Axl interview from 1987

[Chester 524]

I saw this just got posted to YouTube yesterday May 19, 2021. 

interview is from 1987, before the tour in Japan which was before AFD became a hit. Axl's in a good mood here.  first time I heard this one:

 

 

[Blackstar]

Not a new one, but a new upload.

We have transcribed the interview here, if any one is interested:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t475-1987-12-26-telephone-interview-with-axl

[Underhardy]

One of my favorite Axl interviews ever.

[axlsalinger]

That's an awesome interview, hadn't heard that one before. Thanks for the heads up.

[Carburetta]

Hadn’t heard before, cool....

[double talkin jive mfkr]

sounds like axl had rekindled his relationship with his father so all the other noise he made about his childhood was that all him kind of making it up? 

seems a bit weird that here it seems like they became close and that he visited his family and friends in Indiana during a time where he could finally show everyone that he was making it 

seems bizarre that a few years later he comes out with all the abuse stuff? perhaps the fame and money brainwashed him and or the regression therapy was a pure crock 

[Chester 524]

1 hour ago, double talkin jive mfkr said:

sounds like axl had rekindled his relationship with his father so all the other noise he made about his childhood was that all him kind of making it up? 

seems a bit weird that here it seems like they became close and that he visited his family and friends in Indiana during a time where he could finally show everyone that he was making it 

seems bizarre that a few years later he comes out with all the abuse stuff? perhaps the fame and money brainwashed him and or the regression therapy was a pure crock 

I was thinking the exact same thing. 

[Blackstar]

Axl talked about having been physically and mentally abused by his stepfather in early interviews. In this one, for example (scroll down for the English translation):

https://www.a-4-d.com/t3995-1988-04-dd-popular-1-interview-with-axl

And more quotes here:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4926-04-before-guns-n-roses#22660

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4926-04-before-guns-n-roses#22662

There are also accounts from people who knew him in the pre-GnR and early GnR days who said that Axl had talked to them about that. So that wasn't something that came up later.

But it seems he tried to mend his relationship with his parents - and to be "accepted" by his stepfather - until 1989/1990. Then he "broke up" with them.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Blackstar

[SoulMonster]

I have tried to summarize it here: (16) 13. JULY-NOVEMBER 1991: USE YOUR ILLUSIONS ARE OUT, SO IS IZZY (a-4-d.com)

[Carburetta]

2 hours ago, double talkin jive mfkr said:

sounds like axl had rekindled his relationship with his father so all the other noise he made about his childhood was that all him kind of making it up? 

seems a bit weird that here it seems like they became close and that he visited his family and friends in Indiana during a time where he could finally show everyone that he was making it 

seems bizarre that a few years later he comes out with all the abuse stuff? perhaps the fame and money brainwashed him and or the regression therapy was a pure crock 

Or maybe he didn’t reconcile with his father during this meet up, despite him saying things like things are better now. I don’t think Axl speaking about visiting Indiana and his relationship with his father in this interview causes everything that is said later to be false. He’s 25 here, basically still a kid. Who knows what was going through his mind.  

I’m just saying that Axl talking here doesn’t automatically delegitimize anything he said later. Things are complicated.
 

 

[metallex78]

I think through therapy later he maybe discovered more about his upbringing that he wasn’t fully aware of at the time of this interview?
 

For trauma victims, I think that is most likely the case, that they suppress traumatic memories, as a coping mechanism. And maybe he uncovered all of that later through therapy in the early 90’s. 

[themadcaplaughs]

I remember Canter saying it was not uncommon to see Axl's mom and stepdad at early Guns N' Roses shows and that he talked to them a handful of times. My guess would just be him trying to "live" with his family for as long as possible. 

[double talkin jive mfkr]

1 hour ago, themadcaplaughs said:

I remember Canter saying it was not uncommon to see Axl's mom and stepdad at early Guns N' Roses shows and that he talked to them a handful of times. My guess would just be him trying to "live" with his family for as long as possible. 

GNR were pretty gnarly in the early days, i think thats pretty cool/supportive of his parents to have attended those shows 

i really think now that the fame went to axl's head and or something else happened in that he wanted them in his life then and after felt differently 

[EvanG]

I remember reading in Mark Putterford's book that Axl's grandmother would attend shows and sing along to all the songs.

[Nice Boy]

I can see Axl's grandma singing along to Heaven's Door; Out Ta Get Me not so much.

[North Korean Democracy]

Axl here was talking about the father that he would later say molested him? Or was that his step-father? I'm very confused.

[Blackstar]

5 minutes ago, North Korean Democracy said:

Axl here was talking about the father that he would later say molested him? Or was that his step-father? I'm very confused.

He was talking about his stepfather in this interview. He later said that he was molested by his biological father.\

The links posted by me and @SoulMonsterabove will help you.

[SAU3R]

22 hours ago, Nice Boy said:

I can see Axl's grandma singing along to Heaven's Door; Out Ta Get Me not so much.

Axl‘s grandma singing along probably sounded like any GNR show from 2018 

[Sisyphus]

I've just listened to this interview in full for the first time. And it's one of the coolest interviews Axl's done. It's really the Axl we all love. I'm not expecting him to be the same person in 2020 than he was in 1987 but that drive and passion that he had are missing so much in his endeavors post 2010. 

It's amazing he was so eloquent at 25 with well-thought-out ideas on who he is and what he wants to achieve whereas in his fifties he's waving his arms around endlessly, seemingly lost in what message he's trying to convey. Just look at his Globo interview or the promo that he did with AC/DC. 

I really miss the belief and dedication he used to have.

[Rayno]

The funniest part:

"Ray Thomas Baker is supposed to be just kind of a psycho. I am really looking forward to meeting him just because of that."