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Re: Remember this document?
Over the same amount of shows, who sold more tickets VR or Guns N' Roses.... ?
Yet, I didn't here anyone calling VRs tour a failure.
Yeah but VR isn't the one who's using a legendary name and %85 of a setlist of that legendary band. So they have different measures of succes. I wonder how the new lineup would've done with a name of their own and just playing ChiDem stuff.
Re: Remember this document?
To those who say that the 06 tour was a success I would just like to say that when I went to see Axl and friends in St-John. We bought the tickets 3 days before the show because they were having a hard time selling the tix and we got them at a buy one get one free deal. And we could've gotten floor tix. The arena was about half full. If that is a success well....
j/k
- DoubleTalkingJive
- Rep: 74
Re: Remember this document?
I would have read the threads you are talking about (trust me)-you have nothing but a fuzzy memory and SUBJECTIVE OPINION. Pollstar statistics and Billboard statistics are as official as it is going to get.
I'm done with this.
I have to agree, it's all based upon memory and opinion, all the shows I went to were packed, granted I am sure they had shows that didn't fill the entire place but that doesn't mean the 06 tour wasn't successful.
Re: Remember this document?
This might be the last road to China.
While the US tour was a moderate success (as madagas has pointed out in length), in essence the situation is no different from 2002. The band still fares considerably well in population centers and is still able to sell out Madison Square Garden without a hitch. However, once the tour hits the wilderness, so to speak, ticket sales wind down and rows of seats are left vacant. Another related matter is Angel Down, with its three exclusive Axl tracks. After an enthusiastic build-up by Bach, the beloved hyperactive homie, album sales have twindled and more recently, trickled down to a halt. Granted, record sales are dependant of several factors, but even when considering the era of digital downloads (counterbalanced by the fair reception of the CD leaks), one could say being Axl Rose is not what it used to be.
I wouldn't pin the blame on shoddy tour planning solely unto Merck. While he was obviously the one calling a good number of shots (as he was likely the most qualified person in Axl's inner circle to handle this), Merck was also dependant on Axl's commitment. In his own mind, Axl is still very much the rock star he was fifteen years ago. Even though he's had his share of subsequent life experiences, he still enjoys throwing bacchanalian orgies post-show and relishes in having the benefits of a star. He still exercises his prerogative to take the stage only after properly 'zoning' himself, with the correct assumption that his management will shield him from whatever consequences this behavior might have. And he still thinks the record company, along with the rest of the world, will anticipate the new album as much as they did back in 1991.
It gets difficult when leaving US soil. The European leg of the 2006 tour was comprised of major festival appearances and one-off appearances in various nation capitals (with the exception of the late summer UK minitour). Nothing wrong with that, as it is a popular and reasonable way to cycle the act through various local markets. A name band like GNR has the potential to do good business with such an arrangement, without oversaturating the country-specific demand by outstaying their welcome. Axl hits the stage at the peak of public interest, bailing out of the country before the reviews accusing him of rehash come off the printers. The bubble remains intact, with every further performance refilling its air supply.
In this light, I wouldn't be surprised if Merck would've been daunted to try and coax Axl into doing a theatre/club tour. VR does it all the time when touring the US; their tour management knows that even the combined legacies of GNR and STP, along with good media visibilty and two albums of original material, won't equal the yesteryear demand of the aforementioned bands. Try convincing Axl that past merits and a capable live band of unknowns might not be enough to recapture some of that old mass hysteria. Even with Slash (inarguably, the most well-known member aside Axl) back in the fold, it would be considered a reunion at best, with a new album serving as a Stones-ian excuse for touring, as the majority of the concert-goers would come about to glimpse some of that old magic again.
The only way to make GNR in any way a viable and respectable modern-day is for them to release an album and establish an identity of their own. In today's market, album sales will hardly be stellar (and certainly nowhere near the numbers AFD churned at the height of the analog age). However, if the music's as good as it seems, Axl still has a few good years of heavy touring available to him, and while never really reclaiming the throne of mainstream music, he may still atleast go out with his Guns blazing and leaving a legacy of little more than a man who could've been a contender.
- DoubleTalkingJive
- Rep: 74
Re: Remember this document?
This might be the last road to China.
While the US tour was a moderate success (as madagas has pointed out in length), in essence the situation is no different from 2002. The band still fares considerably well in population centers and is still able to sell out Madison Square Garden without a hitch. However, once the tour hits the wilderness, so to speak, ticket sales wind down and rows of seats are left vacant. Another related matter is Angel Down, with its three exclusive Axl tracks. After an enthusiastic build-up by Bach, the beloved hyperactive homie, album sales have twindled and more recently, trickled down to a halt. Granted, record sales are dependant of several factors, but even when considering the era of digital downloads (counterbalanced by the fair reception of the CD leaks), one could say being Axl Rose is not what it used to be.
I don't agree that Axl being on Angel Down in the era of downloading makes him any less of an artist because sales weren't high. GNR fans, fans of Axl downloaded the 3 songs and didn't buy the album. If we could see the download numbers of those songs, I bet it be considerably high. I agree that when this band goes to a non major city, yes ticket sales may be down but it's not like crickets in the audience.
I wouldn't pin the blame on shoddy tour planning solely unto Merck. While he was obviously the one calling a good number of shots (as he was likely the most qualified person in Axl's inner circle to handle this), Merck was also dependant on Axl's commitment. In his own mind, Axl is still very much the rock star he was fifteen years ago. Even though he's had his share of subsequent life experiences, he still enjoys throwing bacchanalian orgies post-show and relishes in having the benefits of a star. He still exercises his prerogative to take the stage only after properly 'zoning' himself, with the correct assumption that his management will shield him from whatever consequences this behavior might have. And he still thinks the record company, along with the rest of the world, will anticipate the new album as much as they did back in 1991.
I really don't believe Axl believes that the anticipation of his album would be that of UYI's. The man knows that now is very different from back then. Regardless, that isn't going to change who he is, although he dresses top notch now. 
Axl Rose is a star he can relish in it. Axl still even tho it's not the late 80's, early 90's, is still very much a rockstar and can and will have the benefits of that no matter if he is selling out places to full capacity or somewhat to capacity. With that said, CD has been mentioned in TV shows, mags, newspapers and forums and internest news sites, he certainly knows there is alot of anticipation for it none the less. Look at what all for forum fans have been bitching about for years, the numbers of CD will certainly surpass Angel Down.
It gets difficult when leaving US soil.
In 2007 he wasn't on US soil and these shows all had high attendance. In Reading the posts that forum members made that live in those areas, the shows seemed to be packed.
The only way to make GNR in any way a viable and respectable modern-day is for them to release an album and establish an identity of their own. In today's market, album sales will hardly be stellar (and certainly nowhere near the numbers AFD churned at the height of the analog age). However, if the music's as good as it seems, Axl still has a few good years of heavy touring available to him, and while never really reclaiming the throne of mainstream music, he may still atleast go out with his Guns blazing and leaving a legacy of little more than a man who could've been a contender.
I do agree that if CD is released, people would be less angry and I do think that more people would then go to the shows and release the anger that's harbored but you have to admit with no album it's like that the tour was sooo bad as people make it out to be that they had to cancel the tour completely.
