Is money the main reason why original GNR lineup is not coming together?

[DeN]

I won't call it cynicism but more realism. do you have any idea of how much cost a bad (is there good ones?  ) divorce?
is child support for two kids rings a bell? plus, we're talking about millionnaires here, and charges who comes with a very, very good way of life.
there's a very interesting interview of Scott Weiland you can find on youtube, with Howard Stern, he tells how much he must do per month to cover all that. that's expensive. very.


that said, yes, Duff can have whatever feelings for Axl, even if they didn't talk for 10 years, and he probably missed that.
but rejoining the band for the sake of the fans?

never idolize and buy the public narrative seems to be a good begining to understand the motivations of every guy.

[jarmo]

The subject line is interesting. Some people keep going on and on about how the band shouldn't tour, how it's all about money etc., also are the same ones who'd love to see the AFD5 together. A bit ironic.

Steven didn't hesitate when he was given the chance to play with the band in 2016. Maybe it wasn't what he, or some fans, wanted. But it's at least something.




/jarmo

[DeN]

yup, was a bit emotional to see the guy there.

I would have love to see Matt from time to time, but I suppose it's between him & Axl.

[PermissionToLand]

I won't call it cynicism but more realism. do you have any idea of how much cost a bad (is there good ones?  ) divorce?
is child support for two kids rings a bell? plus, we're talking about millionnaires here, and charges who comes with a very, very good way of life.
there's a very interesting interview of Scott Weiland you can find on youtube, with Howard Stern, he tells how much he must do per month to cover all that. that's expensive. very.


that said, yes, Duff can have whatever feelings for Axl, even if they didn't talk for 10 years, and he probably missed that.
but rejoining the band for the sake of the fans?

never idolize and buy the public narrative seems to be a good begining to understand the motivations of every guy.

This is like complaining about paying thousands in taxes while you're making millions.

The popular narrative seems to be that they reunited for money. All I can do is apply common sense that they had plenty of opportunities to cash in before 2016.

[Bridge]

"No matter how much money they stick in our faces, there's no reason for us to get together to do ANYTHING unless there is some form of mutual respect or understanding.  And we're WAY, WAY far away from that, so I don't see it happening anytime in the foreseeable future."

-- Slash, Behind the Music, 2004

Says it all, I'd say.

[cineater]

There is no amount of money that could get me to work the tour life.  Beta is lucky her family is with her on these tours.  Vanessa gets to bring the kids.  But that's not the kind of career I would want.  We are lucky they are out there touring as much as they do.

Money whether you have a lot or not enough is just a pain in the ass.

If a musician is your career choice, it's probably going to involve touring.  If you're going to do it for a lifetime, you're probably going to work your way up to getting paid well.  But some where in there I think people chose this career path because they are following their heart's desire and money is not what keeps them there.

[Bridge]

I think people chose this career path because they are following their heart's desire and money is not what keeps them there.

I'd say that's true all the time.  Contrary to what people have always believed, there's never any money in the entertainment industry (movies, music, etc).  It's a starving artist endeavor.  0.0001% actually make money doing it, but the successful ones are the ones most visible, so people see them and assume that everybody makes money.

[Six Strings]

I think people chose this career path because they are following their heart's desire and money is not what keeps them there.

I'd say that's true all the time.  Contrary to what people have always believed, there's never any money in the entertainment industry (movies, music, etc).  It's a starving artist endeavor.  0.0001% actually make money doing it, but the successful ones are the ones most visible, so people see them and assume that everybody makes money.

Spot on my friend. I've tried myself back in the days and no matter how much I wanted to make music and play there was no how doing it because there was no money in it. I now work a regular job from Monday to Friday on a laptop that has nothing to do with music. Of course, I'm far away from being a genius on the guitar but I'm not that bad. In addition, if we are talking about a small country as Bulgaria is it gets much more difficult to do music and get decent amount of money from it. The fact that the young generation is not much into rock music in general doesn't help either. Most of the rock musicians here, even the ones that are known and let's say famous in the country do have a separate job they are working. Sad but true.

[DeN]

"According to a new report from ByZegut, Guns N' Roses will receive $14 million for their performance at Coachella Festival this April.

As widely reported, the band will perform two concerts at the festival - on April 16 and April 23.

Based on Coachella's previous set times and general festival set times, the guys will grace the stage for 1.5 hours max during each of the nights.

This brings us to $14 million for less than three hours of work, and that ain't half bad.

It was previously reported that "semi-reunited" Guns are seeking around $8 million for a single performance, as Amnesia Rockfest founder Alex Martel revealed that GN'R "wanted to be paid 4x what I paid SOAD," which was 4x $2 million."

[Executioner]

His book was a tell all that criticises Axl quite a bit and a lot of personal issues that should have not have been revealed to the public ,how he remembered so much is bizzare as he claims to have been on a serious drink and drugs binge through most of that time ,Axl  was annoyed with what he had said about him and of course had every right to defend his corner  obviously they've resolved their grievances for the sake of the reunion tour

I read it not that long ago and it really wasn't any kind of hit piece on Axl or anything. He in fact offered some very genuine words of praise for Axl. Of course it aired a lot of internal stuff, it's an autobiography. Slash simply told his story the way he saw it. In fact, I think he may have explicitly said in there that if you asked Duff or Axl, you'd get two entirely different stories than his.

I think a good example is the situation with the band name being signed over to Axl. It can be simultaneously true that Slash was told by Goldstein that Axl would not go onstage unless he signed, and also true that Axl never said that to Goldstein. Two different perspectives, both true. I also think Slash may not have fully realized that giving Axl the name effectively meant giving Axl the band.

but money was the main driving factor otherwise they wouldn't have waited so long to resolve their differences.

... huh? How does that follow? They had countless offers for millions of dollars throughout the 2000s. If money was the main factor, they wouldn't have waited, if anything. They held their grudges because it was bigger than any money offer for them, it was personal. The reunion only followed after a true reconciliation. It would have been the other way around if it was about money.

GnR were in free fall in 2014 I saw them in Dublin that year in a venue that holds 14000 it wasn't even half full a good part of the Arena was blocked off and there were similar stories in other venues, Axl hit the panic button and called in the old crew who he knew would be a box office succes most notably Slash who was such a big part of the GnR brand and would guarantee they would be playing to full capacity Stadiums for the next few years.

[cineater]

"According to a new report from ByZegut, Guns N' Roses will receive $14 million for their performance at Coachella Festival this April.

As widely reported, the band will perform two concerts at the festival - on April 16 and April 23.

Based on Coachella's previous set times and general festival set times, the guys will grace the stage for 1.5 hours max during each of the nights.

This brings us to $14 million for less than three hours of work, and that ain't half bad.

It was previously reported that "semi-reunited" Guns are seeking around $8 million for a single performance, as Amnesia Rockfest founder Alex Martel revealed that GN'R "wanted to be paid 4x what I paid SOAD," which was 4x $2 million."

You see $14 million and I'm thinking holy shit how much does it cost to run that GNR machine?  I wonder how much individuals actually walk away from that show with?  And then what they take off their taxes as self employed business expenses. 

You think Duff does everybody's taxes?  Runs around collecting all the receipts.  Someday during tax season he may fuck up the lyrics and start singing debit, debit, credit!   

[DeN]

I'm not sure I remember correctly and I don't want to be inacurate here but I remember it was 3 millions for Ax, Duff & Slash each I think.
so 5 millions for the rest for additional musicians and crew?

not sure at all about that, just a memory, could be wrong.

[Ali]

"No matter how much money they stick in our faces, there's no reason for us to get together to do ANYTHING unless there is some form of mutual respect or understanding.  And we're WAY, WAY far away from that, so I don't see it happening anytime in the foreseeable future."

-- Slash, Behind the Music, 2004

Says it all, I'd say.

Exactly this.

Slash is back in GN'R because he and Axl talked, cleared the air, and IMO likely realized that they can still enjoy playing together.

Remember when RS asked Slash about the GN'R name? He said it was a dead issue.

That doesn't happen without communication, compromise and mutual respect and understanding.

Ali

[PermissionToLand]

GnR were in free fall in 2014 I saw them in Dublin that year in a venue that holds 14000 it wasn't even half full a good part of the Arena was blocked off and there were similar stories in other venues, Axl hit the panic button and called in the old crew who he knew would be a box office succes most notably Slash who was such a big part of the GnR brand and would guarantee they would be playing to full capacity Stadiums for the next few years.

I don't think Axl has ever shown any reason to believe he would compromise or deviate from his own plans for any reason. I think he always intended to reconcile with Slash, the only question was when. And I think it was that he made his point with Chinese and saw that through.

[DeN]

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-how-coachella-pulled-off-the-guns-n-roses-reunion-20160424-story.html

One of the keys was Paul Tollett, the president and chief executive of Goldenvoice, who started Coachella in 1999. He launched his career as a rock promoter in Los Angeles in the 1980s, and one of the up-and-coming bands he promoted was Guns N’ Roses.

In an interview a few hours before Guns N’ Roses took the stage Saturday, Tollett said he didn’t want to be seen as taking credit for the group’s return. But when pressed on how came together, he replied, “I went to them.”

“But I’ve been trying for a while,” he quickly added. “Those types of things, it can’t be one person. It’s got to be a lot of people and different reasons it’s happening.”

Speaking from a shaded picnic table outside the trailer he calls home during Coachella, Tollett offered some insights into the art of reuniting fractious ensembles.

“When I go for something that’s not together, I never lead with the money, because it offends those artists,” he said. “It can turn them off and the communication stops. Not because of the number, it’s just because commerce is the first discussion.”

 

[Bridge]

I think he [Axl] always intended to reconcile with Slash, the only question was when.

Not exactly....

“There’s zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn’t be pretty.  Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with, or should have left after GNR Lies. In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer -- better removed, avoided, and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better.”

-- Axl Rose, 2009



Not to mention Axl's more infamous quote:

"NOT IN THIS LIFETIME!"

 

Also, in the 2016 interview I posted previously, Axl even mentions that Fernando thought it was a joke when Axl asked for Slash's phone number.

[ITARocker]

I think he [Axl] always intended to reconcile with Slash, the only question was when.

Not exactly....

“There’s zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn’t be pretty.  Slash either should not have been in Guns to begin with, or should have left after GNR Lies. In a nutshell, personally I consider him a cancer -- better removed, avoided, and the less anyone heard of him or his supporters, the better.”

-- Axl Rose, 2009



Not to mention Axl's more infamous quote:

"NOT IN THIS LIFETIME!"

 

Also, in the 2016 interview I posted previously, Axl even mentions that Fernando thought it was a joke when Axl asked for Slash's phone number.

When Axl is angry you better not be around, i think it's that kind of guy. But barking dog does not bite, probably that interview was done at the wrong time. 2009 is the year after CD and, more than anythin, after slash's bio which obviously ruffled his feathers.

[Bridge]

When Axl is angry you better not be around, i think it's that kind of guy. But barking dog does not bite, probably that interview was done at the wrong time. 2009 is the year after CD and, more than anythin, after slash's bio which obviously ruffled his feathers.

The point is, the previous poster stated that he believed that Axl ALWAYS INTENDED to reconcile with Slash.  I was pointing out that obviously wasn't the case, and that in fact, Axl stated multiple times in several different ways that he wouldn't ever reconcile with Slash.

Beginning with Axl's December 2008 message boards rants, Axl finally began speaking out about things that had pissed him off for years, namely Slash's claim that Axl had held up the band for the GNR name -- a claim which, for the record, predates Slash's book (it was covered in the 2004 Behind the Music episode).  So it wasn't just a matter of Axl reacting to one particular time period.  He mentioned that he wasn't able to speak publicly until 2008 due to all the "legal nonsense" that was going on.

And for the record, I've encountered LOTS of barking dogs that bite. 

[D-GenerationX]

Do you guys seriously think Axl was having the time of his life as he watched one of the biggest brand names in rock of his era playing smaller and smaller places...and not even selling them out?

Does that mean this is all about money?  No.  Played a role, but I don't think it was #1.

I think even the most stubborn people in the world are still capable of having a "what the hell am I doing" type moment.

There was zero juice for Guns N' Roses in 2014 outside diehard, message board type fans.  That's a niche of a niche.

If you had a way to get your band back in the public consciousness they way you feel it should be seen, wouldn't you explore that?

I think Axl prefers to be remembered this way.  To have his band remembered this way.  I don't think he wanted playing "Up Close And Personal" <wink> type places to be the public's last memory of his once mighty band.

[jarmo]

There was zero juice for Guns N' Roses in 2014 outside diehard, message board type fans.  That's a niche of a niche.

Misleading. The band was at the end of the touring cycle by then. No Trickery was the end of the touring cycle and before that the band toured in South America.   

Was the 2016 tour more successful? Yes. No doubt.

Was 2014 as bad as some like to think/remember? No.


You can say what you want about the years before 2016, but they managed to keep the GN'R name out there. For example, they still headlined major festivals around the world.





/jarmo