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- tejastech08
- Rep: 194
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
AtomsNest:
Actually there was a mention of Mick Wall. I listened to the podcast last night. You must have missed that part. I agree with you that Niven wasn't trashing Axl or anyone other than Doug Goldstein (who deserves it).
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
That is a warped write-up of the interview. Alan does not trash the band. He relays how difficult it was to manage them, which should be of no surprise to anyone. The DJ asked leading questions about Axl, but Alan often deflected. There is no mention of Mick Wall. There was nothing about Axl and Duff not getting along. The write-up is incoherent.
- Asked how the band imploded, who was the most difficult? He deflects, then gets serious. Says in hindsight Axl was misdiagnosed. Compares Axl's behaviour to high functioning Aspergers. He had social differences.
- DJ starts complaining about Axl's lateness. Alan says he hired someone to deal with that and Axl had stage fright. Talks about how difficult it is for singers, how Axl wanted to keep his performances real.
- His role as manager. Didn't feel the need to insert himself, the band was talented. Axl really insightful writer. Slash, stunning today, quality back then. Duff, solid musician with punk ethic.
- People don't get that Izzy is the magic factor that's gone missing. His sense of rhythm playing and the vernacular used in lyrics centred everything. Crucial to GNR. DJ says he thought Axl/Duff/Slash is fine. Alan says no, that's Velvet Roses.
- Izzy will sit on the sidelines until he feels he wants to get his toes in the water. He doesn't like all the drama. Izzy has written with them. (DJ is dumb, and doesn't realise Alan means recently. Totally skips over this important new information.)
- Band has always been unpredictable, how long this reunion lasts is same.
- Slash had no choice but to get sober because of pacemaker. What he has left is sex and playing guitar. Went to visit Slash after spilt with Perla to make sure he's on even keel.
- Hopes they're motivated by genuine rapport and reconciliation, that they have fun together. Asked if they ever had fun.
- During early tour with The Cult. Izzy comes in, slumps down, says he makes us miserable every day. Asked if Axl was main problem. Alan says no, Axl generates what he does, we chose to deal with him.
- They wouldn't want him as manager now. Mainly Axl. They clashed. He has military tradition in family, getting up and getting on. Axl was reluctant to do things and it took him time. Alan hired someone to babysit Axl who turned out be a toxic earwig. Axl and the earwig fired him. Axl finally figured out the earwig, but people have hard time admitting they were wrong in their judgement.
- Axl buying property in Prescott area. Alan worried about bumping into him, but if Axl called for coffee, he'd go. He would talk and reconcile. Axl fired him over the phone. The other band-members wanted to go on tour, if Nivs around I won't do the tour. Same with the GNR name. Axl told them to sign the trademark over, or he won't tour anymore.
- Asked why they'd do the reunion then? Alan hopes it's for the magic and energy. If you're in it for the money, it will fall apart. Didn't get into GNR for money, thought if he held them together, they'd be good underground band.
- He'd go to show if invited. It's difficult because if he hears WTTJ at sports event, hairs on arms stand up. Is taken back to when it was magical. It was a unique and profound experience.
- They can pull off stadiums, but is that the way to go about it. Gotta have two productions that leap-frog, which is expensive. Spoke to Stones agent before Steel Wheels tour. Sees red square on calendar, midway through tour dates, that's the day Stones start to make profit.
- Bowie did more damage to Guns and Alan than ever. He took Axl to dinner, and said reason he and Jagger are so successful is that they're businessmen first, artists second.
- Knowing Axl, do regional residencies. Pick 9 cites around the world, stay there for a month. If it works out, do summer stadiums.
- Spoke to promoter abroad who wants to work with reunion, but every time the the goal posts are moved. Can not predict Coachella.
- Hopes Slash reclaims legacy under the logo, wants him to be happy. Asked if Slash feels lost. Says Slash is very astute and proud of what he's built on his own. DJ cuts in, does Slash hate what guns has become?
- A lot of time wasted. Things that could have been resolved, weren't. His vision and wish was for them to be contemporary Stones. Thought Axl should've become sonic statement like Lennon, Civil War showed that path.
- Hopes people enjoy themselves and see a great rock n roll show.
Thank you for taking the time to compile this for us. 
I just don't feel like listening to this interview as there's only one part which truly interests me (where he talks about Izzy) and sadly the guy didn't realize he had a gold mine there...
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
RaZor wrote:It's no secret him, Axl, n Duff especially don't get along.
Hypothetically this could be true, but it would make no sense at all whatsoever.
Sounds like he's trying to alienate Axl from the person in theory he had the least issues with. Did anyone else hear stories previously about Axl/Duff not getting along?
I think that is meant to translate that Axl & Duff have the biggest problems with Niven, not with each other.
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
AtariLegend wrote:RaZor wrote:It's no secret him, Axl, n Duff especially don't get along.
Hypothetically this could be true, but it would make no sense at all whatsoever.
Sounds like he's trying to alienate Axl from the person in theory he had the least issues with. Did anyone else hear stories previously about Axl/Duff not getting along?
I think that is meant to translate that Axl & Duff have the biggest problems with Niven, not with each other.
That explains alot 
. I did misread.
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
faldor wrote:AtariLegend wrote:Hypothetically this could be true, but it would make no sense at all whatsoever.
Sounds like he's trying to alienate Axl from the person in theory he had the least issues with. Did anyone else hear stories previously about Axl/Duff not getting along?
I think that is meant to translate that Axl & Duff have the biggest problems with Niven, not with each other.
That explains alot
I read it the same way as you the first time, as if a few words were missing. "It's no secret (to) him that Axl and Duff especially don't get along.
But I think what it actually means is that "It's no secret. Axl and Duff especially (as opposed to other members) don't get along with him.
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
Again with this "Axl threatened to not tour" over the band name, which has been discredited many times by NUMEROUS different stories over how he got the name (we may never know the ACTUAL truth about it).
Axl has a story. Niven's timeline matches up with Axl's, but not the version of events. Slash has a version that's similar to Niven's (but then again their buddies). Duff has a completely different version of the events, but it was when he was at his worst substance abuse. Even Matt Sorum claims the not tour story and that he signed his rights over to something he doesn't even have a legal or personal right to, because he's a lying douche.
At this stage, I would only believe Axl or a fucking Judge in an Arbitration case over this goddamn name issue. Ugh.
If Izzy has been quietly working behind the scenes on GNR material then this reunion is going to be unreal. This is different than Chinese...anything they are working on will not be buried by GNR and/or the label.
God let these guys have a King Animal in them.
Ironically GN'R already had a King Animal in them, and it was released in 2008.
The weirdness of it all, was that Chinese was supposed to be this legendary masterpiece that Guns (Axl) HAD to deliver and when it was released, it didn't have a single radio-ready song on it other than Better. Better in 2008 was GNR's version of "Been Away Too Long" basically.
That was it.
This time around is different. The casuals are back. There is going to be an unannouced expectation by the huge rise in fans to old 87-93 levels, that GN'R are returning to their classic sound with Slash back in the band. Anything less will be a massive misstep. Soundgarden were never as big as Guns. SG can get away with a King Animal in a reunion situation.
If GN'R do new music, just like Van Halen with DLR returning, it is going to be expected to return to the classic Guns sound, as well as having a few instant-singles waiting in the wings.
Hopefully this will be less King Animal, and more the GN'R Down On The Upside, Guns N' Roses never released back in 1995.
- Me_Wise_Magic
- Rep: 70
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
Speaking of the mighty Van Halen, Guns have the potential to pull A Different Kind of Truth out of them if it gets confirmed that Izzy is in the studio working on songwriting and demos with some of them before the tour. Especially if they use any material from '95, '96, and Down by the Ocean. ADKoT, most of it, is demos that Van Halen had already cut before the first album; but never released them; so Dave updated the lyrics and vocal styles, Wolfgang got everybody's shit together, and bam...there's the album. It's quite possible if Axl did save those three songs or more then we could get something genuine and a full band collaboration. Moving towards the future; but reflecting the sound of the past.
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
"Been Away Too Long" basically.
Talk about THE perfect comeback single for a GNR reunion....
we may never know the ACTUAL truth about it
This is how I always felt about those issues. Too many differing perspectives and that's why I don't fault Niven for giving his take of the mess.
Can you imagine a GNR movie trying to tackle those moments? Which version of the truth do you go with?
Speaking of the mighty Van Halen, Guns have the potential to pull A Different Kind of Truth out of them if it gets confirmed that Izzy is in the studio working on songwriting and demos with some of them before the tour. Especially if they use any material from '95, '96, and Down by the Ocean. ADKoT, most of it, is demos that Van Halen had already cut before the first album; but never released them; so Dave updated the lyrics and vocal styles, Wolfgang got everybody's shit together, and bam...there's the album. It's quite possible if Axl did save those three songs or more then we could get something genuine and a full band collaboration. Moving towards the future; but reflecting the sound of the past.
Us fanboys always pipe dreamed over GNR tackling that mid 90s stuff that was buried. Would be crazy if it actually came to fruition.
- tejastech08
- Rep: 194
Re: Alan Niven interview 01-08- 2016
Yeah who knows on the name thing. Axl was wrong to put his bandmates in that position but they were stupid to go along with it.
