Is the band officially a joke in your eyes?

[RandallFlagg]

I notice some people REALLY fucking hate Axl and every single thing about him on here, like I understand people who are pissed off how he's wasting the talent of the various members the last fifteen years but I think Democracy is a great record and the band whilst repetitive and seeming to do everything except progress, they put on good shows, Axl is nowhere near his 2006/2010 fiery self and Ashba is fucking farcical sometimes but I don't think they're a joke of a band. The potential being washed down the drain is a joke.

[saber_]

What I do think of as a joke is any person who spend time posting on the fan forum of a band he/she considers a joke.

Oh didn't you get the memo? Them thinking it's a joke and spending all this time here running their mouths means they're more enlightened than the silly rubes who actually enjoy the band for what it is. I just laugh though that the Slash forum is so dead here. By their rationale, Slash is doing everything the fans want, making music, doing interviews, playing new music, making appearances, and yet, and yet.. his section remains dead as shit. Why is that? Oh right, because apparently he and his music don't have that much discussion value. Other than, how many rock n roll cliche guitar parts will be in the next record?

[RandallFlagg]

Even if people despise Rose, they would rather discuss and question and dissect his antics before anyone else in the realm of music, regardless of whether you like his existence post 1996 the man is a mystery even if he does the same thing over and over, people who hate his current band and latest release find it compelling to make fun of him rather than point out the highlights of Slash's latest tour or release.

[SoulMonster]

I notice some people REALLY fucking hate Axl and every single thing about him on here, like I understand people who are pissed off how he's wasting the talent of the various members the last fifteen years but I think Democracy is a great record and the band whilst repetitive and seeming to do everything except progress, they put on good shows, Axl is nowhere near his 2006/2010 fiery self and Ashba is fucking farcical sometimes but I don't think they're a joke of a band. The potential being washed down the drain is a joke.

Well put. So much wasted potential. It is almost sad.

[tyler durden]

I notice some people REALLY fucking hate Axl and every single thing about him on here, like I understand people who are pissed off how he's wasting the talent of the various members the last fifteen years but I think Democracy is a great record and the band whilst repetitive and seeming to do everything except progress, they put on good shows, Axl is nowhere near his 2006/2010 fiery self and Ashba is fucking farcical sometimes but I don't think they're a joke of a band. The potential being washed down the drain is a joke.

Well put. So much wasted potential. It is almost sad.

There are a lot of GNR fans who are still on here hanging on to the hope that this travesty of a tribute band may someday get their sh!t together enough to actually be a real band again. At some point I assume they will just throw the towel in. Or maybe they are like me who come to the forum every couple of weeks to see if anything earth shaking is planned only to see its the same old "which coat makes Axl look the least fat" or "I think I heard the rasp for 10 seconds in civil war" threads.

[maynard]

1 album in 20+ years

Dj Ashba

Mickey Mouse voice

Beta, Jarmo, Del, Fernando have more power than Tommy and Ron

Vegas, Weddings, Bowling Alleys

AFD themed tours

Same core setlist with more and more covers and less and less CD material

Oh yeah, this band is not a joke.

[SoulMonster]

I honestly don't know what disqualifies GN'R from being a "real band". They released a record six years ago. Is six years too much? Are you automatically demoted from real band status after four years? Five years? They tour their music all across the world. Is that wrong? I don't get it. Should they tour less? Play shorter shows?

[DR DOOM]

Surely you aren't mocking the lucrative Bowling Alley circuit?

[dalsh327]

GNR achieved everything they dreamed for with AFD. They could have broken up and called it a day with that and turn it into a Deluxe Edition with some of the songs that made it onto UYI.

When Axl's talking about in past interviews wanting to outdo AFD or UYI, that's more about putting pressure on himself, but all it did was create backlash, but you can't deny there have been new fans who enjoy ChiDem. It might not be a lot of people, but the album still did sell a few million copies worldwide, that's still not bad. Janes Addiction's last album sold WAY less.

GNR's not so much a joke but it's become another touring band and people turning out to hear the songs with the guy who sang them. You have fans who will keep seeing Billy Joel, the Eagles, Elton John and GNR, Slash, Duff's myriad of projects, just because that's what fans do. No one's going to hear any of them do new music. No one pays 300 dollars for Van Morrison tix to see him sing his latest album.

This might be why Axl has facial hair. If he shaved it off, he'd look like this guy.

Edited April 19, 2014 by dalsh327

[maynard]

There's this small gap from 1993 to 2008 without new music that you like to ignore to make your point, SM. You're cute.

Edited April 19, 2014 by ProstituteComa

[SoulMonster]

1 album in 20+ years

Dj Ashba

Mickey Mouse voice

Beta, Jarmo, Del, Fernando have more power than Tommy and Ron

Vegas, Weddings, Bowling Alleys

AFD themed tours

Same core setlist with more and more covers and less and less CD material

Oh yeah, this band is not a joke.

A band doesn't become a joke just because it isn't productive. A band doesn't become a joke just because you don't like the singer's voice. A band doesn't become a joke just because of a powerful management. A band doesn't become a joke just because it plays its greatest hits. And neither does the combination of all of these turn a band into a joke.

And if you disagree with this yet still spend hours here then you're the joke .

Edited April 19, 2014 by SoulMonster

[maynard]

I like how you bring up Slash and my ban to discussion because you can't argue against anything about GNR in this thread. So cute.

[DR DOOM]

Leave my sister alone, it's not his fault GNR are a joke.

[tyler durden]

1 album in 20+ years

Dj Ashba

Mickey Mouse voice

Beta, Jarmo, Del, Fernando have more power than Tommy and Ron

Vegas, Weddings, Bowling Alleys

AFD themed tours

Same core setlist with more and more covers and less and less CD material

Oh yeah, this band is not a joke.

A band doesn't become a joke just because it isn't productive. A band doesn't become a joke just because you don't like the singer's voice. A band doesn't become a joke just because of a powerful management. A band doesn't become a joke just because it plays its greatest hits. And neither does the combination of all of these turn a band into a joke.

And if you disagree with this yet still spend hours here then you're the joke .

So when in your eyes does a band become a joke??

[SoulMonster]

1 album in 20+ years

Dj Ashba

Mickey Mouse voice

Beta, Jarmo, Del, Fernando have more power than Tommy and Ron

Vegas, Weddings, Bowling Alleys

AFD themed tours

Same core setlist with more and more covers and less and less CD material

Oh yeah, this band is not a joke.

A band doesn't become a joke just because it isn't productive. A band doesn't become a joke just because you don't like the singer's voice. A band doesn't become a joke just because of a powerful management. A band doesn't become a joke just because it plays its greatest hits. And neither does the combination of all of these turn a band into a joke.

And if you disagree with this yet still spend hours here then you're the joke .

So when in your eyes does a band become a joke??

When it stops entertaining people yet stubbornly refuses to stop. To me it is so simple that as long as people pay for the shows, then Guns N' Roses is doing it's job as a band. Sure, the band is nowhere near as great as it was back in its heyday, but it still is a good band that succeeds at entertaining thousands upon thousands at every tour, and did release a record that sold well (although still underwhelmingly).

I think people have these expectations of what GN'R should be, and if the band performs far away from these expectations, although still more than adequately in absolute terms, the band becomes a joke, and not the people with the expectations. I don't look on it that way. I don't have different criteria for GN'R than other bands. I would never call a band with such concert sales as GN'R and with such much interest a joke.

[DR DOOM]

So what you're saying is, it's a joke...right?

[RandallFlagg]

GNR's not so much a joke but it's become another touring band and people turning out to hear the songs with the guy who sang them.

This is exactly the issue, he's playing 4/5 CD songs where Ferrer, Fortus and Bumble played a little but didn't write anything, Stinson played, Pitman and Dizzy god knows... is that enough to warrant calling it Guns N' Roses and him still pursuing this deranged crusade whilst only releasing one album in 15 years and selling the old guys work and contributions as the sole reason to go to a show or have any interest? The aspect of it that's a joke is the wasted potential and refusal to reunite if all Axl is going to do from 96 - 2026 is play a handful of CD songs and not even attempt to make his case for this being Guns N' Roses. So my summary is that this band being considered GNR is now becoming a joke, 2010 was when they could've stamped their mark, the band itself is far from a joke but the waste of time except gathering cash and playing great, but hollow, shows, is the joke of the band.

[SoulMonster]

So what you're saying is, it's a joke...right?

Whatever it was it was lost on you.

[DR DOOM]

So what you're saying is, it's a joke...right?

Whatever it was it was lost on you.

Hey, DOOM is tender too...don't be so mean

[RandallFlagg]

I just don't see how hard it is, apart from the fact this is Axl Rose, to take a year off with the band you've been touring with for 5 years now, and self finance (Axl is far from poor and the band rakes in cash) and offer the label a record. Maybe he's done this and had it rejected who knows, but if there's not at least 5 completed songs from the CD era and 10 collectively from the other members, I'd be astounded. They could've put out at least two records if Axl had the initiative, then we wouldn't have this conversation, we'd have 'do you think Legend of the Red Panda, Siamese Plutocracy and Chinese Democracy' are jokes and not worthy of Guns N' Roses but we've got 'Is this band a joke because they just tour the same setlist for three straight tours with an old bassist and two old songs being the highlights?'

[Patience 4 Axl]

I honestly don't know what disqualifies GN'R from being a "real band". They released a record six years ago. Is six years too much? Are you automatically demoted from real band status after four years? Five years? They tour their music all across the world. Is that wrong? I don't get it. Should they tour less? Play shorter shows?

I think part of the problem is that you have "band members" aching to write, record, and release new music as Guns N Roses, and are prohibited from doing so. Multiple members have discussed their desire for a new album in detail. These guys want to create, not just tour on the back catalog and perform songs written and recorded by others. That's why it doesn't feel like a band, there's no consensus to move forward, there's a lack of collaborative effort, a group of people are being held back by one.

[SoulMonster]

Yeah, the wasted potential is almost sad.

[saber_]

I like how you bring up Slash and my ban to discussion because you can't argue against anything about GNR in this thread. So cute.

Both are relevant to the discussion. It's a legitimate question... if the band is such a joke, why is this section waaay more happenin than Slash's? You can't answer that without admitting that Axl, even though he is now a "joke" in your eyes, and is not even trying anymore, is waaay more interesting than Slash to GnR fans. Oops. Your banning is relevant because it demonstrates just how important it is you engage in discussion about a band you openly consider to be a joke.

As for your accusation that I can't defend GnR in this thread, you're wrong. There are plenty of bands that just tour the old hits with lineups that contain few members of the original lineup. This isn't spin, that isn't Axl zealotry, it's fact. Maybe if instead of going to MSL's forum during your ban, you should've gone to other band forums. Some of your arguments as to why this band is a joke are laughable. Some of your arguments have merit, but that begs the question, why are you here again if you consider the band a joke again? Oh right, because it's "cool" to say horrible things about Axl and post the banner tranny in every thread because you're so impressed with it (even though it's like 2 years old at this point).

Edited April 19, 2014 by saber_

[DR DOOM]

That's racist.

[niceguy]

Yeah, the wasted potential is almost sad.

Axl knows full-well that there is no "talent" being wasted. He knows better than we do that these guys aren't capable of doing anything special; they're cover musicians, no different from the dad-band at the town square playing 80s hair metal while wearing baggy cargo shorts and sandals.