Has your opinion of Slash and Duff changed since the NITL tour started?

[Chester 524]

yes my opinion changed.  before NITL Slash was a media friendly guy who could be counted on to either be on his way to a city near you with a show or a new album on it's way.   He did interviews and made himself accessible to his fans after shows. 

So when the reunion was announced, I truly believed he did it for the love of his fans.  think about it- Axl cost him money and integrity with his nonsense on the UYI tour.  he wouldn't let Snakepit tiur with Gilby and Matt and then pulled the plug on the snakepit tour in 95. he then bans Slash t shirts from GNR shows and destroys Slash in the press for years. 

So I truly believed Slash reunited for the fans who have been asking him to for 20 years. 

the NITL shows started and it was clear to everyone that Slash was the star of the band.  Axl sounded pretty bad for most songs, but it was all good as I thought it would be a really cool reunion for a few months then he'd go back to SMKC. 

Instead he now barely does interviews, and when he does you can't ask about GNR.  hes in a band that will sell you a VIP concert ticket for over a thousand dollars, but wont actually let you meet a band member as part of that, let alone give a free download of the show that you just attended. His face continues to be readily available on mech that you can buy featuring  the AFD cross- along with 2 other guys that they cant figure out how to reunite with (for the fans).  And now they are more than willing to let you buy a toy truck, or GNR air jackets for a small fortune, but cant communicate to their own fans on a new album.  but they are more than happy to ban a lifetime fan from shows for life, or pull your own concert footage that YOU TOOK to promote the band off of YouTube. 

What changed for me is Slashs integrity.  you cant tell me he is the only person in the world that cant hear Axl butchering half their songs as well as Slither.  And he is the star of a band that doesnt treat their fans very well at all.

So my take on his return now is that he needed the money due to the divorce and will likely stay until his financial people have enough money invested to pay his obligation to Perla for the next 30 years.  and until that's done he will let Mickey sings songs he shouldnt while sporting a little Bo Peep hairdo, have his name on overpriced stupid ass trinkets and obey "dont ask dont tell" GNR media policy. 

he will always be my favorite musician of all time, but his integrity has definitely dropped a bit in my book. 

[MaskingApathy]

1 hour ago, Chester 524 said:

yes my opinion changed.  before NITL Slash was a media friendly guy who could be counted on to either be on his way to a city near you with a show or a new album on it's way.   He did interviews and made himself accessible to his fans after shows. 

So when the reunion was announced, I truly believed he did it for the love of his fans.  think about it- Axl cost him money and integrity with his nonsense on the UYI tour.  he wouldn't let Snakepit tiur with Gilby and Matt and then pulled the plug on the snakepit tour in 95. he then bans Slash t shirts from GNR shows and destroys Slash in the press for years. 

So I truly believed Slash reunited for the fans who have been asking him to for 20 years. 

the NITL shows started and it was clear to everyone that Slash was the star of the band.  Axl sounded pretty bad for most songs, but it was all good as I thought it would be a really cool reunion for a few months then he'd go back to SMKC. 

Instead he now barely does interviews, and when he does you can't ask about GNR.  hes in a band that will sell you a VIP concert ticket for over a thousand dollars, but wont actually let you meet a band member as part of that, let alone give a free download of the show that you just attended. His face continues to be readily available on mech that you can buy featuring  the AFD cross- along with 2 other guys that they cant figure out how to reunite with (for the fans).  And now they are more than willing to let you buy a toy truck, or GNR air jackets for a small fortune, but cant communicate to their own fans on a new album.  but they are more than happy to ban a lifetime fan from shows for life, or pull your own concert footage that YOU TOOK to promote the band off of YouTube. 

What changed for me is Slashs integrity.  you cant tell me he is the only person in the world that cant hear Axl butchering half their songs as well as Slither.  And he is the star of a band that doesnt treat their fans very well at all.

So my take on his return now is that he needed the money due to the divorce and will likely stay until his financial people have enough money invested to pay his obligation to Perla for the next 30 years.  and until that's done he will let Mickey sings songs he shouldnt while sporting a little Bo Peep hairdo, have his name on overpriced stupid ass trinkets and obey "dont ask dont tell" GNR media policy. 

he will always be my favorite musician of all time, but his integrity has definitely dropped a bit in my book. 

Regarding the divorce and the money involved, I think he's just doing what he need to do. Rich Hollywood rock star problems. The stuff in bold, he doesn't have any control over that and it's not because of him that it's happening. 

[Tom-Ass]

14 hours ago, Chester 524 said:

 What changed for me is Slashs integrity. 

I always greatly admired Slash and Duff's integrity through the years. Not so much anymore 

[El Guapo]

13 hours ago, MaskingApathy said:

Regarding the divorce and the money involved, I think he's just doing what he need to do. Rich Hollywood rock star problems. The stuff in bold, he doesn't have any control over that and it's not because of him that it's happening. 

It wouldn't and it couldn't happen if he wasn't there. 

[Lies They Tell]

If my thoughts about Slash and Duff have changed, it's for the better. Same thing with Axl. They all seem to have matured in a good way cause they managed to bury their hatched. And not only that they seem to respect each other in a way they never did before. In the past Slash used to talk to the press what ever he had on his mind, which led to a lot of bad blood between him and Axl. In the past it felt like they were competing against each other and sometimes Axl seemed jealous of Slash's sideprojects. Now they feel much more like a team. Duff seems much more diplomatic than I ever knew he was. He's probably the main reason why we even have a reunion. So yeah, I respect that they have grown as people. I just wish that they'd release some music.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Lies They Tell

[MaskingApathy]

1 hour ago, El Guapo said:

It wouldn't and it couldn't happen if he wasn't there. 

Maybe so, but he's not the one telling them to take down the videos or whatever.

[Blackstar]

I think disappointment at people we don't know, like rock musicians, regarding things other than their musical output and performance, is a result of having put them on a pedestal based on a narrative that we like. 

In this case, many people had an ideal image of Slash and Duff (as opposed to that of "villainous Axl") formed by picking from the things they said in public the ones that fit the narrative of them being the people who will always do whatever the "right thing" is (as opposed to Axl, again) - and when they don't, it's because they sold out/gave in and not because of a character flaw. So Duff was really "punk as fuck" until 2015, just based on what he said in some interviews once (mainly a couple where he said negative things about Axl), and now suddenly isn't 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Blackstar

[Nick85]

These people here making digs at Slash and Duff's integrity is fucking laughable, as if any one of us would have said "pass" to the millions they're making from these shows.  You don't think they'd pad their legacy with new GNR albums with their mark on them if they could?  If that's your issue, the lack of that falls at the feet of one man, and the Brazilian support group he surrounds himself with that have put zero pressure on him to produce anything new beyond these shows.

Edited February 18, 2020 by sofine11

[RONIN]

3 hours ago, Blackstar said:

I think disappointment at people we don't know, like rock musicians, regarding things other than their musical output and performance, is a result of having put them on a pedestal based on a narrative that we like. 

In this case, many people had an ideal image of Slash and Duff (as opposed to that of "villainous Axl") formed by picking from the things they said in public the ones that fit the narrative of them being the people who will always do whatever the "right thing" is (as opposed to Axl, again) - and when they don't, it's because they sold out/gave in and not because of a character flaw. So Duff was really "punk as fuck" until 2015, just based on what he said in some interviews once (mainly a couple where he said negative things about Axl), and now suddenly isn't 

Admittedly, the narrative was better when Axl was the sole villain of GnR but point taken.  

I don't have issues with Slash per se, it's known that he's been angling for a GnR payday since the 2nd snakepit album flopped. There is a bit of cognitive dissonance with Duff though as he seems to be turning into the Gene Simmons of the band lately. And you have Axl who criticized Slash about riding around in limos with Snoop Dogg and ends up doing the same thing. We've seen the full evolution of the band where they've turned into people they claimed never to want to be. 

But who am I kidding, maybe if we were in their place we'd probably sign off on GnR toothpaste or "punk as fuck" suntan lotion. There are bands at their level who've balanced the art and commerce conundrum far better though. 

[Tom-Ass]

7 hours ago, sofine11 said:

These people here making digs at Slash and Duff's integrity is fucking laughable, as if any one of us would have said "pass" to the millions they're making from these shows.  You don't think they'd pad their legacy with new GNR albums with their mark on them if they could?  If that's your issue, the lack of that falls at the feet of one man, and the Brazilian support group he surrounds himself with that have put zero pressure on him to produce anything new beyond these shows.

You are obviously referring to me but what I said isn't really about them not making new Gn'R albums or how much money they make. 

[double talkin jive mfkr]

axl slash and duff have all morphed and become the same person theres no seperating them anymore 

[Flayer]

Mine hasn’t changed much. Being too young to have lived through the original era, I never really had either of them high up on a pedestal or any grandiose expectations of them changing the entire direction of the band again if they came back. My disillusionment and disappointment with Axl on the other hand between the Chinese Democracy era and now has grown immeasurably.

Looking back on classic GNR, the stories, the videos, everything about them, it was Axl and Axl alone who was responsible for making them “the most dangerous band in the world.” Sure, the rest of them were a bunch of semi- or fully dysfunctional drug addicts - but that’s neither unique nor particularly dangerous to anyone but themselves. Drugged out rockstars are a dime a dozen.

It was Axl that was unique both within the band and among rockstars of the era, because he was basically at war with everyone and everything. The critics, the media, the fans, the bandmates, the management, other bands, the women in his life - anyone he crossed paths with, he might explode in spectacular fashion against them, seemingly out of nowhere, without regard for the consequences, at times even to the point of unleashing physical violence.

That was what was dangerous about GNR. Axl was hardly the first guy to wage a one-man war against the world, but this was the first time you had a highly talented, world famous rock band tethered to such a personality.

And well into the Chinese Democracy era, even past the release of the album for a time, Axl remained a compelling figure because this hadn’t changed. Axl was still at war with everything, no longer as a Napoleonic conqueror but instead as Colonel Kurtz in the jungle.

You may still love Axl as a musician (indeed I do), but that mystique he once had is dead now, and it’s dead because Axl is now at peace with the world. He let go of his old grudges. He stopped exploring new musical directions. He shows up on time and turns in predictable performances. He doesn’t pick fights anymore. He gives friendly interviews to the media. He holds conventional liberal political opinions. He never says anything that would offend mainstream sensibilities. He doesn’t even sue anybody these days, the lazy rich man’s way of war.

Axl is a 100% tamed monster these days, and while that’s probably great for his own emotional well-being (indeed he’s probably never been happier or more comfortable than he is now), from a dramatic standpoint there’s no thrill or adventure to him anymore. All that’s left is his performance as a musician, and with his diminishing vocal abilities and refusal to take any new creative risks, it all adds up to a very boring and familiar figure, the aged out, washed up musical has-been.

A long way to fall in just a few years for such a legendary artist, and an especially grave disappointment for those of us who were invested in Axl’s creative vision from the era of Chinese Democracy.

Edited February 22, 2020 by Flayer

[lame ass security]

39 minutes ago, Flayer said:

Mine hasn’t changed much. Being too young to have lived through the original era, I never really had either of them high up on a pedestal or any grandiose expectations of them changing the entire direction of the band again if they came back. My disillusionment and disappointment with Axl on the other hand between the Chinese Democracy era and now has grown immeasurably.

Looking back on classic GNR, the stories, the videos, everything about them, it was Axl and Axl alone who was responsible for making them “the most dangerous band in the world.” Sure, the rest of them were a bunch of semi- or fully dysfunctional drug addicts - but that’s neither unique nor particularly dangerous to anyone but themselves. Drugged out rockstars are a dime a dozen.

It was Axl that was unique both within the band and among rockstars of the era, because he was basically at war with everyone and everything. The critics, the media, the fans, the bandmates, the management, other bands, the women in his life - anyone he crossed paths with, he might explode in spectacular fashion against them, seemingly out of nowhere, without regard for the consequences, at times even to the point of unleashing physical violence.

That was what was dangerous about GNR. Axl was hardly the first guy to wage a one-man war against the world, but this was the first time you had a highly talented, world famous rock band tethered to such a personality.

And well into the Chinese Democracy era, even past the release of the album for a time, Axl remained a compelling figure because this hadn’t changed. Axl was still at war with everything, no longer as a Napoleonic conqueror but instead as Colonel Kurtz in the jungle.

You may still love Axl as a musician (indeed I do), but that mystique he once had is dead now, and it’s dead because Axl is now at peace with the world. He let go of his old grudges. He stopped exploring new musical directions. He shows up on time and turns in predictable performances. He doesn’t pick fights anymore. He gives friendly interviews to the media. He holds conventional liberal political opinions. He never says anything that would offend mainstream sensibilities. He doesn’t even sue anybody these days, the lazy rich man’s way of war.

Axl is a 100% tamed monster these days, and while that’s probably great for his own emotional well-being (indeed he’s probably never been happier or more comfortable than he is now), from a dramatic standpoint there’s no thrill or adventure to him anymore. All that’s left is his performance as a musician, and with his diminishing vocal abilities and refusal to take any new creative risks, it all adds up to a very boring and familiar figure, the aged out, washed up musical has-been.

A long way to fall in just a few years for such a legendary artist, and an especially grave disappointment for those of us who were invested in Axl’s creative vision from the era of Chinese Democracy.

Well, that was depressing. 

[MurielWeathers]

7 minutes ago, Flayer said:

Mine hasn’t changed much. Being too young to have lived through the original era, I never really had either of them high up on a pedestal or any grandiose expectations of them changing the entire direction of the band again if they came back. My disillusionment and disappointment with Axl on the other hand between the Chinese Democracy era and now has grown immeasurably.

Looking back on classic GNR, the stories, the videos, everything about them, it was Axl and Axl alone who was responsible for making them “the most dangerous band in the world.” Sure, the rest of them were a bunch of semi- or fully dysfunctional drug addicts - but that’s neither unique nor particularly dangerous to anyone but themselves. Drugged out rockstars are a dime a dozen.

It was Axl that was unique both within the band and among rockstars of the era, because he was basically at war with everyone and everything. The critics, the media, the fans, the bandmates, the management, other bands, the women in his life - anyone he crossed paths with, he might explode in spectacular fashion against them, seemingly out of nowhere, without regard for the consequences, at times even to the point of unleashing physical violence.

That was what was dangerous about GNR. Axl was hardly the first guy to wage a one-man war against the world, but this was the first time you had a highly talented, world famous rock band tethered to such a personality.

And well into the Chinese Democracy era, even past the release of the album for a time, Axl remained a compelling figure because this hadn’t changed. Axl was still at war with everything, no longer as a Napoleonic conqueror but instead as Colonel Kurtz in the jungle.

You may still love Axl as a musician (indeed I do), but that mystique he once had is dead now, and it’s dead because Axl is now at peace with the world. He let go of his old grudges. He stopped exploring new musical directions. He shows up on time and turns in predictable performances. He doesn’t pick fights anymore. He gives friendly interviews to the media. He holds conventional liberal political opinions. He never says anything that would offend mainstream sensibilities. He doesn’t even sue anybody these days, the lazy rich man’s way of war.

Axl is a 100% tamed monster these days, and while that’s probably great for his own emotional well-being (indeed he’s probably never been happier or more comfortable than he is now), from a dramatic standpoint there’s no thrill or adventure to him anymore. All that’s left is his performance as a musician, and with his diminishing vocal abilities and refusal to take any new creative risks, it all adds up to a very boring and familiar figure, the aged out, washed up musical has-been.

A long way to fall in just a few years for such a legendary artist, and an especially grave disappointment for those of us who were invested in Axl’s creative vision from the era of Chinese Democracy.

This was articulated amazingly well. I agree that he is what made them "the most dangerous band in the world". I love that Axl is at peace with himself and everyone around him. All the EE and SS drama took such a devastating toll on him and it was heartbreaking. Yet if I'm being completely honest, I miss "the most dangerous band in the world" and I miss AFD era music. Someone said it wasn't relatable because we aren't all on drugs and with countless women so the CD era is more related to the common man. Whether it was relatable or not it felt amazing. It made them seem like they were "IT", "The Band", and they were. They didnt whine about relationships and every day issues. They didnt complain and how hard life is. I'm disabled, I know how hard life is. I don't need them to remind how much life is gonna suck tomorrow. I need them to tell me "It's Time To Die" or "Live and Let Die". I miss his rants. I need Axl to rant about the homefuck, Warren Beatty.  So when it comes to a new album, if there ever is one, I hope it at least mimics their earlier recordings. Yeah, his voice is different but instead of continuing to make songs about SS he could take that new voice and create a totally new rock era for the band.

[lame ass security]

1 hour ago, Murielweathers@gmail.com said:

This was articulated amazingly well. I agree that he is what made them "the most dangerous band in the world". I love that Axl is at peace with himself and everyone around him. All the EE and SS drama took such a devastating toll on him and it was heartbreaking. Yet if I'm being completely honest, I miss "the most dangerous band in the world" and I miss AFD era music. Someone said it wasn't relatable because we aren't all on drugs and with countless women so the CD era is more related to the common man. Whether it was relatable or not it felt amazing. It made them seem like they were "IT", "The Band", and they were. They didnt whine about relationships and every day issues. They didnt complain and how hard life is. I'm disabled, I know how hard life is. I don't need them to remind how much life is gonna suck tomorrow. I need them to tell me "It's Time To Die" or "Live and Let Die". I miss his rants. I need Axl to rant about the homefuck, Warren Beatty.  So when it comes to a new album, if there ever is one, I hope it at least mimics their earlier recordings. Yeah, his voice is different but instead of continuing to make songs about SS he could take that new voice and create a totally new rock era for the band.

Yeah, I don't need to hear a 58 year old dude rant about an 83 year old dude.

[DieselDaisy]

Except Guns N' Roses were about as dangerous as the spice girls. That line, ''most dangerous band in the world'', was media hyperbole. 

[WildStar]

33 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

Except Guns N' Roses were about as dangerous as the spice girls. That line, ''most dangerous band in the world'', was media hyperbole. 

I don't know like. Sporty Spice challenged Liam Gallagher to a punch up and I imagine there were a few riots at gigs when fans were queuing for Haribo 

[Free Bird]

On 19.2.2020 at 12:03 AM, RONIN said:

Admittedly, the narrative was better when Axl was the sole villain of GnR but point taken.  

I don't have issues with Slash per se, it's known that he's been angling for a GnR payday since the 2nd snakepit album flopped. There is a bit of cognitive dissonance with Duff though as he seems to be turning into the Gene Simmons of the band lately. And you have Axl who criticized Slash about riding around in limos with Snoop Dogg and ends up doing the same thing. We've seen the full evolution of the band where they've turned into people they claimed never to want to be. 

But who am I kidding, maybe if we were in their place we'd probably sign off on GnR toothpaste or "punk as fuck" suntan lotion. There are bands at their level who've balanced the art and commerce conundrum far better though. 

It's not. These are just rumors without evidence, and some people, people like you, like to pretend these rumors are facts.

All Slash had to do is apologize to Axl through the media. Not a big deal if that was really what he ever wanted. 

In fact, he just wouldn't have left the band in the first place. 

What a great idea... "All I ever wanted is to be part of GNR, so I'll just leave them, maybe they beg me to come back."

That's just stupid. He left the band and toured the world for a few beers with bluesball.

He isn't the money whore you all try to make out of him

[lame ass security]

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

Except Guns N' Roses were about as dangerous as the spice girls. That line, ''most dangerous band in the world'', was media hyperbole. 

Very true, come to think of it what band has ever been really dangerous?  I guess it depends on your definition. Axl was volatile and unpredictable but I don't think he was dangerous really.  The riots were dangerous but those were fan driven mostly. The Doors weren't dangerous, Morrison was just unhinged and drunk(in a mostly cool way). I'll tell what bands are really dangerous, those black metal bands.  Google a band called Mayhem and you'll see what I mean. 

[Blackstar]

1 hour ago, Free Bird said:

In fact, he just wouldn't have left the band in the first place. 

What a great idea... "All I ever wanted is to be part of GNR, so I'll just leave them, maybe they beg me to come back."

That's just stupid. He left the band and toured the world for a few beers with bluesball.

I've come to the opinion that this was actually in the back of Slash's head when he quit, and he didn't leave to really leave, but hoped/believed that Axl might call him and he could be back on better terms:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4046p360-the-history-in-their-own-words#17402

And probably Axl thought similarly and believed that Slash would eventually go back on Axl's terms.

So for about five years or so it was one expecting the other to take the step - but neither did.

[Scream of the Butterfly]

23 hours ago, Flayer said:

He doesn’t even sue anybody these days, the lazy rich man’s way of war.

He sued the brewery if that's any consolation.

[DurhamGirl]

On 18/02/2020 at 7:33 PM, sofine11 said:

These people here making digs at Slash and Duff's integrity is fucking laughable, as if any one of us would have said "pass" to the millions they're making from these shows.  You don't think they'd pad their legacy with new GNR albums with their mark on them if they could?  If that's your issue, the lack of that falls at the feet of one man, and the Brazilian support group he surrounds himself with that have put zero pressure on him to produce anything new beyond these shows.

We just dont know that, Axl is always getting it in the neck when we simply  have no information to justify it.

[MurielWeathers]

3 hours ago, lame ass security said:

Very true, come to think of it what band has ever been really dangerous?  I guess it depends on your definition. Axl was volatile and unpredictable but I don't think he was dangerous really.  The riots were dangerous but those were fan driven mostly. The Doors weren't dangerous, Morrison was just unhinged and drunk(in a mostly cool way). I'll tell what bands are really dangerous, those black metal bands.  Google a band called Mayhem and you'll see what I mean. 

Yeah, my husband and I were discussing the same thing last night. I think he mentioned Mayhem, but he said "Iron Maiden" was more dangerous.Then there's Ozzy, he bit the head off of a fucking bat. I thought that Motley Crue would have been called the most dangerous band in the world. If they mean that everyone in GNR tried to kill themselves, or almost succeeded. Are referring to Donington when they say "most dangerous"? 

[lame ass security]

55 minutes ago, Murielweathers@gmail.com said:

Yeah, my husband and I were discussing the same thing last night. I think he mentioned Mayhem, but he said "Iron Maiden" was more dangerous.Then there's Ozzy, he bit the head off of a fucking bat. I thought that Motley Crue would have been called the most dangerous band in the world. If they mean that everyone in GNR tried to kill themselves, or almost succeeded. Are referring to Donington when they say "most dangerous"? 

If I remember correctly a member of Mayhem killed another member, then another member found the body and made a necklace from a bit of his skull.  Then their singer, whose name was Dead, ended up committing suicide. You can't make that stuff up.

Edited February 23, 2020 by lame ass security

[MurielWeathers]

1 hour ago, lame ass security said:

If I remember correctly a member of Mayhem killed another member, then another member found the body and made a necklace from a bit of his skull.  Then their singer, whose name was Dead, ended up committing suicide. You can't make that stuff up.

Damn, I think they win the title.