Yo,
I got a similiar phone call. It was before they started touring in '02. I was just getting ready to walk out? the door and I answered the phone,thinking it was my brother,who was picking me up,waiting outside for me.
It was a survey company and this one was about music. She listed several names and asked if I would see them in concert,if I had,would I go again,would I travel to see them,etc. I remember one of the other names was Eminem and I think Papa Roach too.? You could answer yes,no,maybe,definitely yes,definitely no to all of the questions.
She asked me if I would go see Guns N' Roses and then would I go see Axl regardless if he toured under the GNR name. I cut her off quick and said "Yes! It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. He's my favorite and I'm there. I don't care."
Once she realized that,she had a couple more only GNR specific questions,as I had answered "definitely yes" to all of GNR questions and then thanked me for my time.
I asked her who she worked for and she said they were an independent survey company hired to do this type of thing. I never asked her how she got my name. I hung up,went outside,told my bro all about it.
Btw,I was only on the phone a total of 5 minutes.
I'm guessin' that I was called from some form I had filled out,whether online or in person at a show or maybe my name was on a list and just sold to some company.
I've never belonged to the original fan club,so I know that ain't it.
I believe that bands will do this type of thing to gauge interest in coming to your area or perhaps touring at all.
Movie companies do a similiar thing,when they do early screenings of films to see what the public likes and dislikes. They go back and change certain things like the ending or even the title.
I got another call a few months ago,maybe late last year,actually,about local politics and my voting choices and a local councilman in the news.
At first,I answered a couple of questions and then asked the guy who he was working for and he said,"I'm not at liberty to say." I repeated what he said in question form and he said "Yes",so I said "We have nothing to discuss at this point",and hung up.
After I got off the phone with the woman music surveyor from '02,I felt good,hoping that I had help contribute to having GNR play here (Philly) again.
Weeeeellll.....they were SUPPOSED to do 2 shows....
....but,that's been told before and now's not the time anyway to rehash.?
Okay,one really quick rant:? AXL!! YOU STILL OWE PHILLY!!!? BIG TIME!!!! ?IT'S A FACT JACK!!
Anyway,there ya go.
If ya want the short version of that story....then,Yes. I had a similiar phone call. And,No. I was never a member of the old fan club.?
? GNR FOREVER!!
? ? ? ? MATT