An open Letter from Axl Rose

[November_rain]

Kudos, SUBS, one of the most insightful and intriguing posts in a long, long time.

And I thought the exact same thing about how ironic it was that Merck had to come to Madison and MyGNR to get his word out. Love that.

Yes, it´s very ironic if we take into consideration the amount of shit he gets/got from the fans here....and also, someone that bashed him not long ago and now defends him again...very interesting .

And about Axl´s letter I just have to say that I think he´s been honest with us despite what others may think. He DID say the record would be out this year,he said it himself publicly because he thought it was going to be so (now we know it was planned for Dec 26th), and now he´s written a very honest letter IMO and has given us a concrete release date,not any "end of the year-like.." something that hadn´t been done before. And yes,we all know this date is still a hypothetical date but atleast he´s been sincere and has talked frankly.

He has put things straight and as we tend to say in my country, he has taken the bull by the horns. I hope now everything´s clear the bullshit will stop.

[Axingn'r]

because he thought it was going to be so (now we know it was planned for Dec 26th),

Oh really ? Where did you read that ?

By the way, Axl didn't write the letter.

[bhurst69]

notice how axl never said 2007, he just said march 6th... interesting...

[Ace Spade]

Good post UK SUBS. :xmasssanta:

[Tyler Drama]

Slash was right, the album is coming out in March.

[November_rain]

Slash was right, the album is coming out in March.

LOL ...couldn´t resist.

[gernm18]

not cool

i was going to the sacramento show , first they rescheduled and then they cancelled, and originally they had cancelled my show in 2002

the cd better be damn worth it

oh anybody know how can i get my money back from ticketmaster

[madison]

because he thought it was going to be so (now we know it was planned for Dec 26th),

Oh really ? Where did you read that ?

Yes, I'd like to know where she read that too. But then, November Rain has a history of having trouble reading and interpreting things properly, and jumping to conclusions based on what a psychologically disturbed banned member tells her.

Axl's letter said he had previously hoped it would be released by Dec. 26 at the latest - not on Dec. 26.

Here's the quote:

"I did it with the understanding that my manager, Merck Mercuriadis, and I were in full agreement regarding our strategy and touring plans and, most important, that any and all things needed to release the album by Dec. 26 at the latest were in place..."

[madison]

Before anyone flips out over the mention of who markets the band's t-shirts and when, it establishes a relationship between who manages the band and who markets the merchandise. You have to look outside the box and see what's going on in politics and economics, then combine that knowledge with a little history to get the full scope of what's going on with Axl and the band. I've been watching the UK stock market for quite some time and I've known all along that Merck was dicking Axl and the fans around. The information I've gathered from the stock market reports is exactly what they don't want fans or the media getting ahold of because it details the financial and legal trouble that Axl has aluded to in his letter. He has been making references to legal trouble all along. The legal trouble in question deals specifically with the financial bankruptcy of Sanctuary, Axl's management team. Other legal trouble is the lawsuit filed against him by Duff and Slash over royalties. As with any financial lawsuit, the facts of the case cannot be discussed by any party of the suit without the presence of attornies or outside the courtroom. It could very well be that a gag order has been issued pending a judge's ruling which is common. This was the case concerning Steven's royalties lawsuit. The band could not disclose the meaning behind the title of the Spaghetti Incident? album due to a gag order requested by Steven's attorney. At the very least and gratefully, we have finally heard something from Axl about the album's release and have received what I believe to be a sincere apology to the fans for the way we were treated by Merck. .....

..... I'm not making blind accusations here. These are honest statements and questions based on facts. I have to ask, did Axl even know about all this? Did he have the business sense to know what to do about it if he did know? We can't just blame Axl for everything. I believe him when he says that he's innocent (concerning some issues). The only thing he's truly guilty of is trusting the wrong people. I feel sorry for celebrities because many of them were young when they were discovered and didn't have the time, the chance, or the desire to take business classes and learn something about the industry before being devoured by all the sharks. Most of them never lived an average life before being discovered. If they did, it didn't last long enough for them to learn how to manage their own finances. Axl stated years ago during an interview that every kid should take business classes in high school. Axl has learned over the years, but he's still either naive or just desperate to hang on to what he has. I think it's a little of both.

Thanks for the summary, but all of this has been posted on the forum before -- as each event occurred. So, Axl would have been well aware of all of this unless he never reads a newspaper or the GNR forums - which I doubt is the case.

The only question - which you legitimately bring up - is whether Merck took the GNR publishing rights with him when he left Sanctuary or if Sanctuary still retains them. Whoever holds them definitely wants to see the band succeed, as the rights cover not only the back catalog - but Axl's future recordings as well.

I'm not sure what you meant by this:

Axl has earned a reputation for destroying the band. Did he, Merck, and Bravado plan to collectively destroy the GNR catalog to prevent former band members from receiving any future royalties so they could pocket more revenue? Or was Merck just trying to screw Axl and land him into more legal trouble?

How do you draw the conclusion that Axl has "earned a reputation for destroying the band?" The only people who believe this are the Slash worshippers who think Axl is solely responsible for the original band's split. Most people tend to believe all members were equally to blame for the breakup - especially considering each member left at a different point in time: They didn't walk out en masse.

Also, how do you come up with the idea that they've "collectively destroyed the GNR catalog?" The catalog refers to the publishing rights to the past and future works. So, I'm not sure how you 'destroy it.' And how does this allow Axl and Merck to "pocket more revenue?" This makes no sense. Sorry.

[madison]

... If Sanctuary retains the catalog and dissolves while holding it, the catalog goes down with the company. Unless the Mama Group buys out Sanctuary, which is still a possibility. Chances are that the catalog will not just disappear into oblivion....

If Sanctuary retained the rights and wound up filing for bankruptcy, the rights would simply be auctioned off as part of the bankruptcy proceeding. So, you're right - they wouldn't just "disappear." They're way too valuable.

This is what happened when TVT, the company that held the rights to NIN's Pretty Hate Machine, ran into financial troubles. The bond that secured the rights to PHM was auctioned off. A new owner - Rykodisc - wound up buying the bond and the rights to the music.

The same would happen here - if Merck didn't take the rights with him. If Sanctuary still holds the rights, and wound up going under, the rights would be auctioned off. And if this happened, anybody - including the former GNR band members - would have the chance to buy out Axl's share of the rights - which would be interesting.

[W. Axl Kev]

What about the deal with Major League Baseball? Was that organised by Merck or is that deal still going to occur?

By the way - I think we should make this forum more positive. Axl Rose effectively just announced the release of 'Chinese Democracy' - The statement we've all been waiting for. Shouldn't we entitle this thread 'Axl announces plans for Chinese Democracy release'.

[tat2d1]

If Sanctuary still holds the rights, and wound up going under, the rights would be auctioned off. And if this happened, anybody - including the former GNR band members - would have the chance to buy out Axl's share of the rights - which would be interesting.

That would definately be interesting, to say the least. I'd be willing to bet that if that happened, Axl would never release another cd under the Guns N Roses name, if the auction would include the rights to future Guns N Roses recordings.

[tat2d1]

I don't see how the former members could stop Axl from performing those songs. It'd be like Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo trying to stop Baz from singing the Skid Row songs, or any other former lead singer that goes solo but plays a majority of his former band's material. They could maybe stop him from performing as Guns N Roses, but there's no way in hell they could stop him from playing those songs. They may be able to stop the release of the album as a Guns N Roses album, but then Axl could just release it as a solo album.

Hopefully none of that ever happens though.

[Nightcrawler]

As for these lawsuits stopping the album.... Wouldn't it be morelikely it's people he's workedwith on the "new" songs? Unless he's using material the old band recorded and trying to cut them out of payment, which I doubt.

I don't know whypeople assume it's the old band stopping the album release, Axl has fired dozens ofpeople off the new project over the years. based on the leaks we know he's written songs that were re-reorded by different lineups but still have the basic melody from the earlier versions.

PRoducers ans session musicans are more likely suing him then slash, in a way that could affect the release on an album slash hasn't written on.

Edited December 18, 2006 by Nightcrawler

[xtremerm]

Okay, you know what...I am going to selfishly vent here. I had two tickets to the Sacramento show. This is the THIRD time that Axl has cancelled on me. Ya know, I understand that he may need the extra time and all of that, but gee....it's not like he hasn't had...oh I don't know....years to finish it. I mean I may sound like a total dick and I understand that, but you know what, I don't have a lot to look forward to in my life right about now. My wife bought me tickets to this show for Christmas. I was planning on showing up early (even though he never shows up on time) to be in the very front. This is one of the only bands I felt that I had to see in my life, and I am just tired of being let down all the time. I don't know if Axl reads this (I doubt it) but ya know what, this effects a lot of us. I was bummed out when they postponed but I held on to the hope that all the reviews were true, that Axl was back and the band was better than ever, as it has gotten closer to January 10th I have gotten more and more excited. Now what did I get, same old crap. I am sorry, but I have no more faith left. As cheesy as it sounds, I have got nothing left for GNR. I am really upset about this and I am no longer interested in buying tickets to GNR ever again.

I have loved GNR since I can remember, I have every album including live era and a couple of bootlegs, and I think this has killed my love for one of the greatest bands ever.

[xtremerm]

I understand what you are saying but I have lost all faith. First I find it very hard to believe that after years of fine tuning, the extra four days are that essential to getting the album released. I mean at this point I am so upset that barring some miracle of a reunion with the original band, I am pretty much done. As much as I don't like Velvet Revolver, I may have to jump ship.

[November_rain]

because he thought it was going to be so (now we know it was planned for Dec 26th),

Oh really ? Where did you read that ?

Yes, I'd like to know where she read that too. But then, November Rain has a history of having trouble reading and interpreting things properly, and jumping to conclusions based on what a psychologically disturbed banned member tells her.

Axl's letter said he had previously hoped it would be released by Dec. 26 at the latest - not on Dec. 26.

Here's the quote:

"I did it with the understanding that my manager, Merck Mercuriadis, and I were in full agreement regarding our strategy and touring plans and, most important, that any and all things needed to release the album by Dec. 26 at the latest were in place..."

And you have a long history in twisting people´s words to make you look smarter. You forget English is not my first language and my problem is not reading or interpreting things properly but not having the appropriate knowledge to express what I mean or what I want to say.

Oh by the way,you should relax a bit and not talk about things you know nothing about. You don´t know who I talk to or what I talk about and I´m starting to think you´re a bit obsessed with some banned member as you call him, since it is you the one who always bring it out.

Merry Christmas

[Axingn'r]

Some of the songs scheduled for release on the new album were written before or during the Illusion Era and were recorded during the Illusion sessions. They were released/published unofficially as a bootleg titled Unwanted Illusions. The songs in reference are: Crash Diet, Bring It Back Home, Sentimental Movie, Just Another Sunday, The Blues (formerly titled Axl's Blues), and Tastes Good Don't It. If these songs are released on the new album, then copyright/royalty issues would definitely have to be established before the album's release. If an agreement cannot be reached, then former band members could prevent the album's release with this lawsuit or demand that the songs not be included on the album and not be officially released until such time that the matter can be resolved. That doesn't prevent him from performing the songs live, but it does affect whether he can receive royalties for the songs. Court dockets are public information, so information on this case should be available for around 8 cents per sheet at the Federal Court for the Southern District in San Diego, CA. I can't access the docket online because I'm not an attorney.

Are you saying that The Blues was co-written by Axl, Slash and Duff ?

[tat2d1]

Some of the songs scheduled for release on the new album were written before or during the Illusion Era and were recorded during the Illusion sessions. They were released/published unofficially as a bootleg titled Unwanted Illusions. The songs in reference are: Crash Diet, Bring It Back Home, Sentimental Movie, Just Another Sunday, The Blues (formerly titled Axl's Blues), and Tastes Good Don't It. If these songs are released on the new album, then copyright/royalty issues would definitely have to be established before the album's release. If an agreement cannot be reached, then former band members could prevent the album's release with this lawsuit or demand that the songs not be included on the album and not be officially released until such time that the matter can be resolved. That doesn't prevent him from performing the songs live, but it does affect whether he can receive royalties for the songs. Court dockets are public information, so information on this case should be available for around 8 cents per sheet at the Federal Court for the Southern District in San Diego, CA. I can't access the docket online because I'm not an attorney.

Are you saying that The Blues was co-written by Axl, Slash and Duff ?

I'd like to know how ladydairhean knows those songs will be on the new cd? I remember reading an interview with Dizzy and he said The Blues was written by himself, tobias, and robin, and Axl did the lyrics of course. I seriously doubt any of those songs lady mentioned will be on Chinese Democracy.

[lawrence]

i like the MAYBE released in march 2007

is MAYBE the new SOON?

[W. Axl Kev]

What about the deal with Major League Baseball? Was that organised by Merck or is that deal still going to occur?

By the way - I think we should make this forum more positive. Axl Rose effectively just announced the release of 'Chinese Democracy' - The statement we've all been waiting for. Shouldn't we entitle this thread 'Axl announces plans for Chinese Democracy release'.

I believe the deal with Major League Baseball is only an endorsement/sponsorship that provides web hosting and ticket sales. I don't think it has anything to do with Sanctuary because Axl is a huge sports fan and a desicion he probably made on his own. The other site, hosted by Bravado, doesn't contain any news. It's been dead since it was launched with the exception of merchandise.

Thanks for the reply

[Zint]

I'd been reading comments on several threads throughout the board and it seemed that either some had no knowledge of pertinent events or perhaps forgot about them. Having the events posted and discussed as they ocurred then consequently forgotten proved detrimental to fans not receiving the full scope of the events, especially to those only browsing. I therefore felt it necessary to post a chronological summary of the facts so that all may have a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the silence about the album's release date, Merck's seemingly abrupt termination, etc. It certainly puts things in perspective and helps to shed more light on the subject matter contained in Axl's letter.

I agree,and I for one appreciate you taking the time to post a chronological summary...as you stated,it may help the casual browser put things in perspective,rather than just call Axl a cockhose.

I'm glad to hear you chose MyGnR as your home...welcome!

You might not have any GnR friends in your hometown...but you'll have many here!

cheers!

[Nightcrawler]

Because of the scheduling of these particular shows, valuable time needed by the band and record company for the proper setup and release of the album “Chinese Democracy” would have been lost. Rather than delay the album yet again, all involved have decided to remove these shows from GN’R’s schedule. We hope our fans understand and we apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. Tickets may be refunded at point of purchase.

When I agreed to do our recent North American tour, I did it with the understanding that my manager, Merck Mercuriadis, and I were in full agreement regarding our strategy and touring plans and, most important, that any and all things needed to release the album by Dec. 26 at the latest were in place. Unfortunately, it turned out that this was not the case, and I regret to say that the album will not be released by the end of the year. Although many things went extremely well and were very exciting, there were, in our opinion, unnecessary and avoidable complications on our tour having to do with the tour routing, scheduling and album and video plans that wreaked havoc on all involved. This was compounded by an overall sense of a lack of respect by management for the band and crew and each individual's particular expertise that has resulted, unfortunately, in the end of both Guns’ and my managerial involvement with Merck Mercuriadis.

In regard to a release date for the album itself, certain minor - aand I do mean minor -- additions, as well as contract negotiations, need to be completed. Barring any unforeseen complications, these things have now been adequately scheduled. The band and I, along with our record company, feel that this record deserves the proper setup and promotion, not the “13 Tuesdays left” and “It may just appear in your record store” approach offered by management. We believe this strategy may have been used as a tool by management to sell this latest tour to the various promoters, and if this was the case, this was obviously unfair to them. The stress of dealing with this situation has been considerable for everyone, including the band, but more important, in our opinion, it was something utterly insane to do to our fans. You have our apologies, and please know we have been laboring over this with management for the entire North American tour.

It takes Axl Rose

Soooo.....

Axl says he agreed to do the tour with any and all things in place to get the album out by dec 26, 2006.

Then he says the album itself is not complete yet.

I hope the album is great, and makes it out before the next leg of the tour, if not, I hope axl doesn't put us in the position of leaving arenas empty.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Nightcrawler

[Ant]

Slash is his muse, man!

[ludurigan]

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It takes more time to write a letter like that than to record vocals for 5 songs.

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