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Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
Izzy doesn't make any sense. His departure was not wanting to be around drugs, the pressure of a big band and the many incidents with Axl. Nor has Axl kept much of a grudge towards him. Izzy leaving the band did not impact GN'R except for the writing aspect, not something Axl's ego cared about then or now.
Slash on the other hand left the band partly because he didn't want to play anything other than old school hard rock. He wanted to keep it real and not deal with all that computer shit. Him leaving ended GN'R as a band and turned world opinion against Axl. As we know Axl had a massive hard on for decades because of it.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
I'm convinced that Hardschool is about Slash. It's like Axl's version about Slash's "trial period," as he expressed it in the forum chats, as well as his 1996 fax (and the sentiments behind them), made into a song:
Axl, prompted by the label and his legal team, made every sincere effort to keep Slash in the band, hence the "trial period" ("All cautions made..."). And if Slash had made the effort, too, Axl wouldn't hesitate to "extend himself" and forgive him and his "lies." He thought that Slash would be "more of a man" and wouldn't "throw it all away." But Slash "had to play it cool," do it his own way, and quit. Axl saw Slash's quitting as a strategic power play move - and it probably really was, at least to an extent - to make him cave in and retract from taking legal control of the band: Slash didn't think that Axl would seriously continue without him, so he'd call him back and he could return under better terms. But Axl wasn't going to cave in. He wouldn't let Slash win have it his way; if he wanted back, that would be in Axl's terms. Slash said he quit and pretended to be cool about it? He'd show him now. So "You thought you were here to stay"? He sent that fax telling him that yes, he'd make a record without him.
Izzy's departure affected Axl a lot, too, both personally and in regards to the band*, but their falling out wasn't so deep, and they kept trying to reach out to each other.
* Actually, at the time, Axl was probably the only one who was fully aware of the long-term negative effect Izzy's absence would have in the band, especially in the writing process; Slash realised that, and Izzy's role as a balancing factor in the band's dynamics, only later, when time came to make a record; he had thought that they'd have been fine making an album with Gilby, like the Snakepit album.
When Izzy left, he and Axl had a long phone conversation, where they agreed that Izzy would go back to write with the band and that they'd meet to discuss that further in person - it was probably then that the idea of a more "fluid" version of the band, more of a project than a conventional band, had started taking shape in Axl's head: since Izzy's issues had mainly to do with the tour, the band could write with him and tour with someone else. But, in the meantime, there were words, Izzy said something to Duff about Axl, Axl heard about it and got angry, so when Izzy went over to Axl's house to talk, Axl threw him out. Izzy went back for the 1993 shows, he asked for money he said he was owed, and had another falling out with Axl and Slash. Then in 1995, Duff, who was the only one who had kept in touch with Izzy during that whole time, invited him to write some songs for GnR, and Axl and Izzy reconciled there for a minute, but fell out again after a conversation over the reasons Izzy had quit and allegedly Axl digging up stuff said 15 years ago. Sometime in 1999 Izzy knocked on Axl's door and wasn't let in. But, about a year later, Axl reached out to Izzy asking him to play in Rock in Rio and, some time later, for the 1995 demos. They started talking at some point in late 2005.
- monkeychow
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Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
Great posts.
I always think Axl writes about emotional concepts as they pertain across relationships. So like a song might be thematically about betrayal - and then it may have aspects of a lover betraying, a friend betraying, a time a person betrayed themselves etc. Or it might be about loss and it will be about all the different ways in which loss has been experienced.
So in that way I think something like hardskool can be about Izzy, Slash, maybe also himself or others all at once.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
Izzy doesn't make any sense. His departure was not wanting to be around drugs, the pressure of a big band and the many incidents with Axl. Nor has Axl kept much of a grudge towards him. Izzy leaving the band did not impact GN'R except for the writing aspect, not something Axl's ego cared about then or now.
Slash on the other hand left the band partly because he didn't want to play anything other than old school hard rock. He wanted to keep it real and not deal with all that computer shit. Him leaving ended GN'R as a band and turned world opinion against Axl. As we know Axl had a massive hard on for decades because of it.
That's not how Axl took his departure, how devastated he was, and it's clear with how he still talks about Izzy (Izzy is how he is) that Axl doesn't share the same sentiments about Izzy and their history some forum fans do. The "cool" part always stands out to me.
It very well could have been both, but .... I don't think Axl was as understanding towards Izzy leaving as people might think.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
polluxlm wrote:Izzy doesn't make any sense. His departure was not wanting to be around drugs, the pressure of a big band and the many incidents with Axl. Nor has Axl kept much of a grudge towards him. Izzy leaving the band did not impact GN'R except for the writing aspect, not something Axl's ego cared about then or now.
Slash on the other hand left the band partly because he didn't want to play anything other than old school hard rock. He wanted to keep it real and not deal with all that computer shit. Him leaving ended GN'R as a band and turned world opinion against Axl. As we know Axl had a massive hard on for decades because of it.
That's not how Axl took his departure, how devastated he was, and it's clear with how he still talks about Izzy (Izzy is how he is) that Axl doesn't share the same sentiments about Izzy and their history some forum fans do. The "cool" part always stands out to me.
It very well could have been both, but .... I don't think Axl was as understanding towards Izzy leaving as people might think.
The "cool" part, yes... Izzy has been often been described as being "cool." But "play it" cool? I don't think Axl would say that about him. Izzy didn't "play it" cool, he was just Izzy.
On the other hand, Slash was the one, who, according to Marc Canter, would say things "to look cool," like pretend he was above caring about something, even though he did in reality.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
I don't remember which magazine...too many years and drugs ago... maybe RS or RIP....Axl talked about how devastating Izzy's departure was. He couldn't forgive him for it.
He knew how vital Izzy was. Izzy was his Keith Richards. Nothing was ever the same after he left. It still isn't and we're coming up on the 30th anniversary of his departure.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
I don't remember which magazine...too many years and drugs ago... maybe RS or RIP....Axl talked about how devastating Izzy's departure was. He couldn't forgive him for it.
He knew how vital Izzy was. Izzy was his Keith Richards. Nothing was ever the same after he left. It still isn't and we're coming up on the 30th anniversary of his departure.
Which is one of the reasons why he (Axl) has only released one album in 30 years. He was the glue to the band.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
James wrote:I don't remember which magazine...too many years and drugs ago... maybe RS or RIP....Axl talked about how devastating Izzy's departure was. He couldn't forgive him for it.
He knew how vital Izzy was. Izzy was his Keith Richards. Nothing was ever the same after he left. It still isn't and we're coming up on the 30th anniversary of his departure.
Which is one of the reasons why he (Axl) has only released one album in 30 years. He was the glue to the band.
It was the equivalent of Keith Richards bailing out of the Stones after Exile On Main St.
Imagine that alternate universe.....
Look at all the albums that wouldn't exist.
Goats Head Soup through Voodoo Lounge do not exist....Jagger does Bridges To Babylon and they reunite years later for A Bigger Bang.
A scary thought.
That's what GNR and its fans endured.
Re: GN'R 2021 Tour Thread
They don't promote shit here in northern California. I had no idea until an hour ago they're playing in Napa tonight. I mean yeah....tour dates on GNR sites obviously...but if you're not looking at tour dates specifically, you'd have no idea they're playing here.
