Billboard Exclusive: Axl Rose Speaks

[Continental Drift]

As much as the mention of past members is always juicy on the forum, the real news was definitely in the last answer. I think he answered the questions that have been topic number one here about promotion. We've all known about the negative and unfair press Axl and GNR have gotten over the years, and it seems the plan has always been to take time to deal with that. Not to have a big roll-out and media campaign that would feed into it. To me that makes sense, if only because the album is so strong and with so many tracks (there's hardly a song that isn't considered their favorite by someone). It's been so long since the UYI days, and there's a whole new lineup now, so i think it's good to take time to build something new. And i also think it's important that they be careful about when and how to approach large market media that they don't get taken advantage of, used for a buck or blindsided by harsh opinions, unfair questions, dishonest editing, etc. It's a big task, and i think GNR is wisely choosing not to put the cart before the horse.

An excellent post. And dead on IMHO. "Promotional Mystery" solved as far as I'm concerned. I also think the bolded is PARTICULARLY important here.

[ppbebe]

"although Zach [Horowitz, Universal Music Group president/COO], or whoever's behind the international efforts, is doing great. "

donno if it's true. maybe yes in Germany or holland.
But it seemed to me that the efforts have been just the average ones any foreign big name album gets and nothing special.  even modester than in US. the difference is that we can buy the album at any record store. and the fans haven't been fed as many lines by the media  as the us fans, I reckon.

I.R.S. lyric:

"wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong"

dead on. 

he also said his the king dickhead. I don't think so but as he insists....

[ppbebe]

has this posted yet?

?Chinese Democracy? Comes To ?Rock Band? This Spring

?Rock Band 2″ featured a single track off the mythical ?Chinese Democracy? album from Guns ?n Roses and since the record?s release, rumors swirled the entire album would hit ?Rock Band,? rumors an MTV Games spokesperson confirmed today....

...Rumors inched closer to reality this morning, when Guns ?n Roses frontman Axl Rose told Billboard ?Chinese Democracy? was coming to ?Rock Band? on February 28.

An MTV Games spokesperson told us Rose was speaking the truth, but clarified ?Chinese Democracy? wouldn?t arrive in playable form until sometime this spring.

[Butch Français]

has this posted yet?

‘Chinese Democracy’ Comes To ‘Rock Band’ This Spring

“Rock Band 2″ featured a single track off the mythical “Chinese Democracy” album from Guns ‘n Roses and since the record’s release, rumors swirled the entire album would hit “Rock Band,” rumors an MTV Games spokesperson confirmed today....

...Rumors inched closer to reality this morning, when Guns ‘n Roses frontman Axl Rose told Billboard “Chinese Democracy” was coming to “Rock Band” on February 28.

An MTV Games spokesperson told us Rose was speaking the truth, but clarified “Chinese Democracy” wouldn’t arrive in playable form until sometime this spring.

is now

[jarmo]

I must disagree with Axl on the record label front though. someone that allows u to take 10 years and spend 13 million dollars of their money BELIEVES in you, cause there aren't many other bands that would've been afforded that luxury.

Best Buy deal, the label recouped there money and did bail on the album,but I think it isn't fair to say they weren't supported.

They supported the making of the album until they decided not to anymore. Then they decided to put out the Greatest Hits.

Promotion wise, they haven't supported the album they way it deserved.

It seems like they're not interested in it too much.... They're more concerned about the Pussycat Dolls and Lady GaGa.




/jarmo

[Butch Français]

^ yeah, absolutely. they don't seem to give a shit about their best album of 2008, quite shocking imo.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I think it would be best if they moved GN'R from Interscope to another label under the Universal umbrella.

Fuck that gangster Jimmy Iovine.  This is what Bono would look like if he had a unibrow.

[IKnowWhereIAM]

They want the $$$, not the art...the whole maximize profits/cut costs bullshit.  With small 'daring' labels like Geffen swallowed whole by the mega-labels, there is little chance of ever seeing another GnR (and certainly NEVER another ChiDem)...and sadly it looks like somebody has decided that 'our' band is going to be left 'unwatered' until it dries up and falls off the vine.  The funny thing is - I am willing to bet that Axl is smart/strong enough, and GnR has enough of a fan base, to drive on...even with minimum label support.   

[sandman]

i read Axl's response about the record label and i'm a little lost. it seems like he wanted creative help? am i reading that right?

also, i see people bitching about the record label's lack of promotion for the album. but i'm not sure why. Axl hasn't promoted this thing at all (which would cost nothing except his time), so why should the record label be expected to pay $$ to do so? in fact, reading Axl's response it doesn't seem like he's all that upset about thier lack of promotion. it seems like he's upset about how Interscope handled other things regarding the album. 

[younggunner]

also, i see people bitching about the record label's lack of promotion for the album. but i'm not sure why. Axl hasn't promoted this thing at all (which would cost nothing except his time), so why should the record label be expected to pay $$ to do so? in fact, reading Axl's response it doesn't seem like he's all that upset about thier lack of promotion. it seems like he's upset about how Interscope handled other things regarding the album. 

agreed.

[adman2374]

Good news: Axl at last has given an interview and perhaps will be a reunion with Izzy or Duff in the future.

I could see doing a song or so on the side with Izzy [Stradlin] or having him out [on tour] again. I'm not so comfortable with doing anything having more than one of the alumni. Maybe something with Duff [McKagan], but that's it, and not something I'd have to really get down into, as I'd get left with sorting it out and then blamed on top of it. So, no, not me.

Not sure if I'd call it a "reunion", more like a collaboration.

No tour plan

But he also said: Management and our promoters are really excited with the offers coming in both here and worldwide.

he sometimes talks like everybody's against him.  

Can you blame him?

A lot of shit has been said about him over the years.

Even from people who consider themselves fans.

And no matter what he does, it's never good enough. There's always something else people want from him.




/jarmo

As far as a tour is concerned, if you are gonna quote Axl, don't chop up his words. Give his quote the full context and everything he said. This is exactly what he said: Are you planning to tour?

"No plans, but there's talk. Management and our promoters are really excited with the offers coming in both here and worldwide."

He said there are no plans to tour. Also, did you notice that he didnt say HE is excited about the offers that are coming in? Sounds like he's not too interested in touring. or am I missing what he said?

[Yellow Discipline]

He also said something like doing a tour, making a couple of videos, and proper artwork would make things complete.  So he IS interested in touring.

[jarmo]

also, i see people bitching about the record label's lack of promotion for the album. but i'm not sure why. Axl hasn't promoted this thing at all (which would cost nothing except his time), so why should the record label be expected to pay $$ to do so? in fact, reading Axl's response it doesn't seem like he's all that upset about thier lack of promotion. it seems like he's upset about how Interscope handled other things regarding the album. 

Because that's what they're supposed to do....

If they had interest in the album, they'd promote it.



Here's the answer to your question:

The opinions expressed or "jumped" on publicly regarding promotion seem to be [about] my or our involvement with mainstream media -- talk shows, rock magazines and dot-coms -- which have generally held negative public stances toward myself or the band for years, [and they] unfortunately have not been resolved. Efforts are being made to understand the relationships and evaluate how best to proceed.

Our focus was in getting the record deal done while finishing the album, which hit many an unexpected bump or sinkhole in the road right up until the actual release. We never intended a huge public rollout, especially without resolving certain issues, and no one ever suggested us doing so, though Interscope's communications with Best Buy in these areas may not have been as clear as anyone would have preferred.

Our approach, for better or worse, has always been to work the record over the course of the following tour cycles, with attempts to forge new or better and hopefully redefined relationships with the different forms of media that may be interested along the way. In regard to our promotion, it was based around certain agreements with Universal, Interscope, our management and legal [teams] that unfortunately never happened. I won't get into specifics but am beginning to address some of those issues in my own way as opposed to "working together," and we'll see how that plays out.


Once again, he mentions things not going as they had originally planned/agreed on.

Still you keep asking "Why?"...



/jarmo

[D]

I think it is fairly obvious what happened.

Videos cost money, ad space in magazines costs money etc etc

The label were some 13 million in the hole, I think they were so excited to have Best Buy erase CD off their books, they didn't give a shit what it sold.

Think about it, they already made their money up front, so why now would they spend money on an album they've already made their money on?

GNR get the raw end of the Best Buy Deal but that is where the "Loan Shark" reference is spot on with Axl. The label no longer care about GNR, they just wanted to be reimbursed cause they know they can continue to profit off the back catalog of GNR and no longer be 13 million in the red.


I am gonna try to be more positive with CD.  I don't think anymore that sales or any kind of success even matters. I think its great Axl got the huge monkey off his back, now he can breathe and just make the music he wants to make. The pressure has to tremendously be a lot less than before.

[Juanjay]

Jimmy Iovine promotes stuff that he sees as fresh and new. Nothing wrong with that. I don't really think CD is all that great. I think that there are 6 amazing songs on CD. They should release those songs as singles. SOD, ITW, TWAT, CnTR, Maddy or TIL. They release those as singles the sales would pick up.

As for the other labels under Universal, none of them will promote the album. There's no money. The only label with money under the universal umbrella is Island/DefJam.

[Skunk]

Jimmy Iovine promotes stuff that he sees as fresh and new. Nothing wrong with that. I don't really think CD is all that great. I think that there are 6 amazing songs on CD. They should release those songs as singles. SOD, ITW, TWAT, CnTR, Maddy or TIL. They release those as singles the sales would pick up.

As for the other labels under Universal, none of them will promote the album. There's no money. The only label with money under the universal umbrella is Island/DefJam.

You don't think an album with 6 amazing songs is all that great?

[carmiedisco12]

I must disagree with Axl on the record label front though. someone that allows u to take 10 years and spend 13 million dollars of their money BELIEVES in you, cause there aren't many other bands that would've been afforded that luxury.

Best Buy deal, the label recouped there money and did bail on the album,but I think it isn't fair to say they weren't supported.

The people who gave the original $10 million advance were gone by 1998 or 1999 according to an article I read last year.  So the vast majority of that money/support came from people who have been gone for over a decade

That may be part of the reason they are 'gone'?

[GNR4L]

I can't understand why the label would not want a music video ? Im glad Best Buy requested one, I always think music needs a visual.

[jarmo]

I can't understand why the label would not want a music video ?

Because making one would mean spending money?



/jarmo

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I can't understand why the label would not want a music video ?

Because making one would mean spending money?



/jarmo

You gotta spend money to make money.

The "fine" people at Universal must not have taken an economics class.