Single ?Chinese Democracy? Takes Humanitarian Theme

[Mal Brossard]

I sent this on to a friend of mine.  We're both Falun Gong practitioners and he would love this.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I thought I heard Axl say that he was already banned!

I only remember Axl saying at a concert in China that he had better go ahead and come see the country before he was banned.

They probably banned him shortly after! 

At least, I THINK he said he was banned on the Eddie Trunk show.  If anyone can clarify this bit if (mis)information, that would be great!

Freakin' China. 

I believe he said he wanted to visit China before he was banned from going there. I don't think he is actually banned, but who really knows!

He went there.  He said he visited Chairman Mao's tomb.

[nekomex]

interesting, i went and read some info about Falun Gong , and the persecution in China.

it would be interesting to get an interview with Axl talking about his view in the subject and why he have choosen Chinese Democracy as the name of the cd.

[Alfie Bones]

The Epoch Times are the Falun Gong's newspaper. Of course they would do an article on the song.

I don't really give them much credibility, though. They didn't even spell Dalai Lama correctly in the article.

I agree with the sentiment that Axl is a good humanitarian, though.

[Jada]

Wow. I'm surprised that someone actually wrote something intelligent in an article, rather than just repeating the same things over and over again. 

[chineseblues]

I thought I heard Axl say that he was already banned!

I only remember Axl saying at a concert in China that he had better go ahead and come see the country before he was banned.

They probably banned him shortly after! 

At least, I THINK he said he was banned on the Eddie Trunk show.  If anyone can clarify this bit if (mis)information, that would be great!

Freakin' China. 

I believe he said he wanted to visit China before he was banned from going there. I don't think he is actually banned, but who really knows!

He went there.  He said he visited Chairman Mao's tomb.

Yes I know that, but what I said was the reason he went there he said.

[suicide]

Looks like most of you forgot how Axl introduced 'Chinese Democracy' in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 1, 2001 so here you go:

The movie Kundun was on about the Dalai Lama. I was getting ready to leave, the TV was on and it was the end of the movie. And the Dalai Lama is about to cross over the border, to you know, be in exile for the rest of his life from his own country. And he looks back at the men who helped him, and you know he?s escaped the Chinese government. And he looks back at them and he waves and they wave at him. And then they show a scene where he looks back at them again and he sees every one of them dead. Because he knew they would be killed, and they knew that in helping him they would be killed. And you know the emotion in this next song, that?s all that?s about. It?s not like an intelligent song. It doesn?t have the answer to anything. And it's not necessarily pro or con about China. It's just that right now China symbolizes one of the strongest, yet most oppressive countries and governments in the world. And we are fortunate to live in a free country. And so in thinking about that it just kinda upset me, and we wrote this little song called "Chinese Democracy.

[prairie]

I really do like that Axl quote.  But do you really think that movie just happened to be on TV right before he was about to do his first show in years.  My guess is he put the movie on for inspiration or motivation.  Or it was just a BS story he made up to segway into Chinese Democracy.  Just something I've always kinda wondered about.  Either way I love the story and the song.

prairieboy,

[CheapJon]

I really do like that Axl quote.  But do you really think that movie just happened to be on TV right before he was about to do his first show in years.  My guess is he put the movie on for inspiration or motivation.  Or it was just a BS story he made up to segway into Chinese Democracy.  Just something I've always kinda wondered about.  Either way I love the story and the song.

prairieboy,

he doesn't say that it was on before he was leaving for the first show, maybe he was about to leave to go to the studio (or wherever) and the movie was on, and it inspired him to write the song,

[prairie]

I really do like that Axl quote.  But do you really think that movie just happened to be on TV right before he was about to do his first show in years.  My guess is he put the movie on for inspiration or motivation.  Or it was just a BS story he made up to segway into Chinese Democracy.  Just something I've always kinda wondered about.  Either way I love the story and the song.

prairieboy,

he doesn't say that it was on before he was leaving for the first show, maybe he was about to leave to go to the studio (or wherever) and the movie was on, and it inspired him to write the song,

Good point, I guess I always interpreted it that way. 

[suicide]

Axl was at the House Of Blues in Chicago when Vegas called and asked to do a warm-up gig for RIR at the House Of Blues.
So it was at the House Of Blues in Chicago where he saw Kundun.