Meeting Axl

[Joraz]

29 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Met.....none of them, ever! 

Unless I happen to bump into one of them randomly, I doubt it will ever happen, as I can never bring myself to loiter around hotels/buses etc. I always find the idea of doing that slightly scary and obsessive and don't like being put in the same category! 

Wish I had met a few of them though- would love some autographs. 

 

Im the same honestly

[ssiscool]

Slash x2

Duff x2

Steven x1

Most were cool but found slash to be a bit stuck up the second time

[allwaystired]

25 minutes ago, Joraz said:

Im the same honestly

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing though. If for instance you hung about, then one of them was rude or the experience was a bit shit....then would that spoil your enjoyment of the band? 

I'm of the 'if it happens, it happens' camp. I've met people I'm a big fan of, and will always say hello to them if I feel I'm not intruding, but it's almost more fun to just let it happen by chance rather than putting yourself through the hassle (and potential embarasment) of hanging around for ages. 

Essentially though I'm a grown man- I can't really be hanging around hotels and stage doors like an over-infautuated teenager and not feel a bit like a damn fool! 

[Sydney Fan]

15 hours ago, Joraz said:

Hey guys, just wondering have any of you met Axl and the other band members and if so what were they like and when did you meet them? Going to the Melbourne show next year and would love to catch a glimpse of him after the show or something but feel like hes shrouded by mystery and no chance of ever meeting him. If anyone has any tips on how and where to meet him thatd be awesome. Thanks

Probably depends what day they fly in to melbourne from the gig before and how much time they have until soundcheck. Slash is a big animal lover, everytime GNR have toured or SMKC tour, they do the touristy stuff like visiting the zoo. GNR did that in 93 , i think 07, not sure about other tours.

I doubt they would be hitting clubs or anything after. They certainly did when they toured here in 93.  I would think cherry bar will have an after party that evening after the melbourne show if you have been there before.

[Legendador]

I have a funny story!

In 1992 GNR came to Brazil and those were the worst shows the band perfomed during the UYI tour, I was 13 (diehard fan as I could be at that time), but the band wasn't having it at all in South America during that year, I think the only show that went without a hitch was in Argentina.

In São Paulo it was rainning the entire time (Axl walked off the stage at both shows, threw a chair on journalist, it was a mess).

Anyway...

My mom thought it was too soon to let me go to a concert by myself, I had no money of my own and so I couldn't go. I clearly remember crying of rage! Having the worst feeling of not being able to see the band that I loved / I was a GNR stalker-crazy when I was a teen!

Long story short:

To make up for it she took me to by something nice at the mall, hoping it would shut me up (I don't recall what it was LOL) and then we went (after that) to dinner in a really nice restaurant.

In the middle of our dinner we hear all this commotion, as I look behind I see Stephanie Seymor getting up surrounded by security and then I see the ginger walking behind her, with a bandana and everything else!

I was like: WTF!!!!! For like a week!!! Because they were like two or three tables away during the entire time and I didn't even noticed them.

I was like: BUT HOOOOOOOW? LOL!

Edited August 19, 2022 by Legendador

[Tom2112]

13 minutes ago, Legendador said:

I have a funny story!

In 1992 GNR came to Brazil and those were the worst shows the band perfomed during the UYI tour, I was 13 (diehard fan as I could be at that time), but the band wasn't having it at all in South America during that year, I think the only show that went without a hitch was in Argentina.

In São Paulo it was rainning the entire time (Axl walked off the stage at both shows, threw a chair on journalist, it was a mess).

Anyway...

My mom thought it was too soon to let me go to a concert by myself, I had no money of my own and so I couldn't go. I remembered crying with rage! Having the worst feeling of not being able to see the band that loved!

Long story short:

To make up  for it she took me to by something (I don't recall what it was) and then we went to dinner in a really nice restaurant.

In the middle of our dinner we hear all this commotion, as I look behind I see Stephanie Seymor getting up surrounded by security and then I see the red head walking behind her, with a bandana and everything else!

I was like: WTF!!!!! For like a week, because they were like two or three tables away during the entire time and I didn't even noticed.

Kid or not, if you approached that table 1992 Axl would have thrown you through the restaurant window😄

[Legendador]

4 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Kid or not, if you approached that table 1992 Axl would have thrown you through the restaurant window😄

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, right?

 

[Dean]

1 hour ago, allwaystired said:

Met.....none of them, ever! 

Unless I happen to bump into one of them randomly, I doubt it will ever happen, as I can never bring myself to loiter around hotels/buses etc. I always find the idea of doing that slightly scary and obsessive and don't like being put in the same category! 

Wish I had met a few of them though- would love some autographs. 

 

They must get cold feet in situations like that. It'll be hard to decipher who is genuine and who is crazy as I'm sure the whole thing with Lennon/Chapman will be etched in the brains of all celebrities. 

I waited outside the Etihad when AC/DC toured Manchester - I had time to kill as I was getting the first train back up the road as I had deadlines to meet that day - so me and my friend hung around. There was a chap in his 40's wearing double denim with a bag of vinyl who enthusiastically showed me a DIY attempt at DJ Ashba jeans he had. That was my queue to leave  I'd love Axl's signature tattooed on my arm (friend got it by waiting outside his hotel til 5am when they played Glasgow in '06) but don't think I have the determination to hang about waiting on people that will think I'm a mentalist. I had a brief moment of interaction with Axl at the Paris show where he nodded to me in acknowledgement - have no fucking idea why, I was close up at the other shows I was at on that run, though I suspect it was because I was wearing an AC/DC top (I towered over quite a lot of the crowd at the front too) so at least I have that!

[Legendador]

2 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

Kid or not, if you approached that table 1992 Axl would have thrown you through the restaurant window😄

This was on the same day, so image that! https://gnrcentral.com/2020/01/16/photo-of-axl-rose-of-guns-n-roses-endangering-lives-surfaces-online-and-police-charge-him/

 

 

AND THE THE NEXT DAY ON RIO DE JANEIRO:

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Legendador

[Tom2112]

4 minutes ago, Legendador said:

This was on the same day, so image that! https://gnrcentral.com/2020/01/16/photo-of-axl-rose-of-guns-n-roses-endangering-lives-surfaces-online-and-police-charge-him/

 

 

AND THE THE NEXT DAY ON RIO DE JANEIRO:

 

And now we know that he gets his arse waxed😄 if he did that today people would faint🤣 or puke

His big security guard beside him probably should have said not to throw a heavy chair off a balcony in the direction of people. 

[situation]

I met Richard and Kat in 2012... I went to Cabo Wabo in Vegas in 2012 and was sat down at the table right beside them.. I didn't want to bother them but my wife started just started talking to them and they were both super nice but left shortly after we got there.  Kat took a pic of me and my wife with Richard.  

[Kranich]

Met Duff in 2019 in Warsaw. He went out to people before the concert. Super cool was givin out authographes taking photos and chatting. Looks much older when not onstage. Also very skinny.

He is very nice and was waiting for me to charge up my phone with powerbank in order to take a photo .

[Powderfinger]

Met Slash after a SMKC show in Vancouver. He was smaller than I thought he would be. Got an autograph shook his hand and said thanks. He was nice for the 15 seconds I interacted with him.

Incidentally the only piece of paper I had on me was an Irish drivers license, so that’s what he signed. 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Powderfinger
Spelling

[allwaystired]

1 hour ago, Legendador said:

This was on the same day, so image that! https://gnrcentral.com/2020/01/16/photo-of-axl-rose-of-guns-n-roses-endangering-lives-surfaces-online-and-police-charge-him/

 

 

AND THE THE NEXT DAY ON RIO DE JANEIRO:

 

I bought one of those 'poster magazines' they used to make around that time and it had that arse picture on one side! 

Needless to say, the other side went up on my teenage bedroom wall! 

[Tom2112]

33 minutes ago, Powderfinger said:

Met Slash after a SMKC show in Vancouver. He was smaller than I thought he would be. Got an autograph shook his hand and said thanks. He was nice for the 15 seconds I interacted with him.

Incidentally the only piece of paper I had on my was an Irish drivers license, so that’s what he signed. 

Wonder what the weirdest non body-part autograph they've had to give🤔 Irish license must be up there!

1 minute ago, allwaystired said:

I bought one of those 'poster magazines' they used to make around that time and it had that arse picture on one side! 

Needless to say, the other side went up on my teenage bedroom wall! 

Hard to explain Axl Roses bare arse on your wall to be fair. I'm sure that was well selling magazine that month!

[allwaystired]

4 hours ago, Legendador said:

I have a funny story!

In 1992 GNR came to Brazil and those were the worst shows the band perfomed during the UYI tour, I was 13 (diehard fan as I could be at that time), but the band wasn't having it at all in South America during that year, I think the only show that went without a hitch was in Argentina.

In São Paulo it was rainning the entire time (Axl walked off the stage at both shows, threw a chair on journalist, it was a mess).

Anyway...

My mom thought it was too soon to let me go to a concert by myself, I had no money of my own and so I couldn't go. I remembered crying with rage! Having the worst feeling of not being able to see the band that loved!

Long story short:

To make up  for it she took me to by something (I don't recall what it was) and then we went to dinner in a really nice restaurant.

In the middle of our dinner we hear all this commotion, as I look behind I see Stephanie Seymor getting up surrounded by security and then I see the red head walking behind her, with a bandana and everything else!

I was like: WTF!!!!! For like a week, because they were like two or three tables away during the entire time and I didn't even noticed.

Haha- love that! 

I had a funny one on the NITL tour. Met a really posh couple, got talking to them. They'd been following some youth football team matches around watching the games. I'd seen these players around a bit- eaten in the same place as them the night before, been in a hotel they were in etc etc. Thought nothing of it. Think they were Swedish maybe. 

Anyway, these people were telling me what they were doing and were utterly in awe that I'd seen this team around. Where were they? Had I spoken to them? Etc etc. 

They then asked what I was doing and I told them I was in town to see GNR. Then they said 'Oh, who were those people we met last night? Didn't they say they were in a band? They were American, said they had a show. Very pleasant, we had a good few drinks with them and watched some matches. One of them kept paying for our drinks". 

So basically.....they'd spent the evening with members of GNR, and had no idea  or care who they were, and I'd spent time with this football team and couldn't have cared less! Both of us were just left stupidly envious of the other! 

[Legendador]

12 minutes ago, allwaystired said:

Haha- love that! 

I had a funny one on the NITL tour. Met a really posh couple, got talking to them. They'd been following some youth football team matches around watching the games. I'd seen these players around a bit- eaten in the same place as them the night before, been in a hotel they were in etc etc. Thought nothing of it. Think they were Swedish maybe. 

Anyway, these people were telling me what they were doing and were utterly in awe that I'd seen this team around. Where were they? Had I spoken to them? Etc etc. 

They then asked what I was doing and I told them I was in town to see GNR. Then they said 'Oh, who were those people we met last night? Didn't they say they were in a band? They were American, said they had a show. Very pleasant, we had a good few drinks with them and watched some matches. One of them kept paying for our drinks". 

So basically.....they'd spent the evening with members of GNR, and had no idea  or care who they were, and I'd spent time with this football team and couldn't have cared less! Both of us were just left stupidly envious of the other! 

WOW!!!! That'd be so cool o witness!

Another funny story that I have is not related to GNR, but to the Ramones.

I used to live in a street that is considered the red light district for musicians and musical instruments here in São  Paulo, it is still today considered as a musical mecca for anything music related, they sell instruments, they have street concerts, record stores and so on, I lived right by the corner of  the street.

It was 1995, the Ramones were at the Adios Amigos tour, I was comming home from school and there's a van with a bunch of guys with very funny hair cuts parked right in front of my house, their were eating something, laughing, speaking a foreign language (to me), and there were a bunch of instruments by the side of the van.

There they were! The entire band and I was like: cool. Late at night I was watching MTV and then Substitute started to play and that was my second WTF moment in my life! hahaha

[Powderfinger]

31 minutes ago, Tom2112 said:

Wonder what the weirdest non body-part autograph they've had to give🤔 Irish license must be up there!

Hard to explain Axl Roses bare arse on your wall to be fair. I'm sure that was well selling magazine that month!

I shit you not, it was also the only bit of paper I had when I met Wayne Kramer of the MC5, so both of them have signed my drivers license 

[allwaystired]

25 minutes ago, Legendador said:

WOW!!!! That'd be so cool o witness!

Another funny story that I have is not related to GNR, but to the Ramones.

I used to live in a street that is considered the red light district for musicians and musical instruments here in São  Paulo, it is still today considered as a musical mecca for anything music related, they sell instruments, they have street concerts, record stores and so on, I lived right by the corner of  the street.

It was 1995, the Ramones were at the Adios Amigos tour, I was comming home from school and there's a van with a bunch of guys with very funny hair cuts parked right in front of my house, their were eating something, laughing, speaking a foreign language (to me), and there were a bunch of instruments by the side of the van.

There they were! The entire band and I was like: cool. Late at night I was watching MTV and then Substitute started to play and that was my second WTF moment in my life! hahaha

Haha- love it! 

I really do think chance meetings are so much more entertaining! 

[Powerage5]

7 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

That Fortus meeting is out there! You're not covered in GNR face tattoos or something are you? or do you wear the Axl sneakers, shorts and Charles manson shirt? I'm just trying to figure why he'd be so strange😅 

When I met him, I could tell he just wanted to go back to his hotel room but he stayed around, talked, photos and signed my Chinese booklet. My friend was even drunk beside me repeatedly trying to take a photo with him which was clearly wearing his patience out😄 

Not at all  I have no tattoos at all, and it’s not even like I was wearing a GN’R shirt every day on that trip. It was just surprising because he strikes me as shy, but he was full-on antisocial every time I bumped into him. 

7 hours ago, allwaystired said:

Met.....none of them, ever! 

Unless I happen to bump into one of them randomly, I doubt it will ever happen, as I can never bring myself to loiter around hotels/buses etc. I always find the idea of doing that slightly scary and obsessive and don't like being put in the same category! 

Wish I had met a few of them though- would love some autographs. 

 

Normally I agree. I did however take a chance on the hotel for Axl/DC as the reports from the European tour indicated the band not only met fans outside the hotel, but did so in a semi-organized manner. When I went to the hotel for Axl/DC, it was very much like that - almost like a formal meet & greet for anyone who knew where to go. I went more to meet the rest of AC/DC to be honest as I had already met Axl but it was nice to finally get a picture with him. Everyone in the band was super cool at the hotel, really seemed to be enjoying meeting fans. But it’s also not something I feel the need to ever really do again. 

[allwaystired]

7 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

Met the whole band on a number of London visits 

 

2002 London Docklands 

2006 Wembly Stadium 

2010 The o2 

 

spend most the time with Fortus and Bumblefoot I don't think anyone ever saw Buckethead think he would leave straight after the show.

 

Bumblefoot was the most down to earth guy

I think you're the only person I've ever encountered that was also at that Docklands show! Felt very small and intimate......you got any strong memories of it? 

[BangoSkank]

I've told this story here before, but here it is again:
 

This took place outside of Brooklyn Bowl in 2013. I missed the ticket on sale, but live close by and was just going to go to try and get a ticket either outside or on a drop. Two of my friends were inside already. I left work early for it.

I also wanted to try and meet Axl, shake his hand and say, “You’re awesome,” or something. He’s one of my favorites and I’ll likely never get this opportunity again because the venue is so small. 

It’s not hard to figure out where the talent entrance is, but I see a guy who works for the venue, looking official. I ask him is there any way you can tell me where Axl is coming in from? I let him know I'll be cool and I’m trying to look as chill as possible. I ask it quietly, I have no merch to sign, just want to see Axl come in and hopefully shake his hand.  

The guy leans in like he has info. and says "they’re actually letting him out over there," and points to a spot across the street by another building. I’m with a very harmless-looking South American fan too.

So we wait across the street, thinking this is odd, but sticking with it because we had word from an official source this is where it was happening. 

Well, of course Axl’s car pulls up in the original spot where we were, next to the venue's talent entrance. We race across the street to try and see him, but the door shuts and we miss him.

I look at the dude and I say, “I thought you said he was being dropped off there?” He shrugs and starts walking away. 

I then ask him, “Do you know if there are any extra tickets at the box office?”

He says, “Uh, yeah, there’s some! I’ll be right back!” 

Of course, he never comes back. 

I find out from someone outside that this motherfucker was Fernando, a name I'd always heard as a GNR fan, but never knew what he looked like. And after looking at pictures I can definitely confirm.

Now of course he doesn’t want fans bombarding Axl as he goes in or ticket scalpers trying to up sell on the street. But I was very obviously not that. And he could have just said, “Sorry, can’t help you,” instead of giving phoney information and treating us like an annoyance. I’m there to support the new GN’R project, something that has been critically lauded and made fun of by the general public. I stuck with Axl after he no-showed in Philly (I was in the riot), went to plenty of shows where he came out hours late, and still stayed a fan. I defended Chinese Democracy to all the detractors I ran into and this guy outright lies to me twice. It's just so fucking dismissive. Don’t be hostile towards people like me, try and make more of us.

So it’s not what, but how. I in no way felt I deserved meeting him or a ticket, but also, don’t be a dick about it.

Luckily I eventually got in because I bought a ticket off of a guy who was being thrown out - only missed four songs.

Also, saw DJ standing outside Brooklyn Bowl, but he did not look approachable at all. Met Frank outside The Apollo and he was as cool as ever. I also met a very hammered Tommy after a solo show in Jersey City.

Edited December 16, 2020 by BangoSkank
Clarity

[allwaystired]

2 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

Not many to be honest I was really young my Uncle took me I remember having tickets for 2 nights didn't one get cancelled? 
 

i remember Rhiad being played and Buckethead throwing a tub of celebrations out to the crowd.

There was originally a tour that got cancelled at least twice (rumours were that Axl had a hair problem (!!) and then didn't know the dates had even been announced) which had two dates at the Docklands as part of it. 

Then after a while and after the second refund they just announced one Docklands show....which suggests to me they were struggling to sell tickets. I remember messing about for ages with various tickets, sending them back in the post etc! 

Out of interest (weird question I know....) your uncle isn't Scottish is he? Reason I asknis that I got talking with someone there! Would be a strange coincidence if so! 

[allwaystired]

3 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

No wouldn't have been us we are London lads i would have been 14.

 

we got backstage as we know people close to guns Inner circle so to speak got to say Hi to Axl and shook his hand that night.

 

the 2006 show where Axl walked off during night train and Bach ran on with a load of midgits was strange they had done a show in Scotland the night before and Axl arrived in a helicopter borrowed from Michael Owen.

 

one of the sound engineers told us Axl left during nighttrain as he had a major hangover and had to go puke lol!

Sounds good! Can I ask who you know? (Just being nosy there!) 

I have very fond memories of those shows. The mystique seemed so massive, which was added to by the internet not really being so used. Seemed so exciting. 

[allwaystired]

10 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

A friend of my family is a musician who is very close friends with Fortus once auditioned for the band was offerd the job but actually turned it down for family reasons but stayed closed to the band and crew.

 

But following on they have snagged me free tickets and backstage passes he is the dude who got me into GNR.

Great! 

Sounds like a good friend to have!