of Axl's diabolical plans.

its axls fault

dumpass

shut up

[Dead Flower]

at the end of the day, slash left the band.

slash, the dude who loves money and fame, left the mega-popular, multi-million dollar cash cow that was/is guns n roses. a band that he helped create and make famous with his signature guitar playing and iconic guitar god image.

so just imagine how much shit he must have been eating all those years for that to finally happen.

but, hey, build a stockpile of contradictory quotes from the thousands of interviews slash has done over a couple of decades. i could go through each one and offer a slashite point of view, but why bother? it's not like the press are gonna read this shit and stop the axl=insane/slash=cool point of view they've been running with since forever.

[Vincent Vega]

at the end of the day, slash left the band.

slash, the dude who loves money and fame, left the mega-popular, multi-million dollar cash cow that was/is guns n roses. a band that he helped create and make famous with his signature guitar playing and iconic guitar god image.

so just imagine how much shit he must have been eating all those years for that to finally happen.

but, hey, build a stockpile of contradictory quotes from the thousands of interviews slash has done over a couple of decades. i could go through each one and offer a slashite point of view, but why bother? it's not like the press are gonna read this shit and stop the axl=insane/slash=cool point of view they've been running with since forever.

I wish you'd just admit you hate Axl already.

We get it. You're not a Guns fan. You just like Slash.

[KBear]

Keep in mind that Axl changed his words on numerous occasions too. There was an interview with Axl somewhere in 1993 or 94, saying how "The guys in the band loved "My World", so I'd like to do something along those lines" In the Rockline interview he was alluding to the idea of a solo album. Obviously that didn't happen.

It is well known that Axl wanted to go in not necessarily a more "industrial" direction, but in a more contemporary and more pro tooled direction. Not only Slash has said this, but everyone in the band at the time.

Then in whatever time he did that Kurt Loader interview, he said he wanted to do a "Slash style record". Well...no, he didn't.

And as I've said before about the Snakepit thing, yes Axl did want 3 or 4 songs back. Unfortunately they were already recorded and ready to be put out on the Snakepit album. Too late on Axl's part.

Unfortunately, you cannot seize on any quote(s) from anyone in the band and say for certain that that is how it all went down. There are too many inconsistencies for that to be possible. Whether they come from spin, or drugs/booze, or just too much time passing to remember all the details, or whatever. Though if I trust anyone's take it would be Izzy, then Matt and Duff.

Slash and Axl have too much invested in their little feud to consider eithers comments as reliable. I've tended to side more with Slash, for the reason that just about everyone in the world not named Axl Rose gets on fine with him. And also what DF said, that Slash must have gone through so much crap to finally decide to leave the band. It doesn't make sense otherwise. Plus we've got tons of reports of Axl being tough to deal with, from both within the band and outside of it. People can analyze all the quotes they want to, and I've read most of them myself. But look at the big picture and just be logical about it. We will never know what is true and what isn't within all the little details. Not even the guys that were there remember half the stuff that was said.

[Dead Flower]

I wish you'd just admit you hate Axl already.

We get it. You're not a Guns fan. You just like Slash.

Meltdown post.

Not a Guns fan? Fuck off.

[The Glow Inc.]

As far as I'm concerned, both Axl and Slash sound like douchebags...

[moreblack]

I wish you'd just admit you hate Axl already.

We get it. You're not a Guns fan. You just like Slash.

Meltdown post.

Not a Guns fan? Fuck off.

you can almost see the veins on the neck sticking out reading them posts...

[dalsh327]

at the end of the day, slash left the band.

slash, the dude who loves money and fame, left the mega-popular, multi-million dollar cash cow that was/is guns n roses. a band that he helped create and make famous with his signature guitar playing and iconic guitar god image.

so just imagine how much shit he must have been eating all those years for that to finally happen.

but, hey, build a stockpile of contradictory quotes from the thousands of interviews slash has done over a couple of decades. i could go through each one and offer a slashite point of view, but why bother? it's not like the press are gonna read this shit and stop the axl=insane/slash=cool point of view they've been running with since forever.

He figured out how to continue on making music. Things have to be seriously bad to get off the moneymaking machine that GNR turned into.

[Izzy_Stradlin_XX]

I just don't get them...

Wtf. One time slash says this, the other time slash says the opposite.

He's must be realy fucked up because Axl's filling Stadiums and Pavillions with "GN'R" and he's playing for (maximum) 2000 people.

I would be too.

[moreblack]

yeah, he must be furious about that

[Vincent Vega]

Indigo give up trying to stoke the flames of hate towards Slash mate and move on with your life...Axl and Slash have......................

It's only OK to stir up hate towards Axl on these forums, right?

Edited November 23, 2010 by Indigo Child