Here Today... Gone To Hell!

GUNS N' ROSES Keyboardist CHRIS PITMAN Apologizes For Calling Reunion 'Nostalgia Tour'

The reunited GUNS N' ROSES ? featuring Axl Rose alongside guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan ? has six shows scheduled so far, all in April: two at the Coachella Music And Arts Festival, two in Las Vegas and two in Mexico City. The rest of the band's lineup for the shows ? and a potential tour later in the year ? remains unclear, although keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus, and drummer Frank Ferrer are all believed to be involved.

In recent a social media post that's since been deleted (but captured on Reddit), Pitman wrote:

"This is a nostalgia tour, please don't mention those who are there the last 20 fkg years [sic] oh god no! ...(a money grab) FU."

Now Pitman has taken to Twitter to say sorry to his bandmates, explaining:

"I sincerely apologize to GNR,especially the band and crew,for stupid comments about upcoming tour, ..remember kids, dont drink n text!"

The multi-instrumentalist joined GUNS N' ROSES in 1998, performing keyboard, bass, percussion and backing vocals. He featured on every song on the band's sixth album, "Chinese Democracy", and is one of the longest serving members of the group's most recent lineup.


http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-keyboardist-chris-pitman-apologizes-for-calling-reunion-nostalgia-tour/


 :love: PITMAN  :love:

"oh god no! ...(a money grab) FU"


I don't understand most of this?

can someone explain a bit?

He is commenting that none of the other guys from recent line-ups are getting any love here, and he resents it.

The money grab part, I'm not as sure about.  I guess he is saying this tour is all about money. 

But I'm not sure that, #1, that makes it any different than any of their last few tours which were not in support of anything new, nor offered even the pretense of moving forward.  And, #2, as we've said many times, all tours are "money grabs".  That's why bands tour.  To make money.  That is the job.

The more I read it I almost wonder if that is a shot at the people (fans) complaining about the sudden lack of love for the last 20 years, and complaining that it's a money grab... not sure, it is definitely written like a classic drunk text so it is hard to follow (especially the money grab part and how that is written).

Could be.

Let's put yourself in his shoes.  You see post after post and comment after comment along the lines of "so long as its Axl, Slash, and Duff, I don't even care who else is up there."

That probably doesn't make you feel awesome.

Sarcasm, Ironic, Drink, Vodka, Beers, Whisky's, etc.

 :hihi:

Totally get it, it just reads so weird.

He could also be graceful about the whole thing, and resign.

That would be awesome.

Chris cry baby Pitman... if it wasnt for the "original" GNR legacy he would be playing Garth Brooks cover songs in pubs. What a jerk...he should be grateful for having the chance of being part of history instead of dissing in social media. Thats why I respect Frank and Fortus...these guys are truly professionals!

Know what's funny?

This is the EXACT type of shit we've been talking about with Adler these past few weeks.  Something dumb like this he would have to walk back the next day.

The chances of that happening is pretty big.

He's a loose cannon for sure.

I think, in all fairness, anyone truly hard on Steven just on the chance he might do something like this needs to come down pretty hard on Chris here. 

This isn't theoretical, but real.  Can't just dismiss this "oh, that wacky Mother Goose, LOLZ".

(http://i68.tinypic.com/15ry71y.jpg)

Although nothing has been said about Steven's involvement, he has already made comments of the same nature just a few months back.

"Duff doesn't think I'm cool", "Slash doesn't believe in me", "Matt was never in, he was a hired hand" etc. etc. etc.

So I think it goes both ways. People going soft on Steven's comments and really wants him back in the band, shouldn't strike down hard on Pitman for making comments similar to Steven's.

Says the guy who's been in a band that released one album in a hundred years and has been playing mostly other people's songs live - songs from the moneygrabbers!

Give me a break! I have some dishes in my sink if he has nothing else to do.

Have A Nice Day

 :smoking:

I always loved that pic. It's like

Chris: Hey Duffster, havin the time of your life, hu? My band is a fun place to be, right?
Duff: Yeah, right...

Mr Pitmans comment can mean anything...
1) Fuck the fans
2) Fuck, I'm out
3) Fuckin Clusterfuck, why are the coming gigs only promoted with the two new guys and Axl
4) Fuck yeah, I'm drunk

Chris will be fine.  He's got all that Beatrazr money to fall back on...

What was he expecting, headlines to read "Slash & Duff Rejoin Chris Pitman's Guns N' Roses"?  :hihi:

But seriously, I'm stunned he was surprised by any of the marketing. Slash & Axl back together is literally the biggest news in rock of this decade.

With the appropriate punctuation and a few words added here n' there, this quote could actually be read as Chris' defending Axl/Slash/Duff's decision to the rejoining to GNR.  (which is exactly what I thought he meant when I first read it...... him criticizing the media coverage.)


But even if left as explained as a drunk text, it's not even close to things that have been said by/about each other of the three that most likely were apologized for and forgiven to get us all to this very exciting point in time.

Duff thinking: Yeah, right...just wait and see whose band this is, bro.

People when drunk and under drugs are honest and say what they really think. Which is fine! But coming out afterwards and "apologizing", using as an excuse for honesty the fact that they were drunk...that is cowardly! Anyone should man the fuck up and own what they did and said! I really hope I won't see Pitman on stage in April!

Or it could be a pic of Chris patting Duff on the back and saying to him:  You don't seem to be spineless at all like Slash said about you.

People say stupid things from time to time.
 

Yeah, you're rigtht, could mean anything and a lot of people say stupid things. Slash, Axl, Steven etc
to be honest, I don't give a fuck about his comment. whatever it means...

He is likely taking heat because he's seen as a guy that basically won the lottery and is now going to complain that he doesn't like the printing on the ticket.

That's what's known as poor form.

Yeah, I thought he was acting a bit "big for his britches" when he got in Neil Young's face and started screaming into his mic at Bridge School.  All due respect, he's not even close to being on Axl, Slash or Duff's level when it comes to promoting Guns.  I don't care what melotron bits he wrote for Madagascar & If The World.

Yep. I absolutely can understand that.

It's also poor form that the two of you (and others) have no problem condoning all the shit he's had to swallow from day one over the past 20 years because he's not Slash n' Duff n' Izzy n' Steven.
 

Yeah, been a real hard knock life for him.

I...don't think Chris Pitman has ever had that problem.

Yes it has been.  Can't even begin to imagine how hard it must be to have to read all the hate so publicly directed at YOU every day for 20 years because of a business breakup that happened at your job before you even got there.
 

The Passion of The Christ.  :hihi:

Just did a little light research on the whole 'alcohol makes you tell the truth' thing and found the below on WedMD.  Not sure to what extent this is 'science' but I do hope Pitman is not an alcoholic.

Northridge, Calif.-based addiction specialist Doug Thorburn, and author of Alcoholism Myths and Realities, says that what may be true for the social drinker is not necessarily true for the alcoholic.

"For 90% of us, alcohol may be truth serum, but in alcoholics it changes the person," he says. "[Gibson] may be a bigot in real life, but there is no way to know until he is clean and sober for five to 10 years," says Thorburn.

The brain's neocortex is supposed to reign in the instincts and compulsions of the lower brain, but in alcoholics it is not working properly, he explains. "Due to a buildup of poison and resulting damage to the neocortex, alcoholism causes deep behavioral changes."

This is not Gibson's real personality, it's Mr. Hyde, he says. "This is not the real human being. The personality manifesting during a period of active alcoholism is a toxic one and is as opposite of 'real' as we'll ever see," he says.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/alcohol-truth-serum?page=2

I personally never needed to consult with science.  I've had enough experiences with drunk people to know that they tend to lose their filters and blurt out shit that they normally would refrain from saying.  Alcohol exacerbates whatever annoyances they have with people or life, and out of their mouths it emerges.

And to be clear, I'm not necessarily referring to alcoholics.  Just getting loaded once is enough.

I can understand why he feels that way, but It's quite naive of him if he expected to have some kind of attention in one of the biggest reunions in rock history.

Sure this band wins the prize for saying stupid things in the media, but that's how he really feels, don't blame on the alcohol.

The picture is a joke, because HBK put Chris telling Duff "my band".

That's consistent with what this guy is saying except that he states that it's different with alcoholics.  So, if Pitman is an alcoholic, it may not be as simple as drunk words / sober thoughts.  In Pitman's case, to jeopardize a dream livelihood in such a public way is baffling, so I wouldn't write off that possibility.  

Not that I can recall.  Axl is the one that had to take all the shit. 

After that, I suppose you might argue the guitarists were next in line.  And if that's the case, DJ took more shit in 5 years than Chris ever took in 15.

No?

Where has this been happening?

There has been precious little officially written about the band since he's been in it.  What little there was, was any shade really thrown at Chris?

Even if you want to pivot to what people say online, that has problems.  One, if you judge the world by internet comments, you'd shoot yourself. 

But more to the point, again, where has Chris taken heat?  Sizable chunks of folks aren't 100% sure what he even does.  "keyboards & stuff" is probably going to be your most heard answer.

No.

Chris was a part of NuGuns since the day Axl moved the band forward with new players.  Chris and Richard are the only two left standing from that day one.  Richard hasn't had to eat as much shit from day one as Chris because everyone accepted that Izzy did not want to be a permanent part of GNR.  Plus the fact that there is such a strong resemblance between Richard and Izzy, it probably took 80% of the casual fans years before they realized it wasn't Izzy.

Richard was not a day one member, for starters.

More to the point, I guess I have to ask again.  Where has he taken heat?

Where has this shit supposedly been served up for him to eat?

Richard joined in 2002 after Paul Tobias. Tommy has been there sense 98 or 99

I stand corrected.  Chris is the ONLY one left standing since day one.


He's had to deal with shit remarks like this since day one and that tweet was the first time in 20 years he's lashed out.

Is that wrong?

Let's look at this, 'Family Fued' rules : We asked 100 people...top 5 answers on the board.

Yes it is wrong that he has had hate spewed at him for 20 years for no reason.  Just because the fans do not understand the extent of what Chris' contributions have and do mean in the scheme of Axl's vision of the direction Axl wanted/wants for GNR, shouldn't result in some fans dismissing or demeaning Chris' value to the band.
 

Yeah, this is getting a little deep. 

Little too deep, maybe.

Drunk or not, Pitman absolutely has a point. He has been there for longer than anyone aside from Axl and Dizzy and has been shafted because a couple of former members have returned. Don't get me wrong, I am more excited for this reunion than I ever thought I would be, but I entirely get why Chris is pissed.




 :peace:

Well, that's what it takes to be in Axl's band.
If it was too much pressure for him, he could always leave. I'm sure there would be a line of guys who play "keyboards and stuff" ready to replace him, take his paycheck and the pressure if they had to.
He cannot expect love and recognition from the fans just because he's been with Axl for fifty years. No offense to Chris, but if that's what's he is looking for, he should start his own band.

In general, I think that the guitar players have had far more shit than any of the other new/nu/CD-era/ whatever members.  People probably don't dislike Chris as much as not notice him, really.  People scoffed at the revolving door of guitarists (comparisons to Spinal Tap's drummers and so on), but it was the absence of Slash and to a lesser extent other classic-era members, that bothered people, not the presence of Chris Pitman.

Anyway, what he said is no big deal.  It's not like he called someone a cancer, or anything.

I hate to say this but if Axl had come out at some point to give his vision or direction he wants go in with his band whoever he wants with him this could all be avoided because all thats been going on is speculation outside of Axl, Slash n Duff being in.

Too much pressure??  He made in a moment of frustration and apologized for ONE stupid comment in 18+ years of collaborating in the ever evolving dynamic that is GNR.  Hardly a case of not being able to handle the pressure.  ::)


Don't think we would have gotten to this point in time if an apology and it's acceptance hadn't taken place.
Maybe that one stupid comment made in a moment of frustration was the catalyst for the subsequent re-connection.
Maybe the consequent rejoining is truly an intercession from heaven above.

One album in 15 years isn't exactly an "ever evolving dynamic".
Also, I thought day 1 of NuGuns was when Slash left and Robin came into the band in 1997?
Cause Pitman didn't join until 1998. After Josh Freese and Robin were already there.
He added some keyboard parts and played some live shows. It's not exactly like he's the MVP of the band. I can't even hear most of what he's playing on the record.

These are some of the comments I imagine upset him. Among others such as, who needs a 2nd keyboardist? He's useless. What the hell does he do anyway? What the hell is sub bass? He has no business being included in a reunion.

I can see how reading those things might strike a nerve. He lashed out before thinking things through, he's now apologized. So I guess it's back to business as usual. You're now free to commence complaining about what he does or doesn't do and how he doesn't deserve to be in the band anymore and never did in the first place. Have fun!

Sorry, are we actually supposed to be feeling sorry for a guy who has spent the last 15 years travelling the world and making a large amount of money (and then proceeded to have the nerve to shit all over the organisation) because some big meanies on the Internet said a hard rock band doesn't need a second keyboard player?

A guy who made his money very much for the most part on the back of songs that he had no hand in and a reputation he had nothing to do with establishing? Who then whinges and cries "nostalgia tour" and "money grab" when those self same people who made those songs and built that reputation return? Who blames his entire outburst on too much of the silly juice? "Oops I accidentally shit all over my employer....but it's ok, the alcamahol made me do it. Don't drink and text, kids! Lol lol.....lol?"

He had to 'deal with' what sounds an awful lot like fan preference and criticism, posted on Internet forums that he could always choose not to read and merely enjoy being in front of cheering crowds of thousands night after night? Let's throw him a pity party?

Here's a thought - let's not.

hey maybe the real issue is Chris needs to stop acting like its 1986 getting obliterated like he is 21.

That certainly won't jive with Slash & duff these days. Or Frank/Richard for that matter

oh come on.

Nobody (outside of the forums) is dismissing him or has been giving him crap, because no one knows who he is, nobody knows he's there, and nobody gives a shit about anyone who wasn't in GNR before '95...

All these hired guys should do the right thing and go 'this is history in the making, I have no place in this' and leave, the sooner the better...

Pitman should blame Axl if nobody cares about him, if he really wants to blame sameone. 20 years of what? A forever delayed album, no videos, small arenas, factually nothing more than a "behind the curtains" man (and even if he is on stage who knows what the fuck is doing there? He could stay at the mixer table.).

You really want to fuck with Slash and Duff (or people who loves them) which , wanted or not, made history? Be serious man, you've been lucky enough in your life, trust me...

Well said.

I think its one tough sale to say that Chris has had a hard time the past however many years.

Slash and Chris Pitman as band mates. Everything is possible in the GN'R camp. 8)

Give the guy a break.... He made a mistake, apologized for it.   Don't see why people are comparing him to Steven, who has had a longer history of saying stupid shit.  It wasn't really professional to say what Chris said... but I'm sure all is forgiven.

The "ever evolving dynamic" I was referring to is the line-up changes over the 18+ years Chris has been in Guns N' Roses.


No, we're not feeling sorry for anyone.  We're discussing his apology for making ONE stupid tweet during 18+ years of his collaborating with Axl and Axl's desire to continuing the legacy of GNR. 

Glad he is out obviously. He is as useful as a hole in the head.

Nostalgia is a personal trip down memory lane anyway. Talking shit about the band they're in doesn't get them kicked out, it didn't get Bumblefoot fired when he did it.

Always nice to see the positivity from certain people in these times of excitement.... ::)

As soon as the regrouping was announced, some saw that as their excuse to spew their negativity. Have some respect for the old band!
I can't believe that some of you hate the old band that much.... Yes, old band. Ironic isn't it.

I do understand some of the hate. Getting called out on your bullshit in public doesn't sound like fun...


/jarmo

Wait a second.... who said that he is out? There is no official statement yet.

All things being equal, I never understood why Teddy Zigzag was part of the touring band, either. GN'R to me isn't some symphonic rock group, I just don't see the use or need for two keyboard players. Dizzy I understand because Axl likes to be able to stand during some piano driven songs and he did add flavor to the sound. But a second keyboardist, whether it be Teddy, or Chris, or anyone else, I just don't see the necessity in general. And then on top of it, Chris as an individual comes off just rather full of himself. When he goes on to then bash the band, and bash one of the biggest fan websites, and bash the tour, it's not not to dislike him.

On the surface, I got no clue what the dude does. I mean his role certainly seems redundant.

But I guarantee you that people say that about me at my job and I can tell you that if they got rid of me, then shit would fall apart instantly.

I'm not saying that to brag. I say that because there's all sorts of little things that I do that people don't realize, and there's all sorts of behind the scenes messes that I clean up that I don't go around advertising.

So, who knows. I'm certain he contributed something most of the keyboard clowns bashing him are unaware of.

I doubt Axl kept him around for 18 years because of his social media skills.

It is great that you don't see the need for a second keyboardist- but try to remember that it's not your band and not your call.

Do you know Chris personally or are you just making an assumption from what you read online? (Which is never an accurate measure of what a person is really like).

It's hard not to dislike you because of the negative drivel and innane subjects you post too :D

How is it obvious?

Useful as a hole in the head describes many of the negative people that post here, and in other places :D

For example him apologzing to "gnr" and not "my bandmates" or "my band".
Also there is no way axl would allow that kind of childish and unacceptable behaviour.

Blaming it on alcohol (dont drink and text) shows, what kind of a small man chris is and is just very sad

Axl who??  :confused:
That would be like Axl not allowing Chris and Dizzy in the band because he wants to be the only one playing keys.  :hihi:

They're grown men.  Childish and unacceptable behavior is what they do best.  :P

You really think Axl will let Pitman get away with insulting the band?
Yeah right...

They're basically promoting this whole thing as The Reconciliation Tour.

I think they can muster up a little mercy for Chris' little faux pas.

I have not read the hate at mygnr, but after reading four pages of this thread, posts from what most of you call yourselves ''real fans'' and ''hardcore fans'' shittin' on Chris and finding 10 different ways to express how much they hate him, i can understand his outburst.
The truth is that the man dedicated the last 18 years of his life to this band, and in my opinion did a great job.

As for the cash grab comment, its probably not a great thing to say (promo wise), but i have a hard time believing it aint the truth.

And since when a GNR member is supposed to be politically correct?

No- what is sad is somebody like you who doesn't have all the details, and is posing as a fan on a message board - to use this opportunity to shit on him.

Well, he called Slash a "cancer" once, so, um, yeah, I think he would.

[quote CherryGarcia ]

All things being equal, I never understood why Teddy Zigzag was part of the touring band, either. GN'R to me isn't some symphonic rock group, I just don't see the use or need for two keyboard players. Dizzy I understand because Axl likes to be able to stand during some piano driven songs and he did add flavor to the sound. But a second keyboardist, whether it be Teddy, or Chris, or anyone else, I just don't see the necessity in general. And then on top of it, Chris as an individual comes off just rather full of himself.
[/quote]


As Joni Mitchell once said "You don't no what you've got 'til its gone..."  Well Axl clearly feels the need to include him, and I have never heard anybody complain at a show that Chris isn't adding anything.  All I hear is what a great show they've seen.  It MAY BE a minimal role, but even the water boy or kitman have their place in keeping the cogs turning, cut the guy some slack.  :smoking:

As you know, Slash wasnt in Guns back then. And he wasnt insulting his own band, but a former bandmember
Little difference there

same fans over the years :

Axl touring with CD line ups > it's a cash grab, they're playing old stuff, it's a nostalgia act

Axl touring with Slash & Duff > nostalgia tour, cash grab


 :confused:

Even though some may consider it "childish and unacceptable behavior," a lot of fans hope when they go to a show that Axl is going to go off on a tangent about someone or something.... as long as it's not about them.

No it's not different.  Even though Slash wasn't technically in GNR at the time, it's still Slash.  Even after being out if GNR for 20 years, 85% of the casual fans hear the name Slash and automatically think GNR.

I think that was Pitman's point. All the previous tours were viewed as cash grabs by some fans. And now, since certain members appear to be excluded from these upcoming dates, those same fans are unhappy. Thus, Chris saying it's a cash grab in their eyes. I don't think that's trashing the band, just that segment of fans.

Even if he was right in saying those things it is never a good idea to air your dirty laundry for public consumption.  Also to shit on your fans is not a good idea either unless your into that?

I don't think he views it that way. The people he directed that at were not fans of HIS. I agree he probably shouldn't have done it, and so does he apparently based on his apology. But the comments were aimed at his detractors, not the fanbase as a whole.

But it's fine for some "fans" to shit on him, and continually shit on GNR?

Granted, it was a mistake to engage on that level, as it has been a mistake for other members of the band over the years that chose to address that sector of the internet.

It never turns out well. :no:

lol exactly.

I think that Chris has the same status in the fan base as Dizzy in the early 90's. But that isn't his problem. He is doing his job very well and I don't wanna miss him in GN'R.

That's what happens when you release one album in almost a quarter of a century yet consistently tour your old stuff.

sure, but the thing is, this is almost irrelevant now. real questions are elsewhere - like vocals quality, touring reliability and ability to release stuff (the latter is the biggest problem).

I honestly find it hilarious so many people have found problems to worry about.

But you have also heard many people put forth the idea that if all you are going to do is play mostly 25-30 year old material, at least do it with the actual band that made it and not a bunch of randos.

Sure beats the shit out of sticking your fingers in your ears and screaming "la-la-la-la-la", no?  What's that getting you?

The reality is that Axl's ability to deliver is a big deal to this venture's viability.  Should that concern only be expressed by complete silence and denial, like the family member with the drinking problem we just all look the other way on?

Pitman Is Excelent Music & Producer, Is The AXE MAN...

Well, there's probably a lot of other things you could talk about.

For instance:

• Will there be new video content at the shows?
  
• What will the intro music be?
  
• Will the piano fly this time?
  
• Will Richard switch up his guitar rig for a 2 guitar band?
  
• Will they perform on Jimmy Kimmel?
  
• Will they perform on Jimmy Fallon?
  

...and that's just off the top of my head. A bunch of people talking about a 'venture's viability' like they're businessmen funding it instead of randoms on the internet sure seems weird to me.

This is cool! Why shit on something before it's started?

All well and good, but its astounding how talking about the very examples you just laid out somehow switches to "experts telling the band how it should be run" on a moment's notice.

A lot of times, I think the only answer people want to hear is "I'm sure everything will be great."

Fascinating.

Well yeah, usually it's you.

You're pretty much a stone cold bummer 99% of the time.

Yeah, life's hard.

Well at least you've taken the viable opportunity to admit your own shortcomings.

I'm not too worried about it.  I get on famously with most of the folks here.

I can't be too concerned with the few special snowflakes that need to be protected and shielded from every god damn thing. 

The closet narcissist is more likely to be described as having a deflated, inadequate self-perception and greater awareness of emptiness within. The exhibitionist narcissist would be described as having an inflated, grandiose self-perception with little or no conscious awareness of the emptiness within. Such a person would assume that this condition was normal and that others were just like him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism)

I'm just going to leave this here.

This coming from the same person who runs away from discussions when things get too uncomfortable for his own liking... :)
Yeah, you're "special" alright.



/jarmo

Your first bullet point should be :

- Will Axl's vocals be up to par ?

If not, nothing else will matter!

If so, my excitement will know no boundaries :

- Will they dig deep into the classic back catalogue ?
- Will they finally switch up the setlists from night to night ?
- Will they get rid of the ridiculous video segments, light walls, dancers etc ... and return to the setup of a classic rock band ?
- Will Frank, Pitman and Fortus be behind a curtain  ;D
- Will there be chemistry like in the old days ?
- Will some of the legacy be restored  : ok:

I agree in principle, but take this in a slightly different direction.

Absolutely agree Axl's voice that most important thing.  But probably not to us.

Let's face it, we are all in no matter how he sounds.  Even he sounds shaky, we will be pretty split between people in total denial that he sounds awesome, and people that concede its a bit hit or miss, but who the hell cares?  I don't think, even if he sounds iffy, it will matter to any of us.  We're all still going.

But, its going to matter to the non-diehards that haven't been holding out hope for this miracle for 20 years.  Not like everyone lives and dies with this like we all do. 

So, in that sense, since I want to see this be as wildly successful as any rock tour of the past few years, I think its important he sounds good.  I want this to be as screaming a success as it can be. 

But for that to happen, the appeal needs to be wider than just diehard fans.  Stadium tours need casuals too.

But what about Slash or Duff ?

Can you imagine Duff going 'hey man I played with Axl in South America and his voice was KILLER man!!!' and proceeds to convince Slash to reunite ?

I mean, these guys have internet right ?  They MUST be aware of the state of his voice ?

And what exactly is the state of his voice?

This ^^

I saw GNR numerous times in 2014 and he sounded great, just as Duff tweeted from SA.

Lately?  Hit or miss.  But when we last saw him, more hit than miss.

I tend to think he will be ready for this.  This is hardly the time for "I haven't even been to a rehearsal in 2 years, LOLZ" type of approach.

I think he knows that.

If you can live with the state of his voice since 2001 (even on the album), and how it's been declining progressively up till 2014, then great, good for you !

Personally, I have grave problems getting through listening to a complete show, BUT I am VERY ready to be proven wrong and be blown away come April 8th !

I've always wondered about stuff like that Duff tweet.  I mean c'mon, even if those guys never saw or heard any live footage, but played the album on November 23rd 2008... they must have thought 'ok, great, not too shabby, but what's with the vocals ?  Why on earth is he singing like that ?'

I always wonder about Axl himself as well.  Does he know ?  Doesn't anybody tell him ??

What are you talking about? His vocals on CD are way more diverse and outstanding. You may not like how he sings with his clean voice too, but those high notes are far from being "declining progressively".

To me, it was up and downs. By far, the 2006/2007 vocals were his best ever IMHO.

Well I think he sure knows what's going on. But it probably wouldn't make sense to go public about it.

Why does he sound shaky, iffy, mickey mousy, whatever?

Possibilities:
1) he just can't do any better because he doesn't "train" his voice
2) his vocal cords are damaged due to his past bad-ass performances where he gave all he got
3) he can sound raspy (not as raspy as he used to sound but hey, he gets older...) if he wants to but his voice doesn't endure the stress in the long run

well, something along those lines...

There have certainly been ups and downs but I don't see how you can say it's a progressive decline. 2014 was much better than the previous few years... As far as the album criticism, I have problems with the some songs here and there... too many layers (echoed in an interview with Tommy) and a few songs I just don't get, but Axl's vocals are on point across the entirety of the recording... The only thing I will give you is the weird 'gay vampire' thing he does during Sorry on the 'but I don't want to do it' line.

I'm talking about live performances.
well, it's not all about hitting high notes. Axl is well known for his high AND RASPY voice. take away the rasp and he sounds like a shadow of his former self. sure, there are people who may like his clean voice but the majority digs his raspy voice. don't need any scientific statistics. "funny side note. a lot of people gave Myles' hell for his clean/nasal voice but where defending Axls clean voice no matter what. strange world.

I mean, Axl gets older and I assumme that it's much harder to keep your voice in shape (to sound like you sounded in your twenties) than your guitar playing for example. but to pretend Axl sounds like he used to sound back then is just complete denial.

I hope he sounds bad ass on april 8!

Maybe 'progressively declining' wasn't the right way to put it, some years were worse than others  ;D

Seriously, certain parts of certain songs for certain years were kinda ok.  For example '06 and '10.  But then again, every time a ballad (or a cleaner singing part) came around, it was straight back to cringe time.  'November Rain' for example has been unbearable for years now.

I said this before elsewhere, I really think he was told to sing this way after the mid nineties.  He must have consulted someone (or several people) about his voice after the UYI tour, because he had been singing technically 'wrong' for years, and was probably looking for a solution.  I think if he went on as before, he would have damaged or even lost his voice permanently.  He must have felt that even during the UYI tour.

Whoever he consulted probably instructed him to adapt a different singing technique, in order to preserve his voice.  It's probably technically better, and healthier, but it sounds like shit.  He still has (for the most part) the same range, he's just using a different technique.  Through the years from time to time he resorts back to his old habits for certain (parts of) songs, but I don't think we'll ever see him returning to his old technique/voice sound full time.

And hey, if it's that or losing/damaging his voice permanently, I understand and respect that completely !  But then in my opinion the discussion shifts to the issue of 'should he retire or not' ...

As for the album, I don't like his singing technique/style.  It's an amazing but flawed masterpiece.  It could have been so much better.  But that's a different story !

It's something that always comes up in conversation with casual fans or observers, 'GNR ? Axl ? Yeah, they used to be great but he can't sing anymore, and he's surrounded by nobody's'...

Axl as a singer and frontman was unrivaled from '85 to '95  : ok: