(Inside) Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver Premiere on December 1

[Booker Floyd]

Nice that you know exactly how everybody feels about Matt.?

Thank you.  I credit it to being able to comprehend the obvious (such as Duff forming a band with him, Duff remaining friends with him, etc.)  I think Duffs opinion of Matt is more than just an exaggerated remark made when they were all intensely frustrated - thats just me.  And Ive got a hunch that if Duff were asked about it, hed probably agree.   

It makes you think doesn't it? If he can be a whiny drummer around his friends, do you think he's less whiny when one of those friends have left the band? "It won't work without Slash", would you like to hear that when you're trying to put together a band?

I guess not...especially when I make an effort to surround myself with yes-men. 

On the other hand, Im not sure Id like to hear the singer claim "Im Guns N' Roses," either. 

[Acquiesce]

Dammit, I forgot to watch this again. 

[jarmo]

Thank you.? I credit it to being able to comprehend the obvious (such as Duff forming a band with him, Duff remaining friends with him, etc.)? I think Duffs opinion of Matt is more than just an exaggerated remark made when they were all intensely frustrated - thats just me.? And Ive got a hunch that if Duff were asked about it, hed probably agree.? ?

Sure.

Matt is probably the most positive of the guys. He just likes to speak his mind about things like Scott posting a political "rant" on their web site.

I'm saying, maybe he has the kind of negative personality that clashes with certain kinds of people.

But you seem sure he hasn't since he's in a band......


Duff came across as the opposite of what Matt did.

On the other hand, Im not sure Id like to hear the singer claim "Im Guns N' Roses," either.?

Yeah, and the guy himself said it wasn't Guns N' Roses until they put the new band together.



/jarmo

[badgirl]

An educated guess would say he doesn't want to put himself in any compromising positions with fans and the opportunities that may arise from them.

I don't think he's following any tortured front man archetype, I think he's just a guy who has had serious issues with addiction and the pyschological baggage that goes along with recovery.

Had no idea he was ever any Axl fan either, I knew he holds AFD in high regard but that's about it..

Damn, i wish i remembered the interview i read with Weiland a while ago where he talked candidly about his addiction.... it gave off a feeling that scott likes the position he puts himself in, likes near death experiences, likes having people gawk at him (he pretty much said as much). it was quite a startling (in its honesty) interview and a very interesting view into the personality of addiction (as well as a perspective i hadn't heard before).

To give some background, i really want to like Scott. my older uncle, who i have always been close to and really look up to, worships Scott and wrote him letters while he was in jail, letters about how to kick addiction, shit like that. Scott wrote back, i am pretty sure (my uncle is also a musician).. i remember him saying how cool Scott was, how talented, etc... but every time i see him, hear him speak, i just get the "trying too hard" vibe.

question: now that he is sober, has his family back, is professionally successful and happy again with a new band, why does he still seem like he is strung out? i read reports, one just yesterday, of people seeing him on the streets, restaurants, whatever and commenting that he looks like he is still a junkie...any ideas?

i really wish i had the article. it illustrates my point on him far better than i am.

[Freya]

but every time i see him, hear him speak, i just get the "trying too hard" vibe.

Same  here.  It's like he has the right intention, but he really has to work at it, he's not natural somehow.  I don't know how else to describe it. 

question: now that he is sober, has his family back, is professionally successful and happy again with a new band, why does he still seem like he is strung out? i read reports, one just yesterday, of people seeing him on the streets, restaurants, whatever and commenting that he looks like he is still a junkie...any ideas?

I was wondering about his sobriety myself.  I was reading a popular celebrity board the other day, and someone commented on seeing Weiland at the K-Rock after party (I think they played on the 3rd?), they said he was wasted and was asked to leave the party, carried out by two friends.  I have no idea it it's true or not obviously, but yeah, he doesn't strike me as someone on an even keel. 

[badgirl]

Same? here.? It's like he has the right intention, but he really has to work at it, he's not natural somehow.? I don't know how else to describe it. 

i know. its really hard to describe, but i get that feeling about a lot of people. i get that feeling, sort of, about Matt too. its sort of like this: REALLY cool people don't notice people looking at them really. they don't care. people who WANT to be cool know that everyone is looking. Scott has said flat out that he knows everyone is looking. that, to me, spells trying to hard.

it is an interesting question about his sobriety. not to downplay his depression issues (which i am confident he struggles with), but wouldn't you think a sober person who fights to get his family back, would, i don't know... be in a better mood? 

[mikegiuliana]

question: now that he is sober, has his family back, is professionally successful and happy again with a new band, why does he still seem like he is strung out? i read reports, one just yesterday, of people seeing him on the streets, restaurants, whatever and commenting that he looks like he is still a junkie...any ideas?

first off let me say that just because he kicked the habit doesn't mean he will just gain weight and haev this altering apperance within about a years time.. The man seems to be into what duff is doing and he is very energetic as a frontman, so just maybe if you look at it like that you would understand why he is still very skinny..

As for being strung out I bet it is hard as hell to stay clean and part of him hates it.. Most addicts that stopped aren't walking around very pleasant, it's a very hard, and new life to live.. ALl your outlets are now gone, getting high is a simple way out and without it for an addict you will have problems dealing with certain things..

Did you really need ideas from others to see why he might still look like a junkie, or whatever looking like a junkie means..
He also has abused drugs for years ,you don't just do a 180 in every way in such a short period iof time, maybe he likes being thin and with the new interest in kickboxing, martial arts it's keeping him lean..

[younggunner]

Hes one of the best drummers around.  And how does he act like a "drumming god"?  To me, its acting like a guy who cares about what occurs in his band, and isnt shy about voicing his opinion.

Its more of his attitude/vibe...I never said anything about what he said on the show.....best drummers around?cmon...

especially when I make an effort to surround myself with yes-men

WHo are all these "yes men"?

[badgirl]

first off let me say that just because he kicked the habit doesn't mean he will just gain weight and haev this altering apperance within about a years time.. The man seems to be into what duff is doing and he is very energetic as a frontman, so just maybe if you look at it like that you would understand why he is still very skinny..

As for being strung out I bet it is hard as hell to stay clean and part of him hates it.. Most addicts that stopped aren't walking around very pleasant, it's a very hard, and new life to live.. ALl your outlets are now gone, getting high is a simple way out and without it for an addict you will have problems dealing with certain things..

Did you really need ideas from others to see why he might still look like a junkie, or whatever looking like a junkie means..
He also has abused drugs for years ,you don't just do a 180 in every way in such a short period iof time, maybe he likes being thin and with the new interest in kickboxing, martial arts it's keeping him lean..

likewise, do you really need to spend ALL your freetime on these boards discussing the same subjects, ad naseum, with others here?

did you actually read my post (you know, before you quoted it)? where did i mention anything about Scott's thin frame?

so now, a question for the big kids: wouldn't you think that now that he is sober, he would feel invigorated (especially since he has, it seems, adopted Duff's spiritual/physical release in meditation and martial arts? given what he went through with that detox (as well as, it seems, what he continues to do with his exercise regimen), i can't imagine him wandering around without an outlet.

[Naupis]

WHo are all these "yes men"?

I would think at this point "yes men" constitute everyone on the payroll. It's like anything, you're likelier to be critical of a teammate then you are the owner of the team who is signing your check. Regardless of how much imput the other 7 guys have in stuff now in that band, Axl signs their check at the end of the day. To protect their job, most guys will watch what they say or risk being fired like Sorum was when challenging the boss's authority. By definition that makes them yes men, because they are at Axl's mercy as he can fire whoever he sees fit and there is nothing any of them can do about it. At least in the floundering incarnation of the old band, the guys were somewhat on equal standing. Axl wasn't signing Slash or Duff's paycheck...holding the threat of firing over their head the way he can all of his other employees.

It's like when Michael Jordan was playing for the wizards but also acting as team president. While they were playing they were equals you could say(which could be taken as the equivalent of the current guns music process), but at the end of the day if anyone did something to cross Jordan or that he didn't like, he traded or cut them. So while they are "Teamates"(or band members) per sey, and they all have some contribution to offer out there, it will still always be a boss-employee relationship, and never a meeting of true equals.

So to answer your question, you are essentially nothing more than a "yes-man" when the threat of being fired is always presesnt and there is not a thing you can do about it. It changes the dynamic of a relationship when one person is the boss and owner and the others are subordinates.

[Falcon]

best drummers around?cmon...

Matt is absolutely one of the best rock drummers around, his resume' is impeccable. ?Is he Dave Grohl?
Of course not, nobody is.

Don't judge him on his GNR work alone, the lightness of the material doesn't give an accurate view of his abilities. ?Listen to his work with VR, The Neurotic Outsiders and The Cult , it's a much better reflection of his skills.

[badgirl]

best drummers around?cmon...

Matt is absolutely one of the best rock drummers around, his resume' is impeccable. ?Is he Dave Grohl?
Of course not, nobody is.

Don't judge him on his GNR work alone, the lightness of the material doesn't give an accurate view of his abilities. ?Listen to his work with VR, The Neurotic Outsiders and The Cult , it's a much better reflection of his skills.

yeah, don't forget his work on Tori Amos' first album. 

Tori is one of my favorites of all time, but rock n roll, she aint.

[younggunner]

Regardless of how much imput the other 7 guys have in stuff now in that band, Axl signs their check at the end of the day. To protect their job, most guys will watch what they say or risk being fired like Sorum was when challenging the boss's authority

So what your basically saying the guys in the band have no muscial integrity?

Btw, please dont put Sorum on a pedastel for "confronting"Axl. Big fukin deal. Hes the same guy who joined the band to play rnr yet he was drumming to pianos...against his "wishes"...Matt Sorum doesnt mean much in the realm of GNR.

By definition that makes them yes men, because they are at Axl's mercy as he can fire whoever he sees fit and there is nothing any of them can do about it.

How come Robin hasnrt been fired? I read that him and Robin used to always fight. He left the friggen band. Hes back. If Axl was so wrapped up in all that why is RObin back?....yea i know the greenbacks

Axl wasn't signing Slash or Duff's paycheck...holding the threat of firing over their head the way he can all of his other employees.

Do you forget the whole "band name" story?

So to answer your question, you are essentially nothing more than a "yes-man" when the threat of being fired is always presesnt and there is not a thing you can do about it. It changes the dynamic of a relationship when one person is the boss and owner and the others are subordinates.

Ok so what should have Axl done? If he dropped the gnr name and made his own band how would that be ANY different? So in reality Axl shouldnt even have continued with music unless it was with the old band.

No mam, I mean sir

You can say whatever you wnat, gnr are a band and they are making music as a band. They have the same arguments as a "REAL" band have. for the 1000th time we all know this isnt the conventional band. SO as a result I guess Axl cant win. Its all good though. While you worry about whos the yes men and who isnt ill be rocking out to CD by the band GNR...

[Naupis]

I am as excited about CD as you are, and think he is going to make some truly outstanding music. I just haven't naively convinced myself this is anything more than an Axl solo project that is using the Guns name strictly for its built in brand value and recognition.

From a business stand point that is the only way he could ever have gotten this project off the ground on the company dollar. He wouldn't have been given a 13 million dollar advance to make his music if the band name were "Axl Rose Solo Project" and not Guns N' Roses(Even though he is the only remaining member he can still legally make the record company honor the agreement he signed at the height of Guns popularity which is obviously loaded with advance money). You can chalk it up to Axl still thinking he's GNR and it hasn't died and this that and the next thing, but the reality is he doesn't want to start over re-building a brand name anymore than the VR guys did. It's alot easier to get your musical project off the ground when you can use a name with brand recognition like "GNR" than it is "Axl Rose Solo Project." Gnr sells out MSG, the "Axl Rose Solo Project" has the same trouble getting its name out there and building an identity that VR does.

Given that he is obviously an astute business man, he understands the financial advantages that make it worth his while to keep using the name. Do you really think he would come out and admit this was the reason he was keeping the name even if it's true? Do you really think the band members would say anything except how collaborative the process was even if it wasn't. While Jordan was still playing with the Wiz, everyone was so complimentary of him and how great it was to play with a legend and yada yada. The second he got canned and the threat of being fired or kicked off the team was gone, the true colors started to show and the players gave their accounts of how it really was.

Dizzy, Richard or Tommy are basically being paid to work on their solo projects and whatever else they feel like doing, if you were them, would you have any incentive to ever leave the free paycheck? Bucket did the same thing they were doing and used the free paychecks to do other stuff and get his name out there and left when he achieved what he wanted from the process.

I am going to enjoy CD and everything that comes with it as much as you, but I think you are just a little naive as to the realities of this bands situation. It doesn't take away from how much I like the new music, but I am just being realistic about it, and there is nothing I have said that isn't in the general thought process of about 90% of the fan base. The fact that no one has any power in the band(other than Axl) to push this project along should tell you the other members relative standing in regards to the Business that is GNR. This is a collaborative project in name only. At the end of the day the only stuff that ends up on this album is stuff Axl wants, because he's signing the checks.

[Top-Hatted One]

Yeah, nice to see Duff and Axl could agree on at least one thing...

As for Scott, it's mostly the way he behaves that I don't like and also his moves on stage. I must say I was not impressed with his voice either. Too bad Cornell was already taken by Audioslave (what's up with them anyway?)...because THAT would have been badass.

Cornell is my 2nd favorite singer but he's not nearly as good as Scott is live. So it's pretty close if you ask me because Scott can flat out sing too. just watch "the rise of VR" if you think anyone can get up there and sing..like those guys who auditioned though

[Naupis]

I love Cornell, and vocally he has superior range compared to Scott so I think Contraband would sound entirely different with him at the helm. That said, Scott's voice is more than adaquet and in terms of showmanship as a front man Cornell can't touch Scott in concert. If you could combine Cornell's voice with Scott's charisma and Showmanship you would have an all-time classic front man. Given it was one or the other, I will take a slightly lesser studio voice for the better live show any day of the week.

[Doc Emmett Brown]

An educated guess would say he doesn't want to put himself in any compromising positions with fans and the opportunities that may arise from them.

I don't think he's following any tortured front man archetype, I think he's just a guy who has had serious issues with addiction and the pyschological baggage that goes along with recovery.

Had no idea he was ever any Axl fan either, I knew he holds AFD in high regard but that's about it..

Damn, i wish i remembered the interview i read with Weiland a while ago where he talked candidly about his addiction.... it gave off a feeling that scott likes the position he puts himself in, likes near death experiences, likes having people gawk at him (he pretty much said as much). it was quite a startling (in its honesty) interview and a very interesting view into the personality of addiction (as well as a perspective i hadn't heard before).

yes, I remember that interview as well. ?He was basically being fatalistic about his issues with addiction and whatnot. ?I think it's dated from around the time I used to check the VR forum which was...er... many months ago. ? Maybe his addiction gives him some feeling of identity, who knows. ?Because in almost EVERY single article/review I read about him, the word 'imitate' follows him around. ?Whether the comparison is being made to Vedder, Stanley, Jagger, Bowie, Astbury, etc, there's always this ersazt implication. ?I dont know if it's fair, but it's there.

[oldleadbelly]

Scott is bi-polar.  He has admitted to being very shy, and a bit awkward.  He doesn't like big crowds, or being the center of attention.  He is a recovering drug addict.  Like a good deal of newly clean addicts, Scott is showing some signs of paranoia.  One person asked shouldn't he be in a better mood?  He is in a better mood in regards to family issues, but if you're looking for Scott to be the consumate good guy, and hang out with fans and always smile at you, and show up at a foster home as Santa Claus, you've got the wrong guy.  He has been moody and reclusive ever since STP burst on the scene in '92.  People seem to forget this b/c of his stage persona.  However, the Weiland you see on stage is a character, not the real man.  I would think the fact that people who share some kind of bond with Scott, like your uncle, like the guy, would mean more than the second-hand feeling you get from seeing him from a distance.  Duff and Slash for instance seem like genuinely great guys, and the both have said that Scott is a great person, and that they love him.  So perhaps Scott is someone you have to get to know to see what he is truly about.

[jabba2]

Yea there are lots of stories about Scott isolating. Scott was known for sit in a bathtub for hours, or the recent VR article that said Scott stayed up untill 5am every night by himself. Its common for people with diagnosed mental disorders. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys spent almost 2 decades by himself, in between a couple shows or working on records with people at his house, and some believe hes the best song composer in the past 100 years.

STP has said Scott gets in a state of mind and will disappear for days, and it becomes impossible to tour. He would do meet and greets back then, but right now im not sure Scotts totally comfortable with VR fans because of the GNR comparisions. Thats just a guess. I did notice Scott looks like hes having more fun covering GNR and STP songs live. During VR songs he dances around but you cant always hear him singing or make out the words.

[D]

i think chris cornell is nowhere as good as scott.
cornell just isnt intriguing or interesting like scott is

lyrically i think scott is even a little bit better, but scott is the ultimate showman in concert.