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Are Axl's "no shows" exagerrated?


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He may come to the stage a little later than most performers but he always gives 110 percent. So it's so totally worth it.

It is humanly impossible to give more than 100%.

And you haven't seen every single GnR show. So you can't honestly say that he give 100% every show. Logic would seem that nobody "always" gives 100% of their effort. Sometimes people are sick, wore out, tired or just having a bad day. I would bet money that Axl has had shows where he gave 98 or 99% effort.

If you had to choose which would you prefer? GnR taking the stage 45 minutes after the opening band finishes. Or 2 hours and 45 minutes after? Pick the one you would prefer.

I mean everywhere i read there's those people bashing Axl for doesn't show up or cancel the show in last minute. Of course i know alot of shows did not start on time BUT "people" on different comment sections on various forums/facebook complain about this so much that it sounds like he is late EVERY show or cancel every now and then. But then again people seem tho get stuck in the 90's and don't realise people change over time..

And people seem to forget all the good things he brought to the music industry.. Hate all the negativity and cruel bashing that's all. :thumbsdown:

For me personally.. i really don't care wether Axl are on time or 10,20,40 minutes late when i get to see one of the greatest singers/rockers of all time. :headbang:

One thing to do might be to not care what complete strangers think about a rock band?

Axl's reputation has been built off of his past actions. The blame is all him

BUT from the shows I've been to and what I've read, GnR hasn't been in "late start" mode for several years. I've seen the post classic line up three times and they started within an hour of the openers all three times.

Edited by Apollo
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Not sure how many no shows there are?

Axl was late in Wembley 91 and at Leeds around 2000. But on time in Taipei 09. Maybe that was his time zone? He finished the show and then went to bed at 11pm. But normally he wakes up at 8:30pm?

Edited by wasted
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The riots/no shows seem to get exaggerated, but the complaints about lateness are valid. In 2010 and 2011 he hit the stage at 10-something each of the 3 times I saw him, which isn't bad when your opener starts at 9, but it's still later than most arena acts go on. I've seen GnR in Vegas 4 times though and he was never on stage before midnight, but that's fine because it's Vegas.

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I think that perhaps the no-shows (which have been few, but memorable) have been conflated with the lateness (which has been frequent).

I'm with those who feel that the lateness is disrespectful to everyone -- the fans, the other band members who are ready to go on, and the people who work at the venue, who also stand a chance of being stranded without a way home. If you're planning to go on at 11, man up and put that on the ticket. Yeah, it might mean you sell less, but it is honest. Don't have everyone show up at 7, wait hours for you, potentially get injured (I remember at one of the 2006 shows they were pulling people out of the pit before the band came on...people were getting agitated) and have to leave midway through the show if they don't want to be stranded.

IIRC in Vegas they actually did have posted show times that matched the times that GnR actually took the stage, and I thought that was a lot fairer to all.

Axl seems to have done better with that over the past few years, though, and I have to think that if there actually is a reunion, it is something that will be addressed. Slash and Duff have both publicly said how unhappy the lateness made them during the Illusions era and I would wager that they would not want it to happen again.

Edited by stella
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I don't mind it. I first saw Guns in Pittsburgh in 2002. The buzz and edge the crowd was on was insane, if he wouldn't have finally shown up after Mix Master Mike doubled his set and damn near every girl in the arena flashed the camera, there would've definitely been a riot, and it added to the atmosphere. I also saw a Hammerstein show and the waiting wasn't nearly as bad but it was still kind of a fun feeling wondering if he'd show up. I took a Greyhound to New York for the show and made sure to book a late one home just in case there was a time overrun.

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I've never seen an adequate defense or explanation of it yet.

Doesn't mean fuck. You've probably never seen many things. It's pretty basic stuff in this case though: he's insecure and wants everything to go perfect while being lazy and fat. That's it. He doesn't fuckin' prepare and he said he was always late as shit to everywhere before Guns.

It takes him a lot of time to get his ass up there, but when I saw him he delivered a great fuckin' show. It was worth it, though I was still furious about being forced to wait there and drink beer with humans. Almost rioted.

What an irresponsible lead singer of a hard rock band. Not on time. The nerve. People got babysitters to go back to. What a piece of shit.

Edited by Rovim
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I've never seen an adequate defense or explanation of it yet.

Doesn't mean fuck. You've probably never seen many things. It's pretty basic stuff in this case though: he's insecure and wants everything to go perfect while being lazy and fat. That's it. He doesn't fuckin' prepare and he said he was always late as shit to everywhere before Guns.

It takes him a lot of time to get his ass up there, but when I saw him he delivered a great fuckin' show. It was worth it, but I was still furious about having to wait there and drink beer with humans. I almost rioted.

What an irresponsible lead singer of a hard rock band. Not on time. The nerve. People got babysitters to go back to. What a piece of shit.

Usually his supporters supply the 'rock n' roll' excuse - ''yeh dude, rawk, unpredictable, wild'' - yet I do not believe Chuck Berry, Little Richard or Elvis, the very forefathers of 'rock n' roll', ever did this! I also do not see anything particularly 'rock n' roll' in waiting for three hours and having to pay a hefty taxi fee! I have experienced a long wait and near riot myself and it was just boring and frustrating. Consequently this excuse can be dismissed with all the disdain it deserves!

There is also the Del James excuse, about Axl wanting to 'be ready', 'in the zone'. But all that does is raise the question, ''why doesn't he turn up/prepare earlier? Another rubbish excuse.

There is literally no defense for it.

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^^^

You're so uptight. You think Jimi was responsible? and the fact that he died from it doesn't matter. Music is not

supposed to be organized. And never perfect. That includes every detail of the experience. That means being exactly on time goes against the whole fuckin' point of it.

Chaos. You don't plan shit, and if some shit gets fucked, well have another beer cause it's part of the magic. But you're way, way too uptight to understand even such basic shit.

Edited by Rovim
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^^^

You're so uptight. You think Jimi was responsible? and the fact that he died from it doesn't matter. Music is not

supposed to be organized. And never perfect. That includes every detail of the experience. That means being exactly on time goes against the whole fuckin' point of it.

Chaos. You don't plan shit, and if some shit gets fucked, well have another beer cause it's part of the magic. But you're way, way too uptight to understand even such basic shit.

If you are discussing Jimi Hendrix, he arrived at Woodstock at 8 pm on the last scheduled day! The reason he played at six the following morning is because the festival had overran itself basically. But he was there at 8 pm and would have presumably went on stage soon after that (c.11-12) if there were not x number of acts, still ready to play.

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If you are discussing Jimi Hendrix, he arrived at Woodstock at 8 pm on the last scheduled day! The reason he played at six the following morning is because the festival had overran itself basically. But he was there at 8 pm and would have presumably went on stage soon after that (c.11-12) if there were not x number of acts, still ready to play.

Please work on your reading comprehension. My point was that Jimi, the greatest guitar player that ever lived, wasn't responsible. It's broader than being late.

You see... musicians, artists are expected to deliver humanity, emotion. Every artist, every person is different, each one requires certain conditions. You get the combustion of a guy like Axl that is so volatile, you hear it on Appetite, you see it live and you love it, yet it surprises you that the same qualities that make him what and who he is as a person and as a frontman, just so happen to be also the source of many fuck ups.

Like being late as shit to work when he had a 9 to 5 job for example. That was always Axl.

So you can't fit him nicely into your daily routine. Tough titty. Nature of the beast.

Edited by Rovim
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If you are discussing Jimi Hendrix, he arrived at Woodstock at 8 pm on the last scheduled day! The reason he played at six the following morning is because the festival had overran itself basically. But he was there at 8 pm and would have presumably went on stage soon after that (c.11-12) if there were not x number of acts, still ready to play.

Please improve your reading comprehension. My point was that Jimi, the greatest guitar player that ever lived, wasn't responsible. It's broader then being late.

There is no analogy that can be made between the two. One was a result of outside factors, the other was choice.

How long is the list of artists - 'volatile artists' even - who also deliver 'emotion' yet turn up. Ultimately though you can always trust the Irish in matters of common sense and taste (pay attention to the crowd banter),

This is what most people think of Axl's lateness.

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Yes, his lateness is exaggerated, but he has got himself to thank for that because of how he behaved back in the 90s. You reap what you sow. That being said, he has been on time pretty much for every show in 2012/4. That is something people shoudl know about, too.

I hope he's 4 fuckin' hours late to the reunion show I'll go to. At the very least 4.

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