Chance of Sell outs?

[IndiannaRose]

A hit single and video would help sales....

[Axl_GNR]

Solution: Release a single.

It's quite seriously that simple. When people know there's a new band, they'll be more inclined to go see them.

agreed, release the single and video for it, finally. ?they would sell out the shows if they did this. ?what the hell are they waiting for?

[BluesGNR]

Agreed.? A single is the minimum that we need to get this started.?

I said this last year(it wasnt a popular idea), but they may have to release an EP if Axl is hesitant to release CD at this time. The band absolutely has to have some sort of buzz, and doing a nostalgia tour with a couple new songs isnt going to cut the mustard. They already did that in 2002, and it was rejected.

Axl can release the mythical CD later on down the road, and it still get attention from fans and media alike. Just release a 5 or 6 song EP to help kick this tour up a notch. Surely at least one song(maybe two) from an EP being released as singles in the coming months could sustain the tour at least into early-mid 2007.

Agreed and well said.  An EP wouldn't even be that bad of a concept just because it's more uncommon in today's industry.  Seeing it happen would generate buzz, IMO.

[Mattattack]

I'm going to be pissed off if I bought tickets for a 2002 Chinese Democracy rehash tour. Axl please start a new era for GnR.

[Ax]

The lack of common sense often displayed by the gnr camp is really something I can never understand. I mean, I get that maybe Axl is a little disconnected from reality by having too many people around him tell him how great he is all the time, but where are the money men in this situation. I'm talking about the guys in the offices in NY an LA that manage this band. The guys who don't care about the music or gnr's legacy, but only the bottom line. I don't understand why they have not stepped in and promoted this, and past, tours, or forced the release of a single or anything that normal bands do to have a successful tour.

With gnr it's almost like they try to make themselves fail and it is just hard for a fan who wants them to succeed so bad to watch.

[BluesGNR]

The lack of common sense often displayed by the gnr camp is really something I can never understand. I mean, I get that maybe Axl is a little disconnected from reality by having too many people around him tell him how great he is all the time, but where are the money men in this situation. I'm talking about the guys in the offices in NY an LA that manage this band. The guys who don't care about the music or gnr's legacy, but only the bottom line. I don't understand why they have not stepped in and promoted this, and past, tours, or forced the release of a single or anything that normal bands do to have a successful tour.

With gnr it's almost like they try to make themselves fail and it is just hard for a fan who wants them to succeed so bad to watch.

I guess when they're ready to succeed, they will... its their own life and we know axl hates to be told what to do... lets just let him go and see what he does. 

[gandra]

but,in other hand Axl had hisgnr style "fuck rock critics,and everything else.I will do it,what i think"

And it's great to see one real rock star how can play in half empty arena with enthusiasam and energy like when he played full stadiums shows

do you think about it

[JeDr]

I don't understand why they have not stepped in and promoted this, and past, tours, or forced the release of a single or anything that normal bands do to have a successful tour.

Perhaps the promo-team doesn't want to make it all one big hype and in the end no one cares and it comes down to a big flop. If they just stay relax and down to earth and let the album/music do the talking it works a lot better. I mean, what would people (outside the boards) think when there's GNR posters and promo everywhere as if they are the biggest band in the world?? They're not at this moment, they where some time in history. If the album is great and touring goes well...we'll see what happens and the promotion will come by itself. At this moment there's just no solid foundation for a huge promotion.
My opinion is they do well the way they do it, perhaps the website could have bene a bit more professional, but all that is in the pipeline and things are slowly building up. Relax, it's all good. Euro tour went very well, CD is nearly to come out, big US tour coming up...what more do you want at this moment??

[HamsterDemocracy]

Yeah, they must be really naive if they didn't learn anything from their last US tour.

Seriously. Maybe the egos are still inflated from the European tour, but as I've always said, GN'R are viewed differently in the States than in Europe - Europe is similar and so very different from US at the same time. They love Bukowski in Europe and value him as one of the best literary geniuses of all-time - in America they refuse to teach him in schools and no college will acknowledge that he has the most books of poetry available by any author, ever. He's considered "dirty" here.

GN'R are not held in as high esteem here as in Europe in general and without some kind of major hype like a single they're going to be re-experiencing '02 all over again.

A video on a website and an appearance on the VMAs is not promoting one's self. 

[GeraldFord]

How are the shows selling compared to 2002?

[HamsterDemocracy]

How are the shows selling compared to 2002?

Actually, I don't even think they're selling as good as 2002. MSG sold out in 15 minutes back in '02. 

[kriss_boy]

GnR were Legends over here in Europe, most of the shows where sold out, a lot of the UK ones. Infact they must have played to around 70,000 UK fans which was awesome considering there was a great deal of promotion and no new material available to most people.

The day gnr announce this album a shockwave will be sent across the music media. EVERY music magazine will report it and many will feature the guys on the front cover.

All we need is that release date or a single and the tour will suddenly get some deserved publicity.

But yea we are all aware of this... is axl?!!?

[Naupis]

GNR's management team is awful. There is no 2 ways about it. In 5 years since the band resurfaced they have done not a single thing that can tactically be considered a success in terms of launching the new band. You always get like 50% with them. They play to over 3/4 of a million people over the summer, yet not one time is the up-coming release of your album mentioned. You can't buy better exposure if you wanted to, but no one thinks about those kinds of things in the GNR inner-circle.

We are now under 3 months until the end of the year, and still not a word about any sort of release be it album or single. Even if they do release something it is not going to have near the promotion this should have given the magnitude of the album. Shit should have started brewing 6 months prior to a planned date if they were serious about really trying to make this thing a monster.

They have had years to properly develop a website for a product launch, and we get a half-assed one that clearly is a working process.

Major tour announcement, naturally on a Friday afternoon, the absolute worst day for any sort of media announcement because of the nature of the news cycle. Typically Friday's are reserved for the release of "bad news", so it is out of the cycle by Monday.

They still are the only headlining caliber band in the world with a completely inept sound team. Only band I have seen live more than once that can't make it through a show without having multiple incidents of awful mixing.

Thus is the world of GNR though. The same things that were a problem in 2002, are still a problem in 2006, and will be a problem in 2010. It is just sad that ultimately the band suffers because of the external factors that make it look like a half-assed operation.

[HamsterDemocracy]

GNR's management team is awful. There is no 2 ways about it. In 5 years since the band resurfaced they have done not a single thing that can tactically be considered a success in terms of launching the new band. You always get like 50% with them. They play to over 3/4 of a million people over the summer, yet not one time is the up-coming release of your album mentioned. You can't buy better exposure if you wanted to, but no one thinks about those kinds of things in the GNR inner-circle.

We are now under 3 months until the end of the year, and still not a word about any sort of release be it album or single. Even if they do release something it is not going to have near the promotion this should have given the magnitude of the album. Shit should have started brewing 6 months prior to a planned date if they were serious about really trying to make this thing a monster.

They have had years to properly develop a website for a product launch, and we get a half-assed one that clearly is a working process.

Major tour announcement, naturally on a Friday afternoon, the absolute worst day for any sort of media announcement because of the nature of the news cycle. Typically Friday's are reserved for the release of "bad news", so it is out of the cycle by Monday.

They still are the only headlining caliber band in the world with a completely inept sound team. Only band I have seen live more than once that can't make it through a show without having multiple incidents of awful mixing.

Thus is the world of GNR though. The same things that were a problem in 2002, are still a problem in 2006, and will be a problem in 2010. It is just sad that ultimately the band suffers because of the external factors that make it look like a half-assed operation.

It's sad but true.

"You know it's truuuueeee!!!"

Their management is absolutely terrible.

It doesn't help that Merck writes all their press releases and has apparently never heard of Microsoft Word spell check. Not slamming the guy but Jesus Christ, seriously dude, first your letter to the NY Times: riddled with spelling errors; since then I don't think I've counted a single one that hasn't had grammar errors.

The problem is it makes GN'R seem like it's being handled by a very small group - Axl, Beta, Merck - and doesn't give off a very professional vibe. IMO they need to re-hire some awesome, modern PR guys who handle MODERN albums by NEW artists who can get them out there.

Look at the Killers. Their new album's out: they had VMA performance, MySpace main page promotion, MTV spots, all types of stuff.

Come on, Axl. You hung with the Killers, now hire their PR.

Frankly I think over the years Axl went into solitude he let a select few get close to him (especially Beta) and after the criticism of '02 he's afraid to let anyone else get too close. It seems like Beta is his complete confidante and Merck handles everything related to the band.

That's cool if you're a local Johnny and the Toaster Boys country band from Bumfuck Arizona but when you're producing the most expensive album ever made you need the FRIGGIN' BIG GUNS!!! YEAH!!!!!

I think fuckin' Sebastian Bach has done more promotion for this band than anyone involved in the damn group! 

[GeraldFord]

Let's not ring the alarm bells just yet. The tour hasn't even started yet. Axl said that there will be a new album out in 2006. There is still time for an album and there is still time for people to buy tickets.

[HamsterDemocracy]

Let's not ring the alarm bells just yet. The tour hasn't even started yet. Axl said that there will be a new album out in 2006. There is still time for an album and there is still time for people to buy tickets.

Yeah, but IMO they should be starting serious promotion now for the tour, and then the album.

It just seems like they're going to start the tour and drop the album halfway through with short notice - huge mistake I think.

[BurningHills]

We're 16 days away from opening night.

If something is gonna happen, they have only a little over two weeks to do so. There has to be a release date or at the very least - a single before the tour starts, or they're just asking for trouble.

[GeraldFord]

Thank You!
Guns N' Roses fans are back, and the band wants to thank them for the tremendous response during the opening days of concert ticket sales. As an added bonus, all fans who buy tickets through GunsNRoses.com will automatically be enrolled in the Guns N' Roses Fan Club free for 90 days

[HamsterDemocracy]

Thank You!
Guns N' Roses fans are back, and the band wants to thank them for the tremendous response during the opening days of concert ticket sales. As an added bonus, all fans who buy tickets through GunsNRoses.com will automatically be enrolled in the Guns N' Roses Fan Club free for 90 days

Not trying to be a Pessimistic Pissy, but do you really think - even if tickets WERE selling horribly - the band would ever post:

Fuck You!
Guns N' Roses fans must be jacking off again or stuffing their faces, because we ain't selling shit. Fuck all y'all and go to hell.
Love Axl

I don't think so. 

[Cowboy Buddha]

They should play small arenas or clubs first.