MSL been talkin shit but doesn't have a clue

[recklessroad]

I just found out he posted on his own site that I put my book out to try and make a profit on it and that I sold my friendship out to Axl because of it.

Fist of all Axl gave me permission to put out my work/labor of love back in 1993, it just took 12 years to find someone to publish it. Second I put 49K and thousands of hours of work into so the fans would be able to have access to it. So far I have only got back about 3k for that money that I put out and not a penny for being the author. On top of that I have put out another 23k to save the books from being destroyed. I'm now storing about 55 thousand books between my house, my moms house and Canter's Deli. Axl is upset because Slash is in the book and can't understand why I would promote something that has Slash in it. So he somehow saw it as a betrayal.

If anyone made a profit, it was the band not me. MY book helps keep the history of it alive which in the end will sell more records. I was the one who put thousands of dollars into the band to help get them off their feet and keep them alive and together. I never asked them to repay me or for a % like anybody else would have done. Axl even told me that it would help the band back when I first put it together and that he said it would be good for me too. Sure it would have been nice to make a few bucks for some extra pocket cash after all the hard work I put into it and for the effort and money I put into the band. However in the end I have my name and when I leave this world, I will know that I made a difference and thats better then some extra pocket cash that would have been spent up fast anyways on bills to run my family. I'm very proud of the book and I love that people that want to know where the band came from will always have a way to see it and find out some cool stories from the people that were there and lived it.

Reckless Road is 100% a labor of love and will never show a profit. There is still 600k owed to break even and that will never even come close to happening.

MSL doesn't have a clue about me or what went down to get this book out and for the record I seem to spend a lot of my time sticking up for Axl around here and in my interviews. My work is honoring Axl and the rest of the band. I never did anything to betray Axl. Just because Axl ask me if I would wait for a better time to put the book out doesn't mean I betrayed him, I had no control over that. However I think Axl may feel left out that he didn't get to speak more in the book because I know he would have a lot more to offer and he is the frontman but he was the one who declined to help out with the new interviews that we did in 2007. The book was coming out with or without his help and there was nothing I could do to change that.

The only thing I would have done differently is talked to Axl my self at the time I signed the deal. My mistake was talking to the camp about it. I wanted to talk to Axl at the 3 gigs that he did in Los Angeles at the end of 2006 about what I was doing but I only went to 2 of the gigs and because I had my whole family with me, I couldn't wait around for Axl to come out and hang after the gigs. So as far as that goes, I do feel that I made a mistake by not talking to him my self and depending on others to let him know what was going on with my book. I should have gone to his house the next day. I did know that it was not something that he would really favor but, because he knew what it meant to me to get this out there, he would be ok with it. I also think that he feels hurt that I didn't talk to him in person and he is right about that. I was also worried that dealing with this at the time his record was coming out would stress him out. If the CD would have come out when he told me it was in Nov of 2006 things would have been very different. 100% I would have gone to his house and talked to him regarding what was going on with my book and what would be the bast way do deal with it.

So did I sell my friendship for money? How does money have to do with this? This is about promoting the old band which has Slash in it, nothing to do with money. In the end Axl knows that I love him and stick up for him and would do anything for him except help him erase his past. but he was made to believe that I didn't want to work with them and is upset with me for promoting something that he doesn't want done even though it has a lot to do with my own story. Deep inside he knows that I did the right thing, the problem is he doesn't want the right thing out until Slash says that he is sorry which will never happen. So I guess we should have waited until we are all dead and then put out the book and live a life of a lie that the work should be hidden from the fans and then put it out when it won't matter to anyone that was alive when the band was alive. So as long as I promote my work, Axl is not going to talk to me. However I know he still cares about me. He is just disappointed with me and I know it hurts both of us. I still hold on to the memories of the time we had and it will have to do.

Also I guess I didn't get the memo that AFD was a bad thing because when I saw the band in 2006 10 of the 12 songs from AFD were played in the set. I must have misunderstood something there.

One other thing when Axl first saw the book back in 1994 it had Steven and Izzy all over it and they were not in the band anymore and not on good terms and it didn't matter then who was in the current band because the book was the history of 1984 to 1987 the club days. So why would it matter in 2007? History is history and nothing can change it. It turned out that it did matter in 2007 and it was enough for Axl to walk away from something that was good in his life I was like a reality check anytime he needed it. He trusted my opinion. I guess someone out there didn't like that so I got added me to the enemy list.

The problem with MSL is that just because he got a hold of someone's computer or emails that went back and forth from the camp, doesn't mean what he saw was true. Just because an email or a enemy list was sent around doesn't mean it is true or was even started by Axl. So if someone there wanted to brainwash Axl that I was no good, they may have said that I sold him out for money because they wanted Axl to believe that was the reason why. If that was really the reason I did it then that would make me a bad person and I wouldn't blame Axl for not wanting to be my friend anymore for selling out a friend for money.

The sad part is Axl does believe that I did do that because he even told me that while talking to me on the phone. Again you guys know the real reason why the book is out. It would have been a crime to the fans for me not to put it out.

The other problem is MSL took private info that he got illegally and posted it all over the internet and then basically blackmailed Axl with it. What kind of a person who calls himself a fan would do that. Does it help promote the great work that Axl or the band accomplished? Did Axl give MSL permission to post all of that shit? My work was something that was documented with all their permissions and was then given permission to publish it by Axl and the band and on top of it Axl was very happy with the draft that I put together of it and was even bragging about how good it was to manny people. So it was not about me putting out something that was private. It was something that he loved. I know he was doing something different in 2007 but what I put out was a celebration of the the history of the band. It was the right thing to do and its too bad that it had to work out the way it did. Its not a tell all of what was send around in their private emails. It was about how the band started and how they put together those songs and how they got to the next gig and how cool they looked doing it. The tickets, flyers all the cool stuff.

So again just because there may have been some talk about Duff coming back in some emails that went around doesn't mean that duff would really do it. So yes he may have some emails that talk about things but it still doesn't mean that they are true or that both sides agree on one sides ideas. If I said yes I put the book out for money because I needed it to pay my bills then the camp would be right in what they say but since that was not the case, it is only someone's opinion which is not a fact. So therefor MSL should not be posting shit about me that he doesn't really know about. He can post whatever he wants because it is a free country but that doesn't mean they are facts. He is not friends with anyone from the band and can't make out what's real or not just from what goes around in peoples emails.

I know a tons of private things about all the guys in the band and I wouldn't tell for any amount of money. Friends don't do shit like that. What's private is private and should stay private. My book is a scrap book from the club days filled with a treasure trove full of good things that all fans should have and that all bands wished they had something like it for their fans to have.

Edited January 18, 2014 by recklessroad

[Rustycage]

He's just trying to get attention. He isn't worth acknowledging.

[DieselDaisy]

We understand - few people listen to MSL here.

Marc, you are probably not aware of the MSL character and the forum politics but he has absolutely no moral scruple. He spent the best part of the new band era trying to coax leaks from other potential hoarders with leaks he claimed to have in his possession. He also tried to bribe Axl and the new band with a big cache of documents which had - allegedly - been ripped from Beta's email. The whole thing was disgustingly egotistical: he created a youtube video which went viral, claiming to 'leak the story of CD'. The FBI shut this particular operation down, and since then he has turned very pro-Axl and basically become a sycophantic informant (he testified against the guy who put Chinese Democracy up as a feed).

There is not a trace of morality in his make-up.

[Nosaj Thing]

Finally, finally, finally. Thank you Marc for showing to this entire community that he's fuckin' full of shit.

I bought your book when it was first released. The printing is awesome but the content? Man, that's just priceless. My favorite band's first steps to glory were captured and that was possible because you were there and, the very reason why the ones who have bought or seen your book could have access to it, is because you decided to release it, even against Axl's wishes.

Profit? Money? Yeah, this book has made Marc a millionaire. That's why he works 24/7 at Canter Deli.

A loser is questioning one true insider who ate, slept and worked with the band for years? Who was one of Axl's closest friends? Who is Slash's current friend? Who helped the guys when they were nothing but a gang trying to get their music out? Who brought us an exclusive Slash interview?

I don't know about you, but I know who I should trust.

[arnold layne]

MSL can go fuck himself.

[WhazUp]

Marc it is a shame that you have to even make a post like this because the vast majority thinks of you as a genuine guy who put the book out for genuine and honest reasons - people like MSL I don't know why they would think otherwise. But nonetheless thank you for really laying out how it is.

This is a great opportunity to thank you again for releasing the book. It truly is - and I am not just saying this because you are on the forums - one of the greatest rock band related books out there. The candid photos of the band in action, the documentation of all of the setlists and notable moments of each show, the interviews, etc. It is all fantastic and I really am appreciative of you sacrificing so much to ensure that fans like us can read it and enjoy it.

Edited January 14, 2014 by WhazUp

[AIi]

Herp a derp derp

Edited January 14, 2014 by Forsaken

[bacardimayne]

Link to MSL's claims?

[cheesecake]

Marc,

With all due respect, couldn't you have written a book about the current Guns N Roses, the making of Chinese Democracy, and their rise to the top just as easily? I'm just playing devil's advocate, but it's understandable how Axl could have construed your "labor of love" as salt in a very opened wound. As an outsider looking in, it's almost as if you chose to side with the devil (aka Slash) when you decided to promote an era of Axl's life that many of us, Axl included, would rather forget.

Ali

I doubt you and Axl are on the same page here. He wouldn't sing the same songs from that era in every show he puts on if he would rather forget.

[DieselDaisy]

Marc,

With all due respect, couldn't you have written a book about the current Guns N Roses, the making of Chinese Democracy, and their rise to the top just as easily? I'm just playing devil's advocate, but it's understandable how Axl could have construed your "labor of love" as salt in a very opened wound. As an outsider looking in, it's almost as if you chose to side with the devil (aka Slash) when you decided to promote an era of Axl's life that many of us, including Axl, would rather forget.

Ali

I hope this is a joke. Someone put that Heath Ledger picture up, 'not sure if serious'?

[arnold layne]

Marc,

With all due respect, couldn't you have written a book about the current Guns N Roses, the making of Chinese Democracy, and their rise to the top just as easily? I'm just playing devil's advocate, but it's understandable how Axl could have construed your "labor of love" as salt in a very opened wound. As an outsider looking in, it's almost as if you chose to side with the devil (aka Slash) when you decided to promote an era of Axl's life that many of us, including Axl, would rather forget.

Ali

Wow.

[bacardimayne]

Marc,

With all due respect, couldn't you have written a book about the current Guns N Roses, the making of Chinese Democracy, and their rise to the top just as easily? I'm just playing devil's advocate, but it's understandable how Axl could have construed your "labor of love" as salt in a very opened wound. As an outsider looking in, it's almost as if you chose to side with the devil (aka Slash) when you decided to promote an era of Axl's life that many of us, including Axl, would rather forget.

Ali

I hope this is a joke. Someone put that Heath Ledger picture up, 'not sure if serious'?

Marc,

With all due respect, couldn't you have written a book about the current Guns N Roses, the making of Chinese Democracy, and their rise to the top just as easily?

Well he wasn't documenting the band at that point. He has said the reason why he was so intent on taking photos back in the day and documenting the band was because they weren't a big band and he knew that they were going to be big. He was the only one to document the old days

As an outsider looking in, it's almost as if you chose to side with the devil (aka Slash) when you decided to promote an era of Axl's life that many of us, Axl included, would rather forget.

Or rather as an outsider, it just seems like he documented one of the coolest moments in GNR - their rise from zero to one of the biggest bands ever. I would argue you are in the minority of being one of the people who would rather forget those times.

Not the real Ali you gullible idiots.

[ZoSoRose]

Marc! You have top ignore him! He lives to get a rise out of people.don't worry, man, we all know you love the band and your friends, even if you had a disagreement with one.

It'll be alright, bud

[WhazUp]

Not the real Ali you gullible idiots.

Shit, I didn't even see that!

I wish it was easier to see how many posts a user has on the mobile version of the site

[bacardimayne]

Not the real Ali you gullible idiots.

Shit, I didn't even see that!

I wish it was easier to see how many posts a user has on the mobile version of the site

I admit, he had me fooled until I went to quote it and noticed it was a capital i in his name and not an L.

Subtle BBA is the best BBA.

[ZoSoRose]

And i love subs and the mod team but seriously, why the fuck Is msl allowed to post here? All he does is criticize people, act condescending towards others,lie a lot, and every time he posts a riot starts here

[arnold layne]

Define cupcake:

criticize people, act condescending towards others,lie a lot, and every time he posts a riot starts here

[bacardimayne]

So, back on topic, can someone show me what MSL actually said about Marc, either in a post or by PM if it's not permitted to be posted? Thanks.

Edited January 14, 2014 by bacardimayne

[WhazUp]

I don't know if we are allowed to post links to his site, but the comments MSL made are in the "Slash and Lita Ford" topic

Edited January 14, 2014 by WhazUp

[ColdHeartBreaker]

Unfortunately, I think this is just what MSL wants. I will keep tabs on this topic to follow the inevitable debate, though.

[Coma16]

This should be merged into the definitive MSL thread.

Marc, I have a copy of your book and think its great!

[bacardimayne]

Unfortunately, I think this is just what MSL wants. I will keep tabs on this topic to follow the inevitable debate, though.

Could very well be the case. With MSL there's always more to it than it seems.

EDIT: aww shit here we go

Edited January 14, 2014 by bacardimayne

[saber_]

Marc, I'm often accused of being a Slash hater or an Axl apologist or whatever, but I never would never, ever, in a million years, fault you in any way for releasing that book. I view your book as a tremendous gift to fans of the band. It is a gem for any fan to own, as it chronicles the band, and has fascinating photos. While I don't always agree with some of your viewpoints, I have full respect for your place in GnR's history and your firsthand knowledge of the people and events that have transpired in GnR history. I envy that. I'm thankful you share your time here (and I admire how you deal with some of the dumbassed/cringe-worthy questions in a very tactful manner).

[Dariablue]

That's deplorable. Marc, anyone who is an actual GNR fan knows why you put this book out. MSL wants attention plain and simple.

[darknightfan]

You are storing 55 thousand books? This makes me want to buy another copy! Of all the GN'R books out there yours is the best and truest. I don't know how publishing all that hard work wouldn't deserve a profit anyways.