Did Covid-19 kill GNR?

[AxlRoseCDII 3,909]

Did the pandemic destroy the band? Big things were apparently in the works for this year, potentially new music, maybe a few deep cuts played at the very least. All the dates were cancelled and I imagine the rescheduled ones will. A return to normalcy for the music industry is 2022 earliest experts say. Axl will be 60 by the time all this ends. Is this the final straw for an already nearing creatively bankrupt band? Will we see them again after all this? Will this be used as an excuse for the lack of music for the rest of the bands lifetime if they come back?

[Towelie 3,530]

New music was never coming in 2020. A live debut of Hard School was all we were ever going to get and that's only because it leaked.

[Axls_Moustache_Rules 29]

Died a long time ago. 

[DanteStraviosky 7]

To me the NuGuns era (1999-2014) was fun and interesting because I saw Axl as somekind of rebel standing in his own against all the fans and industry pressure to have the classic line up back.

At this point, it's fair to say that live shows were pretty boring since 2017, same setlist, just a few "new" songs here and there and nothing else. So Guns N' Roses died to me in 2016 when first leg of the NITLT tour ended and there was not any hint of new music on the horizon.

After all Pitman was not wrong when said that the reunion was just a gross cash grab.

Covid19, shootings and riots in USA, neither any other external situation has nothing to do with the lack of interest of Axl (and TB) in releasing (REAL) new music.

Edited October 28, 2020 by DanteStraviosky

[RussTCB 21,479]

Nah. Axl's complete inability to release new music is what killed GN'R. 

The pandemic only put the brand on hold for a bit. They'll get back to going through the motions and overcharging for shows as soon as Covid is over. 

[Ratam 3,734]

It depending of how many time the Covid last.

[adamsapple 703]

1 hour ago, AxlRoseCDII said:

Did the pandemic destroy the band? Big things were apparently in the works for this year, potentially new music, maybe a few deep cuts played at the very least. All the dates were cancelled and I imagine the rescheduled ones will. A return to normalcy for the music industry is 2022 earliest experts say. Axl will be 60 by the time all this ends. Is this the final straw for an already nearing creatively bankrupt band? Will we see them again after all this? Will this be used as an excuse for the lack of music for the rest of the bands lifetime if they come back?

The pandemic sure affects the entire cultural life very very badly, but I don't think it has any effect on GNR's work ethic. Lots of artists kept going, doing living room shows, using YouTube to stay in touch with their fanbase and the world. The Rolling Stones even put out one hell of a great new song that deals with the current social situation (Living In A Ghost Town). If Axl N' The Yesmen were interested in doing something, they would have done something. But who knows? Maybe they're working on new songs behind the scenes? I doubt it. Slash will be touring with Myles, Richard will do gear endorsement videos, Duff probably gonna write another book or something. At this point I doubt Axl would even consider leaving the house if AC/DC invited him on stage for a song if they get to do another tour and I hope they will.

Look at it this way: Axl is a rock legend with his own band, he wrote music history, he proved his artistic point and integrity - for better or worse - with his Chinese Democracy odyssey against all odds, he overcame a lot of shit in his personal life, he even made peace with Nirvana and performed with Dave Grohl AND the Foo Fighters and that was decades after he had already performed together with Queen, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. Most recently, he successfully stepped in for Brian Johnson to help AC/DC finish a tour. If I was him I would call it a fucking day, make amends with all and everyone and enjoy life to the fullest. There won't be a new GNR album but a pandemic has nothing to do with that.

[bucketfoot 3,165]

GN'R died in the mid 90's

NuGuns died when Buckethead left.

Since then it's simply been the Axl Rose touring band in one form or another.

If the current line-up ever release a record, we can reassess things.

[allwaystired 2,683]

All it did was put a temporary halt to a tour that was 4/5 years in and which will start again as soon as it can. 

What Covid did do though perhaps is open up most fans eyes to some things as other bands looked at new ways to operate and GNR didn't. It also highlighted to an increasingly large number of people that there most likely is no new material on the horizon. 

Soon as possible though the touring will be back on. I have no doubt about that at all. 

[guitarpatch 551]

It may kill the band in that will the guaranteed money they draw in the future still be worth it to those 3? Especially in a crowded live music space when things return. 

Everyone will be touring. The market will be flooded. $ will be more scarce from promoters and fans 

[dontdamnmeuyi2015 1,618]

I think a lot of bands have a lot of setbacks this year. Many of the bands have taken the time to record new albums, but GNR doesn't seem interested in doing that, so who knows?

I doubt next year will be good for huge stadium concerts either. How can we distance? I have tickets for Motley Crue and KISS but if things are the same I won't be going to either of them. I have already paid those credit card bills, so I won't stress over the money. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't want to have to worry for two weeks if I caught the virus by seeing a band. Especially if people are drinking and eating. How can you wear a mask?

Honestly, if GNR doesn't make anymore music who cares? GNR doesn't have a new Dallas date for next year, so I may not get to see them in concert ever again at this point.

[axlvai 287]

Maybe covid just saved GnR for this tour to get some time to create new things. 

And for do some damn old stuff to sale to the fans 

[The Black 383]

At least it's another excuse as to why new music cannot be released by this band.

[Italian girl 2,755]

It "killed" axl.

Slash and duff Will go on

[downzy 8,871]

So long as there's enough people willing to pay $150 - $200 a pop to hear Axl, Slash (and I guess Duff) rehash Sweet Child O'Mine, the band will never truly be dead.

I will say that my waning interest in GNR last year has taken a massive hit this year.  I just couldn't care less at this point about a band that seems solely focused on making money, whether they're active or not. 

I never had any illusions that the reunion was anything other the $$$ back in 2016, but I figured at the time that five years later we'd hear something. 

With everything going on (people getting sick, dying, losing their livelihoods), what GNR is as a band and what they're doing (or not doing) is the least of my concerns. 

When the smoke clears from the pandemic and if GNR hits the road running with a new album and an attitude that's not ensconced in generating revenue, then I'll like get re-engaged.  But until then - until GNR shows fans that they take who and what they are seriously (kids books don't cut it) - I really won't spend much of my time worrying about the state of a once great rock band.  If I wanted to waste my time on band masquerading as material driven circus, I would have become a Kiss fan.   

[mamundson 15]

No, Axl did with no new music. 

Edited October 28, 2020 by mamundson

[ZoSoRose 9,052]

As an under-30 GNR fan, I got a good ride out of really following the band over the past decade plus. I got Chinese on release, saw a lot of shows, saw them in a small venue once, saw lots of related GNR shows, went to the HOF, got to meet various band members, met fans who remain good friends beyond the band, traveled a few times to see them, and the in 2016 I got to see Slash, Duff, and Axl reunite and experience the great Vegas trip and some killer gigs after. That is probably as good as it's going to get for me, especially without new music 

Axl is lame, but it is what it is. They're a nostalgia act now and I got good mileage put of following them in real time. I don't really care what happens next aside from new material

Edited October 28, 2020 by ZoSoRose

[rocknroll41 2,442]

To answer the OP... Yeah, probably.

[ZoSoRose 9,052]

There is zero chance they don't tour after this. The amount of money to be made with millions of people clamoring for live music and normalcy ensures they will tour. If anything, the pandemic kills an album but not the band. They have even less incentive to put music out when they can launch another massive post pandemic tour 

[WhazUp 4,067]

The band has already self-isolated from releasing new material since 2008 so I would put it under the "you can't kill what was already a zombie" category

[soon 8,141]

I’m not sure what will end first, the USA or the pandemic.

But yeah, those of us outside of Murica will see them again. Axl clearly doesn’t give a fuck how he sounds. He will take our money to speak the lyrics as frank fucks up the beat, without hesitation.

[Free Bird 2,052]

They're killing them selves now for a long time. It's a slow process and has nothing to do with Covid

[El Guapo 1,137]

The most depressing band in the world

[fabrph5 173]

Nope.  Just another excuse for lack of motivation.  It has delayed concerts, but every other band who WANTS to release new music is doing it with ease.  New Chili Peppers on the way to now. They could have EASILY released one new song.   At this point its simple, you either want to, or dont.  

[gavgnr 361]

COVID was just an excuse. I bet you a pound to a pinch of shit that had this fuckin virus not happened the only thing we would’ve seen was hard school jammed between songs rather then actually performed as a further prick tease. Wankers