Piers Morgan In Defense Of Axl Rose

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Piers Morgan defending Axl Rose.  Pretty awesome video.  Would love to see Axl do an interview with Piers.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/04/20/piers-morgan-only-in-america-in-defense-of-axl-rose.cnn

[CIAT]

Awesome. Was that on TV at any point or just an online exclusive thing?

[3STRANG3D]

Yaaaheee! Thank you Saint CNN Barbarosa! Enough with the marmelade!

"Oh Axl didnt do what everybody else expecting him to do!! Oh, this is so surprising!"

Where were you the last 30 years again?

"I onced bought a woman a slice of pizza and she asked me .....  to go at the HOA!"

[Gunsguy]

Awesome. Was that on TV at any point or just an online exclusive thing?

Just aired here in ESt time on TV!  He has ALOT of viewers too, fucking awesome

[brazil66]

Not the biggest fan of Mr. Morgan but nice to see Howard Stern and others see the other side of the nonsense that has happened. Others will follow. Besides the Hacks....the scabs and Axl hates my guts comments and the lack of transparentcy and accountability establishment of the RRHOF we have an amazing European tour coming up....or whatever after that.

[scans n' copies]

Wow.  That was a lot cooler than I expected.  Props to him for not being afraid to say what you like on national TV.

[jazjme]

That was great, go Piers!!   

[adman2374]

love it!

[CIAT]

Awesome. Was that on TV at any point or just an online exclusive thing?

Just aired here in ESt time on TV!  He has ALOT of viewers too, fucking awesome

Thanks double G

[faldor]

Very nice.  Well said, Piers.  It's not easy to defend Axl Rose these days, but some are still putting forth the effort.  Good to see.

[Axl8302]

Awesome, at last, someone in the media "gets it"!

[Alfie Bones]

Didn't like the fact that he made it sound like Guns N' Roses hasn't existed since 1996, but the general tone and message of the clip was outstanding.

[AxlReznor]

I really don't think Axl needs that asshole in his corner.

He was fired as the editor of the Daily Mirror for knowingly printing faked photos of soldiers torturing prisoners on the front page, and somehow he's managed to forge a career as a respectable journalist? Fuck that... anyone who he defends just looks a thousand times worse.

[willow]

Well I have a new opinion of Mr. Morgan! Damn thanks for the support Piers!! That was priceless!

[jarmo]

I really don't think Axl needs that asshole in his corner.

He was fired as the editor of the Daily Mirror for knowingly printing faked photos of soldiers torturing prisoners on the front page, and somehow he's managed to forge a career as a respectable journalist? Fuck that... anyone who he defends just looks a thousand times worse.

Interesting.


That has very little to do with his opinion on Axl and the RNRHOF though.

There's so many so called journalists with agendas who write a lot of shit and never get fired for it. People still pay a lot of attention to what they say.



/jarmo

[wadey]

cool i never thought Piers Morgan had it in him 

[erose]

I liked it. Thought it was a pretty cool way of putting it.

[CheapJon]

pretty dang awesome. props to mr morgan

[JSMastro]

I re-shared on Facebook, since I was getting so much "grief" from friends about what happened last week and my defense of Axl.  Piers just became my favorite "journalist!" 

[SOLGER]

Fuck..now I wanna see that Copenhagen gig......

Uncle Axl...release the vault!!!!!!

[3STRANG3D]

I re-shared on Facebook, since I was getting so much "grief" from friends about what happened last week and my defense of Axl.  Piers just became my favorite "journalist!" 

lol Wouldnt care for Piers.  I loved the CNN calibre, ok and call me spoilt!  Wasn't aware that Piers had his own show on Cnn ... wow, great connections piers!


"  He was fired as the editor of the Daily Mirror for knowingly printing faked photos of soldiers torturing prisoners on the front page, and somehow he's managed to forge a career as a respectable journalist? Fuck that... anyone who he defends just looks a thousand times worse. "  


Axl Reznor, please tell me you are joking?     They would sell their own mother just to get a buck more! .............  

[CheapJon]

I re-shared on Facebook, since I was getting so much "grief" from friends about what happened last week and my defense of Axl.  Piers just became my favorite "journalist!" 

lol Wouldnt care for Piers.  I loved the CNN calibre, ok and call me spoilt!  Wasn't aware that Piers had his own show on Cnn ... wow, great connections piers!


"  He was fired as the editor of the Daily Mirror for knowingly printing faked photos of soldiers torturing prisoners on the front page, and somehow he's managed to forge a career as a respectable journalist? Fuck that... anyone who he defends just looks a thousand times worse. "  


Axl Reznor, please tell me you are joking?     They would sell their own mother just to get a buck more! .............  

just use the quote function, dear.

[Buddha_Master]

Excellent. Forwarded the link to a bunch of people. Seriously this shows that Piers has balls. Majority of the anchors, dj's and so called journalists are a bunch of pussy teleprompter reading monkeys. Thank you Piers you fucking awesome brit.

[westcoast_junkie]

That was a nice speech from a high profile voice

However, it leaves a bitter taste, knowing that this man is as ruthless, or worse, than the same journalists who throw around shit and gossip. The British journalists are the worst of their kind, aren't they AxlReznor?

Anyway, cool to see the media starting to see Axl for what he is. Real, and not for sale  

[3STRANG3D]

I re-shared on Facebook, since I was getting so much "grief" from friends about what happened last week and my defense of Axl.  Piers just became my favorite "journalist!" 

lol Wouldnt care for Piers.  I loved the CNN calibre, ok and call me spoilt!  Wasn't aware that Piers had his own show on Cnn ... wow, great connections piers!


"  He was fired as the editor of the Daily Mirror for knowingly printing faked photos of soldiers torturing prisoners on the front page, and somehow he's managed to forge a career as a respectable journalist? Fuck that... anyone who he defends just looks a thousand times worse. "  


Axl Reznor, please tell me you are joking?     They would sell their own mother just to get a buck more! .............  

just use the quote function, dear.

Yes teacher, teacher, I will do! 

Hey look at the bright side to it, right? It wasnt Howard Stern! And after all, Piers was just reading it from whichever script he was reading it. Point is that he expressed something which needed to be mentioned also but a mainstream channel, so great work to whomever organised it!! 

[holtzmn73]

Fuck..now I wanna see that Copenhagen gig......

Uncle Axl...release the vault!!!!!!

http://gnrontour.com/sets1991/19910819reviews.html

08.19.91 - Copenhagen Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark
opening act: Skid Row
set: Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone, Bad Obsession, Live And Let Die, Dust N' Bones, Double Talkin' Jive, Civil War, I Was Only Joking [Intro] / Patience, You Could Be Mine, November Rain, Welcome To The Jungle, Drum Solo, Guitar Solo, Godfather Theme, Bad Time [Intro] / Sweet Child O' Mine, Only Women Bleed / The Black Widow [Intro] / Knockin' On Heaven's Door, My Michelle, Estranged, Paradise City
audio/video recording?: audio
notes: A firecracker is thrown onstage during SCOM & the band leaves the stage. They come back after the culprit is caught. Axl sings a few lines from Alice Cooper's 'The Black Widow' before 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door.'

[Z?phyr]

Fucking brilliant shout-out, we salute you uncle Axl

[FunkyMonkey]

Only in America: Piers Morgan applauds Axl Rose

April 20th, 2012
02:17 PM ET

On Thursday, Piers Morgan used his "Only in America" segment to pull on his skin-tight leather pants, and come to the defense of Axl Rose.

Having seen Guns N' Roses perform live in 1991, the "Piers Morgan Tonight" host confessed to being a fan of the front man:

"He screeched, he strutted, he strummed and smashed his way through two hours of blistering Guns N' Roses musical fury," described Morgan. "And it was, without any doubt, the single most dangerous, exciting, stunning thing I've ever seen anybody do on any stage, ever."

More than 20 years since exploding on Morgan's senses, the singer continues to impress him as "the Chuck Norris of rock, a bad-ass renegade whose 'Appetite for Destruction' is as angry and authentic as it was 25 years ago."

In rejecting an invitation to be inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Morgan concluded that Rose cemented his legacy:

"Axl reacted the way I assumed, and hoped, he would react. He shredded the invitation to pieces and threw it out of the hotel room along with the TV," Morgan explained. "Then he fired off a long and appropriately rambling open letter slamming the honor, refusing to accept it, and making it quite clear, that he even if hell froze over, he would have nothing to do with the Hall of Fame or a Guns N' Roses reunion."

Against critics citing Rose's refusal as disrespectful, Morgan applauds his authenticity:

"In an era where even Mick Jagger, of all people, accepted a knighthood from Her Majesty The Queen, thus conferring on himself the title of official Rock'n'Roll fuddy-duddy, thank god there's still one wild man out there prepared to fly the flag for real rockers."

Only in America, declares Morgan: "Tonight, I salute Axl Rose. You crazy, untamed, sublimely talented, outlaw of a man. And for everyone who disapproves of that, 'Welcome to the Jungle.'"

http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/20/only-in-america-piers-morgan-applauds-axl-rose/?hpt=pm_mid

[Mysteron]

Piers is fine. The Mirror thing was a hoax which he fell for. I think he said in a later interview that his brother was in Iraq at the time so it was something he felt strongly about and he thought he was doing the right thing at the time, and that the photos had been checked with the Ministry of Defence.

In life, people judge others unfairly without knowing all the facts, and that is the running theme with all of these threads.

[ARX]

Saw this last night... pretty interesting take... His point is valid... a lot of what we love about Axl also makes a lot people dislike him. He is who he is and I respect that may not always agree but def respect it.

[faldor]

Piers is fine. The Mirror thing was a hoax which he fell for. I think he said in a later interview that his brother was in Iraq at the time so it was something he felt strongly about and he thought he was doing the right thing at the time, and that the photos had been checked with the Ministry of Defence.

In life, people judge others unfairly without knowing all the facts, and that is the running theme with all of these threads.

Yeah, he explained that whole situation in an interview with Howard Stern years ago.

[3STRANG3D]

Piers is too soft. He should present shows for cooking instead. However, I don't think that his message was not understood cause Piers image may be soft, but Axl's certainly isnt! Is just that he wasnt that convincing cause he is Piers. & he was reading the goddamn thing. As someone said, the customers are not stupid! lol  Would love to listen to someone like Simon Cowell announcing on TV instead of Piers! I have the false idea those2 people are siamese in business, Piers & Cowell. Simon Cowell has a neat & real sense of the music business in his field & he is a reaper in his words! Razor!

I think Axl needs to address this bubble again by elaborating on his first announcement (he said something like: & God knows how long I am going to be taking shots for this... ) As much as you let them carry on presenting things they way it suits them best, as bigger it gets, not about ex-members, or the hall of fame but the persistence of some people on accepting what he has been doing. I think its a really good opportunity again, to point his message across on the current line-up & touring! They are ready to go on the road, why not take himself out of it by simply stating exactly that!! I know he doesn't do stuff like that, but cant get why letting them feed from it more when it belongs to him actually.  

[Annie]

I love you Piers! Thankyou for what you said. I have been a fan of yours since I saw you smile at Susan Boyle!

[cyllan]

Although I'm happy to see someone who appears to be quite high profile in the US backing Axl, I'm dismayed to see who it is. Some of us here in the UK have long memories and remember Morgan from his time with the tabloid trash, such as the Sun, Mirror and News of the Screws. Appalling man, who is as fake as a fake thing can be, and is more than likely doing this because he thinks it'll get him an interview with the great man himself.

Just my opinion, of course....

[StardustGirl]

I don't know what Piers' background is or what he had to do to get where he is now, but he's in a pretty visible and influential spot at the moment. He delivered the speech like it was personal and I am convinced he is a fan of Axl. I thought it was good to hear another kind of view for a change. Isn't this what most of us have been waiting for? How can this be turned into something negative? Who in your opinion would be good enough to speak for Axl then? What exactly should they say?

[AxlReznor]

Piers is fine. The Mirror thing was a hoax which he fell for. I think he said in a later interview that his brother was in Iraq at the time so it was something he felt strongly about and he thought he was doing the right thing at the time, and that the photos had been checked with the Ministry of Defence.

In life, people judge others unfairly without knowing all the facts, and that is the running theme with all of these threads.

Yeah, he explained that whole situation in an interview with Howard Stern years ago.

He admitted to knowing they were fake. Saying he didn't know about it later doesn't change matters.

He's the exact kind of "journalist" that the world has been railing against for the past year. What he says about Axl doesn't change the fact that he's scum.

[AxlReznor]

I don't know what Piers' background is or what he had to do to get where he is now, but he's in a pretty visible and influential spot at the moment. He delivered the speech like it was personal and I am convinced he is a fan of Axl. I thought it was good to hear another kind of view for a change. Isn't this what most of us have been waiting for? How can this be turned into something negative? Who in your opinion would be good enough to speak for Axl then? What exactly should they say?

Who would be good enough? Someone who isn't a tabloid trash "journalist" who's such a fraud that even in a profession of frauds managed to get himself fired.
Someone who isn't an opportunistic, vain, egotistical asshole who thinks that he's more important than the people he interviews.
Basically anybody but Piers Morgan.

[faldor]

I don't know what Piers' background is or what he had to do to get where he is now, but he's in a pretty visible and influential spot at the moment. He delivered the speech like it was personal and I am convinced he is a fan of Axl. I thought it was good to hear another kind of view for a change. Isn't this what most of us have been waiting for? How can this be turned into something negative? Who in your opinion would be good enough to speak for Axl then? What exactly should they say?

Who would be good enough? Someone who isn't a tabloid trash "journalist" who's such a fraud that even in a profession of frauds managed to get himself fired.
Someone who isn't an opportunistic, vain, egotistical asshole who thinks that he's more important than the people he interviews.
Basically anybody but Piers Morgan.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion.  But people can, and do, say the same harsh things about Axl Rose himself.  No one is perfect.

[StardustGirl]

Years of predominantly negative publicity and when someone in major media finally says something positive, whining starts. I think it takes quite a bit of talent to turn something pretty cool into a negative thing, but then again, GNR fans have proven to have talent.

[cyllan]

Years of predominantly negative publicity and when someone in major media finally says something positive, whining starts. I think it takes quite a bit of talent to turn something pretty cool into a negative thing, but then again, GNR fans have proven to have talent.

Yes and Morgan and those of his ilk are the ones chiefly responsible for the years of lies and contradictions printed about Axl. Just like the HOF, you'll find that Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

[wight gunner]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

His chat show, in the UK its called My Life, where a star, talks about themselves and their upbringing, can't think why Axl would be a major coup can you....

He is to some degree responsible for the dirge that is "culture and talent" through his media work.

[StardustGirl]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

His chat show, in the UK its called My Life, where a star, talks about themselves and their upbringing, can't think why Axl would be a major coup can you....

Yes, of course, Axl is so grateful for positive words that he'll do whatever Piers asks him to.

(Not saying that Piers wouldn't want Axl as his guest and not saying that positive words don't help if Axl wanted to do an interview, but why can't people just enjoy a positive tune for a change and stop overinterpreting everything.)

[raindogs70]

A lot of people are doing their "final word" segment, Bill Maher has his "New Rules", Anderson Cooper as the "Rediculist".

Maybe the Rock Hall thread shouldn't have been closed just yet, if people in the media are still commenting on it. 

Expect diminished interest in attending it from other artists. Deep Purple's prob. going to be the next controversial band, but Ian Paice said he'd prob. not go, and Ritchie Blackmore - put it this way, his wife said that they supported Axl's decision. Nothing wrong with Steve Morse playing "Smoke on the Water", but Blackmore's Night sells out with the new age crowd. Doesn't need the Rock Hall whatsoever.

Axl's letter was a warning shot in what's to come. All those no-shows mean less money at the dinners.

[cyllan]

Morgan has an agenda if you care to look behind the words.

Which is....?

His chat show, in the UK its called My Life, where a star, talks about themselves and their upbringing, can't think why Axl would be a major coup can you....

Yes, of course, Axl is so grateful for positive words that he'll do whatever Piers asks him to.

(Not saying that Piers wouldn't want Axl as his guest and not saying that positive words don't help if Axl wanted to do an interview, but why can't people just enjoy a positive tune for a change and stop overinterpreting everything.)

Piers's agenda is self-promotion and fame by association. As, wight gunner pointed out, Axl would be a major coup for his chat show and allow him to apply the hack's preferred MO of sucking up to target, extraction of info, and kicking when down.

StardustGirl - the reason why I can't "enjoy a positive tune" is because it's been played on an out of tune, worm-riddled piano. Morgan oozes insincerity like an over-ripe camembert and if I had to watch him interview Axl, I'd be squirming more than he was during his questioning at the Leveson enquiry.

To put it succinctly, I'd no more trust what comes out of Piers Morgan's mouth than that which emanates from the pen or keyboard of Mick Wall. So on this occasion, I'm afraid the celebratory bottle of champers has to go back on ice. 

[DoctorNo]

I know a lot of you are psyched to see a mainstream media defense of Axl, but this whole segment was bullshit. He absolutely mischaracterized Axl's statements.

Morgan says that Axl "shredded the invitation to pieces... slamming the honor" - that he'd want "nothing to do with the Hall of Fame" - and that Axl's press release was an "enraged missive."

From Axl's letter to the Hall:

"... regardless of this decision and as hard to believe or as ironic as it may seem, I'd like to sincerely thank the board for their nomination and their votes for Guns' induction."

From Axl's followup statement:

"It took a lot of focus and soul searching to be sincere and informative while making a genuine effort to be somewhat diplomatic. "

Does that sound enraged? Does that sound like Axl is "slamming the honor" or throwing TVs out hotel rooms?

Then Morgan describes Axl's followup statement as "snarling," displaying on-screen the portion where Axl says,

'I still don't exactly know or understand what the Hall is or how or why it makes money, where the money goes, who chooses the voters and why anyone or this board decides who, out of all the artists in the world that have contributed to this genre, officially "rock" enough to be in the Hall?'

Now, I saw this segment before I read Axl's letter to the fans. I thought Axl sounded pretty pissed in that paragraph - naturally, since Morgan says Axl is "snarling." But what's Axl's very next fucking sentence in that letter?

"This isn't an attack."

There's nothing "snarling" at all in the followup statement. The whole letter is filled with love and thanks to the fans. And what does Axl say in the post script of that statement?

"If anyone does choose to pick this up as has been done previously I'd appreciate if you'd run in full including this paragraph so as not to give a partial picture, have things taken out of context or to imply or inadvertently give the impression this was intended for other outlets."

What did Morgan do? He took one sentence, out of context, and portrayed the letter as "snarling," which is absolutely not the case. EXACTLY what Axl asked the media not to do.

In short, Morgan paints Axl's letter as a rude tirade, an angry Fuck You to the Hall of Fame and the music establishment. That's an absolute lie. Axl wrote a very polite letter, declining the honor, to protect his integrity and that of the current band. Not to slam the HoF or anyone else.

A blind, ignorant, and fraudulent defense of Axl is not better than a blind, ignorant, and fraudulent attack on Axl.

GnR does not need this asshole in their corner.

[StardustGirl]

My personal opinion about Axl's letter differs from that presented by Piers - yet I feel his rant was a change of tune in major media and I think as such quite welcome. Media people say what they will, we can't pick and choose who says what. Local media here in the north of Europe only repeats the same negative sh*t that's been going around for years, so much so that I barely tolerate to read anything GNR related these days. If there is gonna be some change, I more than welcome it. I don't care who started it or who spreads it, I don't even care if it's not completely accurate - the sh*t going around currently surely isn't.

[raindogs70]

I know a lot of you are psyched to see a mainstream media defense of Axl, but this whole segment was bullshit. He absolutely mischaracterized Axl's statements.

Morgan says that Axl "shredded the invitation to pieces... slamming the honor" - that he'd want "nothing to do with the Hall of Fame" - and that Axl's press release was an "enraged missive."

From Axl's letter to the Hall:

"... regardless of this decision and as hard to believe or as ironic as it may seem, I'd like to sincerely thank the board for their nomination and their votes for Guns' induction."

From Axl's followup statement:

"It took a lot of focus and soul searching to be sincere and informative while making a genuine effort to be somewhat diplomatic. "

Does that sound enraged? Does that sound like Axl is "slamming the honor" or throwing TVs out hotel rooms?

Then Morgan describes Axl's followup statement as "snarling," displaying on-screen the portion where Axl says,

'I still don't exactly know or understand what the Hall is or how or why it makes money, where the money goes, who chooses the voters and why anyone or this board decides who, out of all the artists in the world that have contributed to this genre, officially "rock" enough to be in the Hall?'

Now, I saw this segment before I read Axl's letter to the fans. I thought Axl sounded pretty pissed in that paragraph - naturally, since Morgan says Axl is "snarling." But what's Axl's very next fucking sentence in that letter?

"This isn't an attack."

There's nothing "snarling" at all in the followup statement. The whole letter is filled with love and thanks to the fans. And what does Axl say in the post script of that statement?

"If anyone does choose to pick this up as has been done previously I'd appreciate if you'd run in full including this paragraph so as not to give a partial picture, have things taken out of context or to imply or inadvertently give the impression this was intended for other outlets."

What did Morgan do? He took one sentence, out of context, and portrayed the letter as "snarling," which is absolutely not the case. EXACTLY what Axl asked the media not to do.

In short, Morgan paints Axl's letter as a rude tirade, an angry Fuck You to the Hall of Fame and the music establishment. That's an absolute lie. Axl wrote a very polite letter, declining the honor, to protect his integrity and that of the current band. Not to slam the HoF or anyone else.

A blind, ignorant, and fraudulent defense of Axl is not better than a blind, ignorant, and fraudulent attack on Axl.

GnR does not need this asshole in their corner.

It says a lot when he took the time off instead of booking shows in Europe right after LA. They needed the break, and he put the time aside to think about going. The Rock Hall didn't acknowledge the past 15 years of his career, and that was a big sticking point not just with him, but the fans that are going to the shows and like Chinese Democracy.

The decision to play seemed to be more about Adler regaining credibility as a drummer. I'm sure Axl hopes Steven has success, just so he can stop harping on the old days. I wouldn't be surprised if Axl just went to check it out. Opening act...highly doubtful.

Even though Slash and Duff attended the induction ceremony, they've criticized it as well. But I think it's cool that Duff paid for his trip & table by lining up the reading the night before. I'm surprised no one had thought of doing something like that before.

[slashsbaconpit]

Is there a video clip or something that of Howard Stern's comments?

[faldor]

Is there a video clip or something that of Howard Stern's comments?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGRrScj_Qrg&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5631HlIt64g&feature=relmfu

[slashsbaconpit]

Thanks!