Here Today... Gone To Hell!

The Guns N' Roses singer says new music will come sooner than the band's long-awaited 'Chinese Democracy' did.
Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY

(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2012/10/30/xxx_axl-rose-mus-jy-3795_52413769-4_3_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec)
photo by Katarina Benzova


9:18PM EDT October 30. 2012 - Few front men in rock 'n' roll have been as controversial, sensationalized or polarizing as Axl Rose, who suffered sexual and physical abuse in childhood, led Guns N' Roses to global fame starting with 1987's Appetite for Destruction and engineered its collapse a few years later. He spent years in seclusion hiring and firing new players while tinkering endlessly on 2008's Chinese Democracy. His current GNR lineup takes the stage Wednesday night in the first of a dozen shows at The Joint in Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. In a rare interview, the press-leery Rose shares his thoughts on Guns now and then, old wounds and the music industry.

New music: "All the guys are writing, and we recorded a lot of songs over the years. We'll figure out what we feel best about. Chinese was done in piecemeal with one person here and one there at different times. Appetite for Destruction was the only thing written with lyrics and melody fitting the guitar parts at the same time. After that, I got a barrage of guitar songs that I was supposed to put words to, and I don't know if that was the best thing for Guns. I do want to lean more toward lyrics and melody."

The long wait for Chinese Democracy: "I had to deal with so many other things that don't have to do with music but have to do with the industry. There's such a loss of time. It was more about survival. There wasn't anyone to work with or trust. Someone would come in to help produce and the reality was they just wanted to mix it and get it out the door. They had a different agenda. (The next album) will come out sooner."

INTERVIEW: Axl Rose on time, on task for Vegas residency (http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2012/10/30/axl-rose-exclusive-interview-gnr-vegas-residency/1669311/)

Songwriting slump: Supermodel girlfriend Stephanie Seymour and original Guns guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan "did more damage to my ability as a writer. To those three, it was all crap. It beat me down so much. At the time of the (Use Your Illusion) tours, Slash and Duff said, 'You're an idiot, you're a loser.' I didn't write for years. I felt I was hindered for a very long time. I was also trying to figure out what I wanted to say, when it's right to be venting and when you're digging a bigger hole. Lyrics on Chinese took a long time."

Good times with GNR: "Here's what I miss about old Guns the most. And this is really before we got Appetite out. In the very beginning, you had three people (Rose, Slash and guitarist Izzy Stradlin) on the same page for a short period looking out for the best interest of that band and its goals. We were trying to get signed from the beginning. We were figuring out the right attorney, the right label. I had two other guys I could rely on. I don't necessarily have that now because it is more my thing, but I do ask everyone's opinion about everything."

How the original band might have lasted: "Maybe if we could have worked together in the way Appetite was put together. I was really na?ve. I thought the success of that record would bring everyone together more. It did the exact opposite. They got success and wanted to run in their own directions. I thought they'd go, 'Whoa, it did work.' But they wanted to do their own huge bigger success off of Guns."

The odds of a Guns truce: "I feel that ball's not in my court. I'm surviving this war, not the one who created this war."

The music industry now: "It's horrible. It has nothing to do with music. I'm not trying to be bitter or cynical, but it's an ugly business. People want you to care about them or their lives, their kids, but in the end, you're just a commodity. I don't feel that way about this Guns lineup. I'm not trying to use them. I have to treat it like a business, but I don't want to make decisions that are detrimental to anyone's welfare."

Skipping the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction: "It wasn't painful to not be there. It was a beating to deal with all the pressure of feeling I was supposed to be there and deciding what to do. I try to be respectful about getting an honor or recognition, but I don't really know what the Rock Hall actually is. In my experience with the people who run it, I don't see it having to do with anything other than them making money."

Seclusion and ducking the media: "I just didn't go places where media was. I wasn't interested at the time. If the place to go was some restaurant in Hollywood, I went to the Valley. There was so much negativity, I didn't see any way to go public. I felt I was going to be slammed. The rock entertainment world just wanted to sell magazines."

Psychological issues: "I worked out a lot of them. It was strange to get successful and lose almost your entire family. Then you end up with daytime TV talk shows. All of a sudden, things considered horrific when I was growing up were so what? You were abused? Who cares? There should be more of a public acknowledgement of reality. When I talked to Rolling Stone about it, I thought people would take a harder look at my stepdad. Instead, they came down harder on me. That's still confusing to me. But surviving at any level is good. I'm a lot better than a lot of people predicted. They were rooting for the opposite. There were things on the Internet about how I'd be found dead. I had a very dark attitude."

Free time: "I go to movies, go out with friends, go to car shows. I have a zoo. My animals (wolves, parrots, dogs, cats) are my buddies. They need lots of love and attention."

Fans who discount GNR as less legitimate than the original: "They can think whatever they want. I'm not interested in their opinions."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2012/10/30/axl-rose-on-gnr-music-more/1669329/

Always great to see an Axl interview! Thanks!

Strange to see him talking shit about duff after they patched things up, but the truth has to come out i suppose. i just dunno if Duff would be that kind of person.

Regardless


i love this quote and i haven't written in here in ages but this has to be the best axl quote in a long time

Fans who discount GNR as less legitimate than the original: "They can think whatever they want. I'm not interested in their opinions."

I don't see that as being that much different than what Duff said about him in his book. I think they both criticized each other. Although, I agree. I was surprised to see Axl discuss Duff in a negative context.

Ali

I don't think it was negative. You got to remember both Slash and Duff were battling addictions at the time.  Axl and Duff are friends obviously, since Loaded opened shows for Guns. 

I don't think they're AS good of friends after the whole Hall of Fame thing.  Obviously I don't know that for a fact, just the vibe I get.  Not that they would have anyway, but I don't think they've spoken since then.  At least not that is commonly known to the public.

Why would the public know of any emails or texts sent between them?

I get what you're saying, but how would we know for sure either way?

Ali

I don't think it's negative...
I used to battle some people almost every day in my early days...Today some of them are my best friend. But remembering those times I can say i truly hated them, and they know it. It's just telling the story for what it is or for what it was. Maybe Axl should choose better words sometimes, but I don't think it would change anything, because media put down people's word as they want, misleading concepts etc..

Wow very nice too hear from Axl. Good questions with straight answers. Very proud of you Axl.

What an interview, and a lot more open and less guarded than other Axl interviews. I thank Axl for doing this, it must if been a horrible period for him between 94-2000. I'm glad he is honest about how low he got, and I can't believe what Duff and Slash said to him, how horrible..... my favourite part is simply this. The odds of a Guns truce: "I feel that ball's not in my court. I'm surviving this war, not the one who created this war."  :yes:

great axl interview, he sounds like his head is totally on straight and he's at peace now. hope he does more media like this!! and keen to finally hear that new music is coming from the horses mouth. still a bit of revisionism there im guessing with the purported slash/duff abuse.

I clearly said I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE of if they've talked since.  Just calling it like I see it.  I also clearly said, even if they haven't talked since then, it doesn't necessarily indicate they're no longer friends because even friends can go months without talking to each other.  Again, just the vibe I get being completely removed from the situation.  Obviously I don't know for sure.

I liked the Kimmel interview better. The one where he didn't bash former band members.  :-\

My point is if we don't know for sure if they've talked or not, or if the frequency of communication has changed, what are you basing that vibe off? Honestly, I'm curious. Was there a comment by Duff in an interview that I missed.

I understand why one may think there may be some awkwardness there after the HOF ceremony.

Ali

^My two cents on the above spat - I remember reading a Baz quote a couple of months ago that when he talks to Axl, Duff gets mad and when he talks to Duff, Axl gets mad.  So if you believe that - then there still might be some friction... but seriously what difference does it make?  This isn't really big news.

He did not shit on Duff, he answered the reason why he stopped writing for a long time. He does not have a problem with Duff at all. He was asked a question and he answered.

I can assure you that Axl never got mad at Baz for talking to Duff and I don't see Duff getting mad at Baz for talking to Axl. There is no friction between them. Each one is doing their thing. I am sure Baz was joking.

But it is ok when he is bashed by former band members right? All he did was to answer one question and I am glad he did.

great read!  :)

Nice interview.Honest and the truth no matter what,as always from Axl.
Telling the truth don't necessarily mean talking shit about former band mates.Plus, what the hell do we think we know ?
Peace  :peace:

I certainly did not take it as he having a problem with Duff.  I thought it was more along the lines of the stuff that was going on in his life and how it affected his ability to write.  

Ali

Well he may have been joking and I hope he was - but just so people don't think I'm making stuff up, the quote was:

?When I stick up for Axl, Duff gets mad at me. When I stick up for Duff, Axl gets mad at me. It?s totally true.?

And the full article is at:

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/sebastian-bach-caught-in-guns-nroses-crossfire/

Great read.

Of course some get a bit upset when Axl answers questions and the answer isn't to their liking....  ::)




/jarmo

I don't think it's whether people liked or not liked it. I think people are just misinterpreting some of the things Axl commented on.

This really is a great interview.

The man has done two interviews in a week and a bunch of "fans" are all upset over even little thing about both of them. And people wonder why Axl stays away from interviews.  :hihi:

I would like to see more interviews like this to be honest, ones which asks questions that fans want to be asked. And as long as Axl has time to think about the answers rather than it being a live radio interview or something, he don't seem to mind answering questions as personal or 'on the spot' as these.

I know that even Axl has his limits about what he's comfortable answering, but I feel alot of people are sometimes scared to even ask. As a fan, I enjoyed the Kimmel interview much more than the Talking Metal one, simply because Eddie seemed on edge all the time, as if he was afraid to ask 'the wrong' thing. Where as Jimmy was laid back and seemed comfortable asking Axl questions, and I felt that Axl had alot more fun because of the 'feel' of the interview also.

Hope Axl considers carrying on these interviews, they are fun to read.

Couldn't agree more, Eddie however it has to be said was the first in a very long time to get an interview, so could see how this would impact on his line of questioning.  Eddie was the "tentative toe in the water" to Jimmy's "wade into the water" if you see what I mean.  As for the Duff and Axl disagreements of the mid 90's.  Both Axl has said and Duff also (words to the effect) that they were of a mindset that was both about looking after themselves and that, for whatever reason, weren't in the best place to be making the decisions for the continuation of the UYI's line-up.  Nobody has taken umbridge in regards in both Axl's and Duff's version of their truth and as such they are able to continue a friendship that is comparable to the Axl/Izzy one. 

One thing that stand tall in their friendship is that they haven't gotten into a public war of words.  That can't be said of two of the other band members of the AFD line-up, who have history in regards making capital from their "insider" knowledge of Axl and have voiced this to service their own agenda. 

I enjoyed reading this interview a lot. Axl was honest and he answered the questions many fans are interested in.

As a huge animal lover it made me happy to read about Axl's zoo and that his animals are his buddies  ;D I've always thought people who love animals and takes care of them are very loving and emotional people  : ok:

In my defense - I wasn't even commenting on the interview, I was just trying to figure out why faldor 'had a vibe' that there may be something amiss between Duff & Axl, but Beta cleared that up.   :peace:

I'm just happy he's doing some interviews finally ... I was not happy when he was out of the limelight for so long.

It's not exactly a matter of the answer not being to somebody's liking. I just wish the interviews didn't have to go to that place about tension with former members. But I understand Axl gets asked a question and answers so that's where it goes unfortunately.

Finally a Fucking Great Interview.... Finally!

Been wanting to read an interview like this for years... good god!

Liked what Axl had to say!  : ok:

I don't think Axl is that negative about a reunion, i think he feels that there were people that didn't respect him and owes him an apology and didn't, and i think that's what made the whole reuniting thing back in 1997,98 look like an impossible thing to do.

If Slash went to Axl's house today (sober), i think they would end up having a good talk and dinner together, and they would patch up things.

The reunion is more about Izzy... Izzy is nowhere to be found, of all the members he seems like the one who has never been interested in a Guns N'Roses reunion, cause he just wants to do his own thing... and what would a reunion mean without Izzy...

I'm not really sure how your reading that into what Axl said.. Axl gas repeatedly made his stance on Slash & a reunion clear. He called the man a cancer and said he would not share a stage with him again. I don't think dinner is on anyone's mind.

Now, you sure can speculate.
What? Its more about Izzy? He is the one that HAVE reunited with GNR, and often show up with the band.  

im starting to get tired of this reunion subject.

im perfectly happy with gnr today and i dont want to see any of them sellout (yes i think it would be a big sellout)

and even if a reunion would happen it would be far from what it was 20 years ago

however i think ?ts great that some old guys do special appaerences.


and i dont really ?care what slash is doing these days.

I agree with all of this

Fucking bullshit. Ass wipe go fuck yourself. A deluded wanker who should go play with the fucking traffic. I guess you are the living memory of Slash's last fix, if bullshit were brains you'd still have an IQ of 3...

Great to (finally) read an interview with the man. Axl is a bear!
 : ok:
 :peace:

Where the fuck do you get all this from?

People like you shouldn't be allowed to own a keyboard. Go live in your delusional fantasy world and stop making shit up already.

No direct comments from Duff that I can think of.  Just basing off what he said at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.  He never really referenced Axl by name.  At least not that I remember.  It just seemed to me that Duff, among others, was upset with how things unfolded in that arena.  That's all really.  I'm sure he'll get over it, if he even had a problem with it in the first place.  Again, total speculation on my part.

And for the record, I don't think Axl has any problem with Duff and I have no problem with what he said, and I'm sure Duff wouldn't think it's a big deal either.  Lots of stuff was said and done back in the early 90's that I'm sure they all regret, or forget.

I just don't understand why people have to dissect and try and read between the lines on every interview Axl or any of the OG line up. Just take it for what it is, he's answering a question to the best of his knowledge. He's not beating around the bush, just straight up answers. You can tell there's not any hate in it by his answers. He talks of the past just as it is, the past. He talks about the present and future as they in the sense. Just enjoy ans comment on what you like or dislike but this whole trying to read between the lines or get in his head and just plain lame.

I'm tired of the reunion crap. I like Bumblefoot, and Tommy, and DJ and the rest. Let them do their thing!

If Axl doesn't speak, people complain he doesn't give interviews. If he speaks, people start reading in between the lines to find one million hidden messages n' meanings n' they also complain. I can't understand why some people act like this. Anyway I wish he talks more n' more over the next months / years so people in general will finally realize more about the truth of many facts that were manipulated by many negative people (almost all former members included). The coolest thing of the Kimmel interview is that the viewers in general aren't rock n' roll / heavy metal fans but regular people - it's good to spread this image of Axl. It's the Axl many of us fans already met n' know how cool he is, but most people still think otherwise. Hopefully the future will change the way the world sees Axl. And he deserves that !

It is a huge double standard....in all ways

its true... people complain he doesnt speak... then people complain about what he said...

but the same goes when people here complain about refereincing the past with Guns N Roses...

but when Axl Rose references the past all the time when he does speak... what do you expect ?

its ok for Axl to speak negatively about the old guys...but if one of them does it about him... its well they are wrong ha , and vice versa

its quite comical

im an Axl Rose fan... the singer..and thats that... cant wait for next week and my trip to Vegas... thats all it should be...

short but great interview, straight questions, straight answers, I hope we'll have
more soon, it's always nice to have Axl's side of the story.

I was shocked by Slash/Duff/Stephanie comments about Axl's abilities, really.
and I'm a long time Guns N'Roses fan.

So Slash is to blame for his songwriting block now? And in the Edddie Trunk interview, Slash was to blame for him going on late? He's been out of the band 16 years, I mean, come on already-I like Axl but it the record company's fault, Slash, now Duff, Stephanie Seymore..

i am glad he did too, but to be fair beta - former band members haven't bashed him in a very long time, they've been nothing but complimentary. and its not ok when they bash

Its a confidence thing, you only have to look at a sportsman in a team game, some need a bashing to get going, others need an arm around them and words of encouragement, Axl's the latter.   :yes:

Slash & Co bashed Axl for 15 fucking years and now it's a problem because Axl talks freely too?

It's not a question of "at the moment they don't bash Axl" it's a question of balance and truth.

he said... she said... thats all this is... it will go on forever ... they are all famous based on waht they did together...adn people will always ask them about it (which is why its comical when people are critical of them of asnwering the questions)

but at least Duff has openly admitted his fault in it all and his place and even Slash has even admitted a lot of the negativity is probably his fault ( im not defending Slash, he has repeatedly shown he is a fraud)

but that cant be said for Axl ... with him... nothing is ever his fault or a result of his own actions...

im sorry its too easy to blame them and his ex girlfriend of 16 years  for him not being able to write lyrics ... im sure he might think that... im not saying hes making it up.... but its like...really ?

I really like this interview. It wass incredibly honest, and very human. In many regards, it was a good second interview to do after the Kimmel interview, because you get to see two different sides of Axl.

As for the Duff question, I see no malice in what Axl is saying, he is merely reporting what happened at the time, and what effect it had on him. It is amazing to think, really, how much influence those around us can have on our lives and how, very often, you never see this until years later.

Yes, Duff has owned up to his part in the break up and kudos to him for that, but when did Slash ever admit to being wrong or making mistakes? I have never ever read a quote from him or heard him say he was to blame for what went wrong just as much as Axl (in Slash's opinion) was. If there is a quote out there with him saying that please show it to me because I would love to read it. The only thing I've ever seen him do is point the finger at Axl just like he also did with Scott Weiland.

i couldnt show you a quote... i just remember Slash admitting in an interview that a lot of the friction and negativity between the two was in part his fault... i also remember him saying when VR started he was still bitter in his responses to interviews which didnt help in any chance of reconciliation

i might be completely wrong... but i dont think so



as always Duff comes off looking like a true class act compared to the other two in my opinion anyway .. so i guess i wish he hadnt brought him up again... ha

but back to Axl's words... i believe the friction between all of them certainly didnt help his creative process.... i think we all work better when we are stress free...regardless of what we do

i just find it troubling that they call him stupid and a loser (its hard to picture that)...and that this is where we are...

but as a fan... i can only hope he talks more and more... fun to have the insight (no matter what it is) about what he thinks

Exactly, we don't know.  You just have an entire thread here of people assuming that everything Axl says is always the truth.  The real "truth" is that there is no "truth" when it comes to people's perspective.  It's exactly that: Axl's perspective, which may be sullied with rhetoric, hyberbole, or exaggerated aspects that he uses just to make his point.  Yeah, it may be "true" in his mind which means he may not be technically "lying" but that doesn't make it according-to-Hoyle, proveable scientific fact.


Indeed.

I find it amazing that, for a guy who continuously tells people not to ask him about Slash or the original lineup, Axl keeps bringing them up.  Slash and Duff have been gone from Guns N Roses for 15-16 years, yet somehow it's currently relevant for Axl to discuss writer's block at their hands that allegedly occurred 20 years ago.  As for Stephanie Seymour, ha!  All I will say is that I've read her sworn deposition on how Axl treated her and it was a whole lot worse than writer's block she allegedly gave him.  But I would undoubtedly get banned if I went into those stories here, because I've certainly come to learn that "honesty" -- by any definition -- is only appreciated around here when Axl is the one talking.


Nobody referenced Axl by name at the Hall of Fame - which is what Axl clearly stated he wished for.  It;s just as easy (for me anyway) to assume that they were just respecting Axl's wishes.  None of the band members mentioned Izzy's name either.  As for Duff's comment "I don't know if it matters who's here, because it's about the music that band created." could easily be taken as a way to just dismiss all the media and fan hype surrounding who might be attending, as opposed to speculating that Duff was somehow taking a subtle jab at Axl.

Hi all, new here, so I'm gonna do my best to take a stab at this the best I can.  So the issue about writers block, and as I refer to them, The Three Musketeers....ok so, I think with someone like Axl, who tends (I believe) to hold on to things that bother him until they fester and rot, I think it is TOTALLY possible this was left inside and when asked about CD he just said 'you know what, this was goin on'. Remember too that Axl's a real sensitive guy, for X or Y reason and when provoked by people he cared for and who supposedly care for him....it hits twice as hard. Songwriting and music are his livelihood and what he DOES. When someone tells you that you suck at it and you're not real stable....what do you think is gonna happen? So I buy it. Btw, in case my poster name doesn't make it crystal clear, I am NOT Team Stephanie, I am #TEAMAXL. Just saying.

Hope this was clear and you understand I'm not trying to give Axl a pass, I'm showing empathy for him, which is quite different.  :love:

So the old Sixx Sense gang brought up this interview last night and of coarse focused on only the Slash,Duff Stephanie comment.So basically went like this,now some of the comments were made by the cohosts but its scripted so they know what there going to say before they do for the most part.Nikki likes AXL but should let go of the junk,and try and reunite oldgnr even if the old guys don't want to  :hihi:.The cohost said basically Axl is always blaming eveyone else and can't take responsibility for anything ,that's referring to the writers block thing,and called for a oldgnr reunion.They made fun of the fact that Stephanie would be the cause of writers block and called it strange.Again made mention of the residency like no one knows about it,again with a condecending feel,and said they hope AXL enjoys his stay in vegas and then had a little chuckel.Typical bullshit.Sorry if I seem like the sixx sense reporter,but its shows like this that most people hear gnr related news and its to bad they have to be such idiots for the most part.

I've never heard Nikki say anything positive about Axl on his show. I also think him always saying a reunion should happen is disrespectful towards DJ who Nikki claims is one of his best friends.

Yeah he does sorta say things that are a tiny bit positive once in a while but its tounge and cheek and usually followed by nonsense.It is def disrespectful towards Ashba,they can have an opinion and thats fine,but they support other artists regularly without all the gossip.

I've always thought Nikki is jealous of Axl because Axl is more succesful than he is. He can say whatever he wants about it not being "real" GN'R but they still sell more tickets and headline bigger festivals (Rock In Rio) than M?tley Cr?e could ever dream of. Just my theory though.

Maybe he is jealous because he wanted DJ all to himself. Look at Motley songwriting credits these days and it's obvious the band isn't writing the songs. Now DJ will be writing for GNR too.

True. DJ had a lot to do with Saints Of Los Angeles being succesful. Look at their latest song "Sex" which DJ had nothing to do with, the song is forgotten already.

This is surreal...I'm overcome with emotion...first the election results, and now I'm reading about another great man.  Axl, you are loved and respected by so many of us.  The real fans out there...we don't vacillate.  There is so much love and respect for you beyond all the superficial bullshit.  Thank you for hanging in there.  Thank you for being real.  Thank you for Chinese...we are stoked to see what's next!
 :peace: