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- Slash McKagan
- Rep: 11
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
Longtime GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson, who was in the band from 1998 until 2014, says that a partial reunion of the group's classic lineup "will be a healing thing" for the musicians involved.
Stinson, a founding member of the seminal Minneapolis-based rock band THE REPLACEMENTS, last played with GUNS N' ROSES at a 2014 show in Las Vegas.
Asked how he feels about the recently announced reunion of GUNS N' ROSES lead singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, Stinson told The Current: "I think everyone kind of knows where I stand with it all. I left it in a good way. I mean, roughly, I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour; I got into a position, personally, where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing, I don't know — it must have been about five tours that they called me to do, and I just said I can't do 'em. And at that point, they… I think Axl got to the position where he was, like, 'Okay, so what am I going to do now? 'Cause I don't have a band. Blah blah blah.' So I think it worked out. And I think they'll have fun. It will be a healing thing for 'em, if it works out good. It will be good for them."
Pressed on which other members of GUNS N' ROSES are involved in the reunion, Stinson said: "I don't really know. I know that it's Duff and it's Slash and it's Axl, and that's all I know right now."
GUNS N' ROSES — featuring Rose Slash and McKagan — will be one of the first acts to play the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, set to open April 6. They will play at the venue on April 8 and April 9.
Ahead of April's headlining slot at the Coachella Music And Arts Festival, GUNS N' ROSES is also rumored to be planning a secret show in the Los Angeles area next month as a warm-up.
GUNS N' ROSES is reportedly negotiating with promoters to play as many as 25 stadiums in North America this summer. For the tour, GN'R is said to be asking as much as $3 million per show, with tickets topping out in the $250 to $275 range.
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ex-gun … oHm8ZCg.99
- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
So basically Axl's band abandoned him for various reasons so he is forced to bring the boys back. Slash and Duff to save the day!
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
I just hope Paradise City will have some balls again, I loved the new band(s) but Paradise City has been weak as piss since 93. Never got how the new bands could get so much right and yet the climax was so fumbled and feeble. Wonder if Axls gonna turn in that weak ass PC performance like he has for so long, maybe Slash can remind him when the whistle blows, or maybe the Slash N' Duffs pumpin guitars will remind him, either way theres gonnie be a more powerfull force driving the tunes onstage, Axls gotta react... Then I remember how old he is... I'm sure he'll do great, not 93 great, but 2010 great, that would be fuckin amazing.
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
God I love Tommy. I used to give him shit many years ago for his comments but his interviews since CD's release have been incredible. He has told us more than anyone.
"I think everyone kind of knows where I stand with it all. I left it in a good way. I mean, roughly, I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour; I got into a position, personally, where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing, I don't know — it must have been about five tours that they called me to do, and I just said I can't do 'em. And at that point, they… I think Axl got to the position where he was, like, 'Okay, so what am I going to do now? 'Cause I don't have a band. Blah blah blah.' So I think it worked out. And I think they'll have fun. It will be a healing thing for 'em, if it works out good. It will be good for them."
VERY interesting. The reunion essentially happened by a string of quirks of fate(or accident) and not by design. Axl was certainly smart enough to realize that another reboot of the CD era would never work. People were already fed up with the Ashba era of it and of course no new material made it even worse.
Also smart enough to realize that the window for a reunion was closing. Five years ago I said he had a five year window. Now its here.
Tommy's comments also help put into perspective fan confusion over the reunion lineup(s). Still need an official statement of some sort though.
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour; I got into a position, personally, where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing, I don't know — it must have been about five tours that they called me to do, and I just said I can't do 'em.
Tommy refers again to personal reasons as he did in September.
17 years. Ya know, I, the back story on that I don't really want to talk about on air.
What happened with it, it has nothing to do with Axl or any of that stuff. It had more to do with my personal situation. Basically, I played my last gig in Las Vegas with them and had to come home and tend to that the best I could. While Replacement's things were kinda being offered up....
I think that my guess is...that at some point someone is going to call me and tell me what's up with that. Cause we've all left, we've left on friendly terms it not like a bad thing. Another guitar player DJ Ashba I think he "officially" quit to do something but ya know I just, ya know, I had to walk away and take care of my stuff so. Taking care of my stuff, whatever my stuff is.
17 years later, boom. It was a very good gig for me I nothing bad to say.
It's heavy stuff, whatever it is, since Tommy keeps it private. Sounds like a sick family member or something of the sort.
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
That is actually a bit unsettling. He is not bringing back Slash because everything is rosy, but because he's too old and tired to try and put a new band together. Could be a case of planets aligning, or it could be a trainwreck waiting to happen.
If accurate it is interesting that all Axl had to do was make the call and Slash is like "yeah I'm in". Lends further credence to my theory he has always wanted back in the band, from the first day he left.
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
Do you think you and Duff will do more work together?
It's possible. I don't know yet. It depends on scheduling, or what shows Tommy [Stinson] wants to do with the Replacements and stuff like that. And you know, almost everybody in the band has some kind of issue going on, personally. There's people who have lost family members. Other people are dealing with separations. Sometimes court gets in the way. Real life!
That was Axl in April 2014, coming off an SA tour with Duff. Ron had announced his would-be exit. Tommy had his own issues brewing. Duff was there. The curious thing is, there may be a happy coincidence factoring into all this, like incumbent band members opting out of a contract extension.
I've always said that for Axl, the return of Slash and Duff is a new chapter in Guns history instead of a reunion per se. Tommy's lean into that direction as well. Amazing how the new guys get all the press. Where was the buzz when DJ joined? 
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
That is actually a bit unsettling. He is not bringing back Slash because everything is rosy, but because he's too old and tired to try and put a new band together. Could be a case of planets aligning, or it could be a trainwreck waiting to happen.
Agreed but I am hoping that they stick together long enough and the label takes advantage of the buzz and lets them unload that second album. I want it in any scenario. I've reached the point where I'll take it even if Bucket has to be erased from tracks in place of Slash and I'd have never said that years ago. I hate saying it now but its true.
The Ron/Ashba era was frightening but now it doesn't seem so bleak. I highly doubt Ashba did much if anything for CD and Axl could easily remove Ron and it not have any impact whatsoever. Removing Bucket would be worrisome but if anyone can redeem such a move, it's Slash.
I'm not a fan of Tommy being removed from anything either but if he has to, I have no problem with it being Duff.
he has always wanted back in the band, from the first day he left.
Of course. Its because it was all blown completely out of proportion. Taking those GNR demos to Snakepit was fucked up but even worse than that was touring the damn thing as Guns was falling apart. Unreal. Including Gilby in that did him no favors either. Massive tension in the band because of the empty guitarist slot and his answer to that is to bring the just fired GNR member into his side project?
Anyone have the colossal gall to deny he was on drugs at that point? 
Re: TOMMY STINSON: Classic GN'R Reunion 'Will BeHealing Thing' For Them"
Taking those GNR demos to Snakepit was fucked up but even worse than that was touring the damn thing as Guns was falling apart. Unreal. Including Gilby in that did him no favors either. Massive tension in the band because of the empty guitarist slot and his answer to that is to bring the just fired GNR member into his side project?
Anyone have the colossal gall to deny he was on drugs at that point?
Aside that, the berating of Paul Huge in public. Imagine Axl, sitting at home, working on his lawsuits - and reading Slash's press.
"We had this friend of Axl's, Paul, who really couldn't play that well. He played on 'Sympathy for the Devil.' " (Slash, The Michigan Daily, 04/95)
"It really took me off guard. It's not like it was lousy guitar playing or anything; I think it's how it went down." (Slash, Kerrang, 01/95)
"I will probably never forgive Axl for that. But we talked about it." (Slash, Kerrang, 01/95)
"I got really angry, 'cause the main thing is the band, getting the band together. So, it's not like you hire a bunch of session people and make Guns N' Roses, it doesn't work that way." (Slash, Metal Express, 1995)
"Fuckin' asshole. I hate that guy. He didn't work out, so I am not really sure where the fuck that shit's headed. I'll deal with it when I get off the road. (Slash, The Michigan Daily, 04/95)
"We made a deal that if Paul ever plays on anything, then I should at least be told first." (Slash, Kerrang, 01/95)
Axl, in his mind, was working on the betterment of Guns. His childhood friend was willing to help out on song writing and in the studio. Touring, maybe, but Guns was still Axl, Slash and others. Slash goes on and on about the bad calls Axl's made in his perspective, annihilating him. Axl just sits there, fuming. And this is the pre-release press tour, mere months after the Sympathy for the Devil recordings.
Then, Slash goes on tour, IFOCS actually sells about a million copies over time, his solo career starts to warm up... Axl, at home, is likely feeling a ton of anxiety. This when the idea hits him; he responds by dissolving the Guns partnership and starting a new band in his name. That'll show Slash; it'll keep the band together with Axl in the legal helm. They would still do music together, with Paul, they'd work out the kinks. But the Snakepit conundrum would be avoidable.
The irony in this is, both Slash and Axl felt the Snakepit material was a case-example of solid material in jeopardy.
"I said, 'OK,' and took it all back. We've had that happen too many times in Guns, when certain songs just didn't make it, and they would have been killer. I didn't want to lose any more material." (Slash, Rolling Stone, 04/95)
