New Alan Niven interview

[axlgeddes]

Part two with Niven guys tonight.

 

Please like my FB page if you visit as I aim to continue adding self generated rock news and interviews in the coming weeks.

http://www.newrocktimes.com/news/2016/3/17/3lu9h00l5fwzklh13j64j26e6i5joq

 

https://www.facebook.com/newrocktimesnews/timeline

[axlgeddes]

Part two with Niven guys tonight.

 

Please like my FB page if you visit as I aim to continue adding self generated rock news and interviews in the coming weeks.

http://www.newrocktimes.com/news/2016/3/17/3lu9h00l5fwzklh13j64j26e6i5joq

 

https://www.facebook.com/newrocktimesnews/timeline

[Silent Jay]

Pitman's in.

[Apollo]

6 hours ago, sanity_lost said:

Yeah, apparently I am dumber than a box of rocks. I don't see how any of that PROVES the situation is 99% about money.

Go back and read the entire post. 

I spell it out pretty in pretty simple steps. 

 

[Apollo]

Why do Americans refer to Keith as Keef? Do they also use a British  accent when saying other people's names or words?

[janrichmond]

45 minutes ago, Apollo said:

Why do Americans refer to Keith as Keef? Do they also use a British  accent when saying other people's names or words?

Maybe they think that's how we speak(like Dick Van Dyke) ?

Can Americans 'do' a British accent, offhand I can't really think of anyone doing it in a film or anything?

i prefer Gilby and Matt to the nuguns replacements.

[Route66]

Niven needs to keep out of it. He's not involved or motivated to be anything that might help Guns. Payday? Yeh some publicity for him off the back of GNR might earn him a few.. The guys are not doing this for a money grab or any other thing. This is GNR. It's always been this way. Before Slash there was Tracii. After Izzy there's Fortus. Rotating members but the band will always be GNR. Get the popcorn out and watch the all the hangers on emerge thinking they are owed something from the fkn night train.

[Fitha_whiskey]

2 hours ago, Apollo said:

Why do Americans refer to Keith as Keef? Do they also use a British  accent when saying other people's names or words?

I've read his book. He calls himself Keef throughout. 

[Apollo]

2 hours ago, Route66 said:

NThe guys are not doing this for a money grab or any other thing. 

So......they aren't doing it for a money grab - even tho the big three will make tremendous amounts of money (Duff probably made $3,000 a show for Loaded and now is probably getting upwards of $500,000. Lol, sure. Money has nothing to do with it).

But if they aren't doing it for money or for "any other thing".......then why are they doing it? Just random chance or....."any other thing" eliminates all other obvious guesses. I'm so confused. According to you, they aren't doing this huge crazy regrouping for "any" reason at all. 

1 hour ago, Fitha_whiskey said:

I've read his book. He calls himself Keef throughout. 

Gotcha. Thanks. 

He is referred to as Keith in most publications or articles and by most fans. I just see an occasional person refer to him as Keef and wondered why. 

[hudsonsaul]

Funny that this is the most I've heard of NIven in yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeears, and that he is taking any and all opportunity to have his voice heard post the GNR confirmation of the 'reunion'. HIs opinion, in my eyes anyways, is no different that anyone elses on this forum as to what he classes as a reunion or not. Axl, Slash, and Duff are on stage, and reuniting....that alone is a reunion....Axl has always said that his band is Guns (again doesn't matter what you or I think of that), ...so it is in theory, those key players reuniting in Guns, with the current members. So a Guns Reunion it is.

Anyways. I agree with his comments about Izzy being vital to Guns and hte tradtitional guns sound etc.

One thing I'm curious about and would like others on here to comment; What are your thoughts on Izzy subtly communicating about the situation through the songs he posted on Twitter? This is a grown man who is seemingly extremely comfortable with his place in life. I find it odd he'd act in that sort of immature way? What are ppl's thoughts here? Reckon Izzy is communicating through his covers?

[willl]

12 hours ago, appetite4illusions said:

I keep going back to Axl's 2001 interview where he addresses swapping out Huge/Tobias for Fortus. His comment to the interviewer was that "basically, Richard's the guy we've always been looking for..".

Izzy turned down the offer to join Guns in 2001 Richard joined in 2002.

And why are we debating Fortus vs. Gilby in a thread about Izzys (and Stevens) importance to Guns

Izzy contribution to Guns :

Co founded band, & co-wrote (or wrote solo):

Nightrain
Out Ta Get Me
Mr Brownstone
Paradise City
My Michelle
Think About You
Sweet Child O Mine
You're Crazy
Anything Goes
Reckless Life
Move To The City
Patience
Used To Love Her
Right Next Door To Hell
Dust N Bones
Don't Cry
Perfect Crime
You Ain't The First
Bad Obsession
Double Talking Jive
Bad Apples
14 Years
Pretty Tied Up
You Could Be Mine
Don't Cry

Richard & Gilbys combined contributions to GN'R:

Touring................?

P.S - ASCAP also credits Izzy with co-writing November Rain, Estranged and Coma...... but let's not open that can of worms

40 minutes ago, hudsonsaul said:

One thing I'm curious about and would like others on here to comment; What are your thoughts on Izzy subtly communicating about the situation through the songs he posted on Twitter? This is a grown man who is seemingly extremely comfortable with his place in life. I find it odd he'd act in that sort of immature way? What are ppl's thoughts here? Reckon Izzy is communicating through his covers?

I think Izzy is well aware of the shitstorm that he caused on the forums when he took a couple of days to verify it really was him on Twitter.

People were out for my blood when I posted Izzys "im not involved" announcement, and yet everytime the forum seemed to start believing that it was Izzy he would post something else to throw doubt on his accounts authenticity (such as posting meme's lifted directly from mygnr, or deleting tweets as soon as they were discussed here). I think he knows full well how us Gunners will overanalyse every little detail and has chosen his songs humorously to cause this exact reaction.

Some of us are outraged and think Izzy is being childish and trying to derail this "reunion", and others amongst us find it hilarious and back Izzy 100% because he is exactly what's been missing from GNR for far too long.....

Izzy probably doesn't care at all and is just having a bit of fun. He's always been awesome with his fans by giving us direct news, unreleased songs, Q&A's direct with fans etc...... this is probably just his way of raising his own profile a little due to the media attention Guns has been attracting lately, under the false label of "reunion". He's allowed to do that in my opinion, especially if the rumors are true that Axl/Slash/Duff offered him a pittance of the $26 MILLION they are set to earn for playing the songs he helped write under the band which he co-founded. If Izzy wants to cause a little shit online and make fun of GNR Corporation 2016 then he is absolutely entitled to.

"Airing the dirty laundry" though may not be Izzys style, but dropping subtle hints through songs whilst having a bit of fun and giving his fans exactly what they want (music!!!)..... I can see Izzy doing that.

[sanity_lost]

7 hours ago, Apollo said:

Go back and read the entire post. 

I spell it out pretty in pretty simple steps. 

 

Looks more like wild leaps of logic that you are passing off as trying to sound reasonable.

To paraphrase: They didn't get back together 10 years ago proves they are 99% about the money because 10 years ago they were raking in the dough and didn't need to get together again at that time. Now they are not.

To begin with you are making very large assumptions on the state of their financials. Unless they have been declaring bankruptcy (which is about the only way I know of for a person's financial situation to be publicly listed) I am not sure where you are getting your amazing insight into their money situation from?

I don't know how it is possible to even guess how much an artist is hauling in. Looking at the tour records only tells a small portion of the story for only the tour part of their income alone. Axl, for example, had billboard guestimating that the 12 shows he put on in March/April of 2014 grossed 13,693,639 (looking at ticket prices and seats sold). But who even knows how much he got from that? Maybe it was a bad contract and he only got $10 for each one, maybe he had a overly good contract that got him multi mil for the 2 months even if those dates ended up being a net loss to the promoter. While concerts are the insta-checks to dump money into the bank account, it is not the only income they have. Guns were so big in their heyday that money is still continuously trickling in from royalties and licenses. It is probably so scattered that only accountants can find through it. Then of course they have any investments they made and other income sources such as sponsors and who knows what else.  

I am not saying that is impossible that this thing they are doing is "99% about the money" but in absolutely no way does them not getting back together 10 years ago prove it in the slightest.

Edited March 18, 2016 by sanity_lost
can't count

[Juventino]

3 hours ago, hudsonsaul said:

Funny that this is the most I've heard of NIven in yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeears, and that he is taking any and all opportunity to have his voice heard post the GNR confirmation of the 'reunion'. HIs opinion, in my eyes anyways, is no different that anyone elses on this forum as to what he classes as a reunion or not.

I'd put that down to people reaching out to Niven and him answering. Not Niven going out of his way to be interviewed. Since there's no official lines of communication people are looking for involved individuals, or those who might have some line of communication or understanding about what is going on.

[appetite4illusions]

4 hours ago, downliner said:

Izzy turned down the offer to join Guns in 2001 Richard joined in 2002.

Doesn't make my point any less salient, if I was off by a year. Richard was "the guy" to fill Izzy's role because....Izzy obviously doesn't want to be involved. Not just now, but then and way back then. 

You can list everyone of Izzy's creative catalysts, it's not part of my argument. He doesn't want to be in Guns, didn't want to be in Velvet Revolver and hasn't joined a band that wasn't a solo gig since 1991. So, arguing how accomplished he is, is again, a moot point. It's beyond anyone's control that he doesn't want to be there. 

 

I also think that people who see him posting videos of cover songs are reading into things at their own peril. They're looking for messages embedded in the lyrics as if they're messages to the fans. Axl does things like that, Taylor Swift does things like that, does Izzy? I made a joke that when he posted a cover of "Do You Love Me?" he was very un-subtly trying to tell the fans that he isn't loved. Does anybody believe that? He's a musician and he's posting covers of songs he does, now that he has some kind of social media. Not much else...

[Mr. Dude]

13 hours ago, sonofnazareth said:

The riffs, the timing, the tuning, the notes....all of that can get you close, but not close enough. Keith puts his life experience behind the notes/chords/riffs/solos...that's what makes it sound like Keith...and that's what moves listeners.

But yes...we will agree to disagree. 

I agree. There is a certain intangible that can't be recreated or learned and it has nothing to do with technical ability.

[wasted]

But is Izzy butter about the reunion/ GNR ...why is he poking fun at it if he chose not to do it?

is Izzy always simging about GNR on his record. I think Take a Look at the Guy is about Axl? Other songs sound maybe similar? Or is he bring self critical?

[Mr. Dude]

20 hours ago, classicrawker said:

I think Niven brings up some legit points....this idea that he somehow failed is nonsense as without him Guns may not have reached the fame they did.. IMHO he got pushed out by Axl in his power play to take over the band.....and it is also nonsense that Axl does not do anything for money....he would not have fought so hard for control of the name if not for the value of the brand...and for those who claim he did it for artistic reason go back and read his rants again as he pretty much admits there were financial considerations to his wanting the name.

If this becomes nothing more than a greatest hits tour with some ChiDem songs and maybe some ChiDem leftovers warmed over by Slash and Duff adding their parts in I don't know how any one can argue what Niven claims.

That being said who really cares? certainly not the fans........I think it is great that the younger hardcore fans finally have the chance to see at least Axl, Duff and Slash play the old hits together again so if it is for the money more power to them as they should get it while it's hot..........

 

Yeah, but they didn't go headline stadium tours all over the world until Goldstein took over. I do admit though that Axl dumping Niven at that time was akin to Tommy Gunn dropping Rocky Balboa as hs manager to get to the championship gold quicker.

[classicrawker]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Dude said:

Yeah, but they didn't go headline stadium tours all over the world until Goldstein took over. I do admit though that Axl dumping Niven at that time was akin to Tommy Gunn dropping Rocky Balboa as hs manager to get to the championship gold quicker.

I think it was a natural progression going to stadiums and not due to any brilliant managing by Goldstein though......They just out grew the smaller venues.......

[Skyliner]

No offense to the Peter Grant of the late 80s/early 90s, but it doesn't sound like Niven really knows anything beyond what we know. Sounds like he would fit in well here!

[AncientEvil80]

I agree with Niven, without Izzy/Steven, it's just Velvet Roses. I know it, he knows it, YOU know it.

[StrangerInThisTown]

36 minutes ago, AncientEvil80 said:

I agree with Niven, without Izzy/Steven, it's just Velvet Roses. I know it, he knows it, YOU know it.

You know why the Velvet Roses thing makes no sense? According to this logic that Slash Duff and Axl form Velvet Roses, Velvet Roses debuted in 1991 and did the whole UYI tour. So VRs debuted over 20 years ago and no one just knew about it until VR was formed in 2003, oh god this is some voodoo! They were still considered GNR until like 1993. It makes NO sense whatsoever. They are the UYI GNR, Axl Slash Duff + 2 hired guns. 

Edited March 18, 2016 by StrangerInThisTown

[AncientEvil80]

13 minutes ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

You know why the Velvet Roses thing makes no sense? According to this logic that Slash Duff and Axl form Velvet Roses, Velvet Roses debuted in 1991 and did the whole UYI tour. So VRs debuted over 20 years ago and no one just knew about it until VR was formed in 2003, oh god this is some voodoo! They were still considered GNR until like 1993. It makes NO sense whatsoever. They are the UYI GNR, Axl Slash Duff + 2 hired guns. 

LOL, EXACTLY. By then it was a travesty of a band. How did that go, eventually, again?  

Listen, opinions are like a$$holes, as Axl often reminded us. YET, GNR without Izzy/Steven ain't GNR. Fact. So enough with the BS.

We're all excited about them 3 fellas getting back together, all good... but let's take it for what it really is. 

Edited March 18, 2016 by AncientEvil80

[wasted]

It is kind of pick up where they left off. So 96 material may on table for next album. Would be mucho foresight. 

[dalsh327]

What I'd ask Alan about is when he renegotiated GNR's contract, was there anything about when they'd get the master tapes in there. It's a given they're going to do something with the back catalog. 

 

[Apollo]

7 hours ago, sanity_lost said:

Looks more like wild leaps of logic that you are passing off as trying to sound reasonable.

To paraphrase: They didn't get back together 10 years ago proves they are 99% about the money because 10 years ago they were raking in the dough and didn't need to get together again at that time. Now they are not.

To begin with you are making very large assumptions on the state of their financials. Unless they have been declaring bankruptcy (which is about the only way I know of for a person's financial situation to be publicly listed) I am not sure where you are getting your amazing insight into their money situation from?

I don't know how it is possible to even guess how much an artist is hauling in. Looking at the tour records only tells a small portion of the story for only the tour part of their income alone. Axl, for example, had billboard guestimating that the 12 shows he put on in March/April of 2014 grossed 13,693,639 (looking at ticket prices and seats sold). But who even knows how much he got from that? Maybe it was a bad contract and he only got $10 for each one, maybe he had a overly good contract that got him multi mil for the 2 months even if those dates ended up being a net loss to the promoter. While concerts are the insta-checks to dump money into the bank account, it is not the only income they have. Guns were so big in their heyday that money is still continuously trickling in from royalties and licenses. It is probably so scattered that only accountants can find through it. Then of course they have any investments they made and other income sources such as sponsors and who knows what else.  

I am not saying that is impossible that this thing they are doing is "99% about the money" but in absolutely no way does them not getting back together 10 years ago prove it in the slightest.

Seriously? Wide leaps of logic?

Lets get to the basics. 

Why would or wouldn't GnR regroup a decade ago. 

2003 VR forms. 2004 they release their first album, which goes to number one on the charts. Produces a couple hit singles. And earns them a Grammy. And sells four million copies.  All things that CD didn't do, by the way  

2007 they release fhe follow up album. 

Why would Slash and Duff walk away from that? At this point they are more successful than Axl and current GnR. 

Axl starts touring CD songs as far back as 2002 and planning the release of his solo GnR album which he hopes will "bury Appetite" and he wants it to be his white album. He hates the old guys, mainly Slash, and is out to prove the world that he is the king and Slash is a cancer and GnR would be better off if Slash had never been around. 

CD takes 14 years and 13 million dollars to produce and release. Axl would have absolutely been falling on the sword and admitting defeat if he fired his entire new band (before releasing the mythical CD) and brought Slash and Duff. Mentally would he have survived?

Axl tours CD songs and finally releases fhe album in 2008. It debuts at #3, gets decent reviews, sells 3.5 million copies and allows Axl to embark on several profitable tours

There is no way that Axl fires his band and slinks back to Slash at anytime before 2012. 

Slash renounds from VR and releases a solo album in 2010.  This albums is a dream come true for Slash as he gets to record with icons like Ozzy, Lemmy and Iggy Pop. Chart wise this album debuts at number three, same as CD  

Slash re-enters fhe studio on 2012 to release an album with Myles. Axl is still having some pretty successful touring with GnR. 

While fans are STILL waiting for CD2, Slash releases another album in 2014 that actually receives strong critical reviews. They headline some tours and also open for hall of gamers Aerosmith.

Gnr does another successful residency.

Leaps of logic? You tell me anything that isn't factual in this post. That absolutely shows why they didn't reunite during the last ten years. 

Logically, regrouping made no sense for Axl or Slash between 2002 and 2014. Absolutely no sense to reunite  

2015 through today?

Axl had three members quit his band. If he released CD2 this year he would tour it with half a band that didn't write and record it. And how much demand was there for a new Richard Fortus GNR album that was written by guys who hadn't even been in GnR for a decade?

Loaded is a regional club band. They couldn't sell 200 tickets to a show anywhere besides Seattle. 

Slash's touring numbers have been decreasing. From selling out 14,000 seat arenas in 2013/14 to playing 2,000-8,000 in 2015.

Does Axl and three new band members, not supporting a new album, headline Coachella in 2016?

Does Slash, with a new Conspirators album, get paid 3-7 million dollars to headline shows on 2016?

Rumors are GnR is asking 3 million bucks for shows and that they received 26 million dollars for the Coachella and first two Vegas shows. 

Connect the dots, bro.

They didn't regroup during the last 15 years because they were all knee deep in other fairly successful projects.

2016 makes perfect sense. Axl's new GnR has basically self destructed. Slash just finished touring his last solo tour. Loaded is a regional club band. They could ride the coarse......make a few bucks......or regroup and make 3-to-10 million dollars each for six shows. And maybe 25-50 million dollars each for a long world tour.  Loaded would be playing to 100 people a night. Slash to 2000-5000 a night. GnR hires three more new guys and does another Vegas residency to 3000 a show.  OR tour the world and make tens of millions of dollars.

If this was a true reunion and wasn't about the money then Izzy and Adler would be there instead of Frank and Fortus, and they wouldn't be playing Coachella and having media silence.