Reunion How successful would a reunion be - give your estimates

[bacardimayne]

Teddy ZigZag played keys on the UYI tour too...

Well I guess that changes everything.

[DieselDaisy]

I couldn't see a reunited gnr album getting much interest. Nobody cares about new music: people just want to see Axl and Slash play November Rain on stage.

[Nick85]

Okay, I'll play...

I think a reunion would be pretty successful if they marketed the hell out of the Axl & Slash on the same stage thing, but not nearly as successful as some people around here would lead you to believe and certainly not to the point where it would seem like an attractive concept to Axl.

Under the current regime he's free to do as he damn well pleases, eat himself into borderline obesity, lose his voice, withhold future releases, tour whenever the hell it's convenient for him etc. A reunion would likely force him to be at the top of his game ala 2006-10 before he completely gave up on life & Guns N' Roses.

Why give up a good thing?

[gunnari]

Reunion would be VERY successful..trust me..

[rockerman]

How successful do you think a reunion album and tour would be? I'm talking a one-off. One album, 18 months of touring the world.

How much money would be offered up to the band?

How many copies would the album sell?

Would it produce any rock hits?

How many people would they play to a night?

My guess

$15 million per member, maybe half that amount for a dummer (matt or steven). Dizzy.....maybe a million? I think there was a rumor that the band was offered 250 million for a reunion album/tour awhile back? With the amount of records that CD sold, plus how many records Loaded/Slash sell......I don't think the amount offered would be anywhere near 250 million today.

7-8 million copies

A couple charting songs on the rock charts, maybe a top 10 single on the normal

Sell out any arena/stadium in the 20-25,000 seat range

if done properly..it would be extremely lucrative.. for all parties concerned. The rock world would rejoice and be extremly receptive..in the same manner and way that GEN X responded to legends like Pink Floyd/Roger Waters and Led Zeppelin Show/tours.. a chance to see the real deal because they werent able to when they were younger. I know that the millineal generation would respond in force to the reunion of original GNR in the same way. GNR to the millenials has always been for the most part the legacy band.. its what mom and dad were playing and its what is still refered to in teh popular culture. Like it or not this version has not and will not be extremely successful in seperating the two entities... in part because of the image and music that GNR still commands. In the eyes of the general public GNR is largely the two iconic images of A redhead screaming singer wearing a kilt and a top hatted curly haired guitarist... and Axl hasnt done himself any favors by essentially playing the legacy music as a main staple to his shows either...(you get DJ fucking up SCOM time after time and all that does is make people miss Slash all the more)) its very safe to say that the faceless entity that comprises most of nuGnR makes them more or less easier to get over than the legacy bands) Sorry to you nuGNR fans but thats the facts 20 years ex post facto. If your going to feed off of nostaglia then you might as well have the real deal and not a copy of a copy of a copy..kapish??

Of note: All you have to do is look at what Motley Crue is doing...there are kids in that audience that know nothing of CRUE or its music but its the chance they have to go see rock legends do its thing. THey buy a shirt, get a CD..invest in the entertainment..... Love them or hate them ...they still sell out thier shows and that would of course be also true of GNR. Kiss has done, Aerosmith etc... they still are big draw names coasting in on 70's and 80's material.

GNR releasing a song and doing a tour behind that... with the orginal line up.. people like me would drop everything to go see them... for the very thrilll to witness HELL FREEZING OVER if not with baited breath for the ensuing riots.

The band has been offered a huge amount of money(ive heard of 100's of millions up front) in the past.. but with the last 10 years of nuGNR.. im not so sure that offer would stand. any move in that direction has to be a sign of the end o times though...and for me.. it has to be authentic and not all business...business fucked up GNR and its promise of being even bigger than they were. Business took away the brotherhood that made up a crucial element of the sound and image that made GNR a jauggernaut of a rock and roll band. IT took the essence out of the original 5 and like Duff said: for all that they were able to accomplish and achieve they still went out with a whimper and not a bang. No one ,except perhaps Axl and his lawyers/posses had a clue that the last show all together was going to be Argentina 93.

Any NEW song.. no matter how gutteral from orginal GNR would go huge...simply the enigma that is so apparent almost universally - is the desire and the fire that still burns for GNR 85-93... The world bit but did not chew on CD like one would think because teh draw and the love of GNR is for the BAND and not the single SOLO entity.

While I doubt new music from legacy GNR would rival AFD or UYI's in any fashion or way I do think that it would surpass CD and all of the solo efforts of the individual members as far as commercial success is determined. Given the chance I think a well recorded and executed effort from legacy GNR would all but bury the odd album in the catalogue ..CD...while at the same time reignighting interest in it.

If it were to be.. a well promoted show.. would put GNR back where they left off.. standing room only sold out venues.. but if the shows were half hearted, half played and obviously a shit show.. then they would be on par with all the other nostagia acts.. good for the state fair circuit and the areana shows. But promoting them with new songs, new album, exposer to nausium.. getting them out there in the publics imagination and perception again would make ticket sales and sell outs a matter of minutes..IF you could get a ticket to a GNR show.

[gunnari]

Duff: "Have a drink on us." 0.29---------->

I am Duff right fucking now...............................Hey everybody let's have a drink on this legendary band right now cause they deserve it...just look how cool they are in this video I posted.......................................

Edited May 8, 2014 by gunnari

[Sixes]

I will offer this....

A lot of people my age...and older...fans of GNR from the 80's really could care less about a reunion. We have moved on with our lives, started careers, some have retired!, raised families, etc. My friends and family, while "general" fans of GNR have no idea who is in the band right now. For all they know or care, it is still the AFD/UYI lineup. If it's announced that the old band reunited, I know a whole shit load of people that will say, "they broke up?" or worse "who cares?". It's not as in the public consciousness as many on this forum would like to believe. And also, the last thing I want to do with my hard earned money is to spend it on concerts. Not at this time in my life. Last thing on my mind. And that goes for a lot of people in my age bracket. Our lives don't revolve around music or concerts anymore. That time has passed for many. So to think all the old fans are clamoring for this or will even give a fuck is hopeful, but not truthful.

GNR are not and never will be in the same league as Led Zeppelin. That's just farcical. "Biggest band in the world" is another misnomer. They were up there sure, for a very very very brief time. But the biggest? Never. Not as long as U2 were around, along with other bands.

The reunion will be met with such indifference it's almost laughable. Why even bother with the notion? It was cool to see them 25 years ago. Now middle aged and worse for wear? No thank you.

[gunnari]

I will offer this....

A lot of people my age...and older...fans of GNR from the 80's really could care less about a reunion. We have moved on with our lives, started careers, some have retired!, raised families, etc. My friends and family, while "general" fans of GNR have no idea who is in the band right now. For all they know or care, it is still the AFD/UYI lineup. If it's announced that the old band reunited, I know a whole shit load of people that will say, "they broke up?" or worse "who cares?". It's not as in the public consciousness as many on this forum would like to believe. And also, the last thing I want to do with my hard earned money is to spend it on concerts. Not at this time in my life. Last thing on my mind. And that goes for a lot of people in my age bracket. Our lives don't revolve around music or concerts anymore. That time has passed for many. So to think all the old fans are clamoring for this or will even give a fuck is hopeful, but not truthful.

GNR are not and never will be in the same league as Led Zeppelin. That's just farcical. "Biggest band in the world" is another misnomer. They were up there sure, for a very very very brief time. But the biggest? Never. Not as long as U2 were around, along with other bands.

The reunion will be met with such indifference it's almost laughable. Why even bother with the notion? It was cool to see them 25 years ago. Now middle aged and worse for wear? No thank you.

oldGnR is bigger than those band you mentioned..What they have achieved is myth and legend and not dying and THAT is a big fucking thing!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sixes]

I will offer this....

A lot of people my age...and older...fans of GNR from the 80's really could care less about a reunion. We have moved on with our lives, started careers, some have retired!, raised families, etc. My friends and family, while "general" fans of GNR have no idea who is in the band right now. For all they know or care, it is still the AFD/UYI lineup. If it's announced that the old band reunited, I know a whole shit load of people that will say, "they broke up?" or worse "who cares?". It's not as in the public consciousness as many on this forum would like to believe. And also, the last thing I want to do with my hard earned money is to spend it on concerts. Not at this time in my life. Last thing on my mind. And that goes for a lot of people in my age bracket. Our lives don't revolve around music or concerts anymore. That time has passed for many. So to think all the old fans are clamoring for this or will even give a fuck is hopeful, but not truthful.

GNR are not and never will be in the same league as Led Zeppelin. That's just farcical. "Biggest band in the world" is another misnomer. They were up there sure, for a very very very brief time. But the biggest? Never. Not as long as U2 were around, along with other bands.

The reunion will be met with such indifference it's almost laughable. Why even bother with the notion? It was cool to see them 25 years ago. Now middle aged and worse for wear? No thank you.

oldGnR is bigger than those band you mentioned..What they have achieved is myth and legend and not dying and THAT is a big fucking thing!!!!!!!!!!!!

for fuck sake

i give up

[Johnny Drama]

Ive no real interest in seeing this as long as Axl remains in his current physical shape with his voice the way it is. Its a shame because I had goosebumps watching the HOF performance and I know the other guys would totally bring it but seeing them all on their A game only to see fatty Axl come on stage and wheeze through the motions would just make me sad.

I need to stop agreeing wholeheartedly with you all the time.

[Nosaj Thing]

I couldn't see a reunited gnr album getting much interest. Nobody cares about new music: people just want to see Axl and Slash play November Rain on stage.

This. Definitely.

Of course, a new album recorded by real Guns would sell 10000 times more than whatever Axl's band could come up-if they come up with something at all but that's really not saying much.

People just want to see this:

[Iron MikeyJ]

Sixes,

I don't have any delusions that a classic gnr concert in 2014 would be better, bigger, or any combination when compared to gnr of old. You are right, many old fans have moved on, but I do think you are selling them short. Classic gnr shows would be just as successful or even more so than AC/DC, Metallica, Van Halen, Aerosmith, or any other classic bands. Why do you think classic gnr would be any different? Just today I was in WalMart and saw a kid who was about 16 wearing an Appetite Tshirt. I thought that was a little ironic, considering this disicusion today. Not that one person equals an entire generation or anything like that, but it does show that gnr still is pretty relevant. He wasn't wearing a NUgnr shirt either, it's the classic band that would really bring the public. I saw Van Halen at The Palace of Auburn Hills in the Detroit area, and as far as I could tell it was a sell out. That's a whole upper level better than what gnr did (but VH had seats on the floor, gnr was GA but still). If VH can sell out those size stadiums, then classic gnr will do it with ease.

[Sixes]

Sixes,

I don't have any delusions that a classic gnr concert in 2014 would be better, bigger, or any combination when compared to gnr of old. You are right, many old fans have moved on, but I do think you are selling them short. Classic gnr shows would be just as successful or even more so than AC/DC, Metallica, Van Halen, Aerosmith, or any other classic bands. Why do you think classic gnr would be any different? Just today I was in WalMart and saw a kid who was about 16 wearing an Appetite Tshirt. I thought that was a little ironic, considering this disicusion today. Not that one person equals an entire generation or anything like that, but it does show that gnr still is pretty relevant. He wasn't wearing a NUgnr shirt either, it's the classic band that would really bring the public. I saw Van Halen at The Palace of Auburn Hills in the Detroit area, and as far as I could tell it was a sell out. That's a whole upper level better than what gnr did (but VH had seats on the floor, gnr was GA but still). If VH can sell out those size stadiums, then classic gnr will do it with ease.

It's just a t-shirt. How many Misfits t-shirts are out there? Literally millions. And if the Misfits got back together, they'd be lucky to get 100 people at a show.

I doubt that your typical 16 year old knows that GNR of old is any different from GNR today, if they even know GNR still exists, which is a big if.

I'll get back to you on the rest...

[bigcountry]

I think a reunion would be classified as a disaster much like the release of CD.

There would be an incredible amount of hype if they let the cat out of the bag and much like the hype for CD, there is no way a reunion would live up to high expectations that would be put up for them.

A surprise attack would work much better, where GNR book some shows and when the stage lights came on it would be most of the original band and it would spread like fire but I doubt they could maintain the momentum and sell out anything over 12,000 seat arenas and in the US if they didn't just hit the big cities it would be much the same with lots of empty seats.

There is no way they would rival bands like AC/DC or Metallica.

GnR would have the nitich of around 8000 seat venues and in the large cities they might command 20000+ seat venues.

This board would just blame Axl if it didn't get as big as they think it should have or if it tanked.

[Free Bird]

I think it would be a huge success.

Just imagine they would write and record a new album. There were a lot of good ideas and vocals/melodies on CD and there are killer riffs and solos on each of Slashs albums post Guns. Izzys talent for song structure would raise them in a hole other level than that what we can hear now by them selves. Everyone of Axl/Slash/Izzy lacks something the other guys comes up with... it's like a puzzle. I pretty sure they would make a kick ass record, even if it wouldn't sell much... maybe 5million copys or something.

And then it depends on the promotion and on how many shows they'll play... If they'll play 5 shows in the States and another 5 shows in Europe they would sell out every Arena imo.

[T-Minus]

Did I just read that Old Guns are bigger than Led Zeppelin?

[DieselDaisy]

Black Ice or Magnetic type numbers for a reunited album. The recording industry has collapsed on its arsehole and the only thing anyone seems to care about is nostalgia these days for some reason.

[Axlspants]

For all the people on this thread saying that a reunion wouldn't be successful answer me this...

Why does everyone go on about the origianl lineup? I mean the media never shup up about it, from the BBC to NME to Rolling Stone to the organiser of the Leeds/Reading festival, all going on about the original lineup, if the original lineup did reform, these media outlets would let the whole world know it was happening and that would create the hype that would lead to massive sell out gigs.

EVERYBODY knows that Axl and Slash fell out and it would be massive if they got together again. If Metallica can headline Glastonbury in 2014 then what would the original lineup of Guns n Roses be able to do. I think people forget just how massive Guns N Roses was in 1991 - 1992. Much bigger than Metallica who are still selling out venues based on their earlier material, no one goes to see Metallica and hopes they'll play stuff off Death Magnet.

[YOUCOULDBEMINE.]

Everybody also knows that rock is pretty much dead. Another reason why a reunion wouldn't be that much of a succes.

[LTD]

It would be a fuckton of money. It would be very succesful in terms of profits. It would mean no new music.

Everybody also knows that rock is pretty much dead. Another reason why a reunion wouldn't be that much of a succes.

Wannna know what isn't dead? 30-40-50 somethings' desire to put too small leather jacket on and visit their youth through an injection of nostalgy. Rolling Stones fills stadions. Rolling Stones have always filled stadions. Last time somebody has bought their album was propably around late 90's. People love the idea of GNR reunion. People would love the change to say " Heh, these guys still got it." Where being able to hold insturments with hand s and make some kind of audible sounds on mic would be enough to constitute as " still gotting it"

Wether or not they'd make new music is borderline irrelevant to the crowd that'd fill the stadions.

Admittedly power of all I've stated above is greatly diminished by Axl literally shitting on name of GNR for quite a few years now. Every time DJ Ashba speaks/makes sounds/ gets his picture taken/appears somewhere, it marks a moment where god kills a nostalgy fairy.

Edited May 9, 2014 by LTD

[Guest NGOG]

If the following scenario applies to you, why the fuck are you posting on a GNR board?

- you think the new era experiment has been a joke

- AND, you think old GNR would be humiliated if they attempted one last run

Sorry to break it to you, but you are not a GNR fan. You just need something in your life to sneer at. Many general fans of GNR regard the new band as a farce, but they still retain a deep affection for old GNR. But to post on a GNR forum, when you have no hope for ANYTHING, is absolutely ridiculous. Chinese Democracy is shit. Axl is shit. Apocalyptic Love is shit. Loaded is shit. The thought of Axl and Slaah playing together is shit. Where do you draw the line and realize that you're not actually a fan of something you discuss daily? As I said before, it's perfectly acceptable to yearn for a particular period in GNR history, but to outright say that nothing which can happen in the GNR world excites you is not the mentality of a GNR fan. It's more like the mentality of a sad individual that has a compulsive need to shit on things. Take a popular movie series: you have fans of a certain director's interpretation, and you have another more polarizing director. Some fans may absolutely hate what the latter did, but overall they are still fans. They just want to see a return to something - an old way if you will. But you don't get many people religiously discussing a movie series they see no future for. Because they are fans, they always have hope. And if an event in the series just kills their hope entirely, they stop following. Otherwise, you can only assume they have nothing better to do. They do not lead a fulfilling enough life to worry about something other than why the Star Wars series will never live up to the original trilogy.

Here's a dose of reality for those that refuse to get out of this internet bubble: Chinese Democracy, compared to the commercial history of GNR, performed poorly. That said, the general consensus amongst critics is that it was a solid record. And in an age of dying CD figures, it performed well. Here's something else some of you will resent: as the layers of hype which surrounded the record continue to wane, more and more people will look upon the record quite favourably. Secondly, the current line-up are a respected touring entity. They aren't world-beaters like Rammstein or NIN, but they are known for providing people with a good time. Those are realities, and they greatly contrast with the narrative provided here. And excuse my fanboyism on this point, but if you don't believe that old GNR continue to be an entity that capture people's imaginations everywhere - go into any city and tell me how many bullet logos you see, I'm calling lots - fuck you. Walk into any club of any genre and ask the DJ to play Sweet Child or Jungle; fact is, you aren't going to see many people get pissed. Go to any major sporting event and you will hear Appetite getting everyone's veins going. Go through a collection of images which capture popular culture (in the US) and you'll see an afro'ed, cigarette wielding guitarist resting his head on the shoulder of a snarling, kilt/bicycle-short wearing singer. Old GNR were a world fuckin' event. One in a Million aside, they took a black guitarist, and a cocky white hick, and they fused different strains of US society. They told a real, raw story and they effortlessly walked onto a world stage. They were the last great innovators in a now dead era of rock - videos, songs, live presentations... you name it - and guess what? They died of their own accord. They weren't killed by grunge or any of that bullshit, the individuality of the characters involved clashed and they imploded. They committed a proverbial suicide. Along with the Stones and Zeppelin, very few bands have such an identifiable group of people. If they (the 5-7 of them) somehow came to a consensus and agreed to attack a plan with authentic energy, old GNR could spend one or two years as one of the top 10 music acts in the world. The initial touring legs would sell out in record-timing, and they could very easily produce a record which rounds off the GNR legacy.

Edited May 9, 2014 by NGOG

[prettytiedup88]

As an album/touring package It would do great business. Of that I have no doubt. Critics and the general music listening public would be intreagued to see how they can fuse the classic riff heavy approach Slash has taken since going solo with the more melodic bloated, industrial infused approach of Axl.

There would be alot of interest in how they perform together too. After such along time, a test of their live performance chops and chemistry would make for good viewing. I'd have thought they could headline a Glasto/Hyde Park in the UK. A big stadium tour in the States with a mix of stadium and festival in European countries. I've no doubt in South America a reunion would be redicously popular with multiple dates at venues. Interest over there never seems to deminish from my take on it.

Alot of very big numbers get bounded about in various blogs and articles about a potential reunion. Talks of it being akin to a Led Zep reunion however I just don't see.

Edited May 9, 2014 by prettytiedup88

[RandallFlagg]

Everyone knows for the casuals it's just about seeing Slash up there, we know how important the contribution of the others were, but it's all about the bandana and the frizzy tophat guy.

[moreblack]

Dizzy better not be around.

Why the fuck not?

The fact you had to ask renders all your dad rock sneering moot.

No, really. Why shouldn't Dizzy be there? Give me one legitimate reason.

Literally all he does during all the cool tunes live, is play tambourine or congas...

[Iron MikeyJ]

I just want to say in reguards to the entire NU era (1999~2014), these are my personal feelings; Axl wanted to put together a band that he had always wanted to be in, and that could live up to the name Guns n' Roses. I personally feel that he succeded in both reguards. No matter which line up of the NU era, they all lived up to the name Guns n' Roses imo, and they all put on a great show. I also feel that CD was a very good, maybe even great album. I also feel that it has lived up to the gnr name. Many ofthe songs on that album will always be in my top 10~15 fav gnr songs. Do I label the NUgnr era a success? Yes and no. When I think about the time I spent as a fan during the dark ages (1995~2002), than yes this has been an absolute success. That was such a hard period to be a fan, never knowing if Axl would return with a new band or if gnr were really just done. So I would take DJ and Finck fucking up classic songs (cause Finck fucked up songs just as much or maybe even more than DJ) than not having anything to follow. Basically anything is better than nothing. But when I compare this band or any NU era line up to classic gnr, than of course it's a failer. But to be fair, even if the classic band hadn't broken up, each album would have steadily recieved less and less attention, that's just what happened with every band that lived through the 90's and the 2000's. So I have no delusions that any gnr album post UYI would have surpassed UYI in terms of sales or popularity, because I just don't see it happening.

But having said all of that, IMO the best way for Axl to get attention for any CD era leftovers is by reuniting classic gnr. Unlike some of you, I do not believe he has anything in the vaults that is better than what we have already heard. Some might be close or perhaps just as good, but not better. If he really had something amazing left over, than the record company would have told him to put it on CD in place of Riad or Scraped or any of the weaker tracks. Why hold onto a master piece but release a lesser work, that just doesn't make sense. But back to my main point, a classic reunion would generate A LOT more interest in the brand known as gnr, and would probably make CD a cult classic. Obviously Axl would have to do a reunion album first, but down the line, a box set with Illusion leftovers, 1996 leftovers, and CD leftovers would be a viable product. I feel very strongly that's the way any CD era songs should be heard (unless a reunion album features 96 session songs, a couple CD era songs rerecorded by Slash, and some new Slash songs) But for most of the CD stuff, a box set is the smartest avenue imo.

I know many want those songs now, but why I ask? Do you really feel Axl saved masterpieces? Do you really think the record company would let him do that after spending all that money on that album? Besides I feel very strongly that any new NUgnr albums would perform even less than CD did, so it would be a even further down fall of the band. For sake of arguement let's say CD sold 3 million copies world wide, what would CD 2 sell 1.5 mil, or even less. What's the point of that? TSI would look like a hit by comparision.

Axl has tried pretty much everything to make NUgnr relevant, but it's just not going to happen. Sure he can do what he wants, when he wants, but his days as mainstream artist are over. The only thing he can do to create actual excitement about the band is a reunion, anything else is futile. He could even bring back Bucket and Finck, but outside of the forums, no one would care. Besides as many of you have already said, he is just basically playing nostolgia shows anyways, so it's time to play nostolgia shows with the band that actually wrote those songs.

BTW, all of this applies to Slash as well. He maybe happy or "successful" with his solo career, but his days as a headliner are over. If he wants to open up for Aerosmith and other classic bands, than he can keep on keeping on. But if he wants to be the headliner again, he needs Axl just as much as Axl needs him. The world doesn't need Slash and Myles and the world doesn't need NUgnr, the world needs Guns n' fucking Roses.