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- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
ID, Duff has been working to get Slash back for a while. Despite who was in the band, Duff wanted Slash back. If it meant playing the game and going along with DJ and co, he needed to first infiltrate the band. Which he did. THEN, he could slowly start getting Slash back in. And WHAT DO YOU KNOW.... Not long after Duff rejoins, DJ quits (partially due to Sixx), Bumble is gone, Slash too is on his way back. It didn't need to be spoken. The writing was on the wall. For the past 15 years no reunion. Duff rejoins and within months Slash is back. That was a goal of Duff's, no matter what anyone says.
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
Disagree about Freese, his drumming on APC is absolutely phenomenal, also those 99 demos show a real style, and not generic by any means.
You do have a point on APC. On that project he was not a gun for hire tho. In guns he was and as his contract ended so did his involvement. He is not as distinguishable as the others in my opinion, not on Guns, NIN, Slash, Devo, Replacements, etc...
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
ID, Duff has been working to get Slash back for a while. Despite who was in the band, Duff wanted Slash back. If it meant playing the game and going along with DJ and co, he needed to first infiltrate the band. Which he did. THEN, he could slowly start getting Slash back in. And WHAT DO YOU KNOW.... Not long after Duff rejoins, DJ quits (partially due to Sixx), Bumble is gone, Slash too is on his way back. It didn't need to be spoken. The writing was on the wall. For the past 15 years no reunion. Duff rejoins and within months Slash is back. That was a goal of Duff's, no matter what anyone says.
Dude, you're assuming a lot there. DJ didn't quit partially because of Nikki, he left 100% because he was given an ultimatum, Sixx AM or Guns. He picked the former; a more stable situation where he'd make more money from touring, writing, recording and producing, things that were not guaranteed with Guns.
The little I've heard says both Duff and Slash have wanted back in for YEARS. You're making up a lot of scenerios in your head, with what you were assuming or hoping was in Duff's head. They nearly had a replacement for Ron before DJ left that wasn't Slash.The truth is, Duff would have continued on with DJ in the band, or whoever else was brought in. The best case scenario worked out, and it was inevitable IMO that they both came back into the fold.
- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
ID, you just repeated what I just said. I said Duff would be in Guns with out Slash to get Slash and you agree. Turns out folks left and it worked out. But Duff wanted Slash back in. And why wouldn't he?
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
Axlin16 wrote:I don't buy any of this, including Axl's preference of Frank. If Axl is willing to show Tommy fucking Stinson the door, with ease, for Duff McKagan, then he would have no problem showing the door to Frank, if necessary. I mean I think Frank's the best, but come on, this is a reunion we're talking about.
Only from what I heard, so take it how you want, Frank does matter to Axl. Even going by what has been said in public, when no one else knew what was going on when DJ blindsided them and quit, Frank was the one who heard from Axl that everything was cool, plans were set -- in the two weeks between DJ telling Axl he quit, and tweeting his note to the public, Slash knew DJ was gone, Slash wanted to rejoin the band and had squashed the feud, so its very likely Slash was in before we saw that note -- and to say it again, this isn't so much a reunion than a rebranding. Duff and Slash rejoined the band with Richard, Frank and Mother Goose. If we stop calling it a reunion it will make a lot more sense.
And Tommy simply left the band to reform The Mats and The Replacements, which imploded. Duff was already in before Slash, he came in to replace Tommy when he left. He was going to be the bassist when DJ was still in the band. Axl never showed Tommy the door.
Yeah, but if that was true, Axl would've never even bothered having Tommy come back. He did. Duff apparently wasn't "in". Duff came in, rehearsed with Tommy, Duff came in fully and performed GN'R classics + CD songs, then left, and Tommy returned.
The only hang up, that I felt, was when Duff was purposely used on the Revolver Golden Gods show that was nationally telecast, Duff was used as GNR's bassist. THAT is when I knew something was up, and Duff was probably going to be a lock for a perminate return. Axl didn't give a shit (with all respect) what Tommy was doing. He had already made up his mind that Duff was coming back. Why go through all the trouble? In hindsight, all of that 2014 leg with Duff looked like a dry run for Axl and reforming true Guns. Duff got along amazingly with the band and played seemlessly with them, imo because all of old GN'R have similar tastes and influences in musicians.
I do agree that, like Eddie Trunk alluded to, it's not a traditional reunion, and the band have not once referred to it as such. The media has. I always knew this day would come, and said it for years (the merging of old Guns into new Guns, and selling it as a reunion/reboot), but at the same time, 99% of people are going to call/see this as a reunion, because Slash is there.
I wonder if Axl was fine with going to Coachella and moving on with Guns with Axl, Slash, Richard, Duff, Frank, Dizzy & Chris, and didn't think anything beyond that, until the media went nuts and hyped up GN'R to the point they could command $3-4 million a show, just based off of media hype. I also wonder if the media pressure has forced his hand to bring Izzy, Steven & Matt in on this and that was never really the plan to begin with.
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
ID, you just repeated what I just said. I said Duff would be in Guns with out Slash to get Slash and you agree. Turns out folks left and it worked out. But Duff wanted Slash back in. And why wouldn't he?
Because Slash was not a requirement to Duff to perform for Axl. ID is right. Everything i've ever heard said Slash & Duff have wanted back in for years. Despite the success of Slash's solo work, it IS NOT Guns! Slash will never come out and admit this, but slick Axl wasn't so stupid when he secured that band name years ago. He might as well had a "guarantee of work" slip by the Gods of rock. Slash & Duff didn't see the LACK of work around the bend.
For example, look HOW LITTLE Axl has worked. Ok, look HOW MUCH Slash & Duff worked. Yet, after 23 years, Axl is still on an even-footing with the two. Why? Because Axl didn't have to work -- he had the band name. It might be sleezy of Axl, but it's also the same aspects that Billy Corgan knew, Trent Reznor, David Coverdale, Rob Zombie (even though he did retire the White Zombie name, he basically continued the band as a solo project).
Even Alice In Chains back in the day acted like AIC wouldn't go on without the sum of all their parts. Layne tried to start another band, and Jerry tried to have a solo career, and yet still without their frontman... they revived AIC, and Jerry hasn't looked back since. Alot of people called him a scab, and yet he just continued his solo albums on, but called "Alice In Chains", and they were great and sold gangbusters. Now had he released those EXACT SAME ALBUMS, as "Jerry Cantrell". Nobody would've gave a fuck. There are some FANTASTIC songs on Boggy Depot & Degredation Trip, and yet nobody talks about those records in comparison to AIC.
Slash & Duff learned this lesson the hard way. It was the same problem with Velvet Revolver. Slash & Duff thought by shelving VR, they could make the brand name appreciate, and it didn't. They needed Scott, as much as Scott needed them, and certainly Matt. Look how Matt has done NOTHING since Slash & Duff "decided" to end VR because they wanted to focus on their solo careers/bands.
That was a load of horseshit. VR ended, because they couldn't tell with a junkie frontman anymore, not to mention, i'm still convinced that GOD AWFUL follow-up album Libertad, that had no singles on it, effectively killed the band worse than any spoonful of smack. It ran its course, and it died, and to this day Slash & Duff refuse to refer to it as a dead project (although with this GN'R thing and Scott's death, maybe they will finally come around).
Slash & Duff had that brand name to use, but it was NOT Guns N' Roses... and they knew it.
All of these reasons, and some i've added and elaborated on myself, are what I know and why Slash & Duff have wanted back in GN'R for years. They know how much money Axl is offered every year to reunite, and he turns it down. They want to make more money, so they don't have to tour.
Slash had some success. But look at Duff. Duff's post-GN'R/pre-VR & post-VR/pre-GN'R return, was a complete and utter bomb. Loaded was a flop. Can we say that now? The music was largely forgettable and didn't catch on. Can we say that now? Since 2010, Duff had probably been knocking on that door, and honestly to this day I don't buy for one second Axl & Duff's story of how Duff appearing in London in 2010 came to be. I still think it was all a work to test the waters. I find it curious, that Duff played rhythm guitar on songs. I always wonder if they were kicking the tires on some re-configuration of GN'R that kept Tommy involved, and still brought back Duff.
Finally it worked in 2014 when Tommy went back to The Replacements, and i'm sure GNR's camp probably tripped trying to get to that phone quick enough to get Duff on the phone. And Duff was glad to accept the charges.
I don't think Duff brought back Slash. Slash brought back Slash. Duff, imo, would've been A-OKAY performing full-time and returning full-time in GN'R with DJ Ashba on lead guitar and Steve Vai on lead guitar 2, or whoever the fuck they would've brought in to replace Bucket. He didn't care.
I'm sure these guys are overjoyed to be back together. But this is STILL about the money, and Slash & Duff learned after QUITTING GN'R, that the grass isn't always greener. They're older now, less secure (not more), and know now what it's like to think "i've got nothing to do or go play at... well... I guess it's back to heroin for me"
That could be a concern as well. Slash & Duff don't have a problem in the world touring the world with The Conspirators or Loaded, but having that brand name, that guaranteed milking cow in your back pasture, makes for alot of security, and they had hoped that would be Velvet Revolver. But it flamed out, and it was fucking done... WAYYYYY before Weiland died. They had no choice left but to go back to GN'R.
Both parties are probably happy for multiple different reasons to have each other back into the fold, and with all of what I said above, is probably the reason none of the negative shit will ever see the light of day. These guys are going to pick up where they left off and just forget the sins of the past imo.
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
Brain: his personal style doesn't merge well with Old Gnr material, as he is a more funky fusion drummer, not much a hard rock type.
Uh huh.
Brain struggled since Day 1 of his audition, as he was trying out with a fusion setup. Then, he just scaled it down and started hammering. That shift to straight-laced power drumming is how he found a way to cope with the back catalogue. More than once, Axl singled him out after they played November Rain live. 'Good old Brain, bashing the hell out of a love song,' etc.
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
The Mole, I am very impressed with your drum analytics! What about Sorum? Is he a human metronome? Frank?
Don't be... I'm not a drummer, I know just about enough to get a good dynamic recording out of a drummer. Having said that, I agree almost entirely with Otto's assessment of the three drummers. I do feel that Matt gets way more flack than he deserves. I would actually prefer him over Adler (Frank as well, by the way). But then again, I was 11 years old when Adler was kicked out, so I've grown up with Sorum's drumming mostly.
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
otto wrote:Brain: his personal style doesn't merge well with Old Gnr material, as he is a more funky fusion drummer, not much a hard rock type.
Uh huh.
Brain struggled since Day 1 of his audition, as he was trying out with a fusion setup. Then, he just scaled it down and started hammering. That shift to straight-laced power drumming is how he found a way to cope with the back catalogue. More than once, Axl singled him out after they played November Rain live. 'Good old Brain, bashing the hell out of a love song,' etc.
I recognize Brain has amazing skills, but it bothered me to no end that a lot of the mid-tempo songs sounded really rushed when he played them live.
Re: Looks like rehearsals have started!
The Mole, I don't think the average fan has your expert ear. Axl is often flat or sharp, Slash sometimes can be loose or flub a note here and there. I couldn't hear anything terrible with Adler's drumming but I don't have a trained ear for drumming. If we hold Adler to those standards should we hold Slash and Axl to the same? None of those guys are going to ever do a perfect gig.
Not really, I'm not expecting or even hoping for perfection. But speaking from experience, nothing is more frustrating than a drummer that doesn't keep time will when playing live, especially if he's all over the place in a single song. When Axl fucks up a note, or Slash fumbles a riff or solo it only affects their part. If the drummer fucks up his timing, it affects the entire band. The drums need to be super tight, other instruments not so much.
