Next Guns n' Roses video would you rather have

[DarkFairy]

Maybe some parts in the style of the trilogy but also live and backstage footage... *shrug* If it's only live footage, it's kinda boring (for me). Or make a story from the backstage and live footage, to match whatever the song for the video will be..

[Grasshopper]

The video needs more dolphins.....

[seely]

I'd love to see a new GN'R video in the style of November Rain or Estranged, i think the best songs which could become videos would be Better, possibly Chinese Democracy, and above all- THERE WAS A TIME!!!!
   I just hope they don't make videos out of live concerts lie a lot of bands do- if i want to see a live concert i'll go on youtube!

[Madagascar88]

Lots of people (including myself) have ipods and such like that play videos. So videos still are important.

If a band is big enough (and GNR most certainly are) people will want to see a video. No video = no mainstream audience. And lots of us want GNR to be the biggest band in the world again so sadly videos are a necessary evil.? ?

unfortunately videos are indeed defunct... along with albums for that matter.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/15137581/the_record_industrys_decline

To be quite honest, I have a difficult time believing that ANY new music can really reach the population in the same way that music did before the downloading age.

Downloading has quite simply reduced the importance of music in society.? Because you can now download music right off the internet for free as opposed to being forced to walk to your nearest record store to purchase it, the marginal value of the material itself has decreased in the consumer's mindset.? Not that I'm saying this is the case for us true fans, but it is however true for the general population.

Album sales (incl. those downloaded versions purchased off iTunes and whatnot) will continue to fall.? Record stores have already begun dying out and the major record labels are next (the recent merger trend in the record industry is no coincidence - they're really making an effort to unite together against this evil [downloading]).

The problem is that the negative effect that downloading has had on music is multi-dimensional:

on one hand, the downloading of singles as opposed to the purchasing of albums has obviously had an effect.? This has made the "album" essentially defunct because if consumers are only interested in downloading your one or two popular hits off of the "album" and that in itself will earn you the audiences during tours - then what driving force do you have as the artist to write 10-12 great songs.? Again, not saying GNR is like this, thank god- but artists are nowadays more and more so.

secondly, the centrality of music to the common audience has declined gradually ever since the inception of popular music.? Back in the 60's, music was a family affair- you listened to music over a record player or over the radio and it was a community listening together as opposed to an individual.? Everyone in the world shared music together and as a result, popular music flourished- it was a major topic of conversation and a trendsetter in culture.

Over time, this centrality of popular music has decayed to the point nowadays where there really is no centrality (with youtube and other internet sites damaging this further through creating a greater diversity of music that people have to chose from).? People download & listen to music on their ipods. Design track lists all of their own.? MTV is a reality tv station now as opposed to a music station.? And you may no longer share that community feeling in buying that big album that you waited months for at your favorite record store.?

So, some ask - "where are the rock stars nowadays?"? Well, I would argue that the formation of a true NEW "rock star" is now getting more and more difficult (which is why the old guys are still the ones filling stadiums).? Record industries make the rock star.? They are the ones promoting the hell out of their big artists, creating their iconic figurehead through mass campaigns in album advertising & scheduling the subsequent tours to support the album (yea- btw, tours are no longer used to support albums... touring is now the main source of revenue for artists... sad... another reason why artists don't care about writing a great record... why write a new record when you only make $ off of performing your old shit anyway?).  So if record labels go under and the great revolution in the free spread of music diversity reigns over the world wide web, will the rock star even exist in 50 years?

Does GNR stand a chance of being as iconic as they were back in 1992?? Not a chance.

In fact not even close.  Not even a reunion.

Do they have a chance of becoming the biggest "rock stars" in the world again?

I would say yes.? Although that doesn't really mean much anymore.

[kunzerd]

nice essay madagascar 88. a good read and i agree on many points.

[Billo]

Id like a cool video showing the band playing and stuff like the Pretender bye the FFighters..Just showing the band rocking out.. About this internet killing record or CD sales why not just have more bonus songs on the actual CD and less songs on the itunes..wouldent that help swing people back to the CD shops?

[novrain91]

I don't understand why people think the music industry (albums) is dead.? The fucking Eagles just sold 700,000 copies last week!! People will still buy music, it's just that mostly all of the music these days sucks! so people stay away until something they like comes out. IMO

[elmir]

I don't understand why people think the music industry (albums) is dead.  The fucking Eagles just sold 700,000 copies last week!! People will still buy music, it's just that mostly all of the music these days sucks! so people stay away until something they like comes out. IMO

I agree, Amy Winehouse and Mika are coining it right now, their sales are just escalating more and more each week....despite all the downloading and piracy.

People still buy music.
There's something about owning a cd that an mp3 on an iPod can never replace.

Kind of like going to cinema as opposed to downloading a ripped dvd off the net.
Its just not the same, people still go to the movies, buy popcorn and watch films.

[fuckin crazy]

I don't understand why people think the music industry (albums) is dead.? The fucking Eagles just sold 700,000 copies last week!!

I don't know the demographics, but I would think a lot of sales were made to people who grew up before the "net" became a "predominant medium".

[gunns1]

I don't understand why people think the music industry (albums) is dead.? The fucking Eagles just sold 700,000 copies last week!!

I don't know the demographics, but I would think a lot of sales were made to people who grew up before the "net" became a "predominant medium".

Thats why chinese democracy will sell huge,
because you have the mullet wearing 40/50 + year olds, that probably dont have a clue how to use a computer/cant be stuffed (no offfence anyone in that age bracket)
and people younger and older then 40's, who arent familiarised with computers,

So Chinese democracy is going to sell like hotcakes

[Limulus]

agree on most of the above post from "Madagascar88".....the point: "touring is now the main source of revenue for artists" becomes very stressy and often unwanted by the bands......cause their lifes are dedicated to be on the road most of the year not being able to take care of personal lifes at home. but the good thing from fans' view in this is they are (in general) getting more chances to see their favourite artists LIVE in person on stage, more often than before which is a good thing to me at least.

back to the topic:
not much need of live scenes in a possible video to me IF there will be some official live dvd(s) or another WTTV2 later. but seeing how less material we got officialy by now i'm at the point for some longer allready that i'd take ANYTHING, any release officially gnr band related. we got 2 books recently but musically still nothing. taking a look to how Iron Maiden releases things old/new couldnt hurt IMO.

[vicente]

Any of you remember the short animation clip that was shown in the beggining of their show in RIR 3? Where they picture Axl as a Howard Hughes type, with long hair and long nails and stuff?
I think that a cool video would be some sort of "comedy" about all the time that it took to release the album.
I think that this would show to the world how Axl and the band can laugh at themselves, it would "disarm" the critics, and would be a fun way to be back in the scene again. Plus, it would be very comented.

: : Vicente : :

[DeN]

I would like to see a story being told, but not in a hollywood pompous way like November rain was, thank U.
Since I don't have you was artistically better, except the supermodels clich?.

in fact it could be cool to see all the members of the band playing a role, and i'm not against some FX like in Don't Cry
(the scene with the 3 Axl is still one of my fave of the band)

[CheapJon]

in fact it could be cool to see all the members of the band playing a role, and i'm not against some FX like in Don't Cry
(the scene with the 3 Axl is still one of my fave of the band)

yeah it doesn't get any better then 3 axl's in one shot

[duga]

Please, no comedy.

I say TWAT! Think of the beginning: "Broken glass and cigarettes, writings on the wall, it was a bargain for the summer..." in a UYI-era video style... 

[DeN]

UYI-era video style = exactly what I don't want to see again from this band. even Axl doesn't seems too happy with them today
(can't find the interview)

[anythinggoes II]

Hmmmm id like something along the lines of The Garden video, not really telling a story of anything just some artsy stuff maybe mix in some live footage and backstage antics of the band having fun. Plus really it depends what they relase as a song, i mean that type of video will go great with say IRS Better TWAT or Song 2 or Street of Dreams but for Madagasca im imagining a political Video.

Meh what do i know...

Ill be happy just to see them back on TV

[Silverchair]

i'd love a NR style video but I'm sure Interscope won't give that kind of budget.

it'll probably be a simple video.

[wight gunner]

Of course their will be a music video,
anyone who thinks their isnt is blind,


1. Axl has to do one,
to "introduce" the current lineup to the public, and get the public familiarised with the band members,
So they can put a face to the music of the gutiar solo/drumming/keyboard/bass etc...

2. Videos are now as popular as before, if not more so,
Ipod videos, home theartre, windows vista and Youtube are all exercising the technology of videos
in different format/medias...


So , If gnr werent to release a music video, regardless if its just live/ theatrical calliber,
then its probably the stupidest decision they could make...

And not forgetting when shows such as chats shows, usually play clips before/during interviews, I'd imagine Axl/the band will do a few shows (Tonight, Leno, Johnathan Ross et al) as partof the promotion. + things such as download chart shows aren't gonna have a blank screen/still picture with music playing. I'd think they've got enough live stuff to cobble together.

[The Estranged MrFlashbax]

Of course their will be a music video,
anyone who thinks their isnt is blind,


1. Axl has to do one,
to "introduce" the current lineup to the public, and get the public familiarised with the band members,
So they can put a face to the music of the gutiar solo/drumming/keyboard/bass etc...

2. Videos are now as popular as before, if not more so,
Ipod videos, home theartre, windows vista and Youtube are all exercising the technology of videos
in different format/medias...


So , If gnr werent to release a music video, regardless if its just live/ theatrical calliber,
then its probably the stupidest decision they could make...

And not forgetting when shows such as chats shows, usually play clips before/during interviews, I'd imagine Axl/the band will do a few shows (Tonight, Leno, Johnathan Ross et al) as partof the promotion. + things such as download chart shows aren't gonna have a blank screen/still picture with music playing. I'd think they've got enough live stuff to cobble together.

lets not forget the award shows. award shows do help artists sell records and get people familiarized with them and have people talk about them.

and what you said about doing interviews on leno and such... imagine axl rose going on the daily show and promoting chinese democracy as he talks to jon stewart about the current state of this country.. i think that would be a really cool segment to watch