China Exchange: 60 Minutes with Axl Rose

[Modano09]

31 minutes ago, Tom-Ass said:

Everyone always makes it Axl vs. Slash.. If Axl was the good guy then why did Duff and Izzy leave because of Axl as well?  Never mind the countless other people who have had issues with Axl.. 

Izzy left for a lot of reasons, a big one being that he was trying to get sober and touring in a band of alcoholics and junkies wasn't good for him. He was already travelling on his own before he quit for that reason.

According to Duff's book, he left because GNR wasn't getting anywhere. He shook Axl's hand and left with no hard feelings. 

I just think Slash and Duff were a little more media savvy than they let on. They were both pretty adamant that Axl screwed them out of the GNR name and they only signed it away for the good of the fans, until it was time to put it in print in their books, where they'd be libel to support that story if need be. We're also talking about guys with raging drug and alcohol problems; guys with raging drug and alcohol problems can be assholes sometimes.

 

Edited June 17, 2016 by Modano09

[DieselDaisy]

What is wrong with the interviewer? This guy is seemingly provoking more hatred on here than DJ Ashba yet I found him competent and amusing - bit of a layman (to the rock genre) perhaps but nothing to get irate about.

[wasted]

28 minutes ago, jmapelian said:

maybe they all agreed to disagree but came to a happy place where they could at least see where the other was coming from in terms of the wreckage of the old lineup while realizing they are much better musically together than apart

SMKC let's Slash scatch any rock itch he's got

So why wrestle Axl in GNR. He might feel better about collabing because he has that freedom with solo. Maybe he'll feel less frsustrated when Axl puts effects and low talking on his songs?

[Philipm787]

10 hours ago, Sprite said:

No but Axl has made the comment before about Slash lying in his book. And he's maintaining it with Slash back in the band. The truth always finds a way.

Slash also admitted he had to rely a lot on others memory for a lot of the book yes?

If the shoe fits.

I would love to live a world where I could be so confident in something I have nothing do with or don't know the people involved. What's it like being you on a day to day basis?

Well then how can you be so confident in the belief that the destruction of Guns N' Roses was not primarily Axl Rose's fault?

[Philipm787]

10 hours ago, Sprite said:

"I don't know how I can release my book without seeming negative or complaining about everyone else." -Axl Rose, June 2016

This quote is just portraying Axl as arrogant and blind to reality.. Something which he is, as he has acted this way for 30 years.

[Rovim]

22 minutes ago, Philipm787 said:

This quote is just portraying Axl as arrogant and blind to reality.. Something which he is, as he has acted this way for 30 years.

To me that quote just shows how brutally honest Axl is. He could have just said "no book, cause Slash and Duff are back" and put it to rest.

But many people still haven't heard his side of the story while all the other members except Izzy who doesn't give a fuck released a book or 2 and had a chance to tell their side of it.

You think Axl doesn't want people to at least get the chance to know how it was from Axl's point of view? I really believe Axl doesn't want to hurt anyone, but just because Axl never fully talked about it like the others doesn't mean he is blind to reality. Maybe some people are blind to reality cause what Slash and others said was just a part of the real story or not even true.

If Axl releases a book, I think it could be a best seller and I don't seriously believe he will write lies. He wasn't fucked up on drugs like the others as well so it can be more accurate, plus he kept records which can be very handy.

He can write a book which explains his side of things without getting nasty. Slash basically did that with his book. Wasn't too hard on Axl but maybe that was because he just wanted to protect his interests you know... a future reunion.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Rovim

[Bulldog]

4 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

Everyone always makes it Axl vs. Slash.. If Axl was the good guy then why did Duff and Izzy leave because of Axl as well?  Never mind the countless other people who have had issues with Axl.. 

 

Slash,Duff,Izzy,Matt,Bucketed,Robin,Brian,Bumblefoot,DJ,Tommy,Josh,etc

Not to mention all of the managers he's plowed through. And how can we forget the actual objective evidence of 3+ hour late starts, inciting riots, 15 years of delays on an album, all the accounts of skipped rehearsals and not showing up to the recording studio, etc. 

I'm not saying anyone is innocent but for people to claim that it isn't primarily Axl...c'mon.

It's nice that he is redeeming his reputation at this point but the guy has shown that he can stir the pot with the best of them. 

[Philipm787]

5 minutes ago, Rovim said:

To me that quote just shows how brutally honest Axl is. He could have just said "no book, cause Slash and Duff are back" and put it to rest.

But many people still haven't heard his side of the story while all the other members except Izzy who doesn't give a fuck released a book or 2 and had a chance to tell their side of it.

You think Axl doesn't want people to at least get the chance to know how it was from Axl's point of view? I really belive Axl doesn't want to hurt anyone, but just because Axl never fully talked about it like the others doesn't mean he is blind to reality. Maybe some people are blind to reality cause what Slash and others said was just a part of the real story or not even true.

If Axl releases a book, I think it could be a best seller and I don't seriously believe he will write lies. He wasn't fucked up on drugs like the others as well so it can be more accurate, plus he kept records which can be very handy.

He can write a book which explains his side of things without getting nasty. Slash basically did that with his book. Wasn't too hard on Axl but maybe that was because he just wanted to protect his interests you know... a future reunion.

Yes but time and time again Axl has blamed other people or other things for his constant mishaps, I'm not calling him a liar as I think he genuinely does believe what he is saying is true, but that man is so fucked up in a mental capacity (understandably) that everything he says has to be taken with a grain of salt. Just like him saying that for the past 30 years of late starts that it was never once his fault, that it was always something or somebody elses is plainly untrue.

[Philipm787]

7 hours ago, Modano09 said:

The most interesting question to me is, after all these years, what if it turns out Axl was actually right? That Axl really was the good guy and Slash really was a dick to him?

 

Slash was not innocent, but Axl's behaviour throughout 1987-2014 and public image was not some kind of misunderstanding.

[Rovim]

On 17.6.2016 at 10:11 AM, Philipm787 said:

Slash was not innocent, but Axl's behaviour throughout 1987-2014 and public image was not some kind of misunderstanding.

I think he deserves a chance to first present his version and then we can judge. Maybe a lot of it was the fans misunderstanding what happened with help from the media.

I think Axl was to blame for some of the shit. But it doesn't add up, all of it. There are still things I want Axl to talk about so I have all the angles before I can judge and just say: "yeah, that fuckin' asshole ruined all of it and he's to blame for destroying Guns". That's not fair and won't lead to the truth.

And btw, Axl talked about how he was always late to everywhere and it was before Guns and that was always a problem or something he was struggling with personally, yet Slash and Duff were willing to return and late start times dare I say, are not really a problem anymore.

He's insecure so there's a chance it's hard for him to go up there if he feels he's not ready. Unstable people are not to blame for certain shit, I get the sense that sometimes he's just trying to keep it together and truly believe he can deliver if it's an album or a live show.

 

Edited June 18, 2016 by Rovim

[Rovim]

1 hour ago, Philipm787 said:

Yes but time and time again Axl has blamed other people or other things for his constant mishaps, I'm not calling him a liar as I think he genuinely does believe what he is saying is true, but that man is so fucked up in a mental capacity (understandably) that everything he says has to be taken with a grain of salt. Just like him saying that for the past 30 years of late starts that it was never once his fault, that it was always something or somebody elses is plainly untrue.

Maybe it was their fault in some cases. If even some of what Axl said is true about the other members, there is no way what they said could be completely true.

How they didn't want to work on November Rain and Estranged for example, or how Slash played Axl Fall To Pieces ideas and then when Axl liked it he didn't want to share. Slash not wanting to work that hard.

Axl still fucked up too, but I'll believe him before I'll believe Slash to be honest. Seems like his way of doing things is taking into consideration what the fans think of him and how he is perceived in the media.

Edited June 17, 2016 by Rovim

[Rovim]

6 hours ago, Bulldog said:

 

Slash,Duff,Izzy,Matt,Bucketed,Robin,Brian,Bumblefoot,DJ,Tommy,Josh,etc

Not to mention all of the managers he's plowed through. And how can we forget the actual objective evidence of 3+ hour late starts, inciting riots, 15 years of delays on an album, all the accounts of skipped rehearsals and not showing up to the recording studio, etc. 

I'm not saying anyone is innocent but for people to claim that it isn't primarily Axl...c'mon.

It's nice that he is redeeming his reputation at this point but the guy has shown that he can stir the pot with the best of them. 

All he has shown was how important Guns is for him and his artistic integrity is what kept the quality high. The rest of the shit is not even about the others. The late starts, the tinkering, we already knew this.

The riots and late starts are in the past now. Slash and Duff were not that easy to get along with if what Axl said is true. They had many problems, I don't believe for a second it was Axl alone that destroyed old Guns.

It's biased and probably very far from the truth. Some people happily ignore important evidence.

 

Edited June 17, 2016 by Rovim

[Babooshka]

13 hours ago, The Archer said:

People with bipolar disorder and similar conditions, often end up alienating a lot of people, without intending to, because of their behavioral patterns. That doesn't make them insane or make them liars. Also, having a lot of friends doesn't mean you are more credible, just as having a few friends doesn't mean that your views and behavior are suspect.

Axl has denied being bipolar. His behaviour and state of mind certainly is questionable, but it would be presumptuous to diagnose the man.

[starlight]

Everyone is to blame for the GNR breakup although it's normal to make mistakes especially when you're young. Slash,Izzy, and also Duff had their weakness and weren't able to deal with a lot of things related to their lives but they were willing to work together as a band in order to function. On the other hand Axl alienated himself ,didn't take part to the rehearsals, was causing riots and wanted to control the band and yet he hasn't admitted his part of responsability in all of this. Slash said in his book that the major problem with Axl was the lack of respect he showed with his behaviour and the distance he put between him and the rest of the band.

[Babooshka]

17 hours ago, Sprite said:

You don't think some of this may have influenced Axl's "tyrannical" persona? I think they were missing a cohesive leader and he stepped into that role partly because he was the most consistent member through all the lineup changes, came up with the name, and it naturally fit his personality. Plus the others wanted the glam more than the business it seemed.

Yet Axl accused Slash of trying to take over the band. That is his explanation for the power grab.

This is the thing. Axl's side is actually out there, he himself has said so, it's just that people didn't buy it or didn't think it justified him getting hold of Guns. So the spin goes on and on.

And @Tom-Ass is right, you and others can only see things in terms of Axl vs Slash. The idea that Axl himself is responsible for the ill feeling towards him is totally lost. But it's part of the whole Brock Turner bubble that he lives in. Where everything is always someone else's fault, he is forever the misunderstood victim.

[Jordan Rose]

Excuse me for jumping in with my thoughts before reading the thread but I want to say a couple things as i'm watching.

Finally, after arguing with dimwits on here for years about the changes in Axl's voice he confirms what i've been saying all along: he CHOOSES whether he's going to sing clean or with rasp. He specifically says that on Chinese he wanted to make his voice sound 'clearer' and when he did that on tour some fans didn't respond so well. And the really interesting part is that he says that by doing that, it made it possible for him to do what he's doing now. In other words, by singing clean and saving his voice in 2002 and 2011-2014 it meant he's now able to sing the absolute shit out of Back In Black. "It was very good for me, to be even better at what i'm doing right now." 

Interesting that he still feels that he's just trying to survive, get through one thing at a time, and he doesn't worry or think about whether he's accomplished as much as he'd have liked. Because he's joked recently and here about not having released much music. But he doesn't seem particularly bothered about it. 

Fuck's sake. He says when he first talked to Slash he pointed out that Slash wrote a bunch of stuff in his book that didn't actually happen. The guy follows up by asking what Slash said to that and the damn moderator moves them on. FUCK. 

It's really cool that he has this connection with Angus and that Angus, for some reason, is happier now playing with Axl than he was with Brian. But that must be a bitter pill for Brian and the fans to swallow. I wonder why that's the case because I doubt it's just down to them being able to change the setlist up. It's also kinda sad that Axl feels more protective over Angus and the AC/DC fans and material than he has seemed to over Guns, Guns fans and Guns material at times. 

Really fucking fantastic questions from some of the audience. Proper fan questions. And his long answer to how they went from such a bad place to having great chemistry at Vegas and Coachella is so cool to hear. He didn't even have to talk to Slash about working on Bucketfoot and Bumblehead's parts, he embraced them and enjoyed them. Can't make out at the end whether he meant that HE sat in on rehearsals. 

He seems quite reluctant to go into any detail about exactly how he and Slash made amends after so long saying Slash would have to apologise publicly and explain what he lied about etc. 

He says he's a big fan of the previous lineup before getting back with Slash and Duff. Hmmm. But he obviously wan't a big enough fan to work on or release music with them or put much effort into the 2011-2014 shows XD

He always looked at the reunion as a possibility?! I iwsh he'd go into details more about the reconcilliation because this makes no sense. Cancer, not in this lifetime, one os us will die first, he has to apologise and explain publicly....

[Jordan Rose]

On 6/8/2016 at 8:40 AM, Silent Jay said:

I'm really impressed Axl is still into cd.

I've gotta say something here because you're the third person to say this. Of COURSE he is and of course it's his favourite stuff to sing live. It's completely obvious and common sense he would feel that. A large portion of the old material is lyrically juvenile, mysogynistic stuff about partying and drugs and bullshit which he said he didn't even relate to anymore in 1992!!!! Why is it so hard to believe he'd prefer to sing songs from Chinese that are lyrically way more mature and personal and more recent? 

On 6/8/2016 at 11:35 AM, The Archer said:

Fuckin hell. I've spent the last day or so lurking on the AC/DC boards - it's been lots of fun reading the comments there. Tremendous entertainment. But first look back here and this!

Would you mind telling us what the general consensus and vibe towards Axl is at this point and what they've been saying? 

[Silent Jay]

It's a long train running

[Jordan Rose]

On 6/8/2016 at 10:56 AM, Blake Sabbath said:

One thing to note, I think if Frank and Richard weren't still on board the Chinese Democracy material wouldn't have been so embraced by this new lineup

That's a really interesting point. Because the fact is that Slash and Duff joined part of an existing band and having Richard and Frank around increases his comfort level. If it had been a full reunion with Steven/Matt and Izzy then Axl would have likely felt very much the odd one out and it would have been a totally different dynamic. I really, really can't see a rehearsal room of the rest of the old band minus Axl trying to figure out Chinese material. 

[Jordan Rose]

On 6/8/2016 at 4:24 PM, superloconoriega said:

lol at axl saying he always wanted to work with dave grohl

No reason to lol. He's talked about liking Grohl's sound and trying to find the Teen Spirit drum sound for stuff on Chinese.

[Frey]

2 hours ago, Jordan Rose said:

Fuck's sake. He says when he first talked to Slash he pointed out that Slash wrote a bunch of stuff in his book that didn't actually happen. The guy follows up by asking what Slash said to that and the damn moderator moves them on. FUCK. 

He seems quite reluctant to go into any detail about exactly how he and Slash made amends after so long saying Slash would have to apologise publicly and explain what he lied about etc. 

He says he's a big fan of the previous lineup before getting back with Slash and Duff. Hmmm. But he obviously wan't a big enough fan to work on or release music with them or put much effort into the 2011-2014 shows XD

He always looked at the reunion as a possibility?! I iwsh he'd go into details more about the reconcilliation because this makes no sense. Cancer, not in this lifetime, one os us will die first, he has to apologise and explain publicly....

That first point pissed me off so much as well. Finally there's a guy asking a really interesting question and ge gets ignored.

Agreed on the other points. Maybe with any luck Duff will shed some more light on this in that radio show today.

[wasted]

13 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

Everyone always makes it Axl vs. Slash.. If Axl was the good guy then why did Duff and Izzy leave because of Axl as well?  Never mind the countless other people who have had issues w

2 hours ago, Babooshka said:

Yet Axl accused Slash of trying to take over the band. That is his explanation for the power grab.

This is the thing. Axl's side is actually out there, he himself has said so, it's just that people didn't buy it or didn't think it justified him getting hold of Guns. So the spin goes on and on.

And @Tom-Ass is right, you and others can only see things in terms of Axl vs Slash. The idea that Axl himself is responsible for the ill feeling towards him is totally lost. But it's part of the whole Brock Turner bubble that he lives in. Where everything is always someone else's fault, he is forever the misunderstood victim.

But don't you see the only way for Axl to gain your approval is to do what Slash wanted and do Snakepit as GNR. Slash has never denied this. He even said he was stubborn about it, Snakepit was the next GNR album but Axl didn't go for it. To me that is delusional. There's no reason to think that from AFD to UYI. Axl just wanted to collab as before. To Slash at that time that was Axl being a dictator. 

Okay I get Axl being late and causing riots. But could they sing on heroin. As far as I can see it was just compiling evidence so they could do more songs about drinking and drug addiction. Whereas Axl was trying to avoid that. 

Of course we have been trained to think drugs equal authenticity in rock. Duff has now come forward to admit it wasn't that good an idea. 

Once Slash has gone it's not surprising there wasn't 7 new GNR albums. 

Evrrything is linked to Slash. 

In a weird way even Axl's late shows n no shows was because they forced Axl out on tour because Slash wanted to be on the road. 

Axl probably didn't enjoy touring with Slash and Duff just Izzy didn't. Axl begged Duff not to go out on his solo tour bevause he thought he'd die. 

We have to look at the good and bad in context not just go with this persecution of one guy to solve all our problems. 

Nothing exists in a vacuum. We can do better than this. 

This is what broke up these guys up in first place. Don't repeat history. 

She lookin lookin lookin like a mack

[The Archer]

4 hours ago, Jordan Rose said:

Would you mind telling us what the general consensus and vibe towards Axl is at this point and what they've been saying? 

There is almost universal consensus that Axl has stepped up and done a phenomenal job - barring a few hold outs who insist that he sounds terrible.  This does not mean automatic or majority acceptance of Axl as the new frontman, of course. There are some very vocal Axl haters, though they are a minority (similar to the Axl/DC haters on here); these include people who claim to be GN'R fans who prefer to see him singing him only in GN'R, but also some people who just hate the very sight of Axl - and go on and on about his clothes, how he talks between songs, his previous history (the St. Louis incident is a big favorite and it is a commonly shared video, with some people praying for Axl to repeat it, so that he can get fired by Angus), etc. But since the forum is a meeting place of die-hards, their online polls still show that a majority of people prefer Brian's return. What is interesting though, is that the debate about Axl has been left behind, because of how well he has done on both the Brian and Bon era tracks and how well the band have accepted him and how Angus seems excited - it has turned into a debate about Angus' character, the merits of Brian continuing, Brian's merits as a singer in the last few years, and eventually morphed into a fierce debate about the Bon vs Brian eras. The last one in particular is surprising because there had been almost universal acceptance of Brian. But the vociferousness which some of the Brian fans have been tearing down Axl has caused some of those who are calling them out for their dishonesty, to compare Brian to Bon and this has really caused some serious division. There are also many Bon era fans who are really thrilled with Axl singing the deep cuts from the Bon era and that's caused a lot of them to think that the change could be a good thing, if it goes on long term. There are many who believe that if Angus continues with Axl, it should be called the Angus Young project (similar to the calls that we's seen on here for Axl to abandon the Gn'R name). But it does seem that most people are willing to consider an AC/DC fronted by Axl, and some are even entertaining the idea of Axl contributing to lyrics, and think it would be a positive thing.

Edit - another significant thing that everyone agrees on at this point, is that any replacement for Brian other than Axl, would be unthinkable. Even the Axl detractors admit that his performances have sealed the deal on that question.

Edited June 17, 2016 by The Archer

[nonok]

This thread has turned into another Axl vs Slash shitfest, I see.

[Silent Jay]

1 hour ago, Jordan Rose said:

No reason to lol. He's talked about liking Grohl's sound and trying to find the Teen Spirit drum sound for stuff on Chinese.

Not really. He always wanted to work with Dave and well before Chinese