Here Today... Gone To Hell!

According to Hits Daily Double, word inside the Sanctuary Music Group is that Merck Mercuriadis will be leaving the company's management team. GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose is said to be leaving with Merck as a client of the longtime Sanctuary executive.

Rose has been saying that GUNS N' ROSES' long-delayed new album, "Chinese Democracy", will be out later this year.

According to Hits Daily Double, word inside the Sanctuary Music Group is that Merck Mercuriadis will be leaving the company's management team. GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose is said to be leaving with Merck as a client of the longtime Sanctuary executive.

Rose has been saying that GUNS N' ROSES' long-delayed new album, "Chinese Democracy", will be out later this year.........

http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=57925

This is weird!? I just posted within seconds on another thread about who his manager is and this pops up, within seconds... ???

I don't buy it.

Here's the original source:
http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/rumormill.cgi

Hey brock I post this too, almost at the same time as you... sorry... now I can't delete the other thread, I guess someone will, later.

Another link:

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=57925

If Axl has a signed contract with Sanctuary, can he just leave to go with Merck ?

blabbermouth is shitty source

intresting read i don't buy it though can axl do that if he has a contract with sanctuary??

He left Sanctuary to go to interscope which is the label that is going to release CD. That is the best bet.

Who?

Sanctuary and Merck manage Axl. Geffen and Interscope are record companies.

As far as I know, Interscope isn't managing artists.


/jarmo

Breaking from haiku here.  Sorry.

My take on this is purely speculative, and a helluva long shot, but not negative!  IF tour dates are all booked, then the promoters take over...no need for Sanctuary.  IF the album is in Interscope's hands, then they take over promotion...no need for Sanctuary.
Maybe they're set for a big push, and Merck wants to work exclusively with Guns...put all his energy behind it...without the pressure of heading up Sanctuary at the same time.

Anyway, all speculation, and still no proof the rumor is true, so who knows?  I can't see it affecting album release.  The publishing rights are a question, but, again, shouldn't cause delays.

Bottom line? Relax.
This may not be a bad thing.
I believe we're close.

Splash

/Mike

Then my theory goes out the window.

What?

Sactuary is management.

Interscope is the record label.

And never the two shall meet.

No question on the publishing rights.  Sanctuary Music Publishing owns them.  But Sanctuary Music Publishing and Sanctuary Artist Management are two completely seperate arms of Sanctuary Group, so it's not like it's a big deal that the Publishing arm owns the rights but the artist is managed by another entity.

#1 I don't think if it really happens that it's an issue

Just curious:

My question is - didn't Axl sign over his rights to the GNR catalog for 9-10 years to Sanctuary.  If he leaves I wonder how that effects that contract?

To make a bad pun:
Sanctuary much, Pilferk! ?:P
Answered my question!

Splash

/Mike

Not too surprising, Sanctuary went 125 million bones in debt under Merck's watch.

If true, it's probably a good move for all parties involved..

Just a question...

Will this delay CD... ???

Axl was paid a lot of money (by Sanctuary) by signing over his publishing rights to the entire GnR' catalogue. He still get's royalties from the songs, he just doesn't have creative control on where the songs are used. However, Axl probably has stipulations on his publishing contract.

As far as Merck goes, Axl appears to be a full time job for him, and he needs to keep his focus on Axl and the new record.

does this spell more delays for CD (fucking hope not)

...will this affect the Gn'R tour?

who knows?? but its kinda looking like the CD is really on its way...like axl and co. are putting "their collective ducks in a row".....

Sensible words mike - am inclined to agree with you.  : ok:

It sounds more like this is part of the legal mumbo-jumbo that has been delaying the release (for the last couple months, NOT years). I'm sure contracts were being bought out, $$ amounts were being agreed upon, and percentages nailed down.. I think it's getting closer.

why so short before the album release? why not earlier?

you mention contract by outs.....i wonder...and i may be an idiot...but still tahts beside the point lol...if anyone in the band is under contract with some other company...whether it be a label..or management that has maybe hindered the release??

Maybe it was in the works for a while.

Or maybe it'll wind up being one of those snags that get in the way of Axl's plans.

It may be a good thing... :)

After all, GN'R can't be as bad managed as they were under Sanctuary. We all know GN'R isn't promoted/marketed the best they could be. Maybe with things getting bigger in the near future they want a better Management team around the band. I guess if they left it's because they weren't satisfied by Sanctuary. Maybe they didn't feel enough support from sanctuary and they decided to move on and leave... who knows?

Axl will be a huge loss for Sanctuary... good thing they just signed Sebastian Bach.

Seriously, I'm shocked that Axl would be free to walk away from his management contract just like that. ?My understanding is that management companies are paid mainly by getting a percentage of artist revenues (from tours, records, etc.). ?So Axl quits on the eve of the US tour and the record release and after all these years Sanctuary doesn't get its big payoff?
 

is axl signed exclusively to sancuary or to merck?? im foggy on the details...but didnt axl sign with merck and then merck went to sanctuary? correct me if im wrong..please!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....  how many times does this have to be said (do we need a splash screen stating this each time you log onto HTGTH???)

READ THE FUCKING THREAD:

I think its more along the lines of Sanctuary not being happy with Merck, and Axl not wanting to continue with management outside of Merck. Axl seems to like to keep the loyal people around him for a long time. At the same time, with the amount of debt their under, rumors of the group being sold, and everything else going on it could be that they haven't felt they have got a return on their investment and would just like to bail before they lose anymore money on GN'R. My reasons are as good as anybody elses, everyone's is really, cuz its all speculation anyway. ?:smoking:

Sanctuary has been going downhill for months...why wouldn't he leave?

best post in this thread : ok:

If it's true, it actually makes sense.
Sanctuary's main selling point is its independance, if it's really going to be sold this time I'd expect to see a lot more of their artists leaving.

Hmmmmm this is strange, im not really sure what to make of it! All the problems with Sanctuary stem from the record label side of the company, not the management side! Maybe Mercks side are starting to feel the impact of the companys problems, hence this story!

Jonx

Merck is going to work for Irving Azoff, who has close ties with Kalodner/Geffen/Interscope.  He currently is managing the Pumpkins (come-back) X-tina Aguilera, J. Timberlake, and The Eagles.  It's a good move.

kinda OT but it would have been dumb to start a new thread about my question.. so how do you spell rumor?

 is it rumor or rumour?

No, this is not a rumour.

I agree with that! And I don't understand how Axl can just walk away that easily... ???

both. rumour is british english, rumor is american english

Can Mysteron confirm or deny this?

If its true, it depends on rules in his contract  :-\

Irving Azoff has been the Manager of The Eagles. That's a good thing. GN'R will be under good hands I guess? :)

i'm just fucking concerned this is going to push back the release of CD :-\

Seriously, people, Sanctuary has nothing to do with the recording, production or distribution of CD or any future GNR album. They just handle Axl's publishing rights.

A year ago in this Billboard interview, there was rumblings about Sanctuary being sold and Merck going elsewhere.? And according to this, Axl isn't the only high-profile client that's extremely happy with working with Merck.? : ok:

(http://gypsysoul.lunarpages.com/billboard91005a.jpg)

(http://gypsysoul.lunarpages.com/billboard91005e.jpg)? ?


You can read the entire Billboard Elton/Merck interview here:
http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=22451.0

Merck is a cool guy, he obviously puts no pressure on Axl Rose to release an album unti Axl is completely happy with his work. Respecting an artists work and not forcing it is probably something that is a rarity today.

There's no need to force Axl to release an album. It'd be too early for this newband. Slash and Duff has just left in... what... a decade.


Back to the topic: (Since now I really think CD's coming) I don't understand how Sanctuary could lose such a big gun as Axl (and the Guns N' Roses brand). If they were downhill, it'd be their last chance. And they gently miss it.   ???

i hope this move will not cause any legal problems for Axl

Sanctuary are not bleeding money as artist management, but as a record label.

Either way, the idea Sebastian Bach would be some kind of saviour is possibly the funniest thing I've ever read.

yeah....   sanctuary lose guns n`roses, but now they have baz to save the company :rofl:

they have also BFMV and A7X... wait wait... bankrout is the word! :rofl:

You and me both.  However, a happy Axl - no matter where he is - is far more likely to get the CD out sooner than an unhappy Axl...fingers crossed.

Hey Smothers Brothers, I was joking when I wrote that.  Next time, I'll just invest in one Elton John's farting clocks to get laughs.

How long has Merck been managing Axl/GNR?
All of a sudden Axl hit the spotlight again, could this be a move from Merck or is it only because Axl wanted too.
Merck was hired to get Axl back in the spotlight and turning up the hype around the album!?

I'm just wondering?

LOL Axl leaves Santuary while he convince Seb Bach to join them...Axl you are one crazy goose!
Either that or Seb is trying to emulate his hero...when is Bach's Chinese Democracy coming out? I guess Seb will be leaving too?

I can't see them making a move toward pushing back the release.
Axl has stated that this year is it. He's cast the die. There's a note of resolution.
We don't know whether true or not. Or the details.
it would be in order to carry out the plan, If it's true.

Even then same difference.
the label= interscope
the manager= merck
the publishing company= sanctuary


Incidentally isn't Beyonce under sanctuary label? Or just the management?

American English was invented by Microsoft and as such is not recognised by the Collins English Dictionary as being 'proper'. According to recent estimates there are around 33,000,000,000 errors in the code of current Microsoft software. All but three of those are spelling errors.

The correct spelling of 'rumour' is 'rumour'. Colour also contains a 'u'.

Hahaha....thats gotta be a joke right? So, if Microsoft invented this American English, then why have Americans been spelling those words differently long before MS was a company?

Also.... we are discussing this on a GNR board why?

If it is true, Im sure Axl is very protective over the GNR catalog, so I dont think he would just sign it away.  This shouldnt be a problem with releasing CD, but you never knwo with GNR

people need to figure out that Sanctuary Team has both a mangement arm and a record label arm. You can be part of one without being part of the other.

 People need to understand the difference before they post.

This is not to everyone, just to those who are too lazy to do the research! :) :)

I don't think this will be an issue at all for Guns N' Roses. The CD will still be on track to be out some time this year.  : ok:

Why do you care so much if Merck leaves Sanctuary if he remains AXL's manager?
I guess we all want the best for AXL and the Group and I don't think that Merck would ever do harm to AXL  :)

Just found that...ahahah... this is hilarous :hihi:

(http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/6569/merckcopyth7.jpg)

Well, maybe the record was finished (but not mixed/mastered) when he said that. Only Axl and Merck knows.

great one nesquick :rofl:

awesome pic for sure.... he said that in february 2005 right?... well... plans change sometimes..

I doubt people remember when I posted about this a long time ago, but I actually interviewed with Sanctuary for one of their regional offices on the record label side of things.  I was not interested in working with after the interview to be honest, but they were asking me questions about my interests in the entertainment industry blah blah blah, and so I brought up Merck.  Now keep in mind I was interviewing for a finance position in Sanctuary.  When I brought him up both people interviewing me looked at each other and kind of rolled their eyes.  They told me that he was a 'tough' person to work with.  The artists love him (which is obvious) but people in finance and on the business end of things in general find it extremely frustrating to work with him.  They did not elaborate, but I think he is one of those "I am all about the art" people... not that its a bad thing, but Sanctuary is still a business with a bottom line and I think he always ignored that. 

I just saw this article on billboard but i'm not a member. can anyone else get this one?

http://www.billboard.biz/bb/biz/newsroom/business_finance/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003120043

so whats going on with this rumor, or is it nothing more then that?

well it was written about on billboard, so i think its more than a rumor.

i wish i could see the article though (but you have to be a member to do that).

He works for the artists and its his #1 job to make them happy

It's possible that the interviewers reacted that way because they thought you were name-dropping.? Most companies frown on that (unless you're carrying a reference letter from the person whose name you're dropping) so they'll bad mouth the person just to let you know that doing that doesn't fly with them.? ;)

I picked up the hard copy? : ok:

? ? ? ? ? (http://gypsysoul.lunarpages.com/bb92306a.jpg)
MERCK MERCURIADIS, left, with AXL ROSE
at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
Sources say Mercuriadis will continute to manage Rose.
Photo credit:? Kevin Mazur/wireimage.com

(http://gypsysoul.lunarpages.com/bb92306b.jpg)

Great news  :-\ ???

So CD's coming... later?

Hopefully Merck sticks with GnR after he leaves Sanctuary (if it's true)

While I've even dug into him myself, we've all gotta agree that out of all the people working with Axl closely in the last 10 years, he's accomplished the most.

Merck, leave the label if you've gotta, but for the love of Dog, keep working with the band. Otherwise, us fans will be stuck with a dumbass band manager that knows how to make money, but wouldn't know a gunners tune from his ex-wife's asshole.

With this I assume you haven?t studied history...
I don?t know whether you?re a native english speaker or not but you should know the American English wasn?t invented by Microsoft unless the first european colonists had a personal computer in the XVth Century... :P

There are several differences between British English and American English dude, differences in pronounciation and spelling.

British Eng: Rumour, colour
Am Eng: Rumor,color....etc.

Huh? What has Merck accomplished?  Niven saw them through LLAS, AFD and Lies, Goldstein got UYI out and put together the three-year tour to back it up.  He dealt with the Adler fiasco, issued TSI and put almost all the members of the current band together, and probably the producers of record for CD.  He handled the soundtrack release for OMG.  He also did RIR, the Vegas shows and the overseas tour. 

If I recall, Merck took over and in short order the US tour imploded, Buckethead left and Geffen/Interscope pulled the plug.   He got Ron Thal (who he initially rejected) and managed to complete a brief tour of Europe.  Nobody's heard a legitimately-released note under Merck's watch.   I'm not blaming Merck, but that statement is laughable!

If Merk and GNR are leaving then the delay in the album makes sense now to me. IF they are leaving then they have probly fucked around and delayed everything just so they could go to another company. Then again this could just be bullshit.

Merck (and Axl) are definitely leaving, that's been confirmed by all sorts of people, and I do believe he's been negotiating his exit for a good part of the year with an end-of-September deadline, so it should be announced any time now.   Sanctuary made it clear months ago they were interested in finance guys, not A&R guys.  But there's no reason for that to delay the album --  unless maybe Sanctuary was being asked to finance something else (if the publishing deal funds were frozen in litigation), but that's unlikely.   And it's even less likely they'd put more money into Rose regardless, although at least with the GH and a tour, they're at least getting money in. 

I wonder what the Sanctuary shareholders' reaction is going to be?  They may be holding off as long as possible on the announcement thinking the stock will take a dive.

interesting thought man, but i do believe that the delays came because of the album were actually NOT done...

I agree.

I agree that Merck probably isn't the GN'R manager that has accomplished the most, but not all of these thing are quite true, are they? Has Geffen pulled the plug on Guns N' Roses? They toured Europe for over two months with 30+ shows, I wouldn't call that brief...

geffen has the sept 27th fresno date listed on their site

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=60593




IRON MAIDEN, GUNS N' ROSES Managers To Leave SANCTUARY? - Oct. 19, 2006 
 
Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, reports: "The word from London is that Rod Smallwood is finally untangling himself from Sanctuary, the company he co-founded, taking cornerstone act IRON MAIDEN with him. Will his departure from the much-maligned company clear the way for Merck Mercuriadis to get his own exit deal done so that he can join Irving Azoff's management firm? Merck's situation is relatively complicated, as he will continue to manage ELTON JOHN for Sanctuary while taking MORRISSEY and GUNS N' ROSES with him to Azoff." 
 
 
 

I knew the rumors about Rod Smallwood....

Azoff? I dont think i ever heard of it

Classic... I'd hate to see their attorney bills. At least someone is making money on Chinese Democracy. The pursuit of perfection in business is as stupid as the idea you can be bulletproof. Looking like a deep hole?

Might want to check Reply #38 in this thread ;)

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=37597.20

If this is a dead horse topic, please move.  Various reports have Merck resigning from Sanctuary today, as well as parting ways with Elton John.  Does this have any impact on GNR and the impending release?

Sorry if off topic in main section.

Did a google search and none of the financial news services (reuters / bloomberg, etc.) made a mention of it.....

typically if a sr executive leaves a publicly traded company, they report it

A press release was given out but was immediately deleted  :hihi: