Axl's MYGNR/HTGTH late night interview

[damnthehaters]

So you can all read the after hours interview that Axl gave early the morning of Fri Dec 12th on both the mygnr and htgth sites.  The following are all questions that I had saved.  The first few questions were from mygnr and then Axl moved over to this site. 
This was also created so that people could follow and didn't ask the same questions.   I've deleted the first few lines so media doesn't try and twist everything around again.

mygnr:


If this is true. I have one question for you Axl. What is stopping the  fans from seeing you Slash, Duff, and Izzy back on stage together?

Dexter wrote:
U've been lied to and misled for such a long time that sorting through  all that here is virtually impossible. A lot will come out over time but  the truth has been out there for a long time as well but that doesn't  give you what you want so this dance just goes on and on.

thanks for playing Rocket Queen in Melbourne
The red bike was awesome

Dexter wrote:
I think it's in the Better vid. Not sure if we cut it.

 
Hey Dexter,
Just wanted to say I really appreciate the song ?Scraped??Awesome  work?.Also, while I was interning for President-Elect Obama, we all  found ?Madagascar? to be very inspirational on certain days?.Also,  seen you in Iowa in ?06 and you certainly didn?t look tardy?and in Ill in  02?I think you and the guys gave top performances?
I can?t believe you entered this particular jungle tonight?haha

Dexter wrote:
Obama! That's a big gig! I need some presidential press advisors  and speech writers!!
I'd like to thank everyone for their positive comments. They're very  appreciated.

Axl I would like to know why you avoid the press so much. I think it's  definitely hurting album sales, I mean, you haven't even done one  interview. I know for sure you'd be able to get a few magazine covers.  So why don't you? Why be such a hermit/recluse?

Dexter wrote:
That's ur opinion and it very well could be true.
What I have to say a lot of people have no desire to hear.
With our team we were able to negotiate thru a mountain of issues to  be able to release the album. Within' those negotiations I believed I  had secured agreements, commitments and assurances that would  have allowed a promotional strategy to be implemented that  obviously I've had a fair amount of time to consider. Unfortunately  those things never happened and once the record was closer to  release the biz went about things in their standard business as usual  mode.

axl, why did you change "the bues" to "street of dreams"??

Dexter wrote:
The Blues was my first working title and I was never comfortable with it  in the sense that I felt that should be used with a bluesier based song.  And here in Hollywood with the walk of fame etc I had always seen  that imagery in my head when I think of it. I also like the idea of the  song having in affect two titles.

Axl, have you been in contact with steven adler at all? Not as far as  playing with him or anything, just to like lend him support?

Dexter wrote:
I do wish Steven the best and in my heart hope that he finds some  peace and security. As far as direct contact no. It unfortunately gets  too messy too quick. In Steven's mind I'm the one who holds the keys  and power over his happiness so I'm the bad guy pretty quickly.

A video for "Better" was mentioned. Any ideas for a date of release,  and/or in what capacities it will be released? What style of video is  planned - live footage, some more dramatic theme? Great song. Can't  wait to see what you guys have created for a visual.

Dexter wrote:
Soon is the word as in a week or so.

Hey Axl,
Is Mickey going to pay you back for letting them use SCOM in the  Wrestler by starring in a new Guns video?

Dexter wrote:
Actually Mickey agreed to play The Shackler if we were to make a vid  for it.

I keep asking questions (like everybody else, I suppose) and feel  stupid for asking so many, but I am also curious as to your  relationship with Mickey Rourke. He's one of my favourite actors, and  I saw an interview with him recently where he said you were kind  enough to give him songs for The Wrestler. My question is: how long  do you and Mickey go back, and do you have any interesting stories  from "back in the day"? You guys strike me as being pretty similar in a  lot of ways (I mean as far as personalities and what you've been  through in your lives) and it's cool for me to see two of my pop culture  "heroes," for lack of better description, being friends, and also making  similarly timed "comebacks." (Or whatever you want to call it.)

Dexter wrote:
Mickey and I haven't really hung much but have a lot of mutual friends  over the years. He's always been massively supportive. I've always  been a big fan of his as well. It's probably better for both of us we  didn't hang directly back in the day!!

Dexter wrote:
Havin' a bit of trouble posting replies. Interrupted connection and all  that.

Here's some answers.

Into Sorry musically most rt now.

Estranged and Civil War probably somewhere.

I probably just fucked the song up, wish it had deeper meaning.

Axl on performing late and being late to gigs?

I've been an after midnight type since I was sneakin' out of my house in Jr. High. With old Guns we preferred 12am or so. When we moved to theaters etc obviously that changes but it's never changed inside me. Doesn't matter what I do so generally that's when I'm more myself. This isn't to mess with anyone that has an early schedule to keep it's just personal preference.

And in regard to the size venues I'm on record as preferring what ever venues allow for our schedule but management and promoters can do a lot in their own interests behind the scenes that can rarely be avoided and their greed or whatever leads to a lot of double talk and ugly behind nonsense that generally eventually ruins things for everyone. Translated once a tour is scheduled however it's like parting the seas to change.

As far as being late, I've been that way my whole life. It drove Izzy crazy but he would check himself and freely admit I was generally actually doing something that had to get done rather than watching basketball etc.
 
Regarding multiple albums...

For now we'll concentrate and keep our focus on this album but I will say I've always thought of it as a double.
And no offence but no one's trying to talk in parables. The issues are a bit more complex than anyone would like.

Hey Axl, is the song Atlas Shrugged as epic as the book? Who is your favorite character from the book?

Song doesn't have all that much to do with the book other than trying to do what you believe in and a line about shoulders not being wide enough.

[damnthehaters]

Axl was their ever a cover B and cover C for chinese democracy?

Yes there are. There are 2 more covers/bk cover combos and the real booklet that is all artwork that will be out shortly in some form. It's been an ugly battle that hasn't made any sense to anyone and whether anyone cares about such things the booklet or artwork has always been something I've been passionate about and to release the album with unapproved and unseen final artwork with a !st work only error filled draft when others more recent were readily available still has not been explained but is finally getting cleared up. My fave is the How Are You Grenade cover.

Axl how do you feel about Kanye outselling Chinese Democracy? Do you like Kanye's music?

I met Kanye at the Versace awards. He was very gracious. I love Gold Digger and told him so. I'm a big fan of his stage performance as he seems to go for it physically which I relate more to. B4 r release I sent him a msg that any nonsense from the media had nothing to do with us and wished him the best. I'm humbled we've done as well as we have considering.

Axl do you control the weather or is that solely Oprah?

Oprah


htgh:


Jarmo, do you know the reason behind the name Dexter? Is he a fan of the show (on Showtime)? Just curious...No need to reply if the reason is deemed private/personal.
could be because of the guy from The Offspring, too... but I'd rather it be the TV show. 

The show and my cat named after the show, she's a methodical killer.

Hi Axl, how's it going?
Just wanted to ask if you had any fond memories from the UK leg of the tour from 2006, particularly the concert in Glasgow in July?

Glasgow was great. I think that's where I got to do a lot of slides on the stage. Was like a race track or something rt?

Axl, thanks for Chinese Democracy which i personally think is your best work.
what's your pick for album of the year?
and have you heard the new MetallicA album?

Ours of course!!
Yes, I like it.


Axl will you tour Australia next year, and when are you looking at doing so?
If you could work with buckethead again, would you have him just in studio, or also would you welcome him in the touring lineup?

Austrailia's great and the crowds are really alive. No plans yet but I'm sure there will be.

I have no issues with Bucket. It's hard to tell what was real or not in things we were told by Merck. He's more than welcome to tour with us in some form or other provided we're both interested at the time and come to some type of reasonable terms. Personally I have a blast w/Bucket on tour and get a big kick out of the guy. A lot of feelings were hurt on this side of the fence in how things went down and unfortunately others used our silence and the public's not knowing for their own purposes at both Bucket's and our expense.


Now that you said that please tell us if Robin's out or not... because, otherwise, we'll be reading several 'Axl wants Bucket back and Robin/Bumble/Richard out' type of threads for the entire '09 year and these threads annoy us, the new lineup fans.

It really is what it is. No decisions have been made by either him, I or us that I'm aware of.

When we're touring or working in the studio or there's social things like a friend's dinner or party whatever we would hang. But as people get older they have their own lives. The Stones aren't going bowling every Tuesday etc.

Robin leads one of the most different lives I know of starting with the trapeze in his backyard to the tv in his closet. Robin's work on the next is done so there's not lots for him to do here except the elusive promo and he'd rather be on stage.

It's more about seeing where things are when Guns decides it's right for a tour and if we're able to make agreements we both are comfortable and can live with at that time.


As a native Colombian I must ask:
In 1992, while performing November Rain in Bogota (in November), it rained.
Wait no....it poured.
How weird was that, eh?

Very surreal and religious feeling. So was being chased by the military in our plane down the runway gettin' outta Dodge there!!


Hi axl!
just wondering what stops you from playing more guitar live?

skill


Hey Axl,
Are you checking your PM's???

Not rt now. It's a bit slow getting around on here rt now.
Let's talk about Catcher!!
Who's 1st?


Axl/Dexter, I'm fixing to pack everyhting I own into my car and drive out to L.A. from Arkansas to give a career in music a shot. Any advice? Or should I just shit in my pants, dive in and swim?

Follow your heart, don't sell out and read every book on the biz u can find.


Catcher is one of the best songs on the album, why no Brian?

There's a few reasons and none of them all that big and definitely not in spite or to slight anyone.

1st off obviously I knew people liked the song but the Brian appreciation really only showed up in force publicly after we had moved on in Guns. In fact Not many seemed to care and most comments were aimed at why Slash in their opinions should be here.

Brians solo itself is a personal fave of mine and I really couldn't understand as he's such a rock legend why it wasn't openly appreciated more at the time.

In actuality all that feel and emotion referred to now had a lot to do with Sean and I and the parts I chose out of Brian's different runs, versions, practice runs etc to make sure we had those elements in one version. It's entirely constructed from edits based around one specific note Brian hit in a throw away take. And though Brian seems to have warmed a bit to it at least publicly he was unfortunately none to pleased at the time with our handiwork.

I remember looking at Brian standing to my left and him staring at the big studio speakers a bit aghast saying "But that's not what I played."

Sean Beavan and I were not in any way tring to mess with Brian we just did what we do and then try and do our best to stand up for our decisions.

[damnthehaters]

Axl are you still thinking of suing Dr Peppers ass?

Sure but the actions taken so far had nothing to do with me and I was taken off guard as I had specifically told our team who fucking cares rt now we have a record to deal with.

My feelings are after their public response. It was cute.

Maybe the guy who got it rolling originally meant well but it turned out sour and maybe it's just me but he seems like maybe he wants a bit too much attention so...


I'm sorry for posting this again! It's just..I don't get this chance everyday!
Ever still think about working with Jeff Lynne I think you two would be fuckin awesome together.
Would you ever give an unkown band a chance to open for you guys?
How do you feel about Double Fantasy? I could see u covering watching the wheels
Have you seen the movie The Aviator any thoughts it is my favorite of all time.

Not presently but he's a true hero of mine.
Absolutely. I think we have or at least relatively but I could be mistaken
Big Lennon fan.
I piss in jars all the time only I throw them at people!! j/k


when are the online shop opening?

I haven't been involved much in any of our merch and the reasons are it's been a mess legally for years. Unbeknownst to most of you I was recently sued again by Duff and Slash for some murky Merckiness that I was unaware and not involved in. Fortunately that was resolved but it got ugly and took a while going into arbitration.

Merck shifted our merch from some of our newer styles to incorporating more of the old with some scam that actually and surprisingly lost sales in comparison but that's old news.

What I look forward to is incorporating the new artwork into our merch and getting some for myself. I think u'll like a lot of it. My vote's for the How Are You grenade and the Sorry automatic rifle artwork on shirts etc.

 
DEXTER/AXL,
How do you feel about artists covering your songs ?

Depends but in general it's great.


Hey Axl , whats your favourite song from either Chinese Democracy, or from an unreleased album?

The bridge in "Elvis Presley and the Monster of Soul aka The Soul Monster (working title Leave Me Alone)" which will no doubt end up "Soul Monster".

I think it's r most Black Sabbath moment. Sang it on a Christmas eve. Imo the meanest section of anything I've sung to date. Which having said that I'm sure when it's heard others may disagree but we felt it was a Christmas card of unadulterated venom so to speak. I felt a lot better afterward.


Axl, how is your relationship with the former members/friends of GNR???

Not sure I understand the question.


Axl, do you know of any steak house in the Los Angeles area better than The Cut?

Haven't been but I hear it's great. Maestros T.O. is pretty good.

Someone give me a list of all the alleged song titles at once and I'll tell what's real or not. Most from the past like cockroach soup or eulogy aren't.


Atlas Shrugged
No Love Remains
Take That
When Love Collides (I believe that was the name)

only Atlas


I know this is jumping the gun big time, but any tentative idea when you would like to see the next CD come out?


No, maybe same bat time, same bat channel next year but we'll have to see.


Hey Axl,
Is there anything in the past that you have now looked back on and thought maybe I culd have handled that differently, also what are your ongoing hopes for GnR in the future?
I have cyclothemia and sometimes get this feeling that I cant be around people and need my own space and area, how do you find the bipolar effect you, if you dont mind me asking that is?
thanks again for doing this.

Alex


Of course but in the world of sports and litigation....

I've not been diagnosed as being bipolar though many misconstrue statements I made earlier as alluding to such and unfortunately there's been an abundance of misguided or unqualified speculation of various events but I definitely can relate to needing my own space.

In my world all bi polar means (and not to offend or make light of those suffering from a genuine condition or involved with those who are) is that someone can try to take cheap uneducated shots or try to claim I'm bipolar thus justifying why they should get paid a financial settlement for whatever nonsense they're up to. Fortunately that hasn't proved successful.


Axl,
- What is your honest opinion on why the old lineup disintegrated ?
- What is your honest opinion on why it took so long for CD to come out ?
I think that's what most people want to know but dare not ask ...

2 great but complicated questions and I agree that people would like to know at least my take on things.

Not avoiding them here but they deserve more than I can give as we've been at this a little while. But I'm attempting to speak out on several issues these being a major focus over the coming weeks and months. What I can say now is u've been told a lot of things in order for others to promote themselves that factually they cannot backup in regard to either. They are complicated legally, financially and have devoured a good portion of my life.

The record Chinese u may have is nothing short of a miracle in almost each and every way that either it or I exist imo under the bizarre and ugly conditions of the last over 15yrs.

Thanks everyone and thanks for all the support and the positive comments both 2nite and over the years. I hope to do this again soon, maybe sooner than u'd think! And u didn't scare me off I'm just burnt and would rather not mispeak on issues that may mean a lot to some.

Thanks again.

Peace,

Axl-

And Checkmate is a bogus title.
















The working title is Jackie Chan.

[gonella]

is This  REAL???

[Ulises]

Yes it is!

[suicidalhotdogs]

Hi Axl,

Two questions:

1. Is Catcher in the Rye about Lennon/Chapman and as an outside chance Kurt Cobain (took our innocence behind our stares?)

We've had epic discussions about this song.


2. Also, Russian Intrigue, German Warfare are these real titles of albums?

Connected to CD?

[Litti10]

Nice! Hey Axl are u guys comin' to Helsinki on the next Round?

[Litti10]

thanks Axl

[RnT]

HAHAHAHAHAH

Axl?s the man!!!! 

[willow]

Man I love that guys sense of humor!

[gunns1]

hes so fucking funny
he has a great sense of humour,
and even jokes about himself
what a class act

[gonella]

I just a comment, I think I'm missing, but how it was confirmed that is Axl?

[-Jack-]

Thank you Axl. To have you come out and be so cool and forthcoming is awesome. Some people have such a negative attitude about you, and the truth to me was always that you're a person just like anyone else and that you don't hate the fans like many make it out to be.

Some fans act and say things that make it sound like they hate your guts  and I just wanted to say thanks so much for showing some interest in us anyways. Good luck on your next album/tour, and thank you so much for Chinese Democracy. Loved you guys at Inland Invasion and at the Gibson Amphitheater

  You're the best!!!

[cineater]

Holy fucking shit!   

[erose]

So what really happened last night?

Was this going on just here at htgth or did he drop by mygnr.com as well?

Are these three part from this site only?

Fuckin' awesome!

[Cornell]

I saw these same questions at mygnr  so it looks likes a collection from both sites.

[Fortus]

great thanks axl we needed to know you are still there!!!
hope to meet you sometime somewhere soon!!
Hope you also work with Izzy in some song very soon!! and we want to hear Atlas, monster soul and The general!!

[Annie]

WOW that was simply amazing!

[The Catcher]

I missed it by just a few minutes because I was banned from mygnr.com for standing up for jarmo and Fernando
I feel like killing myself

[Markus89]

Right now I hate living in Norway. I hate the time difference...

Can't believe i slept through all this

Great questions everyone!
Axl, thank you so much! Have to say I had started to doubt that you cared about any of us "diehard" fans.
Really, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Ps. ask bumble if he still has my cross, gave it to him in norway during paradise in '06