NuGNR Nostalgia Thread

[Nick85]

6 hours ago, rumandraisin said:

I think what this thread hits home is the difference the gap in touring from 2010 to 11 made. Axl returns at Rio bloated, out of practice, the band became sloppy and the whole vibe had changed in to a never ending nostalgia act. 

2010 he had such venom and a drive. Like he was trying to prove himself. Whatever changed between 2010 and 11 obviously effected him and killed nu guns, the remaining few years in hindsight were just visiting each country around the world one last time. 

This, totally. I’ll never forget the universal disappointment around here after the 2011 Rio show. I remember thinking it was a no-brainer that it would kick off the CD2 era, and obviously it was not that. I’d still see them a couple more times, but the vibe had gone down the tubes for sure. That was when Ron got real volatile with the fans too, and it just seemed like everyone involved was miserable for the next couple of years.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Nick85

[JAxlMorrison]

Pretty sure I started on here around the time of the doomed 2002 tour, ESPECIALLY the night of December 6, 2002, where I was dying to find any real info on what had happened, and if they’d play the second show they were scheduled to in Philly. Of course, it was all cancelled. From there, I’d check HTGTH from time to time, even got my ticket to the May 12 Hammerstein show from someone on there. I think those were the prime years for Chinese-Mania on here, from the 2006 Rolling Stone article up until its release. 
 

after 2006, they finally returned in winter 2011 for the US dates, and I saw them in East Rutherford, Wilkes Barre, and Camden, all fun shows in their own different ways (Camden was the best.) then my final New GNR show was UCAP in Atlantic City, February 2012, and to this day it’s my favorite show I’ve seen from any iteration of the band. Things quieted down a little, they did the residencies and toured here and there. Once DJ announced his departure, and Bumble was already rumored to be gone, I was predicting the Slash and Duff return almost immediately. I couldn’t see it possibly going any other way. 
 

but the New GNR days were fun. A time of exciting, frustration, and obsession for a lot of us, and a time of making great memories. 

[SlashisGOD]

Good riddance to NuGuns. It was basically a failure from the get go. Sure, there were some good times. I saw them in 2006 in Huntington, WV and they were great but I’m glad Slash and Duff are back where they belong.

[Appetitefordiscussion]

I think peak excitement for me was in 2014 when an album + remix was rumored but the reunion was really surreal. Searching the internet endlessly for as many clips of the troubadour as I could was pretty surreal. I’m pretty happy to excited to hear the general, hard to believe it’s only a couple more weeks. 

[Gordon Comstock]

I joined the forums in 2006 after reading the Rolling Stone interview with Axl and hearing clips of Better. I knew the old songs, but that was when I really got interested in the new stuff. CD.com was probably the most entertaining forum at the time but the community as a whole was a lot of fun, and of course a lot more active than it is now. Listening to all those 2002-2006 shows was really interesting, and the MSL leaks were pure insanity. There was a time when I played those leaks, and shows like Rock Am Ring or Budokan, almost every day.

I still think the first half of 2010 was the CD lineup's peak as a live band, and I'm really glad I got to see them on the Canada tour. That Calgary show is still by far the best GNR show I've seen. Axl was still his classic, crazy, unpredictable self, Ron had improved massively since 2006, and even DJ was enjoyable.

I still enjoyed the shows I saw from 2011-14 but of course it was a steady decline... but I saw Duff join them in 2011 and Izzy in 2012, which definitely made up for the band/Axl not being as good. Rio was obviously a disaster, though Axl did have some good shows in late 2011-early 2012. I felt bad for Ron though, touring after a car accident, obviously in a lot of pain, obviously very frustrated, but felt he had to go on tour. But as pissed off as he was, he was always great to fans.

[colonizedmind]

8 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

I joined the forums in 2006 after reading the Rolling Stone interview with Axl and hearing clips of Better. I knew the old songs, but that was when I really got interested in the new stuff. CD.com was probably the most entertaining forum at the time but the community as a whole was a lot of fun, and of course a lot more active than it is now. Listening to all those 2002-2006 shows was really interesting, and the MSL leaks were pure insanity. There was a time when I played those leaks, and shows like Rock Am Ring or Budokan, almost every day.

I still think the first half of 2010 was the CD lineup's peak as a live band, and I'm really glad I got to see them on the Canada tour. That Calgary show is still by far the best GNR show I've seen. Axl was still his classic, crazy, unpredictable self, Ron had improved massively since 2006, and even DJ was enjoyable.

I still enjoyed the shows I saw from 2011-14 but of course it was a steady decline... but I saw Duff join them in 2011 and Izzy in 2012, which definitely made up for the band/Axl not being as good. Rio was obviously a disaster, though Axl did have some good shows in late 2011-early 2012. I felt bad for Ron though, touring after a car accident, obviously in a lot of pain, obviously very frustrated, but felt he had to go on tour. But as pissed off as he was, he was always great to fans.

When did Ron's accident occur again?

[©GnrPersia]

17 hours ago, SlashisGOD said:

Good riddance to NuGuns. It was basically a failure from the get go. Sure, there were some good times. I saw them in 2006 in Huntington, WV and they were great but I’m glad Slash and Duff are back where they belong.

Yeah, too much musical production ever since the two are back.

[Blackstar]

1 hour ago, colonizedmind said:

When did Ron's accident occur again?

June 2011.

[rumandraisin]

10 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

I joined the forums in 2006 after reading the Rolling Stone interview with Axl and hearing clips of Better. I knew the old songs, but that was when I really got interested in the new stuff. CD.com was probably the most entertaining forum at the time but the community as a whole was a lot of fun, and of course a lot more active than it is now. Listening to all those 2002-2006 shows was really interesting, and the MSL leaks were pure insanity. There was a time when I played those leaks, and shows like Rock Am Ring or Budokan, almost every day.

I still think the first half of 2010 was the CD lineup's peak as a live band, and I'm really glad I got to see them on the Canada tour. That Calgary show is still by far the best GNR show I've seen. Axl was still his classic, crazy, unpredictable self, Ron had improved massively since 2006, and even DJ was enjoyable.

I still enjoyed the shows I saw from 2011-14 but of course it was a steady decline... but I saw Duff join them in 2011 and Izzy in 2012, which definitely made up for the band/Axl not being as good. Rio was obviously a disaster, though Axl did have some good shows in late 2011-early 2012. I felt bad for Ron though, touring after a car accident, obviously in a lot of pain, obviously very frustrated, but felt he had to go on tour. But as pissed off as he was, he was always great to fans.

After Ron's accident things really went downhill. I was always surprised Axl and TB have him what seemed like free reign to criticise the band, the touring and operation in general. He made some pretty sarcastic and petty comments over the last 3 years until 2014 about the constant touring and lack of new music. He was happy to stay and keep getting paid though. 

[rumandraisin]

On 9/30/2023 at 5:39 PM, Nick85 said:

This, totally. I’ll never forget the universal disappointment around here after the 2011 Rio show. I remember thinking it was a no-brainer that it would kick off the CD2 era, and obviously it was not that. I’d still see them a couple more times, but the vibe had gone down the tubes for sure. That was when Ron got real volatile with the fans too, and it just seemed like everyone involved was miserable for the next couple of years.

The settlement with Azoff finished the Chinese era off it seemed between 2010 and 11 legs. When Axl returned he was in terrible shape, looked bored and obviously hadn't rehearsed. The tour was something they had to do as part of the settlement and any intention of getting CD2 out had gone. 

[DefinitelyInThisLifetime]

I discovered them at 11/12, that was 1999. Live Era was my first album, found bootleg CDs of Rock In Rio, I knew nothing of the band but liked the sound they made.
 

Nine inch nails and lots of heavy stuff was part of my musical youth years, 2001 was a great year musically for what I enjoyed sound wise, Nu-Metal and Pop Punk was in the UK Mainstream Charts. 

2002 I went to Leeds and saw…a freak show that looked nothing like Guns N’ Roses, they looked cool and unique, I recognised Robin Finck as the guy who was guitar in Nine Inch Nails and I was very impressed because, well, I’d never seen them live. I knew it wasn’t the ORIGINAL band , my dad constantly told me so because he’d seen them 1991 and 1992, he told me the band wasn’t a band but I thought they were decent enough. 
 

I kept hearing about Chinese Democracy. Through limewire and other dodgy places I heard live songs, through new GnR dot com and Chinese democracy dot com. There was so much to talk about but things never happened.

Then as an 18 year old college student I saved my student bonus (government giving us money to attend college!) and wages to go to loads of concerts, and I even managed to go to Rock Am Ring 2006, what an absolute highlight. That was the peak. Chinese Democracy came and went, number two in the UK charts, behind the Killers. I bought both. Good albums.

2010 Reading Festival was an embarrassment, a shitshow. That was the end for me. I only hang around for anything exciting, the reunion, leaks, anything that piqued the interest. I just kind of look around here. New album? Maybe. But it’s not NuGnr which was dangerous and adventurous.

[Eric Cantona]

Being an early 2000s kid, Chinese Democracy was my proper introduction to GN'R. I'm too young to remember any of the pre-release shenanigans and madness, but I distinctly remember listening to the whole record shortly after it was released. I loved reading through the album booklet, and being fascinated by all the artwork and photos of the band. The pictures of Buckethead and Axl really intrigued me somehow, and gave some mystique to the music I was hearing. I remember thinking that some day I wanna be able to sing like Axl and learn the Shackler's Revenge solo. (Both of which I've yet to do! ) English is far from being my first language, so I think honestly I learnt a lot in a short period of time by reading the lyrics and listening to the songs.

Better quickly became my favourite tune as a kid, and a shoddy rendition of the intro was some of the first things I was taught on the guitar. There's a funny home video of me as a small kid playing it on guitar and trying to sing it. GN'R and Chinese Democracy was introduced to me by family, and it was a pretty big bonding moment of shared interests which have only grown through the years. Eventually I was turned on to some of the leaks, which truly began my fascination with GN'R. Those eight seconds of Jackie Chan really stick out in my memory, knowing that there's more out there yet to be heard. Funnily enough I started exploring the old records more, and watching horrid rips of Ritz 1988 and Tokyo 1992 and so forth. I loved the music and the energy, yet the idea of a pre-ChiDem GN'R with Slash and co. was so distant and foreign to me, that I kept returning to the familiarity of NuGuns and the ''new'' music.

The first heartbreak of my life was when GN'R came to play in our country, and seeing my siblings go to their show while I was too young to be tagging along! The biggest heartbreak, though, was seeing my brother and cousin go to the London O2 show, and getting to see Izzy and hear Shackler's Revenge. Still kind of bitter to this day

I was very excited to hear the 2013 leaks and remixes, and started reading the forums more and more. Eventually I made an account and posted more and more, which coincided with the rumours of a reunion. That was very exciting to me, as I had been exploring old GN'R more and more, and seeing DJ Ashba leaving the band wasn't particularily tragic to me.

This year is probably when I fully rediscovered and fell in love again with Chinese Democracy. I've been playing in bands for a few years now and seen some progress, and it's just fun to think that Chinese Democracy and NuGuns was probably the element in my childhood which truly lit a musical spark inside me.

[Spike Killer]

...

Edited October 12, 2023 by Spike Killer
Clarity

[ZoSoRose]

Found some pictures of my trip to London Ontario in 2010 to see GNR! Man, what memories! Cannot believe this was almost 14 years ago

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by ZoSoRose

[Chuerta86]

The early 2000s were wild. I got into GnR through Michael Jackson and Slash contribution. Appetite For Destruction was my first album ever and I was blown away by the music, it was a life changer for me and i was hooked into music, iconography and raw energy and power. I listened to their discraphy and started to play the guitar and piano because of Slash and November Rain. 

The End of Days soundtrack was the first soundtrack I bought, primarily because of GnR new song. It was different but loved the evolution in sound, I loved the industrial aspects of it. GnR was my gateway to heavy metal - Metallica, Megadeth, and such. 

I recall watching the MTV Awards with Jimmy Fallon whistling Patience, wearing GnR themed shirts and going nuts as he welcomed everyone to the jungle. I went nuts. I didn't knew the band that was playing, I knew it wasn't going to be Slash and Co but it was GnR on television. I recall hearing Madasgcar and was floored, it was beautiful. I still look at the video and it's total disaster in its absurdity but look at it with fondness. 

I recall visitng various forums, HTGH, this one, among others. I recall some of the first shows and downloading bootlegs of the Chinese songs. I recall The Blues, Madagascar, Silkworms and loved what I was hearing and the progression, how it changed and evolved over time. 

I would listen to those bootlegs with my friends and recall hearing similarities in Axl voice and his approach to vocal melodies to Geoff Tate (Queensryche). 

My first show ever would have been in San Diego (2001/2002?) but eventually got cancelled and I was bummed. I still have the stub. It wouldn't be until 2010 that I flew to Calgary to see the band. There had been cancellations, rumors and a lot of uncertainty and felt that was my time to see them. It was January, and I got my tickets the day before, it was also my first time on a plane, and out of the country. All I has on me was my backpack, with extra clothes, jeans and Harley boots - I was metal as fuck. I got to Calgary was was welcomed by a sea of cascading snow. I didn't care. I went to a near liquor store next to a Cafe and got myself some jack and coffee to keep me buzzed and warm. I explored for a while got a room on site and headed to the venue. 

Guns N Roses was on fire. I didn't take that many pictures, I was far away in the seatss behind the floor but scared Axl would jump at hit me. Amazing show. Everyone was on top of their game. I didn't really mind Ashba, I thought he fit in. 

After the show I went to a local strip club, got a nice vibe going but because of that I missed the last train to my hotel so I had to walk for 45 minutes. Next to my hotel there was an Irish Pub so I got more Whiskey to keep warm. The whole experience was great.

I then saw that line up again in Inglewood with my GF at the time. They introduced Estranged. Another amazing show. 

With Fortus, DJ, and Bumblefoot I thought they were on top of their game, Axl was sporting those cool shade, braids and cut off flannel shirt and had a cool goatee. He sounded pissed and ready to conquer. 

Around that time I had also seen Slash multiple times, once in Vegas when he was doing the Slash and Friends shows where I got to meet him and Duff; Duff actually came up to me and my buddy. He was lost looking for the venue and I was wearing a GnR shirt. He was cool. I really was looking forward to hearing what this version of GnR could come up with as I thought Chinese was democracy and their best since AFD; if not the best record by any band since AFD.

I never got to see the classic line up and dreamed of seeing them but was against the reunion without releasing music by the Nu-GnR line up and Slash and Co releasing those songs as opposed to newly written songs. 

Hearing the new songs are pretty cool and am glad the band acknowledges them but you can't deny that it's missing the Bucket, Bumble, and Robin touch. I do like that Fortus has been doing more of those solos. As for the latest releases, they are cool but I miss Silkworms and prefer the Perhaps over the released version, as for Hard School I dig it but there was a certain flair to the demo that's not there. Perhaps I shouldn't compare them but it's hard not to. Hope that we eventually get official released demo versions of those songs somewhere down the line. 

I like that GnR is finally moving in the right direction but that does make me miss the nuGnR as I wished they had their time to shine and work on releasing new music, showing what they could have done collectively. 

[BangoSkank]

I had tickets to the ill-fated Philly '02 show (both of them, actually). I was so excited because it was the band that I was just starting to love (I was 15) and now they looked cool, crazy, and really interesting. When the shows got cancelled I was crushed and I couldn't believe that I was in a GNR riot. That's a kind of cool thing to say now, but was devastating to me then. 

I still look back on that era of the band and love what it could have been. I actually recently wrote an essay on this where I just can't help but wonder what cool industrial metal songs we may have heard if he just went solo. Who knows? We could have had a version of NuGNR that is active between GNR tour legs. A lot has been written about the name, but I just can't help but think how different it all may have been if he dropped it. 

https://medium.com/@tomrankin026/if-axl-went-solo-688f166ea662

[alangarcianr]

My first gnr bootleg was rock am ring 2006. Then I discovered the illusions 

I wasn’t around the forums before CD was released 

anyone can tell me who were the rumored guitarists to replace Robin before DJ ?

[Blackstar]

8 hours ago, BangoSkank said:

I still look back on that era of the band and love what it could have been. I actually recently wrote an essay on this where I just can't help but wonder what cool industrial metal songs we may have heard if he just went solo. Who knows? We could have had a version of NuGNR that is active between GNR tour legs. A lot has been written about the name, but I just can't help but think how different it all may have been if he dropped it. 

https://medium.com/@tomrankin026/if-axl-went-solo-688f166ea662

Very good article, thanks for sharing. I agree with a lot of it, even though I'm not as big a fan of CD. That would have been the best of both worlds.

[Georgina Arriaga]

8 hours ago, BangoSkank said:

I had tickets to the ill-fated Philly '02 show (both of them, actually). I was so excited because it was the band that I was just starting to love (I was 15) and now they looked cool, crazy, and really interesting. When the shows got cancelled I was crushed and I couldn't believe that I was in a GNR riot. That's a kind of cool thing to say now, but was devastating to me then. 

I still look back on that era of the band and love what it could have been. I actually recently wrote an essay on this where I just can't help but wonder what cool industrial metal songs we may have heard if he just went solo. Who knows? We could have had a version of NuGNR that is active between GNR tour legs. A lot has been written about the name, but I just can't help but think how different it all may have been if he dropped it. 

https://medium.com/@tomrankin026/if-axl-went-solo-688f166ea662

I like your article very much, the way It was written AND the perspective, I'm in the second group, I cannot accept GNR without Slash, just can't...if Chinese Democracy was market as solo effort It would be more palatable. I accepted VR because It was not GNR and I understood that right away

I really, really like to hear what Axl has to say from that period. Is a shame that he simply doesn't talk

[gunsnchalupas]

In the sweltering summer of 2002, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery that would forever change my life. You see, I had an intense aversion to punctuality, and I believed that the world was conspiring against me. It was this unusual combination of quirks that led me to become an avid Guns N' Roses fan.

It all began on a fateful day when I was late for a job interview. I had spent the night before trying to unravel a conspiracy theory involving alarm clocks and secret societies dedicated to enforcing punctuality. As a result, I had forgotten about the interview altogether and arrived a good 45 minutes late, disheveled and convinced that my tardiness was part of a grand scheme to undermine my career prospects.

To my surprise, the interviewer was not an angry, disappointed soul, but rather a laid-back, jovial character named Frank. He sported long, wild hair, aviator shades, and a tattered Guns N' Roses t-shirt. In my frazzled state, I muttered something about the secret society of punctuality as an excuse for my tardiness. Frank burst into laughter, causing the office walls to reverberate with the sound of a hundred electric guitars.

"Man, you sound like Axl Rose himself!" he exclaimed, still chuckling. And that's when it happened; Frank handed me a mixtape, plastered with the band's logo and an unmistakable aura of rock 'n' roll rebellion. It was like he'd passed me a ticket to a parallel universe.

I returned home and inserted the mixtape into my dusty old cassette player, unaware of the magical transformation that was about to take place. As the opening riffs of "Sweet Child O' Mine" blasted through my speakers, I felt a surge of empowerment and newfound determination. Axl Rose's raspy voice and Slash's iconic guitar solos became my anthems of defiance against the world's obsession with punctuality.

I abandoned my job search and dedicated my days to mastering the art of air guitar in the mirror. My wardrobe transformed overnight, and I started emulating the band's outrageous fashion choices - leather jackets, bandanas, and even a few strategically placed roses. I believed I was in a never-ending battle against the punctuality police, and my new identity as a Guns N' Roses fan was my shield against their nefarious schemes.

My life took a wild turn. I painted my bedroom with skulls and roses, and my refrigerator was adorned with an Axl Rose magnet. I wrote letters to Axl himself, detailing my adventures in the world of punctuality resistance, convinced that he, too, was a member of the anti-clock secret society.

Guns N' Roses songs became the soundtrack of my life. I would blast "Paradise City" as I defiantly ignored meetings, while "Welcome to the Jungle" provided the perfect background music for my late-night conspiracy theory brainstorming sessions.

And then, amidst the chaos of my newfound obsession, I met her - a free-spirited woman named Lily. She had fiery red hair, a taste for adventure, and an infectious laugh that could rival even Axl Rose's screams. Lily was the kind of person who was always on time, organized, and had a schedule for everything. Our worlds couldn't have been more different, and that's what made her fascinating to me.

As we got to know each other, our differences were evident. I was the erratic, spontaneous one, while Lily was the structured, reliable force in my life. We couldn't have been more opposite, yet there was an undeniable attraction between us. We'd often argue about my obsession with Guns N' Roses, with her shaking her head at the hours I spent air-guitaring in the living room, and me dismissing her "silly" alarm clocks as tools of the secret society.

But in the midst of those arguments, there was also a deep connection, an unspoken understanding. Lily was patient with me, and I was madly in love with her. It was clear that our love story was a tale of contrasts, and the clash of worlds created an electrifying tension.

Years passed, and our love only deepened. We'd go to a Guns N' Roses concert, and she'd be the one who ensured we arrived on time, while I was the one lost in the music, not caring about punctuality or anything else. We had the kind of love that was both tumultuous and beautiful, like the band's own turbulent history.

But as time went on, my obsession with Guns N' Roses grew, and my punctuality issues didn't improve. It began to wear on our relationship. Arguments became more frequent, and I'd often find myself immersed in the world of Axl, Slash, and the gang, neglecting the woman who had given me so much.

One evening, after another heated argument, Lily sat me down, tears in her eyes. She spoke with a sadness that cut through my heart like a well-played guitar solo.

"I love you," she began, her voice trembling. "But it's become impossible to compete with your obsession with Guns N' Roses and your aversion to punctuality. It's tearing us apart, and I can't take it anymore. It's either the band or me."

My heart sank, and I found myself at a crossroads. I had to make a choice. In that moment, I realized that my love for Guns N' Roses, while passionate and thrilling, had come at a cost. With a heavy heart, I made a decision, one that would ultimately shape the rest of my life.

"I choose Guns N' Roses," I said, my voice cracking. It was a difficult choice, but it was a choice made in the heat of the moment, driven by years of obsession.

Lily left, and I was left with my beloved Guns N' Roses, the band that had once saved me from a world obsessed with punctuality and order. But now, I was middle-aged and alone, surrounded by memorabilia, memories, and the distant echoes of Axl's screams.

I may not have Lily by my side, but I still had my music, my conspiracy theories, and the rebellious spirit that had defined my life. And who knows, maybe one day an instrumental from an unreleased Guns N' Roses song will leak, providing a fitting soundtrack for my solitude. Until then, I'll keep rocking to the tunes of a band that once ignited my passion, even if it cost me the love of my life.

[gunsnchalupas]

11 hours ago, ZoSoRose said:

Found some pictures of my trip to London Ontario in 2010 to see GNR! Man, what memories! Cannot believe this was almost 14 years ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw them on that leg of the tour. I was in GA. When the concert ended, I compulsively stuffed a fistful of that confetti in my pocket. I remember getting home at 4AM, because Axl went on late. I had to take a shit. With my jeans down around my ankles, confetti peaked out of my pocket. I pulled out most of the confetti and wondered to myself, "why did I take this confetti home". 

 

Those pictures were cool, they gave me a flashback to that. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by gunsnchalupas

[ZoSoRose]

10 minutes ago, gunsnchalupas said:

In the sweltering summer of 2002, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery that would forever change my life. You see, I had an intense aversion to punctuality, and I believed that the world was conspiring against me. It was this unusual combination of quirks that led me to become an avid Guns N' Roses fan.

It all began on a fateful day when I was late for a job interview. I had spent the night before trying to unravel a conspiracy theory involving alarm clocks and secret societies dedicated to enforcing punctuality. As a result, I had forgotten about the interview altogether and arrived a good 45 minutes late, disheveled and convinced that my tardiness was part of a grand scheme to undermine my career prospects.

To my surprise, the interviewer was not an angry, disappointed soul, but rather a laid-back, jovial character named Frank. He sported long, wild hair, aviator shades, and a tattered Guns N' Roses t-shirt. In my frazzled state, I muttered something about the secret society of punctuality as an excuse for my tardiness. Frank burst into laughter, causing the office walls to reverberate with the sound of a hundred electric guitars.

"Man, you sound like Axl Rose himself!" he exclaimed, still chuckling. And that's when it happened; Frank handed me a mixtape, plastered with the band's logo and an unmistakable aura of rock 'n' roll rebellion. It was like he'd passed me a ticket to a parallel universe.

I returned home and inserted the mixtape into my dusty old cassette player, unaware of the magical transformation that was about to take place. As the opening riffs of "Sweet Child O' Mine" blasted through my speakers, I felt a surge of empowerment and newfound determination. Axl Rose's raspy voice and Slash's iconic guitar solos became my anthems of defiance against the world's obsession with punctuality.

I abandoned my job search and dedicated my days to mastering the art of air guitar in the mirror. My wardrobe transformed overnight, and I started emulating the band's outrageous fashion choices - leather jackets, bandanas, and even a few strategically placed roses. I believed I was in a never-ending battle against the punctuality police, and my new identity as a Guns N' Roses fan was my shield against their nefarious schemes.

My life took a wild turn. I painted my bedroom with skulls and roses, and my refrigerator was adorned with an Axl Rose magnet. I wrote letters to Axl himself, detailing my adventures in the world of punctuality resistance, convinced that he, too, was a member of the anti-clock secret society.

Guns N' Roses songs became the soundtrack of my life. I would blast "Paradise City" as I defiantly ignored meetings, while "Welcome to the Jungle" provided the perfect background music for my late-night conspiracy theory brainstorming sessions.

And then, amidst the chaos of my newfound obsession, I met her - a free-spirited woman named Lily. She had fiery red hair, a taste for adventure, and an infectious laugh that could rival even Axl Rose's screams. Lily was the kind of person who was always on time, organized, and had a schedule for everything. Our worlds couldn't have been more different, and that's what made her fascinating to me.

As we got to know each other, our differences were evident. I was the erratic, spontaneous one, while Lily was the structured, reliable force in my life. We couldn't have been more opposite, yet there was an undeniable attraction between us. We'd often argue about my obsession with Guns N' Roses, with her shaking her head at the hours I spent air-guitaring in the living room, and me dismissing her "silly" alarm clocks as tools of the secret society.

But in the midst of those arguments, there was also a deep connection, an unspoken understanding. Lily was patient with me, and I was madly in love with her. It was clear that our love story was a tale of contrasts, and the clash of worlds created an electrifying tension.

Years passed, and our love only deepened. We'd go to a Guns N' Roses concert, and she'd be the one who ensured we arrived on time, while I was the one lost in the music, not caring about punctuality or anything else. We had the kind of love that was both tumultuous and beautiful, like the band's own turbulent history.

But as time went on, my obsession with Guns N' Roses grew, and my punctuality issues didn't improve. It began to wear on our relationship. Arguments became more frequent, and I'd often find myself immersed in the world of Axl, Slash, and the gang, neglecting the woman who had given me so much.

One evening, after another heated argument, Lily sat me down, tears in her eyes. She spoke with a sadness that cut through my heart like a well-played guitar solo.

"I love you," she began, her voice trembling. "But it's become impossible to compete with your obsession with Guns N' Roses and your aversion to punctuality. It's tearing us apart, and I can't take it anymore. It's either the band or me."

My heart sank, and I found myself at a crossroads. I had to make a choice. In that moment, I realized that my love for Guns N' Roses, while passionate and thrilling, had come at a cost. With a heavy heart, I made a decision, one that would ultimately shape the rest of my life.

"I choose Guns N' Roses," I said, my voice cracking. It was a difficult choice, but it was a choice made in the heat of the moment, driven by years of obsession.

Lily left, and I was left with my beloved Guns N' Roses, the band that had once saved me from a world obsessed with punctuality and order. But now, I was middle-aged and alone, surrounded by memorabilia, memories, and the distant echoes of Axl's screams.

I may not have Lily by my side, but I still had my music, my conspiracy theories, and the rebellious spirit that had defined my life. And who knows, maybe one day an instrumental from an unreleased Guns N' Roses song will leak, providing a fitting soundtrack for my solitude. Until then, I'll keep rocking to the tunes of a band that once ignited my passion, even if it cost me the love of my life.

Yo, what the fuck

[BangoSkank]

15 hours ago, Georgina Arriaga said:

I like your article very much, the way It was written AND the perspective, I'm in the second group, I cannot accept GNR without Slash, just can't...if Chinese Democracy was market as solo effort It would be more palatable. I accepted VR because It was not GNR and I understood that right away

I really, really like to hear what Axl has to say from that period. Is a shame that he simply doesn't talk

Thanks so much and completely agreed on the last part. He has spoken about it but sparsely and I had to really dig for those quotes. I think he assumed that he would get a mountain of shit for speaking out and now things have healed over, so why pick at the wound?

But it's this era of the band that make me really want an Axl autobiography. He's said he started and got many pages in, but it got depressing and it ended up sounding like he was calling everyone a liar, so he's unsure how to go forward. Just a shame. 

16 hours ago, Blackstar said:

Very good article, thanks for sharing. I agree with a lot of it, even though I'm not as big a fan of CD. That would have been the best of both worlds.

Really appreciate it and agreed, everyone could have been happy.