When is it time to let go of a reunion or an older lineup?

[paranoyd androyd]

anyone in their late 30's to early 50's who grew up with the band wants to see a reunion; nostalgia is part of the human condition.

that being said, any reunion performances would likely disappoint a large majority of these same people.

the only way this band could ever truly be reborn is if the original 5 got back together, made new music, and toured.

[Apollo]

Didn't they only play a couple songs off of CD during the last leg of the last tour?

And haven't they been playing CD and SOD for over a decade now?

I think the average was 3-4 during the last leg, but I could be wrong (can't be bothered to check it out), and yes, some songs off CD was played prior to CD. Still, GN'R since the UYI lineup died has released new music and showcased these on tours, hence the argument that they "just do old stuff" is flawed and so is the conclusion.

The Montreal show they played 4 CD songs........one of which they have been playing since 2001. A song that has been played for 13 years is hardly considered "new stuff" and would fall into "old stuff."

The remaining three songs were released in 2008, which is five years ago.

So I guess your standing on the concept of "new" meaning the last thing that the band has released? I guess you "win" that argument then, as they don't "JUST" do old stuff. The last show they played 24 songs and 3 of them were released five years ago (but you consider those new).....so I guess you could say that 88% is old stuff and 12% is new stuff. Though most people don't consider five year old songs as being "new" stuff. Heck, one of those songs was This I Love which was rumored to have been around forever.

This is your doing that weird thing of taking statements to literal. Like when your friend says "I'll be there in a minute".........to you that means they will arrive at your house in exactly 60 seconds. To the rest of the world, we know it means they will be there fairly soon.

GnR hasn't had a new album in five years and there is no new music in sight.

Before that, they haven't had an album of new original music since 1991.

On the last leg of the tour, they were playing 4 songs from CD. One of the songs they've been playing live since 2001.

Nothing new from the band since 2008.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Groghan

[DieselDaisy]

It isn't as if a brand spanking new album came out in 2008 and we are merely in that album's tour's fifth year. Most of Democracy had been leaked by 2006. Some of the songs had been leaked as early as 2001. Also, because the band which recorded Democracy swiftly collapsed, these are cover versions for Ashba, Frank and Bumblefoot - yes I know he managed to slip a few leads on there but it still is not his album, is it? Also, since circa 2011, GN'R tours are promoted as nostalgia tours and not, Chinese Democracy tours. Look at the Vegas artwork which re-uses Williams' Appetite artwork.

[wfuckinga]

It isn't as if a brand spanking new album came out in 2008 and we are merely in that album's tour's fifth year. Most of Democracy had been leaked by 2006. Some of the songs had been leaked as early as 2001. Also, because the band which recorded Democracy swiftly collapsed, these are cover versions for Ashba, Frank and Bumblefoot - yes I know he managed to slip a few leads on there but it still is not his album, is it? Also, since circa 2011, GN'R tours are promoted as nostalgia tours and not, Chinese Democracy tours. Look at the Vegas artwork which re-uses Williams' Appetite artwork.

well that may be because technically the CD tour ended when the UCAP tour started.

[Apollo]

It isn't as if a brand spanking new album came out in 2008 and we are merely in that album's tour's fifth year. Most of Democracy had been leaked by 2006. Some of the songs had been leaked as early as 2001. Also, because the band which recorded Democracy swiftly collapsed, these are cover versions for Ashba, Frank and Bumblefoot - yes I know he managed to slip a few leads on there but it still is not his album, is it? Also, since circa 2011, GN'R tours are promoted as nostalgia tours and not, Chinese Democracy tours. Look at the Vegas artwork which re-uses Williams' Appetite artwork.

well that may be because technically the CD tour ended when the UCAP tour started.

For me the name of the "tour" doesn't really mean anything at all. It's just a way for the band to sell new merchandise and make more money.

What really matters is what songs the band is playing. Is it all songs they've played before, the majority of which have been played for 10-25 years now?

Or are they keeping the shows fresh by adding in new material, as well as pulling out songs that they've rarely played in the past.

Nobody is saying they need to take out the classic material. But if you are putting on a 3-hour show, with 25 songs, 3 jams and 4 different solo spots.....nobody is going to throw a fit if you change up 9-10 minutes of the show.

[aranrod]

I have never met someone over 30 who was around for or saw the AFD/UYI lineups that doesn't want a reunion. People formed attachments to the AFD/UYI lineups and they want to see them play again even if they know it won't be as special as the first time around. People are going to want a reunion until one of those band members passes away and even that might not stop folks. Fans still want to see the remaining members of Led Zep,Pantera and many other bands playing together again.

I'm sorry, I think that's not entirely true. I've been a fan since 1987 and the feelings about a reunion are very ambiguous among a lot of early fans (I'm fully aware they're called 'bitter' fans over here, but that's so not true). A reunion seems great, but the obvious fear of having our memories of the 80s-90s shows getting tarnished might be worse than having no reunion at all. Because of my job I've seen many reunions of other bands I used to love. But quite a few of them were a let down and I wish I'd never seen them again. Surely they still can play the music, but most of the times the fire is out, the spirit is gone and the band is just going through the motions.

I have to make an exception for Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant. I've never seen the original led Zeppelin, but I've seen the Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant's No Quarter tour and that simply was a mind-blowing experience for the old fans as well as for the new ones. But Plant and Paige are clever and stopped playing together again after this successful tour.

I wish Axl and Slash could do something similar.

I don't think it will ever happen, though.

[classicrawker]

I have never met someone over 30 who was around for or saw the AFD/UYI lineups that doesn't want a reunion. People formed attachments to the AFD/UYI lineups and they want to see them play again even if they know it won't be as special as the first time around. People are going to want a reunion until one of those band members passes away and even that might not stop folks. Fans still want to see the remaining members of Led Zep,Pantera and many other bands playing together again.

I'm sorry, I think that's not entirely true. I've been a fan since 1987 and the feelings about a reunion are very ambiguous among a lot of early fans (I'm fully aware they're called 'bitter' fans over here, but that's so not true). A reunion seems great, but the obvious fear of having our memories of the 80s-90s shows getting tarnished might be worse than having no reunion at all. Because of my job I've seen many reunions of other bands I used to love. But quite a few of them were a let down and I wish I'd never seen them again. Surely they still can play the music, but most of the times the fire is out, the spirit is gone and the band is just going through the motions.

I have to make an exception for Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant. I've never seen the original led Zeppelin, but I've seen the Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant's No Quarter tour and that simply was a mind-blowing experience for the old fans as well as for the new ones. But Plant and Paige are clever and stopped playing together again after this successful tour.

I wish Axl and Slash could do something similar.

I don't think it will ever happen, though.

I agree 100%........I saw them twice in 1987, Ritz and L'Amour, and would go to a reunion show but I am not dying for this to happen. I would like it to happen for all the fans here who were too young to go see the real thing back in the day so they can see what all the fuss was about. While they can never recapture the magic they had back in the 80's I still think it would be an excellent show for the short term.............

[highvoltage]

I basically feel like I would go to see the show, but I wouldn't expect the magic of the original band to be recreated. I'm equally fine with it not happening though.

I've been lucky enough to see Slash 3 or 4 times, Duff twice, Steven once and I got to see Axl 10 times including a couple times with Izzy. For this reason, I'm glad Axl continues GN'R in some format, even if it's entirely different to what it used to be. I'm glad I still got to experience Axl singing those songs live. When I saw Slash, it was awesome to hear him playing Sweet Child O' Mine with his classic tone, or to see VR play Mr Brownstone with that groove that the old band had.

It was nice to experience all that, but there are other bands around nowadays that I get to see that are still in their prime. I'd be really excited for a reunion and pay more or less anything to attend one, but I'd also be sad because that would really sink my last hope for any new music from Axl. I'd be happier to hear him working on new material than playing a show with the classic lineup, simply because it would never be the same anyway.

[Chunder Monkey]

On one hand I don't EXPECT a reunion.

Axl isn't known for backing down, and I can't see him offering terms the old members would accept, and the old members have mostly forged viable places for themselves in the industry without needing to accept a bad deal. (Well, it's clear Matt/Slash/Duff are doing ok anyway)

On the other hand...in terms of what people WANT...I see the pressure to reunite as only increasing.

As bands get older their brand inevitably becomes more about nostalgia and reliving the good old days and so on. The older AXL gets the less people will be interested in a new GNR and the more they just want to remember 1987 or 1991...or...for the youngins...see the band that's famous in rock history for the sake of the bucketlist...like I might go see the Stones now even though I missed their heyday. Both of these are served better by the AFD/UYI era line up than any modern incarnation.

Additionally, while nothing would ever replace the old band to many, I think if nuGNR had been very functional and put out a lot of records and so on - it would have more legitimacy as it's own beast - a bit like how Ozzy's solo show was very popular and loved even without Black Sabbath. I dont think you could ever replace GNR...but the current shows basically sell as classic hits shows rather than new content...so you're never going to see an end to people wanting the people who wrote those hits to play them. This could change if Axl suddenly drops a whole lot of records or has a cross over hit or something...but assuming the future is as the last decade as been - very rare new music and sort of standard touring...can't see it changing.

So basically while they live...I don't think the general public will "let go" of a reunion - well - only to the extent that rock music gets more and more irrelevant to popular culture....but of those who still like rock...they want the old gnr back more than any of the side projects or new gnr.

[rockerman]

On the whole the orginal fan base for the most part is in thier mid 30's to early 50's ...most of us have our careers well in hand, kids raised and the feeling of being at midlife begs for a trip down memory lane. I for one however dont long for a reunion... the magic is gone at this point in time. Led Zeppelin did thier 2007 gig right and that was rehearsed the shit out of the setlist till they sounded and performed like days of old. It didnt matter that they were in thier 60's the one off gig was amazing and historic. If GNR could only do that it might ...well it might be worth it.

The only thing I would want a reunion of the classic lineup to be is utterly spontanious...like old friends getting together and hammering something out. Being forced under contract might just kill the vibe.

The Police did the cash grab a few years back when they "reunitied" and you could feel the sheer hatred from that group for one another. Second I would hope that they would do something new rather than a run down of the classic hits...Thats what Axls already done and something fresh and new would be a tall order to fill but it could be done.

While Im a die hard classic GNR fan...there come a moment when perhaps you just let sleeping dogs sleep. Its a funny thing about human nature ..you would think that time and distance as well as age would put some clarity into the big picture of human relations.. but more often than not it takes a crisis to get people to change in one direction or the other. Sometime the bitterness and anger is all that is left. Im hoping thats not the case with Axl.

[Padme]

When their replacement has been in the band longer than they were.

That means....

Izzy 6 years 1985-1991

Tommy 15 years 1998

Duff 12 years 1985-1997

Richard 11 years 2002

So right now, No hope for Izzy and no hope for Duff in two years.

Slash still has a chance, as does Steve or Matt.

Because the new band isn't doing stuff and because if they are just going to do old stuff we might as well get the original people doing it.

But they aren't just doing old stuff. They released a record 5 years ago and songs off that record has been heavily featured in setlists these last years.

No, we had the same 4 or 5 songs from CD. And everything else is either covers or old GN´R songs

I have no idea what you are talking about. The "new band" is simply not "just going to do old stuff" (=songs from before CD), as classicguns4life claimed, and hence his conclusion (that they might as well reunite) is flawed.

You said they played songs from CD heavily. When have they played 8 or more songs from CD? I´d rather have more songs from CD than the Pink Panther or C.S.I. stuff. Basically from CD they played CD, Sorry, Street of Dreams, Madagascar, This I Love, Better but not much more. Sure in a show here and there they Played CITR or If The World. It isn´t much during a 3 years tour. In 2011 they added Estranged. Why not Prostitute and TWAT instead on the regular bases?

CITR was regular in 2012, TWAT was played a few times.

2009 and 2010 they played a lot of CD songs, lately they don't even play SOD, and Sorry and Madagascar are becoming less frequent..

Didn't they only play a couple songs off of CD during the last leg of the last tour?

And haven't they been playing CD and SOD for over a decade now?

SOD, Madagascar, and CD have been played at most shows, since 2001.

Riad was played 01/02 and hasn't been since then.

Better, TWAT, and IRS have been played from 2006-2010 regularly. Better was regular until 2012, since only appears sporadically, and TWAT was played a few times in 2012. Shackler's was a regular from 2009-2011.

Scraped was played in 2011 once.

Prostitute has not been played since 2009, Riad since 2002, IRS since 2010, ITW since 2010 or 2011,

But That´s my point. Too many songs from CD have been played sporadically. While many songs from AFD and the UYI together outnumber the songs from CD since 2001 all the time in all the shows. You can say that the new band only made one album. True, but they have plenty of unheard songs. And the fact that those songs are not in an official album is not an excuse to keep them hiden from the fans during shows.

If you look at the CBGB show in 1987 they perfomed Patience, Used To Love Her and One In A Million. They played Civil War in 1990. In RIR 1991 they performed several songs from the UYI albums.

I´m not asking them to play 20 unheard songs in every show. But they could´ve played a couple of those, more songs from CD and less from the old albums if the band wants to have a future. Right now they are a tribute band more than anything else.

[Guest NGOG]

As long as Axl and Slash are alive, people will campaign for the two to appear together.

[eye2eye]

Why people are still talking about reunion ? It's not gonna happen, Axl seems to be unconcerned with money and money is the only reason which could potentially make it happen.

[wfuckinga]

It isn't as if a brand spanking new album came out in 2008 and we are merely in that album's tour's fifth year. Most of Democracy had been leaked by 2006. Some of the songs had been leaked as early as 2001. Also, because the band which recorded Democracy swiftly collapsed, these are cover versions for Ashba, Frank and Bumblefoot - yes I know he managed to slip a few leads on there but it still is not his album, is it? Also, since circa 2011, GN'R tours are promoted as nostalgia tours and not, Chinese Democracy tours. Look at the Vegas artwork which re-uses Williams' Appetite artwork.

well that may be because technically the CD tour ended when the UCAP tour started.

For me the name of the "tour" doesn't really mean anything at all. It's just a way for the band to sell new merchandise and make more money.

What really matters is what songs the band is playing. Is it all songs they've played before, the majority of which have been played for 10-25 years now?

Or are they keeping the shows fresh by adding in new material, as well as pulling out songs that they've rarely played in the past.

Nobody is saying they need to take out the classic material. But if you are putting on a 3-hour show, with 25 songs, 3 jams and 4 different solo spots.....nobody is going to throw a fit if you change up 9-10 minutes of the show.

I agree with most of that, but sadly I think Axl's Brazillian hangers-on would be the one to throw the fit. I think she's the reason they're doing non stop nostagilia touring, because she knows that's what will bring in $$. I think Axl wants to do new music, but has been told "all fans want Appetite and UYI songs" or something like that. Just speculation

[trqster]

A reunion (with at least Slash & Duff) would mean we'd get to see Gn'R once again, even if for a short while. No reunion, means we'll just have Axl's band named 'Gn'R' as usual....

Realistically though, only a greatest hits cash-grabbing tour reunion would be possible at this point in time - and hell yeah would I love to have my money 'grabbed'!

Edited November 7, 2013 by trqster

[RussTCB]

I've said this many times before but the only way I'd be interested in seeing it if it were like a Pink Floyd/Live 8 situation.

[wfuckinga]

The only reunion I want is 2001

[My Name is Trinity]

what would be the best title for a reunion album ?

"born again", "renaissance" and "afd 2" are some of the titles i've read somewhere else.

[SoulMonster]

Cash Grab.

[Bulldog]

Apocalyptic Love 2

[Coma16]

$old our $aoul

Edited November 7, 2013 by Coma16

[WhazUp]

Appetite For Reconstruction

[Bono]

Guns N' Roses - The Calm Before The Storm

The first song being called Beautiful Sunrise and each song would become more and more heavy and more up tempo. The closing song would be called Perfect Storm and it would be on the epic scale of Coma but with the catchiness of Jungle.

[GNR123GNR456]

See, here's the thing. You ask me this question 3 years ago, I would say yes. I would say that Axl's not going to reunite because what about the new and? He's not one to give up on something he worked so hard for, he's the "last man standing." Whatever bullshit I believed before, I would have said.

Now though, I would rather have a reunion than see a band cover songs they didn't write. It would be much better to see Slash and Axl share the stage again, or at least reconcile, than then see Axl Rose fall further and further into a nostalgia act. I use to believe that Axl wanted to move this band forward, he wanted to make this band big. We were going to have new music on a timely basis. Who knows, maybe we were? Maybe Axl was going to move HIS band forward, but he simply changed his mind or gave up? Either way, I don't understand why he continue to play mostly old material while shunning Slash and acting like he's a "cancer." Sure, it would be next to impossible to not play the old material anymore, but I would think be now, we would have atleast a mix of old and new material at the shows. The only time that happened was in 09-10. After Rock In Rio, we've had set-lists mostly filled with old material from the old band. Hell, the only surprise we got a Rock In Rio was Estranged, a 20 years old a majority of the current band had fuck all to do with. Than they brought back Civil War, another 20 year old song the new band had fuck al to do with. What's next, Double Talkin' Jive? Yesterdays? Dead Horse?

If Axl has no intentions to move this band forward, I see either reunite with the old band. Or hoarders, give us all the leaks you have. Axl hasn't done much at all to move this band out of the old bands shadow, much less move on from Slash's GN'R material.

Cash Grab.

No, this is a "cash grab".

[SoulMonster]

Cash Grab.

No, this is a "cash grab".

Reuniting with former band members despite his blatant disinterest in doing so, could only be motivated by money. Releasing a new record 5 years ago and touring the shit out of that, is what artists do.