Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Not sure if this is dead horse. If it is, sorry, please move it.
I was wondering if this has happened to any of you?

I wore my GNR shirt from Hammerstein to my hockey game. I'm talking to two of my freinds and here is how the conversation went:

Friend 1 - "Are you going to see GNR when they come around?"
Me - "Oh yeah, they put on an amazing show."
Friend 2 - "Its not even GNR, its Axl and his misfits."
Friend 1 - "I know, what are you gonna go see buckethead?"
Me - "Nope, Buckheadhead quit."
Friend 2 - "Oh Shit, Buckhead isnt even in the band anymore. Damn, why would you even go see them."
Me - "Im telling you, these new guys are good. Check out the show, listen to the new songs and im telling you you'll have a great time. It'll probably one of the best shows you can go to."
Friend 1 - "Yeah right, its nothing more then a joke now."

So we go and play hockey (get killed 11-1,) and as im leaving my friends go -
Them - "Hey, you got an extra ticket to that GNR show"
Me - "Why? You guys want to go?"
Them - "Yeah, let me know if you can get a ticket"


Just thought it was so weird that people will make fun of the new band, but then still want to go to the show.
Anyway, I wanted to know if anybody else has a story like this. If so post it.
I also wanted to discuss your opinions on why people make fun of them, but still will go see them.

PLEASE - Don't turn this into a thread knocking the new band.

Same, exept for buckethead (most of the time they don't even know his name, they just name him as "the guy who looked like a weirdo"): They all say he was a complete clown and are very happy he is not part of the band anymore. They said they didn't like GN'R a few years ago because of this guy and that he was a complete joke. Obviously, we all agree on that point.
Most of them aren't "fans" like me, but they know Slash isn't in the band anymore. They just know 2 guys in GN'R: Axl and Slash. So Slash is quite a big loss for them. Once again we agree.
Anyway, one friend told me he was impressed by Fortus (cool! and i REALLY agree!). That's the only comment about a new member that I heard, because for most part, they don't know who the new guys are. They stopped in 1993 and don't know much about the new line-up. but they like some new songs, especially the blues and madagascar.

Well that's human kind for you. Even though all logic suggests that they sholdn't see the band and mock them all they can, when it comes down to it they will give in to their feelings and curiosity.

I think it's mainly because people consider Axl Rose to be one of the few "must-see" frontmen, no matter what band he's fronting. ?They may think he's an asshole, or a joke, but they still realise that there's not many people out there who can rule the stage like he does and that if they get a chance to see him, they can't pass it up. ?What I'm hoping for, is these people to go to the shows just to see Axl, but come away in love with a new band.

It's like M. Shadows said in an interview - "People may hate Axl, but they'd still go see Guns N' Roses. ?That's what I want for us".

honestly the friends I have are older, so say at least 35 or better so they really know nothing or maybe caught the vmas in 02... They might have read about tommy hillfiger but nothing much else..

My friends all hate it...although I told my mate to watch em at Download (he had a weekend pass) and he said they were amazing, only bettered by Metallica.

yeah ive had similar experiences. ?i've been following the band for years, and now that GNR are coming to my area, all these fair-weather fans who are my friends are getting on my nerves. ?

I make fun of axl all the time, and i still REALLY want to see him live :hihi: ;D

My brother in law plays in a cover band that is pretty vanilla. ?I told him he is an awesome guitarist but maybe should consider some sort of gimmick for entertainment value. I offered Bumblefoot's guitar as an example. ?He says to me, "You know who Bumblefoot is? ?I have heard some of their music and its pretty awesome." ?I say yes, I know who Bumblefoot is, he is now in GNR. ?Of course he responds, wow,he's in GNR? Well that isnt GNR, its Axl. However he asked me if I had any video or anything with bumblefoot playing in GNR, so the next time he is at my house, I am going to show him Nightrain from Rock Am. So who knows, he may come around.

one of my friends absolutely HATES axl though.. dont know why... He cant stand him, hates his guts...

we went to VR together but he said hes definitely not going to nu-gnr when/if the mohegan date is announced

My best friend, who I'm taking to the third Universal show more or less accepts the new guys.  But for the love of me, I don't understand why he cares about Axl's braids so much. ::)

You should start wearing braids like Axl and see where it goes.

I've had a few discussions about this with friends. Most think it's cool when they find out Finck was in NIN and Tommy in the 'Mats, or Brain having drummed for Primus (even Richard gets a nod for Psychadellic Furs). It's not like these guys don't have their own rock credo.

People are still basically pissed about Slash being gone though... but some of my friends seemed down with Izzy playing this summer, kinda like "well if Izzy is cool with it than I guess it's ok."

most of my friends even doesnt know about GNR  >:(

People will be pissed forever as long as Slash won't be back, no matter how good ChiDem will be, and it's normal. You can't re-write the past. You can't go against that. Slash was as famous and as important as Axl, it's hard to imagine GN'R without Slash. it would be like The Rolling Stones without Keith Richards. You can't "replace" a Legend, put that in your head forever. This is almost like a scientific law. Like A+B. You can't go against that. Nobody can.

I agree.

It happened to them as a pair. Like it or not, it's kind of like their fate. Forever linked, for better or worse.

Do you have friends? :no:

Exactly. I've always seen Axl and Slash like the father and the mother in a family, as you say, "forever linked, for better and worse". This is really that. I mean, you can't ask a children to "forget" his mother or his father, and you can't "replace" a father or a mother by someone else.
This is against the law of nature.
Anyway, we're kinda off-topic here so I won't develop that point.

all i have to say to that is.... Bon Scott.

But lets stay on topic and not compare the old band to the new. Thats been done way too much...

all most people remember or know about the "new" guns n roses, if anything, is the '02 VMA's.  everyone i know says axl cant sing anymore.  they are usually suprised when i say he sounds really good now.  axl has to prove himself again in america.

I've lost all of my friends due to the CD not being out, and at this rate, if no release date is given, I'll certainly continue to lose them at a rate which is faster than that at which I will gain them.

Most of my friends are pretty positive. Im going with my nephews. and a few friends they know good music when they heard them they said wow theyre really good...and to them its GNR...One other friend calls it axl and a band. But for the most part everyone around here thinks its great. I live near Halifax by the way and most around here are very pro GNR.

what the hell kind of friends do you have?

a friend of mine whose opinion i really trust said when he saw axl rose playing november rain in 1992 he said to himself, 'well, they're finished.' so, he's not a big axl rose/gnr fan. but when i played him 'better' he sort of stood there silent and when it was over said, like he really felt it, 'that's a good song.' but he's a big buckethead fan so maybe that has something to do with it. my wife prefers 'oh my god' to most classic gnr songs. i don't know anyone else who likes gnr too much. my friends are usually into modest mouse or flaming lips or the black keys-- stuff like that.

I usually get ?"It's jus tAxl not the real GNR" or "Is Slash in the band? No? so it's just Axl" or "Slash is not there, I'm not going"

Izzy playing with the band did give them some credit though but I think this is unrelated to the other band members and more like "Axl and Izzy playing together, yep, that's closer to the real GNR". For me, that is 2/3 of GNR anyway. The other 1/3 being the guy in the Volkswagen commercial...huh... sorry, I mean Slash...

No matter what.... Jagger/Richards, Tyler/Perry, Rose/Slash.... ?that's the way history will be written unless the current band puts out a great record followed by a bunch of other great records. I would say it would take at least 3 or 4 records that people would put very high up in rock records charts/polls for this GNR to be treated like the old one in terms of legacy.

I catch hell from some people for still supporting Axl and the new GnR. I don't care though. I like what i like, and don't feel the need to defend what i like to anyone, BUT
not too long ago , this dude i know was ripping on Axl for keeping the name Guns N Roses, but then went on to talk about how he was going to see Megadeth 2 weeks later, and how awesome this new Megadeth lineup is, etc... ?I'm just like " Dude, what's the fucking difference with Dave using the name Megadeth for a whole new band?" He's like " Cuz Dave owns the name and these new guys rock!" i just said " Well, same story with Axl and GnR, you oughtta check out the new band before you put them down". I then gave him a copy of Rock Am Ring and he has since changed his views on old uncle axl.

most of my friends think of my interest in all of this as a bit of a joke

theyre all fans of the old band, and Ive kept them in the loop. All think its a farce that he is calling it GN'R - that just seems to be the majority view in the public, lets be honest here - in fact the only people Ive heard say otherwise have been people on these forums

Their reactions to the demos Ive played have been surprise. "Axl sounds OK" that ?kind of thing, I think the 2002 VMA appearance did so much damage - so many people saw that and that is the only impression they have of this new band and "new Axl" to go on

I don't know what your age is, but depending on your friends, they do that because they think it's the 'cool thing' to do, which it is not.

They are embarrassed they might like them. Kids today spend so much time defending crap mike My Chemical Romance & Panic At The Disco, and are being brainwashed they are geniouses, and they are not.

Unfortunately because of the douches, this is another battle the band will have to fight, especially after the 2002 disaster on all fronts.

I just let the new 'music' speak for itself. I personally think the new demos/leaks suck monkey balls and so do all the people I've played them to. As a matter of fact most of them laughed their asses off when I told them it was Guns N' Roses AFTER they heard the songs.....

Most people around me only interested in singers so.....(I really don't think that's a good thing for music/rock in general) :-\


According to what I've heard, people have ever made fun of Axl from the day one. not of ex members tho.
Maybe that doesn't mean they are negative about axl or the new band. Or rather they find the band and the situation funny(/amusing) and interesting and are actually too eager to see what comical step the band is gonna take next as well as how great the music sounds?

90% of the people I've mentioned GNR to crack jokes after finding out that Slash isn't in the band anymore.

This band has a long uphill.

Do you EVER stop spewing this anti BH propoganda bullshit? Its obvious that these conversation with your friends never took place. Its just your delusional mind at work. The thing you dont understand is that there never was an anti BH movement. He was only in the band a few years, and GNR wasn't in the spotlight during his duration in the band so even IF there was potential for a backlash, it never came to fruition.

I think this has to do 100% to how Axl vs. Slash is portrayed in the media. Slash has always been a media darling, and always portrayed in a positive light, whereas Axl has always been portrayed as this domineering asshole who hates the world, and is the devil reborn.

Perception is reality, and this is the reason people think Slash is the coolest and not Axl. This is the reason for the uphill. But they need not forget, if Slash was still in this band, none of this would be fucking happening. They wouldn't be able to get along long enough to cut an album. They barely cut the Illusion's out together.

But dude... you like Buckcherry and Motley Crue.  Enough said.

None of my friends have the slightest interest in the New Gn'R.. One called me the other day because he wanted to ask if GnR got back together. He said the DJ on WAAF said they had and are palying. I said it was the new GnR and he siad "Oh, fuck that"

I honestly don't know anyone who likes the new-GN'R outside GN'R boards.

All my friends know what happened with the band (old one)

All my friends started to bash Axl and the new band when they came to know he was continuing (back in 2001-2002)

All my friends now shut the fuck up, after they've heard 'Better', 'CITR', 'Maddy', 'There Was A Time', 'The Blues' and 'IRS'

Some of them even went to European shows, and now are waiting for the album to come out :yes:

My friends all say its not GNR without Slash and Duff, and to some extent Izzy. Im agree with them but after all these years I just want to see if this album will be any good becuase I think Axl is great. I dont particlarly rate the new songs except TWAT so my hopes arent high. I just want to see if all the bullshit and the destroying of the old band was worth it and that he'll pull a masterstroke and it might actually be worth the pathetically absurd wait.

My friend who loved the classic line-up snapped up Hammersmith tickets when he heard they were playing, when it was rumoured to be the proper line up. But when he found out it wasnt he promptly sold his tickets and laughed heartily when I went to the gig. He asked if it was good, so I said 'yeah, but its not GNR its an Axl solo show with some other guys, and they butchered Patience'. He laughed even more when I told him they played an Aguilera song. His words were 'Most dangerous band in the world? Most money grabbing fraudulent band in the world more like'.

And that is the opinion of everyone that I know. The treat this band as a joke and a rip off. And they have seen vids etc of the new line up etc and they still think its shite. To them VR is more GNR than these guys will ever be.

And that's the problem. No one understands that most of the material done in the old days, was Slash & Duff playing Axl & Izzy's lyrically & instrumentally wrote material.

Yet somehow this new band isn't Guns N' Roses? The same man who called the shots back then, is still calling the shots, so how is it not Guns N' Roses?

Anybody who listens to VR and says it's more GNR, than GNR, has no idea what makes good music, what makes GNR music, and what's musically correct.

I think I've seen this written on this board before, but it has become a trend to bash Axl and his "tribute band" even if deep-down, a person knows that Axl puts on one hell of a fuckin' performance every time he shows up (IF he shows up of course). Axl never dogs it, unlike many musicians out there.

At any rate, I think it's cool that your friends were still willing to go.

Most of them don't really care if there are new members in the band as long as they can listen to good music  :)

I gave 3 tickets to my cousin for her birthday in July - she doesn't like this kind of music but she came cause she knew that GNR is my favourite group since we were kids and because she know all their popular songs.

After the concert she said that she never had such a good time before.

My best friend used to listen to them back in 90's but lately she doesn't like rock/metal music at all.
She can listen to their ballads but not the angry songs.

I gave her the new songs and she said that she really loves their new music - she even has "better" as ringtone - and that she is going definetely to buy the new record.

I guess most people are negative cause of Slash but if they go to attend a show I am sure that the will change their mind for sure  :)

my friends all hate it.
They say "without Slash is not the same" "this is not Guns N' Roses" " this is another band"...
well, I agree with them but I can't stop loving this band

Do they really hate it?

That's fine that some people think Guns N' Roses is not the same Guns N' Roses of the past but another band.
And if they don't like the change that's that.
However, why the hell they hate the band for that is totally beyond me. 
How can anyone hate "another band" they don't know?  ???

No band is exactly the same after a decade or two, like it or not.
I hear even the beatles has many fans that dislike its later songs. Just a matter of taste.
Likewise, they will win new fans that won't dig the old band. Be prepared : ok:

Yes, but if Paul McCartney went on tour next week as The Beatles would you accept he fact that people would say 'This isnt the Beatles at all'? Thats the point that people are making with this new 'Guns N Roses'.

Sorry but what is the fact there? The fact is that he hasn't tour as beatles and people hasn't said anything.
And although I like their music, I'm not keen on the beatles as a band. I wasn't around when the band was alive.

Yep. As much as I love the new guys, and I think they rock just as much as the old guys, this will be an uphill battle for this band, and one they will never escape.

They aren't gonna rule the world folks.

It'll be us hardcores, and the new generation casuals that get into it, and it'll be successful.

But it will forever be viewed as GNR-lite

That's the truth, ruth.

It's just like the above example. Say Mick Jagger started touring with a new group of guys, but called himself, The Rolling Stones. There's gonna be alot of people that have a problem with that.

To me, Axl Rose is Guns N' Roses. So it's not a big hurdle. But I can certaintly understand for some it is.

But no matter how good these new guys are, people are still gonna hate that wanna hang on to this memory of 1991.

The fact is, the majority of music fans view The Beatles as Paul, John, Ringo & George. Not Paul, and three new guys.

For the younger kids, this will be GNR for a new generation. For the 21st century, and I think that's fuckin' great. It'll be cool as hell to introduce an entirely new audience to this band as GNR, and that's all they know of as GNR is Axl, Robin, Richard, Ron, Tommy, Brain, Dizzy, Chris, and sometimes Izzy.

The better question is, say the new band is huge.... when GNR go into the rock hall of fame... who's gonna represent the makeup of the band?

I couldn't care less about the hall of fame thingy.
Maybe I should be glad for them when it happens but I can't see the band taking the fame into account.

Ruling the world is not a musicians do. It's more like what some country's Government would like to do.

To my mind a band is not just a person (= a solo) or the people in it.
A band is something like a spirit of music inhabits in the band.

like I said, the Beatles is dead since when all the members left it and the music remains.
GNR is alive and the story continues after the long break.

What great about the story is that lightning has struck the same band twice.
and that is causing what punk/nirvana did to the scene, for the GNR fan base.
No band ever made it.

By Mr. Redfield

- But dude, you're an Axl Cocksucker....... 'Nuff said....

You don't get what we're saying...

and by the way, GNR hasn't made it yet either.

As far as 98% of the world is concerned, GNR died in 1993.

Christ, is that hard to understand what Im saying??

Im saying that if Mccartney reformd the Beatles with a bunch of hired hands and went on tour as the Beatles then everyone would think it a complete and utter sham. Thats what everyone I know thinks of 'Guns N Roses' as its just one guy and none of the original members - Thats why they treat it as a joke.

I'm just using the Beatles as an example. I dont care if you like them or not, that has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Exactly what I was trying to say.

All they keep responding with is basically a 'so what' comeback.

If that's it, and that's how you feel, that's fine. But ppbebe, you're fooling yourself if you believe no one else sees it that way.

This is reality, and will be an uphill battle for this new band. I've tried to get so So SO many people interested in these new guys, because they rock, and I keep getting smacked in the face.

Most common response given...

"It isn't Guns N' Roses without Slash!"

 :rofl: Hardly.  In fact, compared to the majority of people on here who seem to believe GN'R are going to be the biggest band in the world again as soon as they release the record, I could be considered a detractor.

But forgive me if I can't take someone who likes shit like Motley Crue seriously... you only have yourselves to blame.

I went with some friends to GnR show in Malaksa, Greece in July this year. Three of them loved the new band, the fourth couldn't care less as he's a major Axl fan, so he was satisfied, and the fifth didn't like it. Not because the musicians were bad, but "because GnR aren't dirty anymore", that's what he said.

Mauve_All, the fifth guy must be very grimy.  :P


we? Who  ??? 

Basically what you were calling "da fact" was not a fact but a mere supposition. Or did someone conduct an investigation?

And I guess you don't get what I said either.
between the lines I said If it's old guys vs new thingy again, I'm not into it.
It's like arguing about who's the real rock n' roll, Elvis or arctic monkeys? or insert any coming rock act into the latter and you get the point.


That's where the real thrill of this game lies.
It's just starting. It's unpredictable. The best things are ahead of us. : ok:
Otherwise would you be so hell eager to support them? 


again, mere supposition.
I bet more than half of the whole world is yet to hear the name.
The world is huge. it revolves around me tho. :yes:

hey you should realize that many poeple are NOT GNR FANS.

old gnr or new they are not fans so they don't care about the new lineup...

I'know someone who went to Paris 93 show ... he says that "this band was not a real Rock N' Roll band" ... "the show sucked" ...

when i talked him about GNR2006 he laughed a lot and said that GNR was not a rock n roll band since 80's...

For many poeple GNR is "has been" ... just old fashioned rock n roll band ... to old ...  ::)
And really I ve got only ONE friend who cares about GNR2006. They will never be as popular as in the 80-90's ... nobody cares about the old fashioned Rock N Roll...
the situation is not the same.... rap music is here, new metal ...

It's a shame, because nothing about the new songs can be described as "old-fashioned rock n' roll".  But many people will probably never know, because they'll take one look at the name and avoid it at all costs.

I would give a answer but truth be told I have no friends, I just sit by my PC 15 hours a day waiting for Axl news, and a new NIN album.

yeah I know alot of people who say its not the real band...well it isnt, but nobody was complaining during the Use your illusion tour which only consisted of 3 original members.... I say if slash was in the band NOBODY would question whether or not this is gnr, even if they didnt have Duff.... now by nobody i mean the general public....

Yep. The bottom line is people looked at GNR, as Axl & Slash. Just like the Stones = Mick & Keith, Zeppelin = Robert & Jimmy, Aerosmith = Steven & Joe, Queen = Freddie & Brian, etc.

the Bon Scott comparison falls flat on it's face. I highly doubt that had Slash died and Guns Continued on that people woudl be pissed off. People are pissed off that Slash is still around but for whatever reason not in Gn'R.  Like nesquick said Gn'R were and always will be in the minds of many, many, many people Axl and Slash.  Even to me that's the image I have of Gn'R.  The new band is cool and all but they will never ever have the same sentimental value as the  Axl and Slash Gn'R. They will never have the cutural impact, they will never have the hype, they will never have the status of the Axl and Slash Gn'R. It's just a fact. I mean Axl and Robin just doesn't have the same ring to it ya know. It's just one of those things you either choose to move past or not. For me I can deal with it. I look forward to seeing the new band, hearing the new material but if a reunion were to ever happen I'd be all for it in a  heart beat no matter how good CD turns out to be. I have a hard time beliveing that there's anyone out there who would NOT want to see Axl and Slash genuinely rocking out together on stage again. I'm not talking about some money making "reunion" tour but a  genuine reconciliation. Who could say no to that? Other than a few select people I can think of nobody.

The Richards ad Jager, Plant and Page, Tyler and Perry comparisons are bang on. Axl and Slash are every bit as iconic as any of them and possibly more so in terms of a duo and that's something that will never change and somthing the new band won't be able to replicate. Oh well.

No.

The reason people pine for Slash more so than any other band member is because they were both iconic and stood out - Slash with his top hat, hair and unique style; Axl for his voice, style, stage presence, behavior. They had great chemistry, they performed well together; they were like Keith and Mick.

Watching other guitarists perform these songs is all well and good, but it's hard to feel emotionally connected to Mr. Brownstone when you know the only guy singing the song who went dancing with Brownstone when that song was written was Axl.

Seeing Appetite performed by Axl, Slash and Izzy would be an emotional experience because it would give a new life to this album - back then it was a cry for help from the streets; today it would be a revisit to their youth; they WROTE these songs together; they experienced this stuff; it was their life.

Robin Finck bless him didn't go through that experience, he had no tie to the writing of the song itself, and as such no matter HOW brilliantly he plays the songs - no matter how kick-ass his rendition is - it's still just Robin Finck covering the song that was written by people who had an emotional connection with the material.

It would be like if they went back and re-filmed Once Upon a Time in America with a new director. IDENTICAL film, identical runtime, identical actors (if we can pretend none of them aged in the past twenty years). But that was Leone's passion, and that passion and connection with the material would be missing if they had a replacement film it.

That's why.

And that's why the new GN'R needs to start playing material they actually wrote together, because then there will be a connection to the material collectively. You can see the guys enjoy playing the stuff they wrote more - and why not? It'd be like Slash being hired for the Rolling Stones to replace Keith when he dies. He'd love playing the classics but after a while he'd itch for some songs he actually wrote.