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Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
Have to ask a question to all the Axl defenders
If Axl is tellilng the truth and he is the victim
How come so many people have quit his band?
Look at the fucking body count for fuck's sake.
Robin would rather go back and be a touring NIN member than be apart of a band he is a creative part of.
Why haven't Duff, Matt, and Slash been able to get along with 2 high profile singers?
Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
Why haven't Duff, Matt, and Slash been able to get along with 2 high profile singers?
They did long enough to have some number one hits.
We'll know soon if they can do it a third time.
Cool that Axl finally made it on to a cover. A bit late, but its better than never. I wonder if there will be any info in the magazine that didn't make it online.
Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
Have to ask a question to all the Axl defenders
If Axl is tellilng the truth and he is the victim
How come so many people have quit his band?
Look at the fucking body count for fuck's sake.
Robin would rather go back and be a touring NIN member than be apart of a band he is a creative part of.
Here's my opinions on this...
I take Slash, Izzy & Duff's word that back in the early-90's, GN'R was becoming more and more of a 'dictatorship' in their eyes, because Axl was having more control, and also nose-diving their ideas by not getting on board.
Axl however I think saw this as a necessary move to try and control GNR's destiny and future, a band he co-founded with Izzy. Axl also was the ONLY band member that was taking the reigns and driving the "business" of GN'R, while the rest of them were still too busy getting drunk, getting high, partying, and not really taking responsibility for what it truely takes to run a band, especially a band that skyrocketed to legendary status within a few years.
Over the years, Axl's burnout on the business over took him, and also drained his emotional & mental stamina to deal with the business. He loved music, and making the music, but he couldn't stand the business, the media, and the 'associates' he once called friends, that were all pulling in opposite directions from him.
He also saw GN'R as "his". He came up with the name, and the idea, and the direction initially, and he sees it as he founded the band, and the name is his. I can understand both sides on this, but if I were in his shoes, i'd look at it the same way.
For GN'R to survive, Axl felt he needed full control over the whole thing. The music, the business, the future... I think time has proven him wrong on this. GN'R really is no further now, than they were in 1994, minus ONE album, that took 15 years since their last output, to put out.
Izzy left in 1991, due to the band's stature imo. His reasons have been inconsistent over the years, depending on how he's feeling about Axl at the moment, and I think the real reason was GN'R just got too big for his taste. He always saw GN'R as an underground, New York Dolls-esque, rock band with a punk-image. By 1991, they were basically their generation's Rolling Stones, touring stadiums across the world, and that was just too much. He bailed.
Gilby was never more than a touring member. He was obviously never in Axl's long-term plan. I don't know if it's that Gilby didn't bring anything to the table, or what, but the man was never intended to be Izzy's replacement. I think Axl always thought Izzy would return one day, after his extended break. I'm just speculating here, but I wouldn't be shocked if Izzy was asked to return in 1993/94, and turned it down.
Paul was Axl's buddy, and they obviously as musicians saw eye-to-eye. The biggest reason Slash hated Paul's addition, is because he saw it as another further encroachment on his position in the band. It was now two homeboys vs. two homeboys. Axl & Paul were on the same page, and Slash & Duff were on the same page, but neither were together. Slash took his aggression, anger, and hate on Axl, out on Paul. Period. I'm convinced of this. Huge never had a chance.
At the time, Axl probably thought if Slash & Paul get along, GN'R is back, guns loaded. This unfortunately wasn't the case, as Slash refused to make it work, whether this was an artistic thing or a prick thing, I dunno. But Slash references it in his book that he felt Paul brought nothing to the table. But if Slash was on a totally different page than Axl, no wonder. Axl & Paul were probably on to Pro Tools and the future, at the time, and Slash is sitting back wanting to do that bluesy rock thing he does, and does so well. HE thought that was GN'R, Axl apparently saw it as an artistic entity. Not some pigeonholed band, that just does Aerosmith-type stuff.
Slash bailed because he simply lost touch and face with Axl. He had so much pinned up angst towards him, for whatever reason, that that relationship was over, and was LONG over for awhile.
Duff, like Izzy, has had inconsistent reasons over the years, depending on his mood towards Axl. I think Duff truely took off because of inactivity. If he was "Slash's boy" through-and-through, he'd of left when Slash did, but he didn't. I think Duff was constantly on a totally different page musically with Axl, no different than Slash, and this the reason for his departure. Musical differences.
Matt was a legend in his own mind, and came in looking to pick a fight and get fired. This is well-documented. He never mixed well with Axl, and just as food for thought for Matt, you don't walk into a band, and start DICTATING YOURSELF to the founding member. Just some friendly advice. 
Paul, like Izzy, was not into the whole big touring thing that comes with GN'R, and realized it was time to let Axl find a touring guitarist - Richard Fortus.
Buckethead left because Buckethead doesn't work long term in GN'R, or any major band act for that matter. Bucket is too underground, too widely unpredictable, and frankly I think is a bit 'too Axl' for Axl. I don't think Axl ran him off, I think Bucket is the type of guy that needs to keep busy, and frankly the GN'R fans hated him then. HATED him. All of this 'Bucket love' has only manifested itself in recent years, as fans have discovered, they didn't realize the band they truely had in 2001/02. I think then, if Axl had seen more support from the fanbase for Bucket, he'd of tried even more than he did to keep him. They also tried to get Izzy to return in 2001 & Bucket in 2006, both of which turned it down. I don't think it's Axl, I think it's GN'R, and the spotlight that comes with that brand name. They just don't dig it.
Robin is opting for NIN, because Robin just doesn't work on Axl's timetable. Most musicians want to keep busy, and Robin ain't Axl. Axl's got a pile of money he sits on, and can do the whole "take my time" thing, which drives most musicians crazy. Robin is no different. Bottom line, he'd rather be with an active-NIN than an inactive-GN'R. I don't think it's an artistic or personal statement towards Axl.
Richard is a touring musician. Always has been, always will be. He brings nothing to the table, he's simply a guy that gets the band by, and personally I feel that 'in-studio' Axl still sees GNR's rhythm guitarist as Paul and maybe Izzy someday again. Richard is Gilby Clarke 2000.
Brain simply took off, because of his child. I think this is obvious by the fact Brain WANTS to comeback. If you have issues with a band or it's frontman, you don't WANT to comeback. Brain does. That shows you there's still a friendship there, and they respect him as an artist.
...and that's the rest of the story.
PAUL HARVEY - Good day.
Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
faldor wrote:Why haven't Duff, Matt, and Slash been able to get along with 2 high profile singers?
They did long enough to have some number one hits.
We'll know soon if they can do it a third time.
Cool that Axl finally made it on to a cover. A bit late, but its better than never. I wonder if there will be any info in the magazine that didn't make it online.
That's fine, I'm not saying they didn't come up with some great songs with both guys, just the fact that they weren't able to work with either long term, unless you want to count the 8 years with Axl as long term. I think most famous people and rockstars have huge egos and that's certainly at play here. Everyone deserves a little blame, I'm not saying Axl doesn't. But it seems as though some people like to lay all the blame on him, I'm sure that's the way he sees it too, thus the negativity towards Slash.
Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
Paul, like Izzy, was not into the whole big touring thing that comes with GN'R, and realized it was time to let Axl find a touring guitarist - Richard Fortus.
Buckethead left because Buckethead doesn't work long term in GN'R, or any major band act for that matter. Bucket is too underground, too widely unpredictable, and frankly I think is a bit 'too Axl' for Axl. I don't think Axl ran him off, I think Bucket is the type of guy that needs to keep busy, and frankly the GN'R fans hated him then. HATED him. All of this 'Bucket love' has only manifested itself in recent years, as fans have discovered, they didn't realize the band they truely had in 2001/02. I think then, if Axl had seen more support from the fanbase for Bucket, he'd of tried even more than he did to keep him. They also tried to get Izzy to return in 2001 & Bucket in 2006, both of which turned it down. I don't think it's Axl, I think it's GN'R, and the spotlight that comes with that brand name. They just don't dig it.
Robin is opting for NIN, because Robin just doesn't work on Axl's timetable. Most musicians want to keep busy, and Robin ain't Axl. Axl's got a pile of money he sits on, and can do the whole "take my time" thing, which drives most musicians crazy. Robin is no different. Bottom line, he'd rather be with an active-NIN than an inactive-GN'R. I don't think it's an artistic or personal statement towards Axl.
Richard is a touring musician. Always has been, always will be. He brings nothing to the table, he's simply a guy that gets the band by, and personally I feel that 'in-studio' Axl still sees GNR's rhythm guitarist as Paul and maybe Izzy someday again. Richard is Gilby Clarke 2000.
Brain simply took off, because of his child. I think this is obvious by the fact Brain WANTS to comeback. If you have issues with a band or it's frontman, you don't WANT to comeback. Brain does. That shows you there's still a friendship there, and they respect him as an artist.
Absolutely. People are WAY to easy and way to quick to assume that people leave because they have a thing against Axl. They can have a million thing against anything in the machinery on top of personal decisions as well. Paul didn't leave because he hated Axl. He just helped Axl out to begin with. Bucket left because he's Bucket. Robin left after 10 years (if we are to belive so) and I think it's fair to any musician to move on after 10 years in a band. Brain is like you say, he had a baby, Axl gave him plenty of room to manouver. He wants to come back. May or may not.
So before you dig into a body count list, dig a little further into each and every personality and see there's more to it than "Axl's a dick so he left".
Slash left because Slash thinks Axl is a dick to him. That's fair.
Duff left because he felt there was no point in going on. That's fair too.
Matt got fired because he's a dork
Izzy left because he got sober and had no interest in going the way Axl did. That doesn't mean they can't see eye to eye. They had a thing for years but they're friends again. We don't know half of it.
Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
When a band is active for over 20 years, there's bound to be some additions & departures. Axl is naturally blamed, because he's the one constant throughout that entire existance, with Dizzy of course coming on board in 1990.
Anytime there's a departure, he's the fall guy, because he has executive decision.
But I think alot of it has reasonable explanations. Not that he's a nazi. Just because there's alot of departures, doesn't mean it's not just plain 'ole circumstance.
Re: Axl Rose Speaks to Billboard
They all admit GNR was always on the edge of imploding. Even from day one. It was a explosive group of people making explosive music. Fits the name too.
Absolutely, after reading "Reckless Road", I was amazed they stayed together as long as they did. They accomplished a hell of a lot in a short time period, but it was quite apparent that it wasn't gonna last forever.
