The Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver Thread

[SteveAJones]

Edited March 15, 2011 by SteveAJones

[SharPei_Ibuprofin]

I assume Osaka, Japan isn't near the tsunami devastation?

[SteveAJones]

The Osaka concert Monday night went on as planned. However, I'm sorry to report both Tokyo dates and the Yokohama date are now postponed.

This from Slash:

We're positively coming back soon to play Tokyo & Yokohama. In the meantime, lots of love to the Japanese fans. U will make it thru these difficult times.

Edited March 15, 2011 by SteveAJones

[SharPei_Ibuprofin]

Slash is badass cool!

[SteveAJones]

Slash really enjoyed his visit to Guitar Guitar in Epsom yesterday.

[SteveAJones]

[Strider]

Exactly WHO is in this "G n R"? Besides Axl and his ego, of course.

[Walter]

Exactly WHO is in this "G n R"? Besides Axl and his ego, of course.

I know, Dizzy Reed is the only one from the Use Your Illusion days. Everyone else is part of the post Slash and Duff version. They are starting the tour here, but Axl burnt his bridge with me years ago when they didn't come on until about 1am, over 3 hours after Metallica finished their set. Too bad, when they had their shit together G n R could rock with the best of them! Just not willing to waste the time or money on Axl and his "cover band".

[Jahfin]

I highly recommend the brand new Tommy Stinson album to anyone that's a fan of his past solo work as well as his work with the Replacements. Like his last solo effort, Village Gorilla Head, it also includes Dizzy Reed from G n' R but don't let that stop you from buying it.

[Strider]

Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano (1985–present)

Dizzy Reed – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (1990–present)

Tommy Stinson – bass, backing vocals (1998–present)

Chris Pitman - keyboards, sub-bass, backing vocals (1998–present)

Richard Fortus - rhythm & lead guitars (2002–present)

Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal - lead & rhythm guitars (2006–present)

Frank Ferrer - drums (2006–present)

DJ Ashba - guitar (2009–present)

Hmmm, just as I thought.

I saw Guns n Roses at Raji's in 1986...I saw them at the Whisky...I saw them at White Trash a Go Go...I saw them all over town.

You, Senator, are NO Guns n Roses.

[Walter]

Amen Sen. Benson, err Sen. Strider!

[SteveAJones]

Hmmm, just as I thought.

I saw Guns n Roses at Raji's in 1986...I saw them at the Whisky...I saw them at White Trash a Go Go...I saw them all over town.

You, Senator, are NO Guns n Roses.

While I agree the G n' R lineup you saw was possibly the most mesmerizing rock act since Led Zeppelin, it must be said the current lineup puts on one hell of a show that features a number of songs from the Chinese Democracy album.

Nice twist on Reagan's original quip.

[luvlz2]

"Estranged" La Plata, Argentina, October 8, 2011

[Walter]

"Estranged" La Plata, Argentina, October 8, 2011

Even though the notes sound the same in the music, the GnR 'attitude' is missing. Plus they (he) should be ashamed to be out there as GnR, that is the Axl Rose solo band, IMO.

They haven't even sold enough tickets for the opening night of the tour to warrant selling seats in the upper level of the Amway Center in Orlando, BTW.

[SteveAJones]

They haven't even sold enough tickets for the opening night of the tour to warrant selling seats in the upper level of the Amway Center in Orlando, BTW.

IMHO sluggish album and ticket sales all stem from Axl refusing to promote the release of Chinese Democracy in 2008. Thirteen years in the making and it hit the shelves with absolute minimal fanfare. Make no mistake, it is a great album and live renditions of the songs have rocked. This is their first U.S. in quite a few years but again Axl seems content to opt out of all of the essential promotional duties.

Edited October 25, 2011 by SteveAJones

[2bitnogoodjive]

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=165384

AXL ROSE Gives Hour-Long Interview To VH1 CLASSIC's 'That Metal Show' - Oct. 30, 2011

GUNS N ROSES singer Axl Rose gave an hour-long interview to VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" early this morning (Sunday, October 30) — a couple of hours after the band's headlining performance at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

In a series of tweets, "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk expressed his frustration about having to wait around for Axl to decide whether or not he wanted to speak on camera, "[it's] 5:30 a.m. [now], [and we] got to this arena at 3:00 p.m. [on Saturday]," he wrote. "[We are] still here.... If this interview happens, I might dose off for the first time ever in an interview. . . My producer ain't giving up on this and I'm [here] working for VH1, so [i'm] sticking it out until he calls it. But this is nuts!" Shortly before 7:00 a.m., Trunk tweeted, "[Five] years after [Axl gave a] radio interview [to 'Friday Night Rocks', a show hosted by Trunk. — Ed.], Axl Rose has just done an hour interview for ['That Metal Show']. History made! Will air [on November 11] on VH1 Classic! Get ready!"

Several photos of the "That Metal Show" crew, Rose and GUNS N' ROSES guitarist D.J. Ashba, taken early this morning, can be seen below.

The last time Trunk interviewed Rose was in May 2006 when Axl dropped in on Eddie's WAXQ (104.3 FM) radio show and hung out on-air for two and a half hours. On that occasion, Rose came from a GUNS N' ROSES rehearsal to the WAXQ studio around 12:30 a.m. to join Trunk, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, WWE wrestler Chris Jericho and former SKID ROW singer Bach, who Trunk says "really made it happen."

According to the New York Daily News, Rose drank Red Bulls, swapped stories, cracked a few jokes about himself and his reputation and suggested Trunk play MOTÖRHEAD's "Ace of Spades". He also told stories about the hard-rock world and talked about growing up and listening to bands like KISS and W.A.S.P.

He answered some questions from Trunk, saying the long-awaited "Chinese Democracy" CD would be out in the fall of 2006, and deflected others. He declined to identify the band's then-new lead guitarist (later revealed to be Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal) or explain why he aborted a 2002 tour beyond saying the tour wasn't his idea.

Trunk's connection to the GUNS N' ROSES camp goes back to 2003 when a version of a then-new GN'R song called "I.R.S." surfaced on a CD marked "New GNR" that was sent anonymously to then-New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, who proceeded to play the track on Eddie's show, "Friday Night Rocks". Shortly after the song was aired, GN'R management contacted the station and issued a verbal cease-and-desist order before arranging to meet with Trunk to retrieve the disc.

"Chinese Democracy", the 2008 album released by the current edition of GUNS N' ROSES after a 15-year wait, was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies.

Aside from Billboard and Spinner interviews and answering a number of fan questions at a GUNS N' ROSES message board, Rose has done no promotion of any kind for "Chinese Democracy".

[ThelegendaryZepp]

IMHO sluggish album and ticket sales all stem from Axl refusing to promote the release of Chinese Democracy in 2008. Thirteen years in the making and it hit the shelves with absolute minimal fanfare. Make no mistake, it is a great album and live renditions of the songs have rocked. This is their first U.S. in quite a few years but again Axl seems content to opt out of all of the essential promotional duties.

It's a sad state considering how talented these guys are right now...I know everyone says "this ain't GNR" but to me they are even more talented than the sunset strip boys of the 80"s. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to Chines Democracy as I loved that album and love all GnR albums.

[Bong-Man]

http://www.detnews.c...ith-Palace-show

Guns N Roses hard-rocks into mediocrity with Palace show

Adam Graham/ Detroit News Pop Music Writer

Axl Rose and his army of zombie guitarists hit The Palace of Auburn Hills Thursday, playing a nearly three-hour show that stretched well into Friday and showed Rose still has plenty of gas left in his tank.

But while the show hit all the marks of a big arena rock event, with pyro and big sound and huge hit singles, it was an inescapably generic experience, with Axl's band of hired Guns going through all the motions of a rock and roll band but never once seeming like a real group. Axl has surrounded himself with a crew of guitarists straight out of Central Casting — including Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and the group's latest addition, DJ Ashba — who look the part and perform their rock star moves so thoroughly it's like they're studying to play Band Members in a movie.

This wasn't as much of a problem the last time Guns N' Roses came around in 2006. GNR was already several lineups and many moons removed from the original band that stoked a hard-rock fire with 1987's "Appetite for Destruction," but it remained a potent outfit, perhaps because of the still-lingering promise of the band's long-gestating opus, "Chinese Democracy." But now, three years after the release of "Chinese Democracy," GNR is now at best a curiosity and at worst a freak show, with Axl at the center of the three-ring circus.

In particular, DJ Ashba — a wily ball of energy who replaced former Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck in the revolving door of GNR guitarists — devalues what's left of GNR's stock. He looks like he stepped right out of "Guitar Hero," into Hot Topic and onto the stage with GNR, performing every rock move under the sun like he learned how to play by reading "The Dirt" and old copies of Circus magazine. With Ashba constantly bouncing around, jumping off amps and climbing the railing at the side of the stage, it's hard to take GNR seriously.

Which is too bad, because in a sense, the band still rocks pretty hard. Axl, 49, can't slither like he used to, he wears way too much jewelry (both around his neck and on his fingers) and he wears really bad T-shirts that even Rob Dyrdek wouldn't wear, but his voice still delivers and he's still got his arsenal of Axl moves. There's the shuffle-in-place, the run-and-stop and the twirl-with-the-mic-stand, and he still pulls them all off convincingly. And he appears to have fun on stage, goofing off with members of the crew and trading smiles with his bandmates, and he never seemed to be performing against his will.

The pileup of GNR hits still packs a punch, with classics such as "It's So Easy" and "Welcome to the Jungle" fitting in nicely with "Use Your Illusion" and "Chinese Democracy" material. "Estranged" retains its epic status, and Thursday's rendition of "Nighttrain" had a lacerating power. Meanwhile, the band's cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" took Axl back to his '80s heyday; he was alive during that song as he was at any point during the concert.

The show suffered from erratic pacing, however, and was never able to sustain a mood for more than two or three songs. Each guitarist was granted his own solo showcase, an insanely indulgent waste of time that served no purpose other than to stretch the show's running time. (Did anyone really need to hear Bumblefoot take on the "Pink Panther" theme?) Meanwhile, Axl Rose's tendency to rush off stage at any point when he's not singing sends a message to both the fans and the rest of his band members that he can't be bothered to care about anyone other than himself. For a band that already suffers a major image problem under Axl's rule, it only exacerbates the issue.

And with The Palace half-empty, there was a question of what were we doing there? Were we there to celebrate the release of "Chinese Democracy," which was forgotten several weeks after its release in 2008? Was this just another stroke of Axl Rose's ego? Or is Guns N' Roses ready to act like a fully functional rock and roll band again?

Unfortunately, there were no real answers. And even if there were, it seems fewer and fewer people care to listen.

agraham@detnews.com

(313) 222-2284

[SteveAJones]

Guns N Roses hard-rocks into mediocrity with Palace show

Adam Graham/ Detroit News Pop Music Writer

Adam Graham makes just one valid point in his review and that is the pacing of the setlist. Otherwise he's well off the mark. DJ Ashba is a lively, entertaining guitarist who doesn't need to read "The Dirt" as he's actually in another band - Sixx A.M. - with Nikki Sixx. The venue was probably half-full on account of the dismal local economy as opposed to lack of local interest. However, the stage production was far too large for them to have played a club show in that market instead.

Edited December 5, 2011 by SteveAJones

[Juliet]

I saw an interview on the BBC WORLD NEWS station..Duff was being interviewed about his life, recovery etc...very interesting man...I hope his daughter thinks he's cool someday to....it takes awhile,Duff...hang in there, man!!!

Juliet xo

[The Pagemeister]

Matt Sorum Talks About His Last Days With Guns N Roses

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/music/news/blog/video-exclusive-matt-sorum-talks-about-his-last-days-with-guns-n-roses/20111213-f7hk.html

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

KISS’ GENE SIMMONS THINKS AXL ROSE DESERVES A BEATDOWN

by: Chris M. Junior November 14, 2011

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

No matter what the subject, Gene Simmons is not one to hold his famously long tongue. And lately, the outspoken, fire-breathing Kiss bassist hasn’t been shy about what he thinks of Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose.

According to Simmons, Rose is to blame for GNR being underachievers — and that some physical discipline would have gone a long way in getting him and the group back on track.

“Guns N’ Roses could have been the best band in the world,” Simmons told Music-news.com, “and the reason they’re not is because of Axl Rose. Drugs, heroin, alcohol and all that, but ultimately it falls on Axl Rose’s shoulders.”

Simmons added, “A good beating would have helped. When you misbehaved as a little kid, there’s someone there to give you what for. Then, when you become a grown-up, who’s there to set you straight?”

Rose is no stranger to criticism, and he’s well aware of what’s been said about him since GNR’s breakthrough in the late 1980s. In an episode of VH1 Classic’s ‘That Metal Show’ from earlier this month, Rose referenced “two decades of people talking, and most of the time, they’re talking about things [that] somebody who had a bias started or said, [and] they could have said jokingly.”

Simmons’ comments, though, sure sound more like a tongue-lashing than something said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

Wow:

DUFF MCKAGAN JOINS GUNS N’ ROSES ONSTAGE IN SEATTLE

Theo Wargo / Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Guns N’ Roses fans at last night’s (Dec. 16) concert in Seattle got quite a surprise when former bassist Duff McKagan joined the current incarnation of the band for a run-through of the ‘Use Your Illusion’-era single ‘You Could Be Mine.’ Duff’s band Loaded opened the GN’R show at the Key Arena in Duff’s hometown of Seattle and are scheduled to support another one tonight at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada.

In his latest column in the Seattle Weekly, Duff revealed his thoughts on Loaded being asked to open the shows for Guns and singer Axl Rose. “I was somehow reluctant at first to do this. I love that dude, but wanted to sort of stay out of the fray … But this fray is only a fray if I let it be,” Duff wrote. “And now I am actually pretty excited to see my old pal. His band is the nicest bunch of fellas, and I will be home after all.”

The fan-shot footage below that captures the performance is filmed at a little bit of a distance in the crowd, but Duff — with his can’t-miss blonde hair and white bass — still manages to stick out as he swaggers around the stage. He even joins in on vocals, sharing the microphone with the Guns guys like he’s been playing with them all along.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to point out the amazing pyrotechnics that are part of the GN’R stage act these days. Those fireballs look pretty badass! And Axl himself sounds pretty good too, don’t you think?

Edited December 17, 2011 by TheStairwayRemainsTheSame

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

VELVET REVOLVER EYEING POTENTIAL NEW SINGER

by: Nancy Dunham 12 minutes ago

Valerie Macon, Getty Images)

Velvet Revolver may be on hiatus, but the band is still actively searching for a new frontman, drummer Matt Sorumreveals. And even if a replacement for singer Scott Weiland, who departed in 2008, is found right away, it still may take some time to get a new record or tour going.

“Yeah, they’re at home trying out a guy right now. They’re sitting in a room looking at a singer named Jimmy Gnecco [of OURS]. So we’ll see how that goes, and then we’ve got a couple of other ideas,” he told Australia’s The Vine. “It looks like Slash is going to make another [solo] album, but I’m not sure about his touring and stuff yet. So we’ll see how that goes. But we’re all open to it and interested in trying to do something together.

The newly engaged Sorum (pictured above) goes on to say that he is in a good place musically right now. He credits his stint with Guns N’ Roses for opening his eyes to what he wanted.

“When I left Guns N’ Roses, I thought I was starting to lose my soul. Why did I get into this business in the first place? Because I love music, and I want to make some music,” he said. “I don’t want to sit around and get caught up in a bunch of drama. If I’m going to feel uncomfortable and spiritually not well, what’s the point? It’s like, ‘Let’s make some music, man.’ “

[SteveAJones]

“It looks like Slash is going to make another [solo] album

He definitely is as he's been recording in the studio for several weeks now.