Matt Sorum Says He 'Wasn't Asked' To Take Part In Guns N' Roses Reunion

[Silent Jay]

 

[HeartbreakerWoman]

3 hours ago, Top-Hatted One said:

There may be some bad blood but no where near the level of the Axl/Slash feud. Whats really keeping Matt out if Axl's loyalty to Frank. Frank would have to step down. I would if Slash and Duff were lobbying for Matt. And I would understand and be totally cool with it. I guess its a tough call for Frank. He may never get the chance to be in a big band again whereas the others guys in nu-guns had their old bands to fall back on

Axl never liked Matt. Even in that 2012 interview where he said he'd hypothetically be willing to work with Slash and Duff, he specifically said he didn't like the members who joined during the UYI era/tour (Matt and Gilby). Matt and Axl's egos always clashed and Matt never had much patience for Axl and was, for a hired member, openly critical of the band in the press. He was saying as early as 1992 that if he wasn't made a "full member" of GN'R, he would quit. And, he routinely in the late 90s/00s mocked November Rain and the piano ballads which we know Axl holds dear. According to Duff, Axl never liked Matt:

Duff: "[...] Matt was never a full member of the band, he was on an ejector seat and Axl said : 'I'm gonna fire him.' I answered that this decision required more than one person to be taken since we were a band, that he alone didn't own the majority. All of this because Matt told him he was wrong. The truth is, Matt was right, and Axl wrong indeed."

Hard Force: Wrong about what?
Duff: "About schedules and the way Axl was late for the next album." (Duff, Hard Force, 1999)"

Axl: "I don’t have an excitement to work with people that joined in the "Illusion" time. There’s behind the scenes that was really, really difficult there with different ones."

Axl also hates the drums on the UYI records: "With 'Illusions' several years ago, something came on the radio and I realized how the energy in the drums, though solid and consistent, brought me down in a way I feel damaged the material in the long run, if not from the get-go. Maybe it's there with some, most or all of us in ways, but I specifically notice it more with the drums. And when listening in that sense of analyzing how something feels to me in regards to its involvement or inclusion in the song, whether anyone disagrees I'm somewhat capable of removing myself and events from the picture."

[Len Cnut]

He is on record saying that he wanted to kick the fuck out of Axl so he's never gonna be a favourite is he?  My memorys not what it was, I'm gettin' on a bit see but weren't there a bit in Slashs book which said he had to physically restraint Matt from beating the brakes off of Axl at one of those times when he wouldn't come onstage?  In Axls mind that probably means Matt was the poison in between his relationship with his two favourite boyfriends Duff and Slash.

[HeartbreakerWoman]

12 minutes ago, Len B'stard said:

He is on record saying that he wanted to kick the fuck out of Axl so he's never gonna be a favourite is he?  My memorys not what it was, I'm gettin' on a bit see but weren't there a bit in Slashs book which said he had to physically restraint Matt from beating the brakes off of Axl at one of those times when he wouldn't come onstage?  In Axls mind that probably means Matt was the poison in between his relationship with his two favourite boyfriends Duff and Slash.

You are correct. There were a few occasions Slash mentions that things almost got physical between Matt and Axl. Axl said Matt joining marked the death of old GN'R.

Edited May 16, 2016 by HeartbreakerWoman

[BadApples87]

Axl is the one who told Matt to play those three-drum-fills on those songs.  Now Axl doesn't like it, LOL.  At any rate, no big deal that Matt isn't part of the tour.  I would like Popcorn to be there though.

[Billsfan]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a petition yet something like "Fire Frank and bring back Matt"

[axlvai]

An hipotetic break arms/legs from the actual GNR drummer.... what GNR will do???

 

 

[Italian girl]

Oh God, please no!!

[Archtop]

Oh what the heck, I'll wade into the murky depths of this discussion having just read through eight pages, I see Frank is fast becoming the new D.J. I am not completely down on his drumming and have no expertise to judge him, I have noticed his timing issues but it doesn't cause me enough offence to want him out. 

Matt however I have never warmed too, and that's nothing to do with his drumming which by all accounts seems to be flawless. Matt is a big personality,  I always had the impression he  gate crashed the party. Yes I know that he was invited to join the band, but he always rankled me.

I know my problem with Matt is because he's not Steven and it's all down to my personal ownership of what the band should be, I can not see this as a reunion, I resent the term 'Big three'  but even as a original line up advocate I'm don't think Stevens the right Drummer for all current material either, so why not Frank.

All whinging done, I believe the band at the moment really gives us the best prospect of a stable tour, I  was really excited by the few shows so far, not blown away but really looking forward to what's going to materialise in the summer, which will include new music right? this lot look like a creative bunch, and with a newly stimulated Axl the future looks good.

[Top-Hatted One]

There are a zillion drummers out there who would love to be in GNR.

Drummers who  can play the songs without screwing up the tempo and aren't the kind of personalities to rock the boat. 

Sudden speeding up of the tempo on GNR classics whether it's nervous or lack of focus was never an issue with Brain. 

Lets see what happens once the tour starts. Either Frank works on his chemistry with slash and duff and tightens up the loose ends or they start dropping the classics. Replace them with more Chinese songs which Frank plays just fine. But Frank would be dismissed before that happens 

Edited May 17, 2016 by Top-Hatted One

[janrichmond]

9 hours ago, Top-Hatted One said:

There are a zillion drummers out there who would love to be in GNR.

Drummers who  can play the songs without screwing up the tempo and aren't the kind of personalities to rock the boat. 

Sudden speeding up of the tempo on GNR classics whether it's nervous or lack of focus was never an issue with Brain. 

Lets see what happens once the tour starts. Either Frank works on his chemistry with slash and duff and tightens up the loose ends or they start dropping the classics. Replace them with more Chinese songs which Frank plays just fine. But Frank would be dismissed before that happens 

please no more CD songs....we don't need that many beer/bathroom breaks

[scooby845]

23 hours ago, Italian girl said:

Oh God, please no!!

You're quite active with the profile pic change...? What..like 3 times in a week?

[Kira]

On ‎16‎/‎04‎/‎2016 at 5:25 PM, PatrickS77 said:

Geez. Axl is still Axl. It's still his bands. He will insist on certain things going his way and certain members being of his choice. So really, there is no reason for anyone to feel betrayed by Duff and Slash. Axl is not taking this lying down. And when he insists on some of his people to be part of the regrouping, than that's the way it is going to go. And why should Slash and Duff refuse to be in GNR again, just because the replacement drummer of their liking is being denied?? Doesn't make sense.

Do you think Slash and Duff are really that fond of Sorum?  I know they have a history together with VR, but I can see it being a situation where they were "sorry Matt, we tried", but they didn't really try that hard.  lol 

Myself, I never really cared for Sorum.  He just seemed like a guy that got really lucky.

[Tom-Ass]

6 hours ago, janrichmond said:

please no more CD songs....we don't need that many beer/bathroom breaks

Seriously... Especially when you are paying like 20 bucks a song.

[Tom-Ass]

1 hour ago, Kira said:

Do you think Slash and Duff are really that fond of Sorum?  I know they have a history together with VR, but I can see it being a situation where they were "sorry Matt, we tried", but they didn't really try that hard.  lol 

I am pretty sure they like his drumming. He was in Guns with them.. He was in VR with them. He was in the Neurotic Outsiders with Duff. He was on the first Snakepit album. I don't think it was that they didn't try hard, it was that they didn't try at all. This is Axl's band.. There was an open slot for a bass player and guitarist. I don't think they have a say in shit.

[HeartbreakerWoman]

16 hours ago, Top-Hatted One said:

There are a zillion drummers out there who would love to be in GNR.

Drummers who  can play the songs without screwing up the tempo and aren't the kind of personalities to rock the boat. 

Sudden speeding up of the tempo on GNR classics whether it's nervous or lack of focus was never an issue with Brain. 

Lets see what happens once the tour starts. Either Frank works on his chemistry with slash and duff and tightens up the loose ends or they start dropping the classics. Replace them with more Chinese songs which Frank plays just fine. But Frank would be dismissed before that happens 

You really think the sped up temp is Frank alone? The band had plenty of rehearsals on their own. Why must it be solely Frank's fault? Perhaps it has been a conscious decision by the band to play them faster. The 2007 lineup which Frank was a part of played the classic songs at the 'proper' tempo...

[Italian girl]

9 hours ago, scooby845 said:

You're quite active with the profile pic change...? What..like 3 times in a week?

When I change it on FB, automatically it changes here..  

But I did it just 2 times because I didn't Like the first one...

Edited May 18, 2016 by Italian girl

[Top-Hatted One]

2 hours ago, HeartbreakerWoman said:

You really think the sped up temp is Frank alone? The band had plenty of rehearsals on their own. Why must it be solely Frank's fault? Perhaps it has been a conscious decision by the band to play them faster. The 2007 lineup which Frank was a part of played the classic songs at the 'proper' tempo...

some songs start of fine then get sped up and it sounds like a train wreck. See nu-guns doing Civil War 

[scooby845]

1 hour ago, Italian girl said:

When I change it on FB, automatically it changes here..  

But I did it just 2 times because I didn't Like the first one...

Ahh I get it... but it seems facebook is screwing your pic format for some reasons unknown...

[Italian girl]

2 minutes ago, scooby845 said:

Ahh I get it... but it seems facebook is screwing your pic format for some reasons unknown...

Yes... 

[Tom-Ass]

9 hours ago, Top-Hatted One said:

some songs start of fine then get sped up and it sounds like a train wreck. See nu-guns doing Civil War 

Exactly and it isn't just the tempos.. He isn't very good with Dynamics.. Doesn't know when to lay back and throws fill sin at the worst times.

[Top-Hatted One]

I guess it didn't matter as much or wasn't as noticeable with nu-guns because everyone was always focused on Finck and DJ screwing up the classics. Although I never had a problem with Finck because he was intentionally putting his own spin on them. DJ was trying to play like Slash and often failing miserably. 

Drummer is different though. Drummer can't be off doing his own thing. He is the foundation and needs to be on the same page with the bass player. Especially with GN'R where the vocals and slash are the leads in 95% of their songs. The drummer and bass need to leave them room to breathe and do their thing. Axl is killing his voice when the tempo speeds up. And in turn it sounds like a car wreck when it happens 

[PatrickS77]

On 18.5.2016 at 2:33 AM, Kira said:

Do you think Slash and Duff are really that fond of Sorum?  I know they have a history together with VR, but I can see it being a situation where they were "sorry Matt, we tried", but they didn't really try that hard.  lol 

Myself, I never really cared for Sorum.  He just seemed like a guy that got really lucky.

I'm sure that would it be soley their choice, they would prefer Sorum, a guy and friend they constantly played with over the years, over someone they don't know, didn't have anything to do with GNR's heyday and don't have any obligation to play with. But then again, obviously they wouldn't jeapordize their reunion, just to have Matt there.