Your views on GNR's 2020

[allwaystired]

I was thinking how 2020 has impacted on the way I view GNR, and was wondering how others felt. 

It's obviously been an awful year for most of us. Like many out there I've lost my work and relatives, and there hasn't been too many highlights. I'm sure we all have had  similarly shitty years, one way or the other. 

I know it's sort of ridiculous to place so much on a band....but just one or two pleasant things from the band I feel most passionate about would have gone so far this year. They'd have brought a disproportionate amount of cheer and enjoyment. 

That the band did nothing (aside from a couple of Selects of course) has definitely hardened my feelings towards them, as I watched so many bands release things, do different things, and generally offer their fans enjoyment. Simple things like Metallica's run of YouTube concerts, that must have just been so much fun for their fans, and brought a bit of light to a gloomy year. 

The obvious answer is of course 'GNR don't give a fuck about their fans', which many people say here. I've never really felt that, and try not to feel it now, but I suppose 2020 has certainly harmed my feelings towards GNR. Doing SOMETHING would have meant so much. I feel warmer towards those that did make an effort this year to give their fans something to enjoy. 

I'd argue 2020 has been an incredibly destructive (!!!) year for GNR, in ways that aren't perhaps immediately apparent. 

What do others feel? 

Edited December 20, 2020 by allwaystired

[Gackt]

The fact they used Covid as an excuse to not release music, while hundreds of other high-profile artists had no issue with new album releases, virtual concerts and other fan interaction events, tells you just how motivated GNR is to do anything beyond touring the same music for years.  It's a depressing time to be a Guns N' Roses fan.

[Gordon Comstock]

They've spent the year reinforcing the idea that they're lazy, tone deaf and unprofessional. Comparing GNR to real artists is just depressing.

[Tourettes2400]

You guys didn't enjoy the GN'R selects ?

[RussTCB]

33 minutes ago, Gackt said:

The fact they used Covid as an excuse to not release music, while hundreds of other high-profile artists had no issue with new album releases, virtual concerts and other fan interaction events, tells you just how motivated GNR is to do anything beyond touring the same music for years.  It's a depressing time to be a Guns N' Roses fan.

1000%  let's look at the breakdown:

 

Other artists-

Started putting on socially distanced shows for their fans and/or charities like Save Our Stages (too many examples to name) 

Released new albums that were already planned (McCartney, Lady Gaga, Sturgill Simpson, many others) 

Released one, if not two brand new surprise albums that were recorded with all the downtime (Eminem, Taylor Swift and others) 

Released YouTube, Facebook or reddit Q&As  as well as releasing classic concert footage or films for fans to enjoy while quarantined (Paul Stanley, members of Pink Floyd, The Lone Bellow, Queen, Michael Jackson and others) 

 

Guns N' Roses-

Barely released (overall) extremely poor / half assed footage from the prior tour while trying to blame the pandemic for the fact that it wasn't done right at all. 

 

All the stuff listed under "Other Artists" is just what I could think of odd the top of my head. The stuff listed under "Guns N' Roses" is a complete list of everything they accomplished. 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by RussTCB

[Towelie]

21 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

1000%  let's look at the breakdown:

 

Other artists-

Started putting on socially distanced shows for their fans and/or charities like Save Our Stages (too many examples to name) 

Released new albums that were already planned (McCartney, Lady Gaga, Sturgill Simpson, many others) 

Released one, if not two brand new surprise albums that were recorded with all the downtime (Eminem, Taylor Swift and others) 

Released YouTube, Facebook or reddit Q&As  as well as releasing classic concert footage or films for fans to enjoy while quarantined (Paul Stanley, members of Pink Floyd, The Lone Bellow, Queen, Michael Jackson and others) 

 

Guns N' Roses-

Barely released (overall) extremely poor / half added footage from the prior tour while trying to blame the pandemic for the fact that it wasn't dine right at all. 

 

All the stuff listed under "Other Artists" is just what I could think of odd the top of my head. The stuff listed under "Guns N' Roses" is a complete list of everything they accomplished. 

 

You and I Russ have been back and fourth for years about GNR new material, and at this point, I don't even think I'd be that bothered.

Of course I would listen and be eager to hear it, but the way Axl's voice has been 2017-20, it's hardly that exciting to hear new material played live by a singer who cannot manage more than 2-3 listenable performances out of a 3 hour concert. 

I truly think they've left it too long and Axl's time has unfortunately passed. Could he still deliver an interesting studio album with the right amount of takes and vocal rest? Perhaps. But the chances of the material sounding half decent in a live setting seems more unrealistic with every passing year. 

I don't even think the lack of new music would bother me so much if they were knocking it out of the park with the live shows, but they are a horrid live band now, largely thanks to Axl's unlistenable vocals.

I will always be a fan of the band 87-14. The reunion has just a complete shitshow as far as I'm concerned. It was mildly entertaining in 2016, but it's just shit now. Shit vocals, shit setlist, shit merch, shit attitude from the band, shit attitude from the management, shit motivation to appear as anything other than a travelling nostalgia act. Shit shit and more shit. 

Guns N Roses are not The Rolling Stones and they will not be filling out stadiums anywhere in 5 years time if the current trajectory of shit continues. 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Towelie

[jamillos]

Yo, don’t you have any respect? I mean, at least in terms of what’s been happening in the world, you know. We shouldn’t ask for stuff etc. Don’t be unprofessional.

Ok, my view:
Not a single thing in my life has ever made me as ambivalent... as the GN’fn’Rs. 
I love them, obviously. But boy do they piss us all off. 
As for 2020, I’m not surprised... that’s all I can say. Kinda disappointed? Sure. Sort of annoyed and frustrated? A bit, yeah, sure, I mean, duh. But surprised? No. In fact, no friggin’ way. Not a bit, after the last 2 years. 

Off the chat now, I’m immersing deeper into the drink... cheers. 
 

Edit: 2021 ftw.

Edited December 20, 2020 by jamillos

[soon]

Maybe the Guns family lost loved ones too. All that. But, that would be the same possibility for all the other artists who've stepped up.

Grateful Dead did free weekly concert streams (technically two as they did GD shows every Friday and Dead & Co every Saturday) for months. And they raised oodles of $ for charities too. Including supporting roadies, etc. On Fridays, they even had 45-60 minute preshows, where their archivist and the Sirius Dead channel radio host chatted about the show they'd stream and then interview people from the Dead world. Big names! And the members of the band didnt even have to show up! Axl would love that! haha. One interview was with Bob Weir and the rest were non band members.

If only Guns had a fucking archivist to host a concert stream for them while they sit at home!! 

Or... what if they embraced the work of fandom to promote them and had @Gambit83 host concert streams. Maybe along with... spit balling... Rikki Rachtman or whoever? Get Baz to hop on and say "Duuuuuuude that was like the most killer show!" every now and then.

Its not to late... pandemic aint over.

To answer OP, Guns cant surprise me anymore. Nor let me down. What a strange disaster they are.

Mels insta on the other hand... I dont hate it.

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by soon

[DefinitelyInThisLifetime]

Fuck

 

this

 

 

band

 

 

How’s that? 

[Ratam]

GNR 2020= blank page.....

[Rovim]

as far as I'm concerned, the band members are not to blame for the lack of forward movement. Axl is the leader of this entity. Axl decides when to pull the trigger. Axl rarely prepares before a Gn'R show and before a tour. We've seen and heard what he can do when motivated with AC/DC.

Slash and Duff are always active artistically and I believe they'll do whatever Axl requires of them in Gn'R. He couldn't ask for more support from his band members.

so to answer the op question, I still love this band and I still want to hear an officially released album but this is not the first and probably isn't the last time they let us fans down by not doing enough so I remain optimistic Axl will move his ass when he chooses to move his ass and just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean we won't get to see this band actually doing something interesting and gracing us with a new Guns album.

this year sucked, from a Gn'R standpoint but it wasn't as bad as other times when we literally had nothing at all. Completely understandable feelings in this thread, but that's how Axl operates and maybe it's sad to say this but I'm used to it by now. I don't feel like it means the band is doomed and not worth my attention anymore. Just means Axl is still Axl. Slow, but still capable of delivering in his own time and I'm not going to pretend I'm gonna rage quit as a fan just cause his voice is weaker or because nothing is released yet.

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Rovim

[adamsapple]

Ghosting their fans and then pissing on them with useless merch and those half assed and horribly mixed NITL selects on YT - while artists who could be their grandparents and grandchildren rendered this band absolutely irrelevant and meaningless on all possible levels.

I've followed this band since 1989 through all ups and downs and in betweens but 2020 was the year I truly lost a lot of passion and respect for them.

A stupid little YouTube clip saying hang in there we know it's all shit right now but we're here with you and here's a new song to make your day a little better would not have been asking too much in 2020 - it would have been absolutely mandatory for a band this established and loved by millions of people all over the world.

Victory or death? More like a dishonorable dismissal, due to not showing up at all and leaving your comrades behind on the battleground. Bunch of pussies they are.

[RussTCB]

1 hour ago, adamsapple said:

Ghosting their fans and then pissing on them with useless merch and those half assed and horribly mixed NITL selects on YT - while artists who could be their grandparents and grandchildren rendered this band absolutely irrelevant and meaningless on all possible levels.

I've followed this band since 1989 through all ups and downs and in betweens but 2020 was the year I truly lost a lot of passion and respect for them.

A stupid little YouTube clip saying hang in there we know it's all shit right now but we're here with you and here's a new song to make your day a little better would not have been asking too much in 2020 - it would have been absolutely mandatory for a band this established and loved by millions of people all over the world.

Victory or death? More like a dishonorable dismissal, due to not showing up at all and leaving your comrades behind on the battleground. Bunch of pussies they are.

I went through a very similar thought process around this time last year, just before the pandemic hit. I just reached my breaking point with watching this re-run of a band, saying and doing the exact same thing with the exact same result. 

It's still sad. Even though I've been done with them a bit longer than you, it's still a bummer for me to hear someone else has reached that point. That point you made about them not even shooting a "hang in there" type of video really drives it home. It's insane to me that they don't even want to do that. Take 5 minutes tops and tell your fans you care about more than just their wallets. 

[JimiRose]

Do I still want to hear all the chinese democracy unreleased songs and any new material sine 2016? Yes, desperately. Do i hold the band in high regard or any members on a pedestal anymore? No. They're out of touch, they sound like shit live and they don't give a fuck about the fans that made them. We're not asking for friendships, but no new music, no live shows released, no interviews. Just a low IQ brazillian guy trying to cover for Axl being a lazy, past his prime knob. Seeing guns was the most exciting thing in my life for years. Now? fuck em. I think we all knew deep down they weren't great people, but 2020 has just blown off my rose tinted glasses (no pun intended) and now I see them how every single person who isn't a massive gnr fan sees them. 

[WhazUp]

I think COVID really sped up my apathy to GNR that eventually would have occurred anyway if they kept going down the same boring path

Before COVID, I was actually kind of stoked to see GNR later this year.  Now, I got the refund for the postponed show and barely even care if the show gets scheduled and may pass it up for different musical experiences

This would have been a perfect time for even just a new single, both to help music fans have something new to enjoy during a live concert-less pandemic, and to strike while the iron is semi-warm.  Their reluctance to do anything remotely productive at a time where we all have nothing but time, is frustrating as all hell

[Live Like a Suicide]

All GNR did in 2020 was flog off a bunch of merchandise during the worst economic crisis in nearly a century.

[Screamin' Demon]

A band way past their game. The NITL tour was for the most part a lengthy compilation of as much money as they could possibly get. Not the least bit effort to release something new to fans, neither an album nor a DVD. It was all about playing excessively long shows in order to virtually rip the money from the fans' pockets, while not even being able to last that long with the best performance and charisma. If Guns N' Roses want to keep their success, they're going to have offer their fans something fresh, instead of endlessly touring old material.

[axlvai]

We need to close all gnr forums until the motherfucker put his pants up.

[James Bond]

To be fair, 2020 didn't really lower my already poor view of the state of the band. It cemented it, sure, but it was already pretty low going in. At this point it will take a new album or at least a worthwhile concert release (UYI boxset, Houston 2016 Blu-ray, etc...) to peak my diminished interest in the band.

[MaskingApathy]

A year of missed (or thrown away) opportunities, that's all I can say. They couldn't even get the Selects right.

[Stay.Of.Execution]

Just made you realize what other bands do for their fans and how everything gnr does is just poor and amateurish. 

[Italian girl]

On 12/21/2020 at 9:55 AM, StayofExecution2020 said:

Just made you realize what other bands do for their fans. 

I don't know if other artists do it for the fans or for money.

btw, gnr don't do anything, neither for the fans nor for money

Edited December 23, 2020 by Italian girl

[Stay.Of.Execution]

Doesn't matter what the motivation is, money or not. In the end the fans are the beneficiary. Though I don't think there's lots of money at stake if you play streaming concerts etc

[Chuzeville]

15 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Released new albums that were already planned (McCartney, Lady Gaga, Sturgill Simpson, many others) 

 

 

It's a detail, but I don't think McCartney III was planned; it's seems to be a product of quarantine.

[AxlRoseCDII]

I’ve been kind of whatever about Guns since the leaks last year anyways. I kinda took them as CD II and closure on some of the tracks we thought we’d never hear, and accepted the band was dead creatively. Once the pandemic hit I already had no expectations, so 2020 wasn’t anything better or worse than I had already expected from a creatively bankrupt and stale band.