Here Today... Gone To Hell!

http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showtopic=95193

" I sent an email from brains website http://www.wayofthebrain.com/ and i got a response here is my email and his response in its entirity


Thx 4 the support. Yes I'll b coming back 2 guns. Hope 2 c u out there.

Peace,

-Brain
------Original Message------
From: shaun murphy
To: Brain Mantia
Sent: Apr 23, 2007 9:51 AM
Subject:

hiya i think you are the best ever drummer for guns n roses,and congratulations on being a father that is wonderful news.please tell me you are coming back to guns n roses though! ,like i said man you are the best,the best ever Brain>matt>adler>freese in that order dude.take care. devout fan.

Shaun"

dont really know what i think of that statement.......

i still don't see the need for two drummers? unless ofcourse frank is just the stand in?

i mean do they plan on playing with two drummers?

Didn't Del James say Frank had recorded on the new album?

i think everyone apart from me has recorded on that album  :hihi:

I think Frank probably added more percussiony bits rather than re-record everything which i think Bumblefoot did. That was why Del James was being non descript because the two new folks had different levels of involvement. Frank was part of the GnR family whereas Bumblefoot was actually part of the band. ?Trying to shoehorn Frank in probably accounts for some delays....they always intended for BBF to replace Bucketheads parts, although in my view Bucket's parts were the highlight of some of the earlier....errrr Live Versions ?:nervous:

Grateful Dead had two drummers and it worked for them. Great to hear confirmation from Brain himself that he'll be back!

yeah, G N R Needs two drummers LOL

Two drummers on stage is way too much even for GN'R.

it worked for slipknot

i can see that ....

I really don't see where the doubts come from.

Brain became a father and took a time off for his family. Frank filled in and became a permanent member. They are both great drummers, so why not?

Nothing ever indicated that Brain had left the band.

Boooooo!  Keep Frank, no Brain.

when i saw them play i was gutted that brain wasnt going to play... but then i heard frank!

personally i dont care, but id pick frank.

Actually two drummers on stage would be fucking cool

i would love to hear the drum solo playing aginst each other

like a "drum off"

finally someone who thinks alike me :hihi:

Brain has invested a lot in this band and he deserves to go on the road to play the music he helped create.  He's done a lot more than Frank has, so as far as I'm concerned, Frank can sit on the bench and play second-string to the guy who has been with this project for a long time through thick and thin.

Ali

dude you probably are and you don't know :P we all are

anyway i think 2 drummers is too wild even for gnr

ditto to ali and lastroots.
plus  Didn't dizzy say the general is a Brain song?


C U later Brain! :love:


count me in. 8)

Now all we need is a bass buddy for Tommy, or Tracy and Roberta to come back and GNR will have at least double of everything!



... Either way, both Brain and Frank rock.

Brain is in the band when it is convenient for him.  He doesn't have the passion for the band like the other guys including Frank.  I love Frank's energy.  Brain just sits and plays and that's it.  He doesn't care.  Give him money and he'll play.

Please, you don't know anything about the guy.




/jarmo

hahha, Frank would get his ass whooped properly!....drum style

But Frank, alias Mr T, would whoop Brain's ass outside of the arena.

I mean, they're both awesome, it's a win-win situation.

see imo Frank is a Hard Heavy drummer, Brain is lighter more precise its like some Karate expert going up against a heavyweight boxer both know what to do with thier hands but thier style is completely different, i think it would be a great contrast in styles.

Then again what do i know being a Bullet For My Funeral fan

There are 2 keyboard players, so why not 2 drummers?  If they each bring something different to the table, why not utilize both?

Sure hope they keep Frank never really liked brain... :no:

Off topic, but why the hell can't he just spell out whole words.  I mean I know you're in a rock band but try not to look like a 14 year old girl with AIM for the first time when you write an email.

Because keyboards are waaaay different than drums.? Two keyboardists provide more melody to the song which is something totally different from beat (plus Dizzy really steals show with the keyboards when compared to pitman). Two drummers (at least at the same time) has the potential to be really distracting for the two players.? Plus GNR's drumming isn't complicated enough to warrant two drummers.

Slipknot only has ONE drummer and 2 guys who occasionally play percussion parts. Also both percussionist dont always  play percussion. One will do most of the screams and motivate/energize the crowd more while one plays some percussion.
both percussionists use
2 Mount toms
1 Floor tom
1 Bass Drum, set up like the floor tom
1 Anheuser-Busch beer keg
1 Baseball bat

so technically slipknot has 3 guys playing percussion...but only Joey J. plays throughout the songs.

He's made the comment more than once that as long as he gets paid he'll play.  Everyone knows what I'm talking about.  I don't like that.  I don't want that guy in GN'R if that's his attitude.  Frank loves it.

Sarcasm is out of the question because you were there and asked him personally?




/jarmo

Good to know that you personally know he was being sarcastic when saying that .

I actually have to agree with Jarmo, if he was that big of a d-bag chances are axl would have gotten rid of him at this point.  It sounds more like a sarcastic joke whose delivery was lost in print.

What the fuck do you expect? He's got a family. He's got to get paid. I love my job, but I wouldn't do it for free. They aren't making money off a new CD, so it's gotta come from somewhere.

I don't expect anything . Where did I say other whys?

 

I just quoted the last  post in this string about Brain saying he'll be in GNR as long as he's paid. Don't take it personal.

I'm sure Frank really loves to be in GNR too, but I doubt  he'd do it for free.

Nothing personal taken sir....Course these guys aren't going to be there for free. Everybody want to nake money and nothing better then doing that will doing something that you love to do . ANd  people also do things they don't like just because they will make a lot of money by doing so .

Quite true. But Brain could be in other bands and make money if he didn't like GNR.  His services are wanted. Bands in the industry know Brain's talents. It's just GNR fans that think he sucks.

Musicians make a bulk of their money from touring, not from album sales, especially in this day and age with the way things are in the music industry.  So the lack of Chinese Democracy really can't be hurting Brain that much, as long as the band continues to tour.  Not sure if he gets paid when he doesn't tour with the band, I'd imagine he did.  If not, THAT would be big time loss of money there, and nobody's fault but his own.

mantia is handsome, but frank seems groovy either one is fine

I like Brain but Frank suits the band alot more. He is a very aggresive drummer. He hits hard and has great Rock rythem. Brain was a bit to funky for my likeing. Like I said Brain is good but I just prefer Frank.


 :peace:

how could anyone think Brain sucks?   Dude is a fantastic drummer, nobody could possibly be serious with those kinds of comments.

You are so right how dare anybody have an opinon that doesn't go along with yours .


I think Brain is a very good damn drummer .

Anything's possible.

You know how some think a certain former employee is the greatest drummer in the world.....



/jarmo

This is in jest....just a joke, but if Brain comes back, and there are two drummers are they each going to have their own drum solo to go along with each guitar player having their own guitar solo?? Also, since there are two keyboard players they should each get a solo as well.....then they will all be happy!!!

well, if they could get the album to us that would be great.....until then, barney fife could be the drummer for all i care.  they're not really a band in my opinion until i get CD.

Josh Freese is pretty awesome, I would say a bit better than Brain.

 ;D

I assume the "former employee" remark was about Matt Sorum (a guy I'd never been a fan of until hearing the new songs from Libertad).

Here's what I've always wondered about that... Axl made a little dig at Matt by referring to him as an "former employee" instead of a bandmate, like Slash and Duff.  So if Axl considered (and still considers) Matt to have been an "employee," then does he think of Dizzy the same way?  They were both UYI additions to the band?  And if Axl considers Dizzy to be just an "employee," then what does that say about the rest of the band?

Personally, I've always found the "employee" vs. "band member" debate to be a bunch of shit.  A band is a band.  But when Del James wrote his opus last year, he made a went to great lengths to illustrate his point that this is a BAND and not just a bunch of employees (vs. say , "rock & roll all stars supporting Axl for this tour").

So what's the deal?  Has Axl really found the dream band he's been waiting for?  Are the new guys more than employees?  Did Axl decide to redraw the contracts so that new members would have their share in the ownership of the GNR name?

Just curious.

 :hihi: Damn you, you beat me to it...

Josh is without doubt the 'best' drummer in terms of techincal ability etc............... but the best technical drummer does not make the 'best' person for a band.

It comes down to how the person fits in with that group of guys, how he interprets the songs and puts his style into his playing.

I have no preference in the way the band sounds with each drummer, and although I do have a personal opinion on who I prefer as part of the band, there is obviously a reason that both are part of GNR, so I'm happy with whatever happens.

Hell, as far as I'm concerned they're just drummers ;D  I'd enjoy a show if any one of them was playing.

Damn true. They are drummers, they keep a beat. If you've seen one good drummer, you've seen them all.

Also, what's all this talk of two drummers?! Jesus H! Brain left indefinately and Frank FILLED IN. Frank will be gone when Brain returns. Period. How obvious does it need to be?

I might agree with you about that if Frank hadn't recorded parts for the album.

Surely if he was just filling in for Brain, why does he need to add to drum parts that Brain already recorded... seeing as he was just a 'fill in' for Brain?


Oh, and I think Josh Freese is better than Brain too : ok:

Drums parts needed doing. Brain wasn't around. Frank was. Frank did the business.

Remember "drum parts" could mean something tiny like overdubbing toms or something. I doubt Frank played any major role on the record.

I got nothing to back this up.... but I guarantee you Brain is the only GNR drummer when he returns.

Josh is a fucking animal on the drums... hes killer on the Beside You In Time DVD

I am very much opposed of having two drummers on the stage...Especially when Frank and Brain are so talented. I feel like they would hinder each other.

That's exactly how I feel.  It would become distracting and their two different styles would probably clash.  Also, GNR's drumming really doesn't lend itself to two drummers (it's not all that complicated or advanced).

Brain has it pretty good, he can take a hiatus from GNR when needed and Frank can step in. The songs sound great with either one. Each has their own style, but it is not monumentally noticeable when one or the other plays live.

I'd prefer to see brain on the stage.
he's been there for 7 years. he co wrote the new songs.
who better to play the music than the guy who help write it.
but that's just my 2 cents.

Are you serious? So you're saying a jazz drummer is the same as a funk drummer is the same as a metal drummer?

Each drummer, like each guitarist has their own style and nuances, drummers aren't completely replaceable all the time.

Zeppelin without Bonham? They couldn't imagine it.

Bonhams 20 minute drum solo during moby dick. You couldnt handle that shit on acid.

I think the former employee part was a dig specifically at Matt Sorum, the same way the additional musician tag on Live Era was.

Ali

Who knows how Axl views it, but my take on it is he wanted to take on a keyboardist which has always been Dizzy.  He's the original keyboardist and has been with the band for well over 15 years.   I'd say that makes him a "bandmate" in this debate of bandmates (or "members" as Axl put it) -vs- employees.  Sorum on the other hand was brought in as more of a tool to replace Adler, recording parts that were already written and playing a live catalog that he also had no hand in writing.  That's probably how Axl differentiates the two and labels him as such.

#1 - We don't know how real this e-mail is.

#2 - We don't know if Brain will return to the band.

#3 - If he does indeed return, we don't know in what capacity.



The next shows are in about 2.5 weeks, let's see who plays those shows.




/jarmo

But do you really think -- considering all Axl went through over the years to finally secure the name "Guns N' Roses" as his and his alone -- that Axl would hand over ownership to BBF or Frank, or any of the really talented rock & roll allstars he's got supporting him?

If people want to make digs at Matt for being "an employee," then why do they get so upset when other guys are thought of that way?? Say what you will about Sorum the employee, he actually played on three GNR albums and was a part of their biggest and most successful tours.? If anyone snickers at him for being just an employee, then I think they're treading dangerously close to saying the same thing about the new guys.

In otherwords we don't know shit about anything. No real changes there then!

Matt had no creative input on any GnR album.  He drummed over songs that were already written and played them on tour.  Dizzy we know for a fact has actually written songs for their new album.  Dizzy also wrote parts of Oh My God, so unlike Sorum he's actually been a credited writer on an official GnR release.  And will be again whenever CD finally gets released.  Robin, Tommy, Richard, Pitman, and Brain will all get writing credits at some point on CD as well.  So that's the difference between them and Sorum.  Although I think Matt is a really strong drummer, the truth is he never had any part in the creative process on an original Guns song

I'm not trying to debate who's made a greater artistic contribution to Axl's music.? There's really nothing to discuss there.? We all know Matt didn't write any songs on the album (but then, neither did Dizzy).?

I'm curious about the band's status - "owners" vs. "employees."? Jarmo brought it up, and I think it's an interesting discussion.

Like Jarmo said, Axl considered Matt to be just an "employee."? We all know ownership of the GNR name brand was very important to Axl.? Personally, I would be very surprised if Axl would have a sudden change of heart and decide that anyone who joins the band post-Slash/Duff would become fullfledged members and part-owners of the band they play in.

I don't know the process that Axl goes through when dividing up ownership of his band's name, but I find it hard to believe that back in '91, when he was taking legal control of the band, that he would have decided Matt was an "employee" but Dizzy would be an "Owner" because of some creative contributions he would one day make to an album he hadn't even conceived of yet.? Axl's awesome and all, but I don't think he has the ability to see into the future.

Unless you're suggesting that Axl recently decided he was wrong to play the "Employee vs. Owner" game, and in the middle of CD, decided to promote his "supporting rock & roll all stars" to full-fledged band members and co-owners of the GNR name.

Ah, the voice of reason, cheers Jarmo. ? : ok:


Less than 3 weeks until the GNR touring machine fires up again. ?I can't wait to start reading the reviews from you lucky people at the shows. ?:D

It's really not.

The guys are in the band, they work towards the same goals.


Matt was in the band and sometimes you get the impression of the way he talks that he had some huge part in the band's success. He saved the band when they had lost their drummer, but so did Frank in a way.

But I've never seen Frank act all arrogant about it.




/jarmo

i think the reason he called matt a "former employee" could be as simple as just wanting to send a big "fuck you" his way, and may not have had any more thought put into it than that!

Matt rules. His playing can't be only considered as "saving". It was different of Adler style but it kicked ass on UYI. I think drums solo was boring but if it was Axl idea and because we are on HTGTH I would say it was a fuckin awesome moment  :P

Yeah, but I doubt that Axl decided to consider new bandmates "employees" because he knew that Matt Sorum would one day become an arrogant prick about being in GNR.

Seriously Jarmo. ?You're an insider, so your take on this would probably be better than most folks'... Do you think Axl's revised his policy on retaining sole ownership of the band? ?Do you think that with the BBF/Frank/Fortus incarnation of GNR, he's finally found the right mix and he's decided to do away with the "employee" designation?

Honestly, you really don't know anything about the guy. You're another one of these fans who still get's their panties twisted over nothing but a joke, which was nothing but a joke in the first place. Annoying as fuck....

2 drummers would work fine if Dizzy wasn't already the bands auxilary percussionist for 16 years

Wrong.

I don't know any more the band's business practices etc. than you.


None of that kind of discussions has a place on this board.

For one simple reason, it's their business not ours. We don't know anything. That means what we get is a bunch of people thinking they know things. Speculating about what should be done or how it's done.

We don't need a bunch of wanna be managers, lawyers, booking agents etc posting.





/jarmo

When the tour kicks off in Mexico, Frank will be on drums

I don't think he, or GNR, really has the profile that would allow us to find out if he was, at this point. Unless you spend time with him on a regular basis, and I didn't know...

kinda what I expected it to be...

I imagine Brain will play on the North American tour.

Cool.  Normally I wouldn't get into it, but since you brought up the whole "employee vs. band member" status thing in joking about former members, I thought it was an acceptable dialogue.

But you were right when you were joking earlier -- Axl did legally consider Matt Sorum to be an employee. 

I just think it's cool that you're posting about Matt Sorum  in the main GNR section.  God, isn't that guy such a tool? 

No, I mentioned nothing about different genre's.

My point is - I don't care who plays drums in GNR as long as he's good and knows the stuff. And he will be - whoever he is - since Axl wouldn't have have him in the band otherwise.

This band ain't Led Zeppelin, so just who beats the skins for Axl these days is kinda irrelevant.

Who really cares who the drummer is, i agree.  The band is Axl, thats why we all are here (except maybe the Pittman lovers).  Still I trust that axl will put guys on stage who can handle it.  I dont trust a lot about what Axl does/says, but i trust that.  I also think that if Addler can play the appetite stuff after having a stroke...it cant be that difficult.

Does anyone realize that bands, unless under some really truly bizarre circumstances, don't have two drummers? It would be something of an anomoly to say the least. This bullshit "Both Frank AND Brain are in the band : ok:" is really mind numbing. Right now, as far as we know, Frank is the drummer. If Brain is coming back as the drummer or if he were to, that means Frank's not the drummer anymore.

I think Brain'll come back when CD's released.

The wait's probably even more frustrating for the musicians than it is for the fans.

Of course it is, they have something personally invested. A lot of their personal and professional time has been dedicated to this project. They are workers and want to see the fruits of their work. That is what a majority of this board does not get. Yes, they may be and "are" Axl's or the Gnr brand's employees. But, they have invested so much personal time and, for lack of a better term, HEART that they are not your typical hired guns, especially Tommy and Robin.

Now, my point is, that the majority of this board has probably never had a single job or true responsibility in their life. So, they don't know what it is like to be 35-45 years old living in the music industry. These people have families to feed and mothers to take care of...they have financial responsibility. It is not a situation where the band members are 20 years old living on the streets....at 35-40, you do what is best, financially, for your future and for your family. When your 20.....SELF CENTERED, all or nothing. You can afford to take the risk.

I bet it's frustrating but I'm sure the fat pay check they get after every show they do soothes the pain  :smoking:

But Brain's an artist and a father too.? His music and his family are probably very important to him.?

I can understand why Axl would want to tour to raise money for finishing CD, but there's only so long he can expect his band to want to do that.? I doubt it's very creatively fulfilling for Brain to play twenty-year-old songs from a band he may not have even been a fan of.?

But that's just speculation.? I could imagine it'd be pretty frustrating to put years and years of your life into an album that you have no control over.

Well Brain has recorded music on other albums and toured with other bands since joining GnR.  For example the Colonel Claypool project and tour with Buckethead, Les Claypool and Bernie Worrell.  He has other creative outlets aside from Guns N Roses.   If he didn't want to be in GnR he wouldn't be. 

Brain and every other guy in the band made a hell of a lot of money last year on tour, I don't really feel sorry for guys who are getting paid a hell of a lot more money than I make or probably ever will make to go on world tours and play in front of sold out crowds.  Those guys have an amazing "job", they are getting paid very well to do something a lot of people would love an opportunity to do.  I'm sure they are frustrated by the delays of this album but there are a lot worse places to be than where they're at

So do I. 
providing the mail is legit, he is due to come back at some point maybe after the release.


Not me. Axl is the leader of the band and not the band itself.
a band is never solo. It consists of the musicians that are banded together.


to those who can't handle a badass sense of humour or sarcasm, take that! :rant:

"If Guns N Roses start up again, I'm in.
I love doing it and, as crazy as it is, I really miss being around all that.
I love being that rock guy where you're in a band, and it's about you and your music.
Being a hired gun is a different feeling-it's not your songs and it's all about the artist you're working for, which is cool
but with guns we were doing songs that I was a part of creating. And if the new album ever comes out, there are songs on there that I've had a hand in writing.

...So I went down and met the guys and Axl, and everyone was super cool. The whole guns thing really excited me and I think the record's incredible?it could be their LED Zeppelin* Ⅱ. I really have that feeling about it and I just hope it comes out."

*zep is one of his top 5 fav bands.

Brain in serious mode in late 2004 when the band was on hiatus.
http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=18296.0

From a mail interview taken from another gnr forum:
//
Pat: Good day Brain! I know you are getting this question daily. Probably more often than that. However we at GnrDaily.com would like to know. Are you coming back to Guns N' Roses? If so when? If not, what are your future plans? And what have you working on lately? You have a great deal of support from the fans, most would love to see you back playing with Guns.

Brain: Not sure when I'll b coming back. I just finished working with Serj the singer from System of a Down. I did the drumz on his solo joint. Should b out in October.

Pat: I'm looking forward to Serj Tankians solo album. It should be awesome! I did hear somewhere you were playing on it. I guess this means you won't be on the first leg of the Guns N' Roses 2007 World Tour. Hopefully we will see you when the band comes back to the states. Anything you would like me to relay to the fans at GnrDaily.com?

Brain: Tell the fans I hope 2 c them out there when the album comes out.

Pat: Brain, just one more thing, and then I PROMISE to stop bothering you. We know that Frank Ferrer went in studio earlier this year to lay down or finish some tracks. What exactly he did is not public knowledge, and we respect that. However please tell us that your presence will still be felt on the album?

Thanks again for taking the time to put up with my crap!!

Brain: To my knowledge I?m still on 90% of the album.
//

Hey guys it seems things are turnin' on the wrong side for the band.
Well i mean ... i'm a big gn'r fan but are we really talkin' about a band??
I think we should start to call it Axl Rose solo project or Axl Rose and his hired musician...

Sigh

I don't think this necessarily signifies that he won't be back. He said he didn't know when he'd be back. Headline needs a little more clarification.

the day you start calling them the axl rose band you stop being a fan of guns n roses

does that mean he was any less important?

Im pretty damn sure Sorum wrote the drumparts for several of the UYI songs, not all of them were written while Adler was in the band.
either way, he's the one that recorded the drumparts that are on the album. he has a completely different style than Adler, so even if they are played after Adlers notes, they sound different with Sorum behind the kit. so in other words, he definately have set his mark on these albums. all the songs would have sounded pretty different with Adler on drums, even if he would be playing the same beats. it's all about swing and feel.

Im a bigger fan of Adlers playing than Sorums, but I think Sorum should get credit for what he did, no matter how he acts...

Steven Adler never had any part in writing a GnR song, yet he was still considered a fulltime member. The same can be said of many drummers (and bassists). Are you saying Phil Rudd was/isnt a full member of AC/DC? Of course he is.

Remember Dizzy had never written any of the songs on Live Era and didn't start contributing to the creative process until after those concerts were originally recorded. He still got listed as a fulltime, member as far as I know, even though his contribution was limited and less important than Matt Sorum, other than when he was playing parts originally recorded by Axl.

Its obvious Matt Sorum being called a former employee and additional musician and all that crap was motivated by a personal dispute. It was plain silly, immature and disrespectful. Then again, Matt's made a lot of silly mistakes with his past as well so I'm not trying to lay blame, just telling it as it is.

the funniest thing ever is that clip "sorum beating a dead horse" :rofl:


http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/ktklahti/matt_sorum_beating_a_dead_horse.mp3

i prefer frank as the drummer .... brain is good but frank is more of a rockdrummer .....
Steven adler had the groove back in the days .... matt was okej ..but he didnt rock ......

I can't see how the comments can be taken negatively.

Brain is saying he's the drummer of cd.  We'll see him when cd's out.
Frank is great in the set like 2006. GNR has the bests.

still no official word on his status. its been over a year now since he took a leave of absence. why the silence? we know he has left, so why can't they say that?

he has said that he will be back when the record is out..

but for me i'm glad if they just keep frank

You sure do know alot of things about GNR..

So, how does the new album sound like ? Maybe you haven?t heard all the songs but at least 80% of e?m  : ok:

thats not true, he played all the shows last september in vegas, sf, and inland.

he said himself, he will be back once the album is out.  maybe he will, maybe it'll still be frank.   i think either one is great.   

yes, i know, thanks...i rounded it up to a year...i was at those shows so i know he was there. but since then, nothing.....the band is much better with brain in the fold....

i dont know.. i think Brain has more techincal skill, but chemistry-wise the band is better with Frank.