This does not seem like a band...

[Sweersa]

40 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

For 6 months

Better than the current state.

[Gordon Comstock]

Well, they're not really a band anymore. They're a brand, first and foremost, and a touring cash-machine. Slash, Duff and the rest of the band are still active musicians, but Axl is simply a performer at this point.

[Tom2112]

4 hours ago, Frankfurt93 said:

The last timeGNR was a band was - '94.

Anyone thinking differently is delusional.    Axl was on his own, as was Dizzy, Slash/Gilby/Matt/Duff were tight knit bunch and there is plenty of backstage videos that support that.

You're delusional if you think GNR were still a band by even uyi then. Axl called the shots, the difference between the making of UYI and CD is a few more people coming and going. Besides that same process. Band makes songs, Axl decides if he wants to sing them. 

End of the day. A band is a group of musicians that play together. I think you're talking about gnr not being being a gang. Two different things and if you go through the majority of major acts they aren't best buds, don't hang out and normally one or two members own the name and control the running of the band. That is how it is! But they are still bands, democracies? Not so much but again  this is the reality of bands and the music industry.

[Tom2112]

4 hours ago, ZoSoRose said:

For 6 months

20yrs ago, if they released am album that had 3 popular songs, then those songs would still be popular now. 

Them releasing an album now, they don't really have the time to make it a fan favourite. I don't doubt the song(s) will stay in the set though. I also think the songs they release will probably be good so I honestly don't care if they have staying power or not. Like, KISS sonic boom forgettable album in the scheme of things but I love a bunch of the songs on there! ...actually they still play 'Say yeah' live and the crowd dig it. I think you were mainly talking about radio/ chart success?

[ZoSoRose]

4 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

20yrs ago, if they released am album that had 3 popular songs, then those songs would still be popular now. 

Them releasing an album now, they don't really have the time to make it a fan favourite. I don't doubt the song(s) will stay in the set though. I also think the songs they release will probably be good so I honestly don't care if they have staying power or not. Like, KISS sonic boom forgettable album in the scheme of things but I love a bunch of the songs on there! ...actually they still play 'Say yeah' live and the crowd dig it. I think you were mainly talking about radio/ chart success?

For sure! I'm just talking about as big timeless things in the general public. Fans like us will always listen to the songs, and they'll be played live.

[19AT5]

I thought it was a universally accepted truth around these parts that if GNR released a double, triple, quadruple, or quintuple album now it would be a proper box office smash, bucking the trend, selling millions, providing a plethora of hits, and rejuvenating concert set lists for many a year to come?!

[allwaystired]

I really hate the "oh it will never have the impact of AFD, so why bother with new material" excuse/argument. There aren't any other bands that do this, and it's utterly ludicrous. 

Imagine if you applied that attitude to life? "Ah, you know, I had a great birthday party, so I'm not going to have another one" etc. 

Anyone in their right mind knows that anything they do won't have the same impact as the past - they're older, the world (and music) has moved on. It goes without saying. AC/DC fans loved their last album, even though they all know it's not Back In Black. 

JUST DO SOMETHING GNR.  

[fabrph5]

1 hour ago, allwaystired said:

I really hate the "oh it will never have the impact of AFD, so why bother with new material" excuse/argument. There aren't any other bands that do this, and it's utterly ludicrous. 

Imagine if you applied that attitude to life? "Ah, you know, I had a great birthday party, so I'm not going to have another one" etc. 

Anyone in their right mind knows that anything they do won't have the same impact as the past - they're older, the world (and music) has moved on. It goes without saying. AC/DC fans loved their last album, even though they all know it's not Back In Black. 

JUST DO SOMETHING GNR.  

100%!!!   I never understood this one either.  I dont see AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, Poison, you name the band, worrying about stupid stuff like that.  They should be at the point where they are releasing it for the fans and for the love of making music.  Nothing will touch AFD, and I think we all know that and dont expect it

[Beto 22]

21 hours ago, Frankfurt93 said:

The last timeGNR was a band was - '94.

Anyone thinking differently is delusional.    Axl was on his own, as was Dizzy, Slash/Gilby/Matt/Duff were tight knit bunch and there is plenty of backstage videos that support that.

Strongly disagree... To me the last time they close to be "A Band" was at the Rock In Rio in 1991

[JimiRose]

Yep, GnR are just 7 people who turn up to earn a few quid. I think there have been times since 91' when there was at least intent and an energy to be a band. 2002, though a disaster, was a bunch of driven people. You could argue in 2006 Axl still had a bit of drive, even though bucket was gone. 2010 was a good year to witness, There was still that energy, new music was being played, axl could still sing. Even though everyone on this forum hates DJ ashba, he was by far the most popular guitarist among casuals since slash, and seemed to bring his own fan base. The true rot was 2011. Rock in rio. Axl may have had his own mini revival with ACDC and the first leg of GnR tour, but it didn't last. 2017-2020 is by far the most boring iteration of the band. I may have missed the 80s, but glad i caught them in 06 and 2010.

[Tom2112]

46 minutes ago, JimiRose said:

Yep, GnR are just 7 people who turn up to earn a few quid. I think there have been times since 91' when there was at least intent and an energy to be a band. 2002, though a disaster, was a bunch of driven people. You could argue in 2006 Axl still had a bit of drive, even though bucket was gone. 2010 was a good year to witness, There was still that energy, new music was being played, axl could still sing. Even though everyone on this forum hates DJ ashba, he was by far the most popular guitarist among casuals since slash, and seemed to bring his own fan base. The true rot was 2011. Rock in rio. Axl may have had his own mini revival with ACDC and the first leg of GnR tour, but it didn't last. 2017-2020 is by far the most boring iteration of the band. I may have missed the 80s, but glad i caught them in 06 and 2010.

Yeah I agree with this. NITL is boring. It was boring the day it was announced though. I think the years of fan disillusionment peaked in 2014 and by the 2016 announcement in Jan it was more of a whimper than a cheer. Just boring and that's largely down to Axl and his voice not really meeting expectations.

So glad I saw them in 06, 10 and even 2012! 2012 was head and shoulders above the 2017 Slane show, I say that without any doubt.

 

[Free Bird]

The first two years of NILT were great.

It could have been better with a full reunion or even with Matt instead of Adler and Axl should have been in better shape of course.

But all in all it was an extremely exciting time. The audience was mostly blown away based on the comments and if I'm not mistaken this forum was a very peaceful place with very satisfied users at this time. That says a lot.

I'm happy that I was able to see Axl, Slash and Duff on the same stage and to me that was better than anything that happened to this band since Axl took control in the mid 90s.

It was the lack of new music and the fucking management that turned this into a joke as time went by.

But still, I don't wanna miss any of the shows I attended in 2017.

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Free Bird

[JimiRose]

1 hour ago, Tom2112 said:

Yeah I agree with this. NITL is boring. It was boring the day it was announced though. I think the years of fan disillusionment peaked in 2014 and by the 2016 announcement in Jan it was more of a whimper than a cheer. Just boring and that's largely down to Axl and his voice not really meeting expectations.

So glad I saw them in 06, 10 and even 2012! 2012 was head and shoulders above the 2017 Slane show, I say that without any doubt.

 

Agree, saw them in 2012 in london, and it was definitely not as good as 2010, but it was still better than 2017 olympic stadium and 2018 download festival. It's not that these were bad shows, but they were just lacklustre. There was zero energy. I don't think that'll ever come back tbh, that's why I'm personally desperate for new music. Because that's the only thing that can get my attention at these shows, the only thing where the band might actually try. 

Realistically, we probably will get new music in 2022. But knowing GnR it'll be mentioned with a whimper, played poorly live, and underwhelm the public. GnR are just a bit shit these days. 

[Tom2112]

52 minutes ago, Oldest Goat said:

The show I went to in 2017 was great. That year wasn't as bad as some say. Now none of us were even excited in 2016 and for the threeunion announcement? Oh okay.

Of course some people were over the moon, but some people like 2020 live GNR... if you're being honest you have to say the announcement of the threeunion was at least a bit of an anticlimax. I heard it and people were like "you must be so happy" I was more like "yeah it's cool, good to finally see them back together" but I wasn't doing cartwheels and I remember a lot of people on here felt the same way too. Who here was saying "this is what I dreamt of! This can't get any better! they sound amazing!! wouldn't change a thing". The forum was mostly positive though, and I enjoyed the 2nd show in Madrid in 2017 and even though Axl was shite I enjoyed myself at the Slane show too🍻🍻🍻 Definitely not saying it was shit and I hated it, but it's a far cry from what I would have hoped for when I thought of Axl and Slash back together.

Also not comparing 2016 GNR with 2020, the quality was obviously better in 2016. I'm just saying it was an anti-climax

Edited May 7, 2021 by Tom2112

[RussTCB]

If anyone from GN'R or their "management" were to read through this thread, they'd have the nerve to be mad. 

It would totally go over all of their heads that THEY created this mess, not the fans. 

The only reason the greater majority of fans hang around on these boards anymore is because of habit and the community itself. 

GN'R is a brand and has been a brand for a very long time. The main difference between them and other brands, is every other brand on Earth at least gives their fan base new material, rarities or live albums to talk about. 

GN'R doesn't do that. All they seem capable of is cashing checks and half assing shows. Neither of those things are the fans fault. 

[axlvai]

We can talk this for decades.... wait a minute...

[WhazUp]

3 hours ago, Tom2112 said:

Yeah I agree with this. NITL is boring. It was boring the day it was announced though. I think the years of fan disillusionment peaked in 2014 and by the 2016 announcement in Jan it was more of a whimper than a cheer. Just boring and that's largely down to Axl and his voice not really meeting expectations.

So glad I saw them in 06, 10 and even 2012! 2012 was head and shoulders above the 2017 Slane show, I say that without any doubt.

 

When it was announced I would argue that excitement in 2016 was super amazing and the high point of it all!  2016 as a whole in my opinion was a great year for GNR - Axl sounded good (even though he was even better in AC/DC), you had the Slash and Duff factor back, these huge grand scale shows, etc. 

From my perspective the fan excitement levels were huge and I haven't seen as much sheer positivity since probably 2008 during the "CD coming out / Axl chats" era of the forum and fandom

To me, late 2017 going into 2018 was where I started becoming more and more disillusioned with the band.  Realizing the momentum they built in 2016 was not going to be utilized, the setlists were not going to change too drastically, and no material was in sight.  Along with Axl's voice starting to get less with each year after 2016

Edited May 7, 2021 by WhazUp

[Towelie]

If Axl had an ounce of artistic integrity, he would've done one trip around the world on NITL and then made a new album a priority before announcing any more dates.

People forget the setlists were tired before the reunion, as Axl had already been touring 6 years on from Chinese Democracy's release. 

The addition of Coma and Locomotive and a few cover versions wasn't enough to sustain fan or band interest for 5+yrs of live reunion shows.

I sincerely hope the wheels fall off this shitshow asap. Axl's pathetic vocals and general ambivalence towards GNR has led me to wish bad things for this band. Unfortunately, there's too many fucking casual fans that attend the live shows, which is why they can get away with the shit they get away with. I'd wager 85% of the people who saw NITL have never heard a single track from Chinese Demoracy, nor do they have any interest in hearing it. Sucks for the people like us, who are genuinely passionate about the musical output of this band, but we're obviously of no consequence to Axl. If anything, I think he sees us as the enemy. 

At this point, I say fuck him. I hope his soulless corporate brand struggles to pick up any momentum in the extremely competitive post-covid market. Half empty arenas and cancelled stadium shows is more than Axl Rose deserves. 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Towelie

[Tom2112]

6 minutes ago, WhazUp said:

When it was announced I would argue that excitement in 2016 was super amazing and the high point of it all!  2016 as a whole in my opinion was a great year for GNR - Axl sounded good (even though he was even better in AC/DC), you had the Slash and Duff factor back, these huge grand scale shows, etc. 

I think that it is easy to take the dying down of excitement from these last couple of years and apply them to the entire reunion, but in my opinion 2016 into 2017 was a great time for GNR overall in terms of fan excitement levels

To me, late 2017 going into 2018 was where I started becoming more and more disillusioned with the band.  Realizing the momentum they built in 2016 was not going to be utilized, the setlists were not going to change too drastically, and no material was in sight.  Along with Axl's voice starting to get less with each year after 2016

It's hard to explain. I was excited but it was no more than hearing 'x band is releasing a new album'. I mean I had thought about it for years, I should have been smiling ear to ear... but Axl had just done the revolver interview, said he had an album ready to go. I had (foolishly) pumped myself up again thinking "2015 looks like the year they finally release the next album!!!" then I hear the reunions confirmed which meant no new music coming, possibly ever. That was a major bummer. Had Axl not floated the prospect of CD II coming out and then I heard Slash and Duff were back I'd probably have been way more excited.

In 2015 I couldn't have cared less about Slash being in GNR, I liked what he was doing solo and I liked the Chinese band. I didn't really want a reunion😄 And I know all the downfalls of the CD line-up, Axls voice and DJ ashba and Pitman etc. but I was way more excited about the possibility of them releasing an album and maybe building some momentum... I also know the chances of GNR getting back to their popularity in 2006-2010 was unlikely, but it was a more exciting prospect all the same. 

It's great that saying you listen to GNR now isn't met with (as much) laughter though, that is one positive of NITL

21 minutes ago, Towelie said:

If Axl had an ounce of artistic integrity, he would've done one trip around the world on NITL and then made a new album a priority before announcing any more dates.

People forget the setlists were tired before the reunion, as Axl had already been touring 6 years on from Chinese Democracy's release. 

The addition of Coma and Locomotive and a few cover versions wasn't enough to sustain fan or band interest for 5+yrs of live reunion shows.

I sincerely hope the wheels fall off this shitshow asap. Axl's pathetic vocals and general ambivalence towards GNR has led me to wish bad things for this band. Unfortunately, there's too many fucking casual fans that attend the live shows, which is why they can get away with the shit they get away with. I'd wager 85% of the people who saw NITL have never heard a single track from Chinese Demoracy, nor do they have any interest in hearing it. Sucks for the people like us, who are genuinely passionate about the musical output of this band, but we're obviously of no consequence to Axl. If anything, I think he sees us as the enemy. 

At this point, I say fuck him. I hope his soulless corporate brand struggles to pick up any momentum in the extremely competitive post-covid market. Half empty arenas and cancelled stadium shows is more than Axl Rose deserves. 

Stern but fair🤣

[lame ass security]

34 minutes ago, Towelie said:

If Axl had an ounce of artistic integrity, he would've done one trip around the world on NITL and then made a new album a priority before announcing any more dates.

People forget the setlists were tired before the reunion, as Axl had already been touring 6 years on from Chinese Democracy's release. 

The addition of Coma and Locomotive and a few cover versions wasn't enough to sustain fan or band interest for 5+yrs of live reunion shows.

I sincerely hope the wheels fall off this shitshow asap. Axl's pathetic vocals and general ambivalence towards GNR has led me to wish bad things for this band. Unfortunately, there's too many fucking casual fans that attend the live shows, which is why they can get away with the shit they get away with. I'd wager 85% of the people who saw NITL have never heard a single track from Chinese Demoracy, nor do they have any interest in hearing it. Sucks for the people like us, who are genuinely passionate about the musical output of this band, but we're obviously of no consequence to Axl. If anything, I think he sees us as the enemy. 

At this point, I say fuck him. I hope his soulless corporate brand struggles to pick up any momentum in the extremely competitive post-covid market. Half empty arenas and cancelled stadium shows is more than Axl Rose deserves. 

You ok bro?

[Tom2112]

3 minutes ago, Oldest Goat said:

I understand the situation and what's lousy about it I'm just saying let's not get so burned out we get carried away saying good things are bad it's entirely negative.

Luckily the Aussie shows are before the NZ ones. If they don't have new material/sound great then it'll be a pass from me. 

If "Many people acting like cunts bombarding Axl with a cavalcade of pettiness and cringeworthy nonsense to the point that it's extremely unlikely he ever comes here again." is positive then sure the Axl chats were positive lol. I'm annoyed by Team Brasil as much as the next guy but the Axl chats were an absolute squandering. In all seriousness he's never coming back here but if he does it needs to be only regulars like me able to ask him stuff.

Oh yeah I agree, and to be clear there were some great moments on the 2016 run! I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll at least put some effort into the Aus/NZ tour because they've been home so long. I am officially handing in my badge and gun if they start with ISE and Axl Axl sounds like a grandma though😄

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

On 5/6/2021 at 5:28 AM, Tom2112 said:

Well GNR and GNR management will have very little to do with the UYI anniversary release, so there's a solid chance that it appears this year... not a whole lot of point in releasing a 30th anniversary release if it doesn't fall on the 30th year, I think the label will manage to pull it off. Once it comes out before the end of this year it's on time, doesn't need to come out on the same date as the original UYI.

Obviously, would be super cool if they (band/label/etc.) could manage to hit the exact UYI anniversary release date- or as close to it as possible. That said- and I hate to give them any ideas- UYI was really more of an “era” than actual release date IMHO. Heck- the UYI Tour itself is arguably more famous/infamous than the actual records. If that’s the standard-  then any time in the 2021-23 timeframe would technically still be “on schedule”.

[El Guapo]

9 minutes ago, AXL_N_DIZZY said:

Obviously, would be super cool if they (band/label/etc.) could manage to hit the exact UYI anniversary release date- or as close to it as possible. That said- and I hate to give them any ideas- UYI was really more of an “era” than actual release date IMHO. Heck- the UYI Tour itself is arguably more famous/infamous than the actual records. If that’s the standard-  then any time in the 2021-23 timeframe would technically still be “on schedule”.

We better not expect too much from this, if it even comes out at all. I just can't see that we will get something great from this "band" these days.

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

NITL’s been great for different reasons IMHO. Not so much the band (more of a carefully constructed touring “machine” than anything)- but a “victory” for the classic material’s legacy. Playing stadiums night after night in the US put to bed the whole “grunge killed GNR” thing- at least in the sense of what Kurt wanted- which was for the public to so categorically reject GNR that they’d be erased from history. Didn’t happen. The classic tunes, and Axl/Slash star power withstood the test of time. 

[AXL_N_DIZZY]

28 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

We better not expect too much from this, if it even comes out at all. I just can't see that we will get something great from this "band" these days.

Hear ya. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if we get anything- which is a bummer b/c the Illusions are my all-time favorite records (any artist).

Appetite was a no-brainer. Illusions are complicated- and tend (IMHO) to generate more ambivalent feelings from the band, fans, media, etc. I also think the bigger “happenings” of that era were the Tour and Music Videos- but that starts shining light on Matt, Gilby, riots, Steph, etc. Could totally see everyone just saying “screw it”- or maybe  slapping together a remaster 2.0 or something (and even there have to wonder if the band/label really wants “Back Off Bitch”, “Pretty Tied  Up”, etc. going out in 2021).

Edited May 8, 2021 by AXL_N_DIZZY