Do you think Axl is still afraid by the succes and that's why he hides himself from the public life?
I think he's more afraid of reading the same things about himself day after day after day on various Internet message boards.
I don't think he's hiding. If you look up your GN'R history, Axl never seemed like the kinda guy who'd turn up at every movie premiere just so he could get his picture in the paper. Not even when they were the biggest band in the world. So nothing seems to have changed regarding the so called "hiding".
/jarmo