Do you think Axl will ever headline a major UK festival again i.e. Download, Reading/Leeds, Glastonbury, Isle of Wight?

[KetchupNotMayo]

This is something that's really not played in Axl's favour in the past, yet they're the biggest opportunities he's had in the last 10 years to really show the world what GN'R is made of, not including CD.

Leeds 2002: Axl is late, infamous rant about council wanting to shut down his show, "he's in my ass, that's where Slash is, fuckhead, go home".

Download 2006: Not sure if band were late or how late they were, hostile crowd bottled band, Tommy threw his bass into the crowd, Axl seemed in a jackass mood until the last few songs, band eventually won crowd over towards the end of the set after a very troubled show.

Reading 2010: Axl late after very specifically being told his show would be cut if not over by curfew time, ignored warnings and went on late anyway, lots of booing and hostility, band eventually cut off and forced to perform Paradise acoustically with a sit-down protest. Axl initially claims they won't be at Leeds if I remember correctly, though the show does go ahead.

The point being, Axl hasn't exactly helped himself on these occasions. Reading/Leeds promoter I believe said he wouldn't book Guns N' Roses again, though don't quote me on that, so that leaves a possible Download return, an Isle of Wight or Sonisphere slot, headlining a smaller festival (unlikely due to the band's ego/status) or, a huge long shot as I don't think the Eavis crew would take any of Axl's shit, playing Glastonbury. Do you think we'll ever see Axl headline a UK festival again, or has he burned every bridge as far as that's concerned?

I ask because these are some of the best opportunities Axl is going to get to win people over. British music festivals are iconic, some of the most popular events in the country and pull in huge crowds. What better way to drag people away from the old argument that the new band is no patch on the old band than to blow them away with a stunning set they likely wouldn't pay to watch at an individual GN'R show due to their attitude. Where would you like to see GN'R headline if they could?

[realpoti]

I don't think so. He fucked up pretty much every chance he had in the past 10 years.

[Cosmo]

If not, not because of the lack of releases, etc.. But because of Reading and RiR 2011.

[maynard]

medina who used to be a big fan said he won't invite them for another rock in rio either....

[Cosmo]

medina who used to be a big fan said he won't invite them for another rock in rio either....

Axl and Medina apologized to each other and are now in peace.

[downzy]

Not without Slash in tow. Can't see it being in the interest of either Axl or festival organizers. It's pretty apparent that Axl likes to have control over matters (ie. when to start, when to end) that are beyond his reach regarding festivals.

Cheers,

Andrew

[Anonymity]

Axl? No. GnR? Fuck yea.

[ohmygod]

You guys are really overestimating the importance of these festival shows.... Actually most people stateside have no clue about these festivals.

[wasted]

Aren't they doing festivals this year?

[dalsh327]

Yes but GNR aren't an outdoor band and have to rely on other people when it comes to some of the show. I think it messes with Axl's "zone" but it's lucrative and hard to just turn something like that down, and it gets the band out to an audience that might just know one or two hits.

But then you get haters and hecklers.

Metallica's doing their own fest, but they're in a place where they could spend and lose money on it, it's more of an experiment for them to see how running a festival goes for them. Next year, different story.

[Bobbo]

Didn't the guy from Reading say he'd only book "GNR" again if it were the original lineup? I could have swore there was an article about it a few months back.

RIR basically said never again too, but I'm betting if it were a reunited GNR it'd be a different scenario.`

[axl8302]

Didn't the guy from Reading say he'd only book "GNR" again if it were the original lineup? I could have swore there was an article about it a few months back.

RIR basically said never again too, but I'm betting if it were a reunited GNR it'd be a different scenario.`

He contradicted himself. At first he said he would definitely book them again and that they were a great band. Then he changed tact and publicly stated that he wouldn't book them again, unless it was the old band. This was probably in response to Axl and Dj's negative comments about him and the festival.

I was there and it sucked. The PA sucked. The crowd sucked.

It's a shitty festival. Reading isn't really GN'R's scene anyway; the audience is far too young and "indie"; they don't give a shit about GN'R regardless of who's in the band.

[blake-a-mania]

Leeds was a badass show (2010) blew everything else away, but the crowd were so shit, I hate the atmosphere around Reading and Leeds it tends to be 80% well off middle class kids, who think they are 'slumming it like hippies' because they are camping, every single one of them wearing a plaid shirt because they are soooo badass..... the rest of the crowd are people from Yorkshire who go because its close