Axl needs to fire his stylist.

[RandallFlagg]

Axl Rose wears what he wants, he'd end up telling the stylist what to wear and keep paying them.

What a coat, I admire a guy with the nuts to bang that luminous lampshade of a rain slicker on when he's having a shit time of singing and obviously feels less than radiant, he still had a bit of fun and let everyone know it was raining in case they were ignorant or had died or had eyes that had simply failed because they could not process the fall from the 2010 tour.

[Tom2112]

Axl Rose wears what he wants, he'd end up telling the stylist what to wear and keep paying them.

What a coat, I admire a guy with the nuts to bang that luminous lampshade of a rain slicker on when he's having a shit time of singing and obviously feels less than radiant, he still had a bit of fun and let everyone know it was raining in case they were ignorant or had died or had eyes that had simply failed because they could not process the fall from the 2010 tour.

I'd wear that jacket and just about any other fluorescent jacket if I was faced with a 2.5/3hr set outside in torrential rain. No question it looked shit but who cares, the only problem there was that he sounded terrible and seemed quite lost through most of the set.

[BangoSkank]

He needs a personal trainer to teach him how to lose some pounds.

He has a personal trainer. He's been with him for years.

He's either a terrible trainer or Axl ignores him. Something isn't right and age is no excuse.

Yeeeeeeah, that screams of a profound waste of money.

[Frozen Inferno]

Axl just isnt inspired to lose weight or look like a king

Edited October 26, 2014 by Frozen Inferno

[Facekicker]

Axl was pretty fly in the '06 era

Those jeans are terrible but other than that it was a great look. If he had gotten rid of the braids he'd have looked even better.

[Nosaj Thing]

I think some of the stuff Axl wares makes him look fat, oversized tshirts n all that, for a man in his 50's he's not in bad shape really.

He's only wearing a t-shirt here and he looks fat. I don't think that's an over-sized t-shirt since it fits perfectly on his fat body. It looks like he has manboobs and the gut is pronounced.

[dando]

He's mid 50's , he's lived a rock n roll lifestyle that would have killed me years ago , running round weighing 12 stone in Lycra shorts was 25 years ago so fuck it n move on

[Nosaj Thing]

He's mid 50's

He's not in his mid 50s. He's 52.

he's lived a rock n roll lifestyle that would have killed me years ago

Define "the rock n' roll lifestyle". I don't think "the rock n' roll lifestyle" is to get fat, be out of breath and lose your voice.

running round weighing 12 stone in Lycra shorts was 25 years ago so fuck it n move on

Nobody wants him running around in his biker shorts. Well, I don't know about the ladies but not me, or most of the male fans, anyway.

Why are you putting words on people's mouth? Do you fantasize with those biker shorts, maybe?

You said Axl's clothes made him fat, I just proved to you that that statement isn't accurate. He's fat. Deal with it and move on.

[dando]

He's mid 50's

He's not in his mid 50s. He's 52.

he's lived a rock n roll lifestyle that would have killed me years ago

Define "the rock n' roll lifestyle". I don't think "the rock n' roll lifestyle" is to get fat, be out of breath and lose your voice.

running round weighing 12 stone in Lycra shorts was 25 years ago so fuck it n move on

Nobody wants him running around in his biker shorts. Well, I don't know about the ladies but not me, or most of the male fans, anyway.

Why are you putting words on people's mouth? Do you fantasize with those biker shorts, maybe?

You said Axl's clothes made him fat, I just proved to you that that statement isn't accurate. He's fat. Deal with it and move on.

Knob ! Look, I don't give a fuck how he looks as long as it's not obese and beyond a joke n the band are still puttin on a good show,

Your comments to me are utter bollocks n it's probably u fantasising over a thin healthy man 25 years ago not me so get a fuckin grip pal!

[Nosaj Thing]

Knob ! Look, I don't give a fuck how he looks as long as it's not obese and beyond a joke n the band are still puttin on a good show,

I don't know why you always need to insult posters who don't agree with you. I understand you get upset when someone is not praising Axl Rose but I think I told you once that's not healthy.

If you enjoy Axl in his current state, that's your choice. However, you stated that he wasn't fat and his clothes made him fat. I just proved you wrong.

Your comments to me are utter bollocks n it's probably u fantasising over a thin healthy man 25 years ago not me so get a fuckin grip pal!

It is your right to think whatever you want about my comments. However, I just proved your statement to be false, and you're not able to refute it. Why is that?

I don't need to get a "fucking grip". I'm not upset, I'm not wrong either. Why would I need that?

[ChristmasFnatic]

Steven Tyler, Bruce Spriengsteen, Jon Bon Jovi... above 50s and fat as well. So its normal.

[Tom2112]

No question that Axl is out of shape, it's clear from looking at his bloated face, wrinkled neck, chin/s and most notably that his ability to sustain breathing throughout long passages has become more and more difficult. The best thing he could be doing right now... even more than work on a new album, although that's obviously way over due... is to be working out and losing the extra weight. He might be rich, but he still needs the touring to supplement his lifestyle and if he just continues the way he is he's cutting the legs from under himself, meaning he won't be fit to do it in 5-10yrs. I don't think it's out of the question to say he could get back into 2006 shape... I think it's unlikely we'll hear his voice at 2006 shape again though, but he proved at the end of the residency that he can still pull out a good performance out of the bag when he gets motivated to do so. I think he would much more motivated to do a great show if he was supporting a new album... 2015? unlikely, 2016 is a real possibility for new music and hopefully a less lethargic Axl.

[tomfriend]

I just keep thinking, well he sounded shit in 02, pretty good in 06, awesome in 10, shit in 14...it's not like his voice has degraded chronologically, year on year due to age. I think and hope he can still surprise us.

[username]

Axl should fire DJ. Then Team Complaints. Then Del. Then maybe his stylist. Really, he's not even in the top 3.

[Nosaj Thing]

I just keep thinking, well he sounded shit in 02, pretty good in 06, awesome in 10, shit in 14...

Incorrect.

Shit in 2011-2014. Not only 2014.

[dando]

It's you that's rubbed me up the wrong way with your initial post about what you think my thoughts are about how Axl looks now and back in the day, nobody's right or wrong it's all opinions but you don't seem to allow me to have one . Take a look at yourself pal

[Nosaj Thing]

It's you that's rubbed me up the wrong way with your initial post about what you think my thoughts are about how Axl looks now and back in the day, nobody's right or wrong it's all opinions but you don't seem to allow me to have one . Take a look at yourself pal

The definition of "being fat" cannot be an opinion. Axl is fat, with or without his "over-sized" clothes.

[GNR123GNR456]

I hate this bullshit notion that just because Axl's 52 that means he's allowed to be out of shape. Age doesn't mean anything, the guy is a multi-million dollar rockstar. He could easily afford a personal trainer and a vocal coach. He has neither because he simply doesn't give a shit anymore. Instead of practicing and rehearsing, he's sitting around eating cheeseburgers. There's no denying he's out of shape and it is having effect on his vocals. There's no reason to compare Axl Rose to ordinary people because we don't have the money, fame, and luxury to afford easy access for getting in shape. He has a mansion of a home, why not a gym?

There's a difference between getting out of shape because of age and getting out of shape because of laziness. Axl's the second. Jon Bon Jovi the same age as Axl Rose, and he's in better shape than I am. Hell, Bruce Springsteen in 62 and he's in better shape than most people half his age. Age in not an excuse. Sure, Jons voice may be shot, but unlike Axl Rose, he's been touring the past 30 years with very few breaks.

As for the clothes he wears on stage, I think that's him trying to hide behind something. I used to be out of shape and insecure about how I looked, and I remember wearing a jacket everywhere to hide myself. Axl could be the same way, instead of getting in better shape to feel better and perform better, he's just hiding behind all the oversized jackets and hats.

Edited October 27, 2014 by GNR123GNR456

[stella]

He's looked better, and the clothes he's wearing right now aren't always that flattering. In 2006, if he'd had his long hair, he could have passed for 1991 Axl, and that's pretty impressive. The clothes he had in 2006 or even 2012 seemed to work a little better for him.

There have been rumblings here about Axl's health, and I think that in any discussion about his appearance, one perhaps needs to take this into consideration. He's got a moon face right now. His face is a lot more bloated than the rest of him, and that's a common byproduct of for a lot of medical conditions and medications, such as steroids (and not the type that pump you up; the anti-inflammatory medications take for severe respiratory illness and other conditions). I'm not saying he's taking them, it's just an observation. Why would steroids help him anyway? If he's dealing with a severe respiratory problem they will prescribe those; if he's dealing with vocal cord injury he will also be on them. There have been rumors that when he goes offstage all the time he's on oxygen - we know he's needed that since the 90s, when he was very thin and obviously in great physical shape - and that's not a good sign either, if he's depending on that to get through a show.

In addition it seems to fluctuate a lot. When he was on the Jimmy Kimmel show in 2012 he honestly looked fine in person; he wasn't fat at all and his face was not bloated.

If he's dealing with some sort of chronic condition or illness, or he's taking medication that has an impact on his appearance, that's a bit out of his control.

The bottom line is that none of us know what his medical issues are; we don't know what he's dealing with or not dealing with, so IMHO to immediately assume his weight or appearance signifies that he's been sitting on the couch with a bag of chips every day is neither fair nor justified.

Edited October 27, 2014 by stella

[Jordan Rose]

The Boss wrapped a huge tour last year and went out running the morning after the last show. He's 13 years older than Axl. Last year I saw him play for 3hrs and 45 mins and he DID NOT LEAVE THE STAGE ONCE.

[Jordan Rose]

About the whole 'hiding behind all the clothes and gimmicks' in 2011-2014: I feel he was only partly hiding because of insecurities over how he looked physically. It's pretty clear he wasn't the same performer who had something to prove in 2006-2010. You only have to look at Rock Am Ring or any 2010 show to see a guy who is trying his hardest to come as close to his younger self performance-wise as possible. From 2011 onwards he was treading water. His heart wasn't in it in the same way and the fact that he chose to spend almost all of each show behind a hat and glasses speaks volumes.

I remember getting shitloads of eye contact with him in 2006 and 2010, hell even in 2002. Nothing in 2012.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Jordan Rose

[RussTCB]

I don't give two shits about his "look" and I don't think many other people would if he were out there kicking ass.

[magisme]

It's you that's rubbed me up the wrong way

You should report him for that.

[username]

I don't give two shits about his "look" and I don't think many other people would if he were out there kicking ass.

Agreed (although I really think he looked incredibly stupid in 2002), but when he's constantly out of breath and struggling with notes he must be doing something wrong. Obviously he's not 20 any more. But then he should either adjust his lifestyle/preparation or his stage-show.

[BangoSkank]

About the whole 'hiding behind all the clothes and gimmicks' in 2011-2014: I feel he was only partly hiding because of insecurities over how he looked physically. It's pretty clear he wasn't the same performer who had something to prove in 2006-2010. You only have to look at Rock Am Ring or any 2010 show to see a guy who is trying his hardest to come as close to his younger self performance-wise as possible. From 2011 onwards he was treading water. His heart wasn't in it in the same way and the fact that he chose to spend almost all of each show behind a hat and glasses speaks volumes.

I remember getting shitloads of eye contact with him in 2006 and 2010, hell even in 2002. Nothing in 2012.

It really begs the question of what happened between December of 2010 & October of 2011.