The positive side of being an Axl Rose fan - how does that relate to you?

[Nosaj Thing]

When I first discovered Guns N' Roses, the band was having what would be their last worldwide tour in 1993. Unluckily for me, I was born too late. I remember stealing my uncle's original Appetite for Destruction cassette and being blown away by Axl's vocals and Slash's guitar sound in Welcome to the Jungle. Man, that day I kept listening to the song for hours before continuing on with the rest of the album.

At that point, I had never seen Guns perform live, not even in video. There was no Youtube, or internet for that matter, but there was a channel on national TV that would broadcast Ritz '88 and Tokyo '92 from time to time. I was fascinated by both incarnations of the band. First, as a casual fan back then, I would describe the Ritz '88 as an intimate gig. There were a lot of things going on. Young musicians doing what they do best, rock n' roll. I never thought these guys would be able to outdo themselves years later - at least, in my opinion. When I first saw Tokyo '92, that was the exact moment I became a hardcore fan. I mean, to see Slash with a guitar sound only comparable to a jet engine, jumping 6 feet high and running around the whole stage, was out of this world. That, and the incredible, killer, fascinating, outstanding, breath-taking vocal range of Axl Rose, who would run for two hours straight and deliver one of the greatest performances I have seen, putting him in the caliber of universally-loved frontmen like Freddie Mercury, Steven Tyler or Mick Jagger.

With Tokyo '92 I discovered a lot of new songs. I was just a kid and I didn't know Guns released more albums after Appetite. So, Lies and both UYIs were a nice treat for me. I couldn't say for sure, how many times I listened to November Rain. It was a masterpiece and I didn't know what a "masterpiece" was. All I knew was that I was listening to some great shit and that my buddies at school were missing out. At the age of 14, I dedicated Don't Cry to my first high-school girlfriend and she became a fan of the band too. I think she's still a fan of the band, I don't know, it's been years since I talked to her.

A year later I found out that more live concerts were available in VHS, so I would always ask my dad to buy them for my birthday. He got me Paris '92 and Chile '92. Great fucking times. I should say, as much as AFD fans like to criticize the bloated state of the band by the start of the UYI tour, I'm one of those who think that Axl, or whoever wanted to go that route, made a great decision. The UYIs are my favorite Gn'R albums, but AFD is the Gn'R record.

In late 90s the internet became available for us and I would browse news about the band when I had virtual classes at school. That's when I found out the band stopped existing years ago and that no one but Axl was a member. It didn't shock me. To be honest, I didn't care. I wanted to listen to the music, you know? I would visit MYGNR (the website) and download Real Player clips from videos like You Could Be Mine or Sweet Child O' Mine and listen to them until my teacher would force me to leave.

By 2001, I was already a fan of Guns so as soon as they played Rock in Rio III, I bought the bootleg. Amazing concert. The band sounded great, they played new songs I didn't care about because Axl Rose was back, and he brought with him a guitarist with a KFC bucket on his head who would play Slash's November Rain solos with green-glowing eyes! How fucking cool was that? To me, it was glorious. Too bad it didn't last, and just like Axl Rose went MIA and disappeared from the world, my fanaticism for the band disappeared and vanished.

In early 2010 I found out Axl Rose was going to perform in Peru and it was my mother who told me about it, my mind was focused on things that were 100% different than being a fan of a rock n' roll band that I didn't have a clue. I saw some 2006/2007 videos, then I saw a few 2010 videos (Canada for example) and got really excited. Bought my ticket and had an incredible experience at the show. I can't really complain, I got my money's worth that night. Even though Axl made us wait three hours, I was too excited to be "mad" about it. As for the rest, specially after Rock in Rio IV, well, my posts in this forum exhibit my thoughts very well, I don't think I need to say that again.

So yeah, the positive side of being an Axl Rose fan? I think I have described it pretty well in my post. The man, unfortunately, has made his choice long time ago. I don't agree with it. I mean, to see my favorite frontman of all time ruin himself and become a joke did not and does not make me happy, but what can ya do? I have no power over him or his decisions. I just sit back and watch. Hopefully this terribly awful situation will change. Each and every one of us who post in D&N is a Guns N' Roses fan, it's just that some of them or, should I say, the majority of them are just frustrated with the situation. It is a sad situation, indeed. I never thought - when I was listening to Guns as a kid - that I would see Axl Rose in disaster videos.

Apologies for the length of my post. I thought Apollo made a great, long post and decided to do the same. I couldn't reply with one sentence, it would've been insulting.

[wasted]

I guess Axl delivers great moments. Saw them in 91 at Wembley. We waited but when they flew on with Perfect Crime you can't describe how good that was. Never seen anything like that again. There's things Axl has done that no other front man has done. So no matter these negative things that's what I remember.

[Apollo]

I don't get all the bashing he gets around here.

It was just that last paragraph... sort of waving some cash in front of Axl's face saying "dude, I'll pay you for it, the money is right here, see it? You can do whatever you want with it, buy M&Ms, get a cheap hooker, have a margarita... whatever you want."

It sounds cunty.

You missed the point, bub.

I didn't say take the 100 million dollars for a reunion.

Axl lives in a mansion. He drives a lambo. He lives the life of luxury. Why? Because guys like me have paid thousands of dollars to support his career. Axl makes more money in one concert (three hours) than I make in a year of working.

The point is to release a friggin album of 14 songs (or two or three of them) and a million or two guys just like me will spend our hard earned money on the album, t-shirts and concerts. So not only would Axl be doing a solid for the fans who helped him live his life of luxury - but he would also make a few more million dollars. Win-win.

I loved the first part of your post, by the way.

That's exactly what I got from your message.

My point is aimed at the sense of entitlement of so many fans (of all bands, not just GNR), that false idea of "we put you there, we made you who you are, you owe us, the fans." Sure, having some recognition is amazing, but any successful artist has got up there because of their own merits, their own effort and hard work.

Except it isn't a false notion. You can be the greatest artist in the history of the world, but if their isn't a market for it or if fans don't financially support that artist, the he will be working as an accountant or teaching music lessons for 40 grand a year and living in a $200,000 house instead of living in a 20 million dollar mansion and having a net worth of $150,000,000.

You might disagree with me, and that's fine. But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

Only in the world of GnR are fans not considered part of the equation. I guess that's how fans try and justify their idol only putting out one album in the last 20 years.

[Kittiara]

I haven't posted on here for a long while. Just peek in and read. I mean, what can I say? There isn't anything new to discuss.

Yet, I do peek in. I do read. I do check for news, nearly every day. Why? Because GN'R remains my favourite band, and Axl Rose remains my favourite singer. I hope that, one day, the silence will end, and the band reaches out to us, builds a connection, and releases new music.

I wouldn't do that if I didn't care. And I still remember the day when I began to care. I was over at my grandmother's (now sadly passed away). She'd kindly put on MTV to keep her awkward teenage granddaughter happy. And all of a sudden, there was the Paradise City video. It was a new sound, a new voice. Something clicked inside of me. From that moment on, I was a rock fan.

I remember my first GN'R concert. I'm pretty sure it was in 1993. I had to travel a long way by bus to get there, but it was worth it. Being a shorty has its benefits - people were nice enough to let me stand right at the front of the crowd, because everyone could see over the top of my head anyway. It was a wonderful experience. So much energy!

In the years after, my life was, as the cliche goes, a roller-coaster, but the music was always with me. I didn't get to attend another concert until Manchester 2006. Despite all the changes in the band, and despite the band being late, as usual, it was another amazing concert. Axl still had it. His voice still touched me. I felt like a teenager all over again, happily singing along.

That's the thing about GN'R. The music never gets old. I went through a brief phase as a teen where I loved rock music but I also had a soft spot for New Kids on the Block, and I wouldn't listen to NKOTB now. I was on Youtube earlier today watching some live videos of GN'R.

So, Axl... I doubt you will read this, but if you do - there are people out there who still like you. They want to hear your music. They want to attend your concerts. They want to hear news.

We're here waiting. And we may complain from time to time, and sound bitter from time to time, but that's just because we care. We've done a whole lot of waiting.

As said, I would love to see the band reach out and reconnect. There are so many ways to do that nowadays. It doesn't take much effort and would make millions of people happy. A new album would be the best, of course. But even some updates every now and then would be appreciated at this point...

[Lies They Tell]

But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

I respect your opinion, but now your just being ridiculous. Axl isn't the only artist out there who doesn't suck up to his fans. That "we owe everything to our fans" mantra is mostly repeated by pop acts who don't write their own songs and who actually haven't done much to deserve their success.

[wasted]

Of course they owe their success to the fans, but they don't really owe them another record. They are saying thanks for buying our stuff.

Even bands that say that, not sure who says this, but if they don't put out a record and fans say you owe us a record, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't think fuck off.

Like do VR fans think they owe us a record we bought the first two?

I think Axl is a different case bcos we feel like there is more material and therefore there's no reason not to put it out. What the fuck are they doing type of thing. But owe us? No, that's just too sad.

[Strange Broue]

The positive side of being an Axl Rose fan:

It's relatively inexpensive, does not require repeated trips to the record store.

[wasted]

A record every 10 years is pretty good.

[Apollo]

But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

I respect your opinion, but now your just being ridiculous. Axl isn't the only artist out there who doesn't suck up to his fans. That "we owe everything to our fans" mantra is mostly repeated by pop acts who don't write their own songs and who actually haven't done much to deserve their success.

Can you name a couple other successful bands that don't give credit to their fans for the band's success?

yawn

Thanks for contributing that in depth and well thought out response.

A record every 10 years is pretty good.

Not really. Not if it is your favorite band

How do you feel about one album every 23 years?

[Lies They Tell]

But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

I respect your opinion, but now your just being ridiculous. Axl isn't the only artist out there who doesn't suck up to his fans. That "we owe everything to our fans" mantra is mostly repeated by pop acts who don't write their own songs and who actually haven't done much to deserve their success.

Can you name a couple other successful bands that don't give credit to their fans for the band's success?

What do you mean by giving credit? It's not like Axl wouldn't have thanked the fans for example at the Golden Gods Awards. He came to all the major GNR forums to chat with the fans after CD was released. That's pretty nice of him.

I can name plenty of bands that have NEVER said that they owe all their success to their fans, if that's what you're asking?

I think you and I have a very different worldview. I don't think anyone in this world owes me anything unless I've made a deal about it. When I buy a cheesburger from McDonalds, I don't think McDonalds owes me anything after I've eaten the burger. Likewise if I buy painting from my favorite artist, I don't think that artist owes me anything afterwards. If that artist wants to stop painting altogether, he is free to do so. If I donate money to a poor person, I don't think that person owes me anything afterwards. So I don't understand why for example Axl would all of a sudden owe me something cause I bought his albums.

It's not like Axl would have begged me to buy an album and promised to compensate me for my good deed. No, I bought the album because I wanted that album. So why would Axl owe me anything because of that? I've never made a deal with Axl that would obligate me to be his fan or obligate him to release more music for me. Neither have you or anyone of us.

[arnold layne]

Positive: captured my mind as a middle schooler and his music introduced me to this forum and got me through some tough times.

[November_rain]

I started being a fan when I was 13 or so. A school mate introduced me to GNR and the first thing that attracted me was Axl´s voice. I´ve been a fan since then. I remember when they cancelled their last show in the Vicente Calderón Stadium (Madrid) because of some problems with the place. They came back in 1993 and I remember how frustrated I felt because my parents didn´t allow me to travel to attend the show. I also remember watching the mythical MTV performace with Elton John on tv, and the Freddy Mercury show, and when a spanish tv channel broadcasted a show from Paris...etc. Those times were so different, and so cool at the same time. It was all about music and we didn´t have internet yet so we didn´t have as many info as we have today.

Even in those years people looked at me saying that I didnt look like the kind of person who would like "a guy like that", as if being a fan of someone like Axl Rose was a crime lol. I didn´t give a shit back then and I don´t give a shit right now. He´s always been my favourite singer, he is the reason I started liking GNR and I don´t need anyone´s seal of approval to continue being a fan.

What´s the positive side of being an Axl fan? I don´t know, all I can say is that I have always been very proud to say that he is my favourite singer and I don´t care how many tours, or how many cd´s or how long he takes to come back to the public scene. Good or bad, my opinion is not going to change and he will still be my favourite.

[Apollo]

But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

I respect your opinion, but now your just being ridiculous. Axl isn't the only artist out there who doesn't suck up to his fans. That "we owe everything to our fans" mantra is mostly repeated by pop acts who don't write their own songs and who actually haven't done much to deserve their success.

Can you name a couple other successful bands that don't give credit to their fans for the band's success?

What do you mean by giving credit? It's not like Axl wouldn't have thanked the fans for example at the Golden Gods Awards. He came to all the major GNR forums to chat with the fans after CD was released. That's pretty nice of him.

I can name plenty of bands that have NEVER said that they owe all their success to their fans, if that's what you're asking?

I think you and I have a very different worldview. I don't think anyone in this world owes me anything unless I've made a deal about it. When I buy a cheesburger from McDonalds, I don't think McDonalds owes me anything after I've eaten the burger. Likewise if I buy painting from my favorite artist, I don't think that artist owes me anything afterwards. If that artist wants to stop painting altogether, he is free to do so. If I donate money to a poor person, I don't think that person owes me anything afterwards. So I don't understand why for example Axl would all of a sudden owe me something cause I bought his albums.

It's not like Axl would have begged me to buy an album and promised to compensate me for my good deed. No, I bought the album because I wanted that album. So why would Axl owe me anything because of that? I've never made a deal with Axl that would obligate me to be his fan or obligate him to release more music for me. Neither have you or anyone of us.

Again, can you give me a list of say 5 of those bands?

Obviously, legally and technically, Axl owes us NOTHING. He can disappear tomorrow and never put out more music, never tour, never speak to the media. It's his life and he can do whatever he wants.

But if an artist wants to build a fanbase that will support him and his band - then yes, he does owe that fan base something.

Your McDonalds analogy leaves out the important fact that the McDonalds is still there after you purchase your burger. You know that if you go back tomorrow during your lunch break, they will be there for you. And if they are closed - they've told you in advance and let you know why. And they tell you "hey, we're gonna roll out the McRib or the Pizza for the summer"....and then they actually do it. So you don't make six trips there during the summer to have a McRib and each time they say "Yea, I know we said we'd have it, but maybe check back next week."

We obviously aren't going to change each other's minds, and that's OK. It's nice to have a friendly disagreement with a poster on this forum without it turning into the typical insult fest.

I think bands owe their fans. If they want to build up a loyal fan base - then it's a two way street.

Don't promise your fans things, don't put out one album in 20 years and then tease them by saying you've got two albums completed in the can, don't say you didn't record an album to NOT release it, don't keep your fans completely in the dark, etc.

You feel other wise.

Fine! To each their own.

But I promise you that when a new band is starting to break or is on the verge of success, there isn't one manager/advisor/peer that goes to that band and says "Follow the Axl Rose rules of how to treat your fan base. Just copy what he does."

MAYBE not you - but I honestly feel like a lot of the "Axl doesn't owe us anything" comments on the forums are really just people trying to justify Axl's lack of music and correspondence with the fans.

[Apollo]

I don't get all the bashing he gets around here.

It was just that last paragraph... sort of waving some cash in front of Axl's face saying "dude, I'll pay you for it, the money is right here, see it? You can do whatever you want with it, buy M&Ms, get a cheap hooker, have a margarita... whatever you want."

It sounds cunty.

You missed the point, bub.

I didn't say take the 100 million dollars for a reunion.

Axl lives in a mansion. He drives a lambo. He lives the life of luxury. Why? Because guys like me have paid thousands of dollars to support his career. Axl makes more money in one concert (three hours) than I make in a year of working.

The point is to release a friggin album of 14 songs (or two or three of them) and a million or two guys just like me will spend our hard earned money on the album, t-shirts and concerts. So not only would Axl be doing a solid for the fans who helped him live his life of luxury - but he would also make a few more million dollars. Win-win.

I loved the first part of your post, by the way.

That's exactly what I got from your message.

My point is aimed at the sense of entitlement of so many fans (of all bands, not just GNR), that false idea of "we put you there, we made you who you are, you owe us, the fans." Sure, having some recognition is amazing, but any successful artist has got up there because of their own merits, their own effort and hard work.

Except it isn't a false notion. You can be the greatest artist in the history of the world, but if their isn't a market for it or if fans don't financially support that artist, the he will be working as an accountant or teaching music lessons for 40 grand a year and living in a $200,000 house instead of living in a 20 million dollar mansion and having a net worth of $150,000,000.

You might disagree with me, and that's fine. But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

Only in the world of GnR are fans not considered part of the equation. I guess that's how fans try and justify their idol only putting out one album in the last 20 years.

Bottom line is: he doesn't owe us anything.

Saying "hey Billy... we'll give you more cashhhhh if you do what we expect you to do" is insulting. He's not our employee.

For some reason, I gravitate towards artists that like to take their time between releases (Axl/GNR, Kevin Shields/My Bloody Valentine, Courtney Love/Hole, Trent Reznor/NIN, HTDA),

In the end, all we (fans) have to offer is money. They have the skills, the creativity, the art. Let's stop acting like douchebags, we're not running a sweatshop. This should be about appreciating the product (as in the result, not as a good) of someone's creativity when it happens instead of pretending we are some big shots who deserve to be pleased by their employees.

Sigh.

People always have to over exaggerate every thing.

Nobody said he was our employee. Nobody said he needs to bow at our feet because we give him cash. Nobody said they were pretending to be big shots. Nobody said we were running a sweatshop.

Sometimes I hate internet forums. Some people can never just chat about things without taking everything to extreme examples. You could post a picture of the world's cutest kitten and say "I love kittens, they are so cute." And by the 10th response somebody is calling you a dog hater and by the 15th response people are arguing and fighting.

As for the rest of your post. So you must have hated GnR during the Appetite and Illusions days. Axl and GnR put out 4 albums in a five year period. You honestly prefer the Axl of 1999-2015 that only release one album over the Axl/GnR that put out four albums between 1987-1991?

On a personal note, and I only ask as your preference is 100% different than mine, so I'm just curious as to why?

I'd much rather my favorite artists put out albums every couple of years. If I love a band, I want to hear as much music as possible by them. I don't understand why a fan would enjoy or prefer that their favorite bands to not release music.

The Stones and bands back in the day used to put out an album every year. I just can't imagine sitting back and saying "Damn, Axl is my favorite singer of all time, and GnR is my favorite band of all time. BUT I sure wish he would stop putting out music and maybe wait 10-15 years before releasing another album."

You prefer bands that rarely release music. That's a very interesting thing for a fan of a band to say.

[Lies They Tell]

But there is a reason that EVERY other successful band and musician in the world will literally say in interviews "we owe all our success to our fans, without them we wouldn't be here."

I respect your opinion, but now your just being ridiculous. Axl isn't the only artist out there who doesn't suck up to his fans. That "we owe everything to our fans" mantra is mostly repeated by pop acts who don't write their own songs and who actually haven't done much to deserve their success.

Can you name a couple other successful bands that don't give credit to their fans for the band's success?

What do you mean by giving credit? It's not like Axl wouldn't have thanked the fans for example at the Golden Gods Awards. He came to all the major GNR forums to chat with the fans after CD was released. That's pretty nice of him.

I can name plenty of bands that have NEVER said that they owe all their success to their fans, if that's what you're asking?

I think you and I have a very different worldview. I don't think anyone in this world owes me anything unless I've made a deal about it. When I buy a cheesburger from McDonalds, I don't think McDonalds owes me anything after I've eaten the burger. Likewise if I buy painting from my favorite artist, I don't think that artist owes me anything afterwards. If that artist wants to stop painting altogether, he is free to do so. If I donate money to a poor person, I don't think that person owes me anything afterwards. So I don't understand why for example Axl would all of a sudden owe me something cause I bought his albums.

It's not like Axl would have begged me to buy an album and promised to compensate me for my good deed. No, I bought the album because I wanted that album. So why would Axl owe me anything because of that? I've never made a deal with Axl that would obligate me to be his fan or obligate him to release more music for me. Neither have you or anyone of us.

Again, can you give me a list of say 5 of those bands?

Obviously, legally and technically, Axl owes us NOTHING. He can disappear tomorrow and never put out more music, never tour, never speak to the media. It's his life and he can do whatever he wants.

But if an artist wants to build a fanbase that will support him and his band - then yes, he does owe that fan base something.

Your McDonalds analogy leaves out the important fact that the McDonalds is still there after you purchase your burger. You know that if you go back tomorrow during your lunch break, they will be there for you. And if they are closed - they've told you in advance and let you know why. And they tell you "hey, we're gonna roll out the McRib or the Pizza for the summer"....and then they actually do it. So you don't make six trips there during the summer to have a McRib and each time they say "Yea, I know we said we'd have it, but maybe check back next week."

We obviously aren't going to change each other's minds, and that's OK. It's nice to have a friendly disagreement with a poster on this forum without it turning into the typical insult fest.

I think bands owe their fans. If they want to build up a loyal fan base - then it's a two way street.

Don't promise your fans things, don't put out one album in 20 years and then tease them by saying you've got two albums completed in the can, don't say you didn't record an album to NOT release it, don't keep your fans completely in the dark, etc.

You feel other wise.

Fine! To each their own.

But I promise you that when a new band is starting to break or is on the verge of success, there isn't one manager/advisor/peer that goes to that band and says "Follow the Axl Rose rules of how to treat your fan base. Just copy what he does."

MAYBE not you - but I honestly feel like a lot of the "Axl doesn't owe us anything" comments on the forums are really just people trying to justify Axl's lack of music and correspondence with the fans.

Yeah, I'm not trying to change your mind. But it's interesting to hear your point of view. And in the end it seems that we kinda agree. Like you said, "legally and technically Axl doesn't owe us anything." That was really my point.

It's a whole other question what Axl should do IF he wants to build a loyal fanbase. Obviously he's gonna start losing fans, if he's never releasing new music again. I still wouldn't say that he owes us anything. It's just that people will lose interest if nothing's ever happening. Some may even start hating Axl. But it's really Axl's own decision if he wants to keep his fans or not. He doesn't owe us anything. But if he wants to keep his fans then it would be a good idea to release some music.

Then again, I really don't think that Axl's afraid of losing fans. He probably knows that when/if he releases a new album again, all those disappointed fans will come back again and buy the new album anyway. He really doesn't seem to care about pleasing fans all that much. Cause in the end, if the music is good people will buy it no matter what. That's why he only seems to be interested in tinkering with those songs until he's happy with them.

Here's 5 bands/artists that I've never heard saying that they owe everything to their fans:

-Metallica

In fact here's Lar's Ulrich directly saying "we don't owe people anything": http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metallica-s-ulrich-we-don-t-owe-people-anything/

-Rolling Stones

-Nirvana

-Sex Pistols

-Marilyn Manson

And about that McDonalds analogy. It's happened to me that I walked all the way to my favorite burger place but when I came there it was no longer there. But the thought never crossed my mind that the burger place would owe me something.

Personally I feel that some of your thoughts about Axl are a little contradictory. You say, "don't keep your fans in the dark" and then you're making a list about things that he should't have said out loud. Fact is that he has a lot of unreleased music. If he wouldn't have said anything about it you would complain that he's keeping fans in the dark. But when he mentioned it, you're complaining that he should never have said anything about it. You're disappointed that Axl's not talking about things, but I'm not sure what you want him to say? The music will most likely be released when Axl is completely satisfied with the album, or when he thinks he has enough material in the vault for CD3 and CD4. He doesn't know for sure when CD2 will be released, so what do you want him to say?

In my opinion there's nothing wrong in being silent until he actually has something to say.

I'm definitely not saying that Axl's way is the right way to do things. I don't think there is a right or a wrong way to deal with the fans. There's only different ways to do it. All I know that none of us are forced to be GNR fans. If you hate the way Axl does things, nothing's stopping you from never visiting this forum again. You can stop being a GNR fan whenever you want to. Just because you decide to continue being a GNR fan doesn't mean that anyone owes you anything.

Anyway I don't really have much more to say about this subject. I understand your point and I'm pretty sure you understand my point too.

[wasted]

I think the label also is or has to be in play. GNR comes with expectations. Thinking Axl waves his magic light saber and the label says yes Lord Axl is naive.

Label probably wants to put out Best of and do reunion tour. Add 1 new classic line up song and its moneyville.