Axl vs Reality

[Nick85]

I think there's a misconception on both sides. On our side, I think we over-exaggerate the impact of our criticisms of the band, Axl, management. While there might have been a time where heavy criticism was taken seriously, I think we're long past that. The narrative that the band and management rejects criticism outright or disagrees with every gripe levelled towards them is overcooked. Granted, they haven't done themselves any favours the few times they've spoken. Del's journal entries back in 2007 and 2008 where he essentially called out anyone who had any grievance, whether legitimate or not, was not a great PR move. But having spoken to Beta and Fernando, I can tell you that they understand the frustration and disappointment and don't really hold a grudge against those who want more from their favourite band. What they do take issue with is the ugliness that comprises a very small percentage of the hardcore fanbase. I think it's a valid point. Voicing your displeasure or frustration about Axl, the band, management, or other fans is one thing. But we cross a line when we speak of certain people as though they deserve outright contempt or hatred.

On the other side of the coin, we have, from my vantage point, an operation that's so insular that I wonder if faulty convictions ever go unchallenged. It can't be easy visiting a place like this and seeing strangers shit on you all the time, but at the same time, we are the band's "political base," and much of what we have to say is valid and should be heard. We're made to feel as if we don't matter at times and that's the wrong way to treat those who have stood by for so long. In the end all we want is to see Axl and the band successful and I think that concept gets lost on the powers at be sometimes.

Great post, and I largely agree. It's reassuring to hear that they understand our collective frustrations, however, whether it's taken seriously I think is up for debate. Again, one or two quick sentences regarding the status of the next album would go MILES with us. Even if it's as simple as saying it's "on the horizon" in some way would put gas in our proverbial tanks for a good while.

I think they need to understand that when Axl says things like how the priority will be shifting to dropping the next album after Vegas...only to have radio silence on the matter for over a year and a half following is, simply put, not cool. Of course we're getting impatient now.

There's an old saying in theater: "If you show a gun in Act 1, you must shoot it in Act 2." Shoot the f*cking gun Axl.

I'm not sure if the calculation is based on how seriously they take our concerns, but what they can feasibly do about them. Ultimately it all starts and stops with Axl. Also, don't forget there are other players involved like lawyers, record labels, public relation firms, etc.

And let's put things in perspective: a year and a half is a drop in the bucket compared to what fans have faced before. If I recall properly, it was a solid four years in the late 1990s before fans got any word from Axl about what was going on. It was another three years between Philly 2002 and Axl showing up at a Korn concert in 2006. The sad reality for us fans is he just isn't a transparent artist when it comes to the status of his work. It is what it is and as someone who has been a fan since 1989, it's kind of par for the course. Not trying to justify it, but it is what it is.

You're right that ultimately, everything starts and stops with Axl. It's these teases that come from both him and management, with no follow through that drive me nuts. When Fernando first said he'd be back in a few months with some big news, it was riding on the heals of both Frank & Richard saying something big was happening in 2016. So I'm thinking "Alright, cool, it looks like he'll be back with an album announcement...I can roll with that and wait."

Now, here we are in mid November. Does it seem like an album announcement is right around the corner? Any industry rumblings? I sure don't see any. Don't get me wrong, I will gladly eat crow if, say, tomorrow the official site officially announces it. F*cking gladly. But I just don't see it, and it such a shame, considering this was supposed be the next step after Vegas wrapped up.

I have no idea what Fernando has in store, but I highly doubt he's coming back with anything substantial relating to new material/an album. A band name like GNR doesn't reveal huge news via an unofficial fan forum like this one. I am curious what he was thinking when he said there'd be news in two to four months (and to be fair, we're still within that window). If I had to guess, GNR through official channels will make an announcement and he might return to answer questions relating to it. Again, that's an uneducated guess on my part. I haven't reached out to Fernando since August as I doubt he would tell me anything and I've been so busy in my real life that I haven't had the time or inclination.

I also always took that as him possibly expanding on an upcoming "official" announcement, but who knows really? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he had no memory of posting that.

[-W.A.R-]

On a slightly related note (it's not really worthy of a thread I don't think) I noticed at the weekend that AFD and UYI 1&2 have been added to Amazon Prime Music, they weren't there up until a few weeks back at least. I guess the trio of Axl, Duff and Slash would have to sign that off.

they've been on Spotify forever though

[Free Bird]

Maybe they just want to protect it for a little while longer.

Lmfao

That stands for laughing my fucking ass of!

[DieselDaisy]

You know it will be mere minutes before the ''Axl/TB don't owe you a thing line'' is trotted out by an Axl nutter.

[Little EMO Annie]

Back to the original point of this thread. I do think that celebrities can be hurt by things that people say on the internet. Several years back Tina Fey won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on 30 Rock. When she accepted her first award of the night she talked about some of the hateful comments that people made about her on the internet. She even went as far as to call out a few user names and tell them all to suck it. Obviously it had a profound effect on her for her to do that at a major award ceremony like the EMMYtS

[DieselDaisy]

Fundamentally, If you are willing to be so egotistical as stand on stage or put an album out, there is always the potential for public ridicule. It is the nature of the beast. ''If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen''.

[Ender04]

When you put yourself out there you make yourself vulnerable for public criticism. But that doesn't justify individuals on the internet giving rude or uncalled for comments though. Criticism in itself is OK and I think fans should express themselves. The gap between artist and fans has never been smaller than in this day and age. But there is a lot of trolling going on at different internet platforms. I just don´t get that. Get a life!

Edited November 11, 2015 by Ender04

[Little EMO Annie]

Fundamentally, If you are willing to be so egotistical as stand on stage or put an album out, there is always the potential for public ridicule. It is the nature of the beast. ''If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen''.

There is some truth to that statement. Meat Loaf said at his show in Vegas that anybody in his line of work has an EGO. But there is a big difference between having an ego and being on an ego trip. Some people use the safety net of the Internet to just be mean. What is the point? I don't care for JLO but I'm not going to waste my time bashing her anywhere on the Internet.

[RussTCB]

Some people use the safety net of the Internet to just be mean. What is the point? I don't care for JLO but I'm not going to waste my time bashing her anywhere on the Internet.

This is where I feel you've missed the point of this site again. You keep coming up with new ways to say that people here just want to bash Axl and GNR which is not at all the case.

Many, many posters here are frustrated because they want to see Axl succeed. It's completely understandable for them to feel that way, so of course they're allowed to express that opinion.

[Little EMO Annie]

I really wasn't talking about this site. It's the Internet in general. Do you ever read some of the comments in TMZ and Aol sections on stories. Those people get nasty. I was obsessed with reading comments last year when the media hyped everybody up over Ebola. Since they made my hospital an. Ebola center I was convinced that I was going to get Ebola and die

Edited November 11, 2015 by Little EMO Annie

[RussTCB]

I really wasn't talking about this site. It's the Internet in general. Do you ever read some of the comments in TMZ and Aol sections on stories. Those people get nasty. I was obsessed with reading comments last year when the media hyped everybody up over Ebola. Since they made my hospital an. Ebola center I was convinced that I was going to get Ebola and die

I cut myself off from reading any of that stuff a long time ago. You could post a video to YouTube of a kitten curing cancer and there would be at least 1000 negative comments ranging from vile to disgusting to criminal lol.

[maynard]

The internet is a great tool. Don't blame it if you're not bright enough to use it correctly.

[Little EMO Annie]

The internet is a great tool. Don't blame it if you're not bright enough to use it correctly.

No worries mate. I have a real life rocket scientist friend who was part of the team that brought the Internet to cell phones. So I can always go to the alpha geek if I need any help

[maynard]

I'm so glad you have real life friends.

[Nosaj Thing]

I don't care for JLO but I'm not going to waste my time bashing her anywhere on the Internet.

Nobody cares about what you do or don't, just like you shouldn't care about what others do or don't on the internet.

[Russel Nash]

The internet is great. Porn and kittens. enough said.

Also it gave us this: http://newhive.com/allmymovies

[Apollo]

At the end of the day Axl and GNR and TB don't owe any of us one goddamn thing.

And at the end of the day, that's a shitty, shitty way to go about life.

And for a band to treat its fans. Luckily it's not how every other band in the world operates.

You know it will be mere minutes before the ''Axl/TB don't owe you a thing line'' is trotted out by an Axl nutter.

Annie already did.

[Apollo]

I don't care for JLO but I'm not going to waste my time bashing her anywhere on the Internet.

Nobody cares about what you do or don't, just like you shouldn't care about what others do or don't on the internet.

Home run.

If you can't handle the (social) media then don't go into a career that involves being in the spotlight. If you want to become super rich and famous and have millions of fans then you know that you will encounter some negativity along the way.

If Axl or Tina Fey don't want to deal with anonymous people on twitter or TMZ comment sections they have two options.

Work at a different profession. Give up the hundred million dollars and go be a school teacher or plumber and make 45,000 a year.

Or

Don't give a rat's ass

I like Fey. But what a dud she must be in real life. She is highly respected by her peers. Has millions of fans. Has millions of dollars. And gets to write and act for a living. And lives a life of luxury that the rest of us can only dream of.

But her feelings get hurt and she has to lash out against some 17 year old kid who works at Taco Bell because he said something about get in twitter? Seriously?

She and others like her must be really really really insecure about themselves. To care sooooo much about what a few random strangers think about you? It's just really sad.

I laugh when people on GnR forums insult me. But if I was famous and loved by millions and had 50 million dollars in the bank.,,,,I wouldn't even blink when anonymous dorks on message boards said something negative about me.

[Little EMO Annie]

You make some good points. But sometimes that is easier said then done. When the CDC and the public threw brave nurses under the bus after violating their rights to privacy it made me appreciate how destructive the media can be. Imagine overcoming your own personal terror to take care of someone who has a highly contagious disease without proper protection. Then you get the disease. And everybody blames you for a breach in protocol. It made me want to rewrite an old NWA song. Fuck the CDC.

[DieselDaisy]

Annie already did.

I saw.

I mean what does that tell you about the band, how they operate, their fans, that that is just about the only credible defense one can muster: ''they don't owe you anything''. Instantly, all criticism or desire for an end product is void with that sweeping statement! I suppose by the letter of the law it is a correct statement however, with normal bands there is actually no need for such a depressing excuse: normally a band is excited to deliver up a product haha.

Edited November 11, 2015 by DieselDaisy

[Nick85]

Annie already did.

I saw.

I mean what does that tell you about the band, how they operate, their fans, that that is just about the only credible defense one can muster: ''they don't owe you anything''. Instantly, all criticism or desire for an end product is void with that sweeping statement! I suppose by the letter of the law it is a correct statement however, with normal bands there is actually no need for such a depressing excuse: normally a band is excited to deliver up a product haha.

It's second only to "Axl will release the next album when he's ready and that's that." Both are mindfuckingly dumb as they are old excuses for the way this operation runs.

[Free Bird]

Annie already did.

I saw.

I mean what does that tell you about the band, how they operate, their fans, that that is just about the only credible defense one can muster: ''they don't owe you anything''. Instantly, all criticism or desire for an end product is void with that sweeping statement! I suppose by the letter of the law it is a correct statement however, with normal bands there is actually no need for such a depressing excuse: normally a band is excited to deliver up a product haha.

It's second only to "Axl will release the next album when he's ready and that's that." Both are mindfuckingly dumb as they are old excuses for the way this operation runs.

But... but maybe he just want to protect it for a little while longer

[Nick85]

Annie already did.

I saw.

I mean what does that tell you about the band, how they operate, their fans, that that is just about the only credible defense one can muster: ''they don't owe you anything''. Instantly, all criticism or desire for an end product is void with that sweeping statement! I suppose by the letter of the law it is a correct statement however, with normal bands there is actually no need for such a depressing excuse: normally a band is excited to deliver up a product haha.

It's second only to "Axl will release the next album when he's ready and that's that." Both are mindfuckingly dumb as they are old excuses for the way this operation runs.

But... but maybe he just want to protect it for a little while longer

Yeah...That was either the bizarre post of 15 year old who didn't consider what they were posting...Or an adult who has completely lost touch with reality from years of abuse by being a Guns N' Roses fan.

[wasted]

u owe me a dr pepper yo.

[Little EMO Annie]

u owe me a dr pepper yo.

I'll do you one better. I'll buy you a Budweiser beer.