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Re: The categories of GNR fans
The categories of GNR fans
We all had that shock. Fans or not. One day we surf by some Guns N' Roses website and take a look at the list of band members. You stare, you look, you scratch your nose and think; «What the hell is this?». For me that happened in 1998. Surfing by heretodaygonetohell.com to find out what Guns N Roses was up to. Tell you the truth, I wasn't a big GNR fans back in their biggest era of fame (87-93). I had just recently re-purchased Appetite for Destruction and loved it more than I ever did before.
So I looked at the band member list, read about why Slash quit, why Duff quit and why Matt Sorum was fired. I saw a band of people I didn't know. Robin Finck on guitar and Tommy Stinson on bass. And that's when you have to make a choice. After about 15 minutes of thinking «this ain't Guns N Roses», I decided to go with it. Chinese Democracy was already growing as a myth. I instantly took it, wanting to see where the ride took me. With faith in Axl and what he was doing. Then there's the others.
You can basically split up the GNR fanbase (and non-fanbase) into these categories (give or take):
Blind: A massive amount of old fans thought GNR was dead and buried. Most of these people have now found their place in any of the other categories.
Media-copycats: A large portion of semi-interested GNR fans or fans of rock n roll in general falls under this category. Not interested (or smart) enough to dig into their own investigation, takes whatever media story from 87 to 09 as the truth and lets their opinion largely be shaped by it. Some don't even bother to read the media stories, but just decides that «Axl is an asshole» or «GNR sucks» because some random dude told them, or heard so from a guy he/she at a party (which heard it from someone else). 99% of all in this category turns on Axl and not Slash for example, mainly because while Axl kept quiet, the rest spoke.
Ignorers and self-punishers: These are my favorite group of people. GNR fans claiming wildly that Axl should not use the name nor make music under it. They feel GNR should be dead and buried and will go far to get their message across. On Youtube for instance, you might see people making «top 10 GNR solos» but ignoring the past 15 years in the sense that «it's not Guns N Roses» and therefore should be ignored. The best ones of all are the ones who wants no music to come out of GNR, putting band-name issues and individuals they know nothing about infront of the music they truly love. They're almost in the sense of punishing themselves for other peoples decisions and conflicts by denying themselves musical entertainment. In some cases it almost turns into some kind of religious self punishment. Instead of welcoming music, they deny themselves the entertainment out of emotional feelings.
Hopefuls and skeptics: Sane people who keeps a healthy distance to the entire thing by judging the music for what it is, ignoring the religious aspects. Some may like the approach on Chinese Democracy, some may not, but they are all able to seperate music from feelings. Some have mild «nutswinging» tendencies, others have a Slash love-affair, but they keep sane thru it all.
The censors and the mentors: A group of webadmins/forum-admins and webmasters who tries to censor critical thinking in GNR world or any other form of rethorics which doesn't fit into their own personal opinion about what GNR is. It can for example be censoring of any mention of Buckethead, deleting threads that ask questions or critical views towards Axl Rose, bad reviews of Chinese Democracy, or simply putting forward thoughts that does not fit in. These people also do a lot of work deleting threads and posts from media-copycats, self-punishers and Slash-lovers. Many of these people have developed a form of celebrity-status within the world of GNR fans. Some of them migh act officially on their own, but unofficially might be puppets for forces higher up in the system, using them to create a bubble of positivity around the GNR brand or just fuel their own agendas. The censors and mentors are in this case played like puppets without actually knowing it.
Axl nutswingers: These are the people who think Axl can do no wrong. Whatever Axl does, it's the right thing to do. For the past 10 years they have always thought Axl had some kind of plan with it all. Whatever happened, Axl had a plan by doing what he did. They will still claim that Axl has a plan for it all. We just haven't seen the entire thing yet. They're still waiting to see the masterplan unveil infront of their eyes.
Religious resurrection syndrom:
These are the religious freaks in GNR world. They are waiting for Axl Rose to really come back and save music, the fans, labels and everyone else with his albums (used to be Chinese Democracy, but since CD failed to bring their expectations forward, this is now changed to the next album...or the next one after that). They will claim that Axl Rose alone is the genious behind everything GNR related. The old band is ignored and even talked down upon as «druggies», «assholes» or anything inbetween. If any, they were holding Axl back from creating what he wanted to create. Not only will Axl reveal his masterplan, he will also be the biggest rockstar on the planet again. And this time not only the biggest for them, but for everyone in the world. We have yet to hear the best song, we have yet to see the big scheme of things and we will in the end see Axl come back and save us all.
Slashers: A sub category of ignorers and self-punishers who follows Slash as hysterically as what the nutswingers or the resurrectors does with Axl. Can be seen and/or heard at GNR concerts screaming for Slash. They will claim Axl is to blame for everything about the old band and that Slash is the real soul of GNR.
Bucketheaders: A new category of fans who feels the 2002 version with Buckethead was the best GNR ever presented. They will tell you that if Bucket had stayed onboard, Axl and Buckethead would have created one of the best song-writing partnership ever. They claim that the dream of a new GNR was ruined in 2002 when the tour was cancelled and Buckethead left. What we got now is just a replacement GNR of the «original new band» as it was in 2001-2002. Buckethead was the key to success, it is now gone.
Why?
Axl left the spotlight completely in 93-94. He was not seen or heard from again. He simply vanished. Some guys made a video in the late 90's claiming there were more UFO sightings than Axl Rose sightings per year. They were right.
Then the album talk started. Axl gave a few interviews, producers spoke, musicians spoke, there were rumours myths and anything inbetween. The inner circle didn't talk, the outter circles did.
But, for the most time, the fans were left alone. Without information, myths startet to develop. People spoke of a masterpiece of an album. Something amazing. Some claimed they heard it, others said it was imminent for release. Fans made up their own rumours as well, from talking to Axl in a bar in Argentina to making up song titles and tracklists. It all contributed. In the end the myth was ten times bigger than the actual album.
We're left with a widly seperated fanbase who all have their ideas, illusions, opinions and hopes. Even with the release of Chinese Democracy the myths keeps developing, now for the next album or the plans ahead.
The most interesting aspect of it all, and certainly the most interesting one for me personally, is that the dynamics didn't end with the release. Nothing changed. Axl kept quiet, the band stayed away. I did not see that one coming. Having over 10 years of experience, I should have known better.
Re: The categories of GNR fans
Hopefuls and skeptics: Sane people who keeps a healthy distance to the entire thing by judging the music for what it is, ignoring the religious aspects. Some may like the approach on Chinese Democracy, some may not, but they are all able to seperate music from feelings. Some have mild «nutswinging» tendencies, others have a Slash love-affair, but they keep sane thru it all.
i see =myself as this group, but someone else should categorze me, as i'm sure there are things about my posting i dont realize..
good post DCK karma 
Re: The categories of GNR fans
Damn good post DCK, and right on.
I'm definitely a Bucketheader. I was never anti-new Guns, I just feel that the one we got now is a bastardized version of the original, or semi-original vision of what was. The 2001-02 version of the band has less of a chance at resurrection than the old band, which is why I harp on reunion of the old era. Either way, new GN'R in any form still has never truely gotten off the ground, but it didn't stop me from liking and being supportive of CD.
I actually used to belong to the Axl nutswingers & religious resurrectionists at one time, believe it or not.
As for DCK's post, everything he posted, is the exact reason this album failed and for the most part, new GN'R. There are so many factions in the fan community, that no one can really find an equal ground, short of 1-2 groups at a time. Everyone is split in 90 different directions. I guess that happens when you have 90 different versions of a band as big as Guns N' Roses.
Re: The categories of GNR fans
Hopefuls and skeptics: Sane people who keeps a healthy distance to the entire thing by judging the music for what it is, ignoring the religious aspects. Some may like the approach on Chinese Democracy, some may not, but they are all able to seperate music from feelings. Some have mild «nutswinging» tendencies, others have a Slash love-affair, but they keep sane thru it all.
i see =myself as this group, but someone else should categorze me, as i'm sure there are things about my posting i dont realize..
good post DCK karma
Yeah I think that's about right Neemo.
I'm pretty sure I'm in that group too. CD is a good album. It's better than some stuff I've heard, while there is quite a bit that trumps it. In the end it's just an album by a band who had a lineup change. It's still a GN'R album.
Re: The categories of GNR fans
I was big time in love with the new band until the one group kept putting down and diminishing the old band and my need to defend the old band against these people have made me seem like i hate the new band which i dont
do i think they are the greatest band ever or that CD is the best CD ever made? NO
They are a good band, CD is a good album and I support them although they have a long way to go to replace the old band.
I believe in judging bands based on WHAT they do and not who they play with.
They have to live up to Afd and UYI to surpass the old band and I can't see that happening.
It pisses me off, u go to websites who thought bucket was greater than Slash, yet now he has left those people no longer support bucket, same as Robin..... he was so great till he left now u have only a handful who like the guy now he is gone.
typical bullshit.
Re: The categories of GNR fans
I was big time in love with the new band until the one group kept putting down and diminishing the old band and my need to defend the old band against these people have made me seem like i hate the new band which i dont
do i think they are the greatest band ever or that CD is the best CD ever made? NO
They are a good band, CD is a good album and I support them although they have a long way to go to replace the old band.
I believe in judging bands based on WHAT they do and not who they play with.
They have to live up to Afd and UYI to surpass the old band and I can't see that happening.
It pisses me off, u go to websites who thought bucket was greater than Slash, yet now he has left those people no longer support bucket, same as Robin..... he was so great till he left now u have only a handful who like the guy now he is gone.
typical bullshit.
Therein lies the problem with the GNR community. It's severely divided. Personally I love all things that have ever been or ever will be GNR. The past, the present, the future, it's all good in my book. But once the original lineup broke up you had those that questioned Axl and said how it would/could never be the same. At the same time you had those that stood by and supported Axl so they felt the need to defend him and that led to putting down the previous members. It's hard to fault ONE side. Both sides are to blame. In the immortal words of Rodney King, "can't we all just get along?" And of course the answer is no. You're always gonna have the Slash/old lineup supporters and they're constantly gonna berate and put down Axl. And conversely you're gonna have the pro Axl crowd and they're constantly gonna side with him and hate Slash for all the terrible things he's done.
That's just the way it is.
Re: The categories of GNR fans
I'm the 'Happy to carry the coffin with Axl' -category.
Not seeing any real future to GNR. Preparing for the final blow and, simultaneously pleased by all (if any) positive outcomes in the GNR world (press, releases, shows), but does not expect anything major to happen in the near-future.
Is waiting for the organization to be disbanded and the vaults opened for Universal to release further, unauthorized and unfinished mixes of the remaining songs. Is looking forward to Axl converting GNR into a nostalgia band of himself instead of AFD, becoming a sort of series of appearances with Izzy, Duff, Baz, etc. Different guys from different eras of Axl's career, joining him onstage to co-memorize. Here's to This I Love with Harp Bitch!
