Band Members Contracts

[Intercourse]

Gunners,
Probably a dumb question but:
Has anything been published about the content and context of the contracts each of the new band members signed? Did Bucket break his contract by leaving? Is he being sued for breach? Can the other guys leave when they want etc?
I'm just thinking that contracts come up for renewal so you'd get a good idea of the state of play in GNR if people had to re-sign for 2005 etc before the end of this year.
It must be very frustrating to have busted your hole on an album two years ago and still be waiting for it to come out, OR are the guys on big, fat retainers and can sit at home and chill while the checks continue to roll in?
Anything regarding the type of contracts signed ever leak to the media.
Christmas Peace to all Gunners.
Lets hope 2005 is the huge orgasm after such evil foreplay!!!
Dime RIP.
Intercourse/

[Chandler]

I would think they are getting paid pretty well.  If they were not, they would not still be in GNR.  They would join another band to get income.

[Lesty]

No...I don't think you ever hear about the length or financial side of musicians
contracts, especially so in this case.
I would assume they make a certain base pay for being on retainer,
then a larger amount when the band is actually active, recording, rehearsing, performing, etc...

But I don't know anything about it...it's just an assumption.

[Naupis]

You can quit a team or band like that whenever you want even if you're under contract, you just forfeit any future money you would recieve, or at worst would have to pay some back for the time you were there if the contract were so worded.

The whole idea of contracts in a band is ridiculous anyway. All it does is blur the line between business and creative decisions.

[Wooody]

I remember an article about ...one of the members.. I think it was tommy , and how he bought a new apartment in new york that was worth thousands of dollars, and he was thanking axl or something.

In the long run, contracts are of no significance if they have a good relationship.

[Mikkamakka]

I've asked a few months ago when the contracts will expire. No answer, not even a guessing...

But I'm sure that after BH had gone Axl renegotiated all contracts to make it impossible for the rest to quit.

[nesquick]

The whole idea of contracts in a band is ridiculous anyway. All it does is blur the line between business and creative decisions.

I totally agree and I would addd it's a typical American behaviour. It's pretty shocking for me
"- would you want to be the lead guitarist in my band??
- oh yeah, cool!?
- ok sign the contract here! and shut the fuck up or I'll sue you !?  
- whatt??? "

Contracts are made for mercenaries and hired bandmembers.

It also shows the lack of trust and comunication between bandmembers. The musicians aren't considered as musicians but as employees. that's one of the biggest mistake Axl has ever done.
Did Bono make the edge sign a contract? did Freddie Mercurry make Brian May sign a contract? did Mick Jagger make Keith Richards sign a contract? What the hell is that? What's wrong in Axl's head to behave like that??

[jarmo]

Did Mick Jagger make Keith Richards sign a contract? What the hell is that? What's wrong in Axl's head to behave like that??

No, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have had their bass player sign one.


DEL: Is he [Gilby] a "member" of Guns N' Roses?

AXL: This "member" thing is quite interesting, I read in an interview where Matt [Sorum, drummer] said that if he didn't get made a member, he wasn't going to be in Guns N' Roses. The truth of the matter is, Matt's a member of GN'R, but it doesn't really mean anything. It's kind of like a clubhouse/gang thing. We're all members of this gang. What it boils down to is, whose yard is the tree house in? Matt's a member of GN'R, and his opinions are taken into consideration. As far as that's concerned, Gilby is a member too, Dizzy is a member of the band. With all the background singers, horn players, keyboardists - we look at it like we're all Guns N' Roses. But the bottom line is, the business is basically run by Slash and myself. Then we run whatever it is we're discussing by Duff and see if he's cool with it. Guns N' Roses is basically Slash, Duff, Doug Goldstein and myself, but there's a lot of other people involved that are a part of our lives and a part of our family.

I, Axl Part II
RIP October 1992



/jarmo

[nesquick]

Guns N' Roses is basically Slash, Duff, Doug Goldstein and myself, but there's a lot of other people involved that are a part of our lives and a part of our family. [AXL]
Interesting to see that 10 years later he is alone and calls himself "Guns n' Roses"... as much as I love Axl and appreciate the artist, the man is not clean in his head. At least, not on that point.

[AxlsMainMan]

Gunners,
Probably a dumb question but:
Has anything been published about the content and context of the contracts each of the new band members signed? Did Bucket break his contract by leaving? Is he being sued for breach? Can the other guys leave when they want etc?
I'm just thinking that contracts come up for renewal so you'd get a good idea of the state of play in GNR if people had to re-sign for 2005 etc before the end of this year.
It must be very frustrating to have busted your hole on an album two years ago and still be waiting for it to come out, OR are the guys on big, fat retainers and can sit at home and chill while the checks continue to roll in?
Anything regarding the type of contracts signed ever leak to the media.
Christmas Peace to all Gunners.
Lets hope 2005 is the huge orgasm after such evil foreplay!!!
Dime RIP.
Intercourse/

The only mention of one the new bandmember's contracts I remember hearing about was that Dave said awhile ago Buckethead was on contract until 2006 but he of course broke his contract. If you think 2 years is bad, how do you think Robin feels being dedicated to this project for approaching 9 years! I suppose time can fly for the new bandmembers if they are doing a solo career like Tommy but it aint on the big scale of things lik GnR.

[alternativemonkey]

How is Axl even paying all these people . . . advances from interscope for CD, GNR royalities, his own publishing or performing royalties? If he is paying each of these guys $50k - $80k per year, GNR is apparently a bigger cash cow than I ever thought possible, and Slash and Duff have a valid (maybe not be legal standards) claim to that money if GNR is racking in mad cash over past releases. GNR must rake in big money from their old hits if Axl has lived so lavishly for the past 12 years doing nada.

I wonder how much Axl makes from licensing "Welomce to the Jungle" to all these sporting arenas. All the NFL teams play it at least once during a game, plus a multitude of basketball teams.

[norway]

How is Axl even paying all these people . . .

Guess the company finance their product(gnr) a lot

[jarmo]

Guns N' Roses is basically Slash, Duff, Doug Goldstein and myself, but there's a lot of other people involved that are a part of our lives and a part of our family. [AXL]
Interesting to see that 10 years later he is alone and calls himself "Guns n' Roses"... as much as I love Axl and appreciate the artist, the man is not clean in his head. At least, not on that point.

The others left the business.





/jarmo

[nesquick]

Guns N' Roses is basically Slash, Duff, Doug Goldstein and myself, but there's a lot of other people involved that are a part of our lives and a part of our family. [AXL]
Interesting to see that 10 years later he is alone and calls himself "Guns n' Roses"... as much as I love Axl and appreciate the artist, the man is not clean in his head. At least, not on that point.

The others left the business.






/jarmo

they were half fired, but diplomaticly Axl or dizzy say they left. Matt certainely didn't leave. he was fired. and before Slash left, Axl told Matt that "Robin will play instead of Slash" + Paul Huge etc... I think Axl couldn't bear anymore that Slash was becoming more popular than him in the band. Axl wanted to be the boss. but Guns n' Roses had 2 boss: him and Slash. Question of power, he made everything he could to make Slash leave the boat just to have the entire control of the band. and  happened what it had to happen: Slash left. But I can guarantee you that Slash is unique and never was "replaced" in GN'R and never will be. It's a human problem.

[AC]

If you were a founding member of the Disney or McDonald's company and you left, do you think they'd change the name? Nope!

Also, were Duff and Slash founding members of Guns N' Roses? I always thought of Tracii Guns as more of a "founding" member and you don't see him complaining.

Aaron.

[badapple81]

The whole idea of contracts in a band is ridiculous anyway. All it does is blur the line between business and creative decisions.

I totally agree and I would addd it's a typical American behaviour. It's pretty shocking for me
"- would you want to be the lead guitarist in my band??
- oh yeah, cool!?
- ok sign the contract here! and shut the fuck up or I'll sue you !? ?
- whatt??? "

Contracts are made for mercenaries and hired bandmembers.

It also shows the lack of trust and comunication between bandmembers. The musicians aren't considered as musicians but as employees. that's one of the biggest mistake Axl has ever done.
Did Bono make the edge sign a contract? did Freddie Mercurry make Brian May sign a contract? did Mick Jagger make Keith Richards sign a contract? What the hell is that? What's wrong in Axl's head to behave like that??

You have used totally different examples. Those guys were all part of the ORIGINAL line up.

[nesquick]

the difference is that tracii Guns never sold 80 million records worldwide with GN'R. Slash and Duff did. They have a status. They made Guns n' Roses (I should add IZZY). especially Slash. Would you call the spice girls "the spice girls" with just jerry halliwell and 4 others gothic (finck) /bucketwoman (BH) /mercenary (brain) and Village People (pittman) girls? Come on...
Dizzy, Richard Fortus and Tommy Stinson are ok though. They are Rockers, so there is something of the real GN'R inside them. They have the GN'R spirit.

[badapple81]

Guns N' Roses is basically Slash, Duff, Doug Goldstein and myself, but there's a lot of other people involved that are a part of our lives and a part of our family. [AXL]
Interesting to see that 10 years later he is alone and calls himself "Guns n' Roses"... as much as I love Axl and appreciate the artist, the man is not clean in his head. At least, not on that point.

I think you've made your point, on more than one occasion.

[norway]

they could not work together and axl kept the name

i think it's that simple

[Mikkamakka]

the difference is that tracii Guns never sold 80 million records worldwide with GN'R. Slash and Duff did. They have a status. They made Guns n' Roses (I should add IZZY). especially Slash. Would you call the spice girls "the spice girls" with just jerry halliwell and 4 others gothic (finck) /bucketwoman (BH) /mercenary (brain) and Village People (pittman) girls? Come on...

  Thanks for the good laugh. I imagined a Spice Girl-clone with a mask and a KFC bucket on her head  But we all know that Geri Halliwell was Spice Girls, she wrote 42 percent