I kinda miss it when Axl was in hiding

[saint_seiya]

I miss the days when our heads had created a kind of mythic persona about axl during his silent days before he was on twitter post chinese democracy release. Im so glad i saw the band in 2006.

[Chloe]

LOLWUT

[PITBOSS]

yeah we'd rather talk about his moustache than him communicating through twitter or facebook.

[jekylhyde]

I don't.

[maynard]

I was thinking about something similar watching some RiR 3 videos. I don't miss the time Axl was hiding, I was just observing his attitude from that time.

In Rio 2001, Axl looked more down to Earth, more humble. We could feel it in his speeches. There was no hate (except the fan thing during ISE), in fact, there was some gratitude and kindness in his words towards the fans.

That show was very emotional and that day made me really love GnR, specially that band.

I'm not saying he's changed since then but I really liked that down to Earth Axl, he looked "clean". He wasn't covered with hats, sunglasses and jackets.

You may think it's bullshit but it's the feeling I get from watching footage from 2001 and 2002. He was always joking on stage and making funny voices, he looked more friendly and I'm a big fan of that era.

[Guest]

I was thinking about something similar watching some RiR 3 videos. I don't miss the time Axl was hiding, I was just observing his attitude from that time.

In Rio 2001, Axl looked more down to Earth, more humble. We could feel it in his speeches. There was no hate (except the fan thing during ISE), in fact, there was some gratitude and kindness in his words towards the fans.

That show was very emotional and that day made me really love GnR, specially that band.

I'm not saying he's changed since then but I really liked that down to Earth Axl, he looked "clean". He wasn't covered with hats, sunglasses and jackets.

You may think it's bullshit but it's the feeling I get from watching footage from 2001 and 2002. He was always joking on stage and making funny voices, he looked more friendly and I'm a big fan of that era.

Although I'd agree his 'style' was a lot cleaner then, I wouldn't say he was actually friendlier then. There were numerous rants during that tour that made it perfectly clear he's very bitter about the old band.

He jokes a lot nowadays too and has been quite civil about the old band (duff touring) and I would say that he's a much friendlier person post-CD than pre-CD imo.

[ITW 2012]

You may think it's bullshit but it's the feeling I get from watching footage from 2001 and 2002. He was always joking on stage and making funny voices, he looked more friendly and I'm a big fan of that era.

Plus, he had that mysterious Bucketed gunslinger by his side. That sure was one helluva band Axl had in 2002.

[maynard]

I was thinking about something similar watching some RiR 3 videos. I don't miss the time Axl was hiding, I was just observing his attitude from that time.

In Rio 2001, Axl looked more down to Earth, more humble. We could feel it in his speeches. There was no hate (except the fan thing during ISE), in fact, there was some gratitude and kindness in his words towards the fans.

That show was very emotional and that day made me really love GnR, specially that band.

I'm not saying he's changed since then but I really liked that down to Earth Axl, he looked "clean". He wasn't covered with hats, sunglasses and jackets.

You may think it's bullshit but it's the feeling I get from watching footage from 2001 and 2002. He was always joking on stage and making funny voices, he looked more friendly and I'm a big fan of that era.

Although I'd agree his 'style' was a lot cleaner then, I wouldn't say he was actually friendlier then. There were numerous rants during that tour that made it perfectly clear he's very bitter about the old band.

He jokes a lot nowadays too and has been quite civil about the old band (duff touring) and I would say that he's a much friendlier person post-CD than pre-CD imo.

yeah, i guess it was just the way he looked and rir3 being his second show in a long long time. still, a big fan of that line-up.

[vaida]

I miss the days when our heads had created a kind of mythic persona about axl during his silent days before he was on twitter post chinese democracy release. Im so glad i saw the band in 2006.

Like they say, silence is golden. The constant statements have become somewhat dull.

[Nosaj Thing]

:sleeper:

[wasted]

Twitter, Moustaches and the Myths that made Chinese Democracy.

[Orsys]

Proof that Axl cannot win no matter what he does.

[Estranged Reality]

Proof that Axl cannot win no matter what he does.

you know, in a weird way i sort of understand the OP's point. as much as we all complained about axl's lack of silence in the old days - even after the '02 'comeback' he still remained pretty elusive and quiet - in the end it helped build up part of his kinda mythical and mercurial persona.

it's great that he's talking and making more public appearances now! it's part of the reason, i think, he perceived less of an overall negative reaction to his RRHoF letter. axl went from being the guy who it was cool to hate on, to being sort of the underdog again in a weird way. people like to be contrary and it became such a standard thing to hate on axl, that now a lot of public figures - and i think it was started by hipster types such as chuck klosterman - defend him.

it's like a weird vicious cycle. but i do know what the OP means. it was oddly fascinating when axl was silent all those years because we built up all these kind of expectations and ideas and perceived him a certain way. that was a certain era and even the forum was so different then.

i look back on it fondly which is odd because at the time it all seemed so depressing.

[wasted]

the past always seems better the present.

[Flayer]

Proof that Axl cannot win no matter what he does.

In troper terms:

They Changed It Now It Sucks

Its The Same Now It Sucks

[drtydane]

I've seen gnr a bunch since 2002 and I gutta admit, the boston 02 show def had the most excitment/mystery to it. And I saw Roseland 2012 and the 4th Hammerstein show. Gotta say tho, my fav nu gnr experience is still the first. I even miss the braided look he had then.

His voice was also a.bit Mickey mouseish, but it was powerful. I loved the blues from boston and Pittsburgh on that tour. Great stuff.

Edited April 19, 2012 by drtydane

[Flayer]

Proof that Axl cannot win no matter what he does.

In troper terms:

They Changed It Now It Sucks

Its The Same Now It Sucks

Just wasted an hour of my morning when I'm supposed to be writing a paper because I stayed on TVTropes after going there to link those pages...fuck that site so hard.

[Guest ben9785]

I miss the days when our heads had created a kind of mythic persona about axl during his silent days before he was on twitter post chinese democracy release. Im so glad i saw the band in 2006.

I know what you mean and agree with you in some way. It could be because I was very fond of the lineup, with Finck, Buckethead and so on, and also because everything was surrounded by mystery, trying to figure out Axl's mindset and his intentions, waiting for signs of "Chinese Democracy", and then you had those articles from the likes of Rolling Stones trying to piece together his 'lost years'. He was out there but you were still trying to come to terms that the name "Guns N Roses" which was so familiar to everyone was also a reinvention, completely new, and of course Axl coming back into the public arena after so many years.

[Allanfan20]

He is always in hiding.

[Young_Gun]

Be careful what you wish for. I'm sure it would have sucked BIG TIME during the 1995-2000 and 2003-2005 years. Maybe looking back you can think "oh that was mythical in a Led Zeppelin way" but in reality if you were to relive that, I think it would suck not hearing a word about or from Axl.

[dalsh327]

I miss the days when our heads had created a kind of mythic persona about axl during his silent days before he was on twitter post chinese democracy release. Im so glad i saw the band in 2006.

I know what you mean and agree with you in some way. It could be because I was very fond of the lineup, with Finck, Buckethead and so on, and also because everything was surrounded by mystery, trying to figure out Axl's mindset and his intentions, waiting for signs of "Chinese Democracy", and then you had those articles from the likes of Rolling Stones trying to piece together his 'lost years'. He was out there but you were still trying to come to terms that the name "Guns N Roses" which was so familiar to everyone was also a reinvention, completely new, and of course Axl coming back into the public arena after so many years.

Maybe the mystery is better than the reality of what he was doing? I'd actually want to hear about the mundane shit like going to a Trader Joes to do his own shopping or Home Depot because he got into gardening. I remember Duff writing about not knowing how to operate a washing machine. Road life spoils some people, because they have everything taken care of for them. I'd like to know if he gained any self-sufficiency, because that's when someone doesn't have to be dependent on anyone, and can just take off to parts unknown. And it sounds like he was doing that frequently. I'm sure if he was going to Sedona, he also made his way to Jerome, Maynard's neck of the woods and chilled out with local artists there. Sometimes in the smaller towns, people aren't into sending shit out to TMZ... which didn't exist at the time Rolling Stone wrote that.

They called George Harrison a recluse, but he made himself known among his neighbors and was into fixing his yard up, producing films and a racing obsessive. The priority of music for him became a lowered one, but all he did was take a 7 year break in the 80s from it. I think he learned how to blend in and how to stand out, but like that photo in Santa Monica shows, he'll just go to a bookstand mid week early in the morning while everyone else is getting ready to go to their jobs. He prob. has his "go to" bars where he can be left alone and slip out when he wants. The pics from Chateau Marmont, they were tipped off, and I'm sure he found it amusing because he's prob. gone there thousands of times and slipped by them.

[PirateChick]

I miss the days when our heads had created a kind of mythic persona about axl during his silent days before he was on twitter post chinese democracy release. Im so glad i saw the band in 2006.

If he was silent you would probably miss the days when he used to talk and tweet

[Georgy Zhukov]

Fuck nostalgia

[Axl_morris]

WOW.

What is up with GNR fans and not being happy with what they got? Axl can never win, and im not surprised he doesn't come on here often.

In fact, when Axl did post here, he got into numerous arguments as he was being slagged off. People think they are die hards here, there just glorified cupcakes.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Axl_morris

[Cosmo]

WTF? 2002 Axl looked like a botox-filled Fred Durst wannabe and sounded like Live at the Joint in his best days!!! The band was tight, that's true. But the setlist was shorter, the chemistry wasn't there, they had a bunch of Pitman effects on SCOM and YCBM, plus Brain's YCBM intro sucked. Best thing was Buckethead and Robin Finck. That's it. And they don't have that stage charisma Ron and Ashba have. IMO, the 2006 nuGnR steps all over 2002 GnR.