Axl Rose Interview With Del James

[daviebuckethead]

I know I'm going to get jumped on for this but here goes.  To me, this was another interesting read that did absolutely nothing to promote Chinese Democracy.  More "Slash is a cancer" crap that has nothing to do with the new album. This time he even went so far as to suggest that Slash wasn't a good guitar player, even on Appetite.

For example, it would have been cool to hear about how a song like Better was constructed.  Instead, we get a paragraph about how Robert John is a drug addict.  Am I the only one who didn't really care what Robert John was up to these days?

But in Axl's own words, this is GNR and not Burger King.  You can't always get what you want.

Amen.........more bitter rhetoric.......I like Axl, he's my favourite singer, but bloody hell lets use the brain already. Bashing individuals (regardless if you believe they deserve it), isn't going to win over the public or promote your new album, it just backs up mass opinion that he's a bitter, twisted, has been. (which pains me to say).

Also, via axl's statements recently, i think we know why the process of writing and recording an album took as long as it did. I think he needs to take a step back in regard to the legalities, politics, and business part of guns n roses, he seems to get so immersed in it that he has no time for anything else, and ultimately gets massively frustrated.

I think its great that an artist want to be invovled in every facet of what goes on, but there has to be a point where he lets "his people" do their job (because it sounds like they sit around doing nothing while axl does all the running), and he ends up re-running the same convoluted process over and over wondering why!?

Even though 99% of whatever Axl is talking about went waaaay over my head. 

i agree, what the fuck was all that pish about robert john, and how is it relevant or even remotely interesting to anybody, besides Axls lawyer and accountant! talking in riddles to try and sound intelligent, and avoid litigation most of the time i think. Which again highlights his obsession with the law.

i will be bashed all over for this, and like axl, "i dont care". GNR are my favourite band, past and present, i like both Axl and Slash in equal measure as they are both tremondous singer AND guitarists respectively. i just wish axl would foucs on the music, the promotion and being a rock star, opposed to being a suit.

[Annie]

Del is such a great writer. This article is epic.I will always be happy that I met him in front of the JOINT in Las Vegas. I'll never forget meeting this really nice lady IN LA. Her name was Avery and she called herself the Malibu psychic. I asked her if she knew Axl , and she said that Axl was a very nice man and that the media had totally misrepresented him. I also met Robert John at my first GNR concert in Las Vegas. He was so mean to me that I almost burst into tears. The good thing is that when I saw him the next day I ran the other way and that is how I ended up meeting Buckethead. Is this article going to be published in ROLLING STONE?

[Aussie_Axe]

good to hear from axl again, some interesting things were said, maybe alittle harsh on slash 

[jarmo]

Amen.........more bitter rhetoric......

So predictable.

I knew this was gonna happen once Axl decided to speak out.

For years we've heard the other side of the argument. Axl kept quiet.

Now when he comments on it, he's bitter?  

I guess Slash has been openly bitter since 1996 then? That's how long he's been talking about Axl and GN'R for!






/jarmo

[daviebuckethead]

Del is such a great writer. This article is epic.I will always be happy that i met him in fron of the JOINT in Las Vegas. I'll never forget meeting this really nice lady IN LA. Her name was Avery and she called herself the Malibu psychic. I asked her if she knew Axl , and she said that Axl was a very nice man and that the media had totally misprepresented him. I also met Robert John at my first GNR concert in Las Vegas. He was so mean to me that I almost burst into tears. The good thing is that when I saw him the next day I ran the other way and that is how I ended up meeting Buckethead. Is this article going to be published in ROLLING STONE?

gotta love the sarcasm

[LunsJail]

I know I'm going to get jumped on for this but here goes.  To me, this was another interesting read that did absolutely nothing to promote Chinese Democracy.  More "Slash is a cancer" crap that has nothing to do with the new album. This time he even went so far as to suggest that Slash wasn't a good guitar player, even on Appetite.

For example, it would have been cool to hear about how a song like Better was constructed.  Instead, we get a paragraph about how Robert John is a drug addict.  Am I the only one who didn't really care what Robert John was up to these days?

But in Axl's own words, this is GNR and not Burger King.  You can't always get what you want.

I don't think he was saying Slash wasn't a good guitar player, just that he prefers guitarists that challenge themselves.  I get your point about the Slash bashing vs. talking about CD.  But maybe he feels he needs to clear the air first.  Get all that stuff off his chest and then he'll talk about the music.  We'll see.  He talked about the music in the online forums.  These are a little more condensed and you know the media cares more about the relationship with Slash then how they came up with "Better", unfortunately.

After reading what he said again, I see what you're saying about his guitar playing.  But.....the media?  When the tour manager conducts your interview we're not talking about hardcore journalism here.  These questions were surely pre-arranged.  He could have talked about anything he wanted.

[Annie]

Del is such a great writer. This article is epic.I will always be happy that i met him in fron of the JOINT in Las Vegas. I'll never forget meeting this really nice lady IN LA. Her name was Avery and she called herself the Malibu psychic. I asked her if she knew Axl , and she said that Axl was a very nice man and that the media had totally misprepresented him. I also met Robert John at my first GNR concert in Las Vegas. He was so mean to me that I almost burst into tears. The good thing is that when I saw him the next day I ran the other way and that is how I ended up meeting Buckethead. Is this article going to be published in ROLLING STONE?

gotta love the sarcasm

This is not sarcastic in any way.I am a true blue hardcore diehard AXLITE!

[faldor]

I know I'm going to get jumped on for this but here goes.  To me, this was another interesting read that did absolutely nothing to promote Chinese Democracy.  More "Slash is a cancer" crap that has nothing to do with the new album. This time he even went so far as to suggest that Slash wasn't a good guitar player, even on Appetite.

For example, it would have been cool to hear about how a song like Better was constructed.  Instead, we get a paragraph about how Robert John is a drug addict.  Am I the only one who didn't really care what Robert John was up to these days?

But in Axl's own words, this is GNR and not Burger King.  You can't always get what you want.

I don't think he was saying Slash wasn't a good guitar player, just that he prefers guitarists that challenge themselves.  I get your point about the Slash bashing vs. talking about CD.  But maybe he feels he needs to clear the air first.  Get all that stuff off his chest and then he'll talk about the music.  We'll see.  He talked about the music in the online forums.  These are a little more condensed and you know the media cares more about the relationship with Slash then how they came up with "Better", unfortunately.

After reading what he said again, I see what you're saying about his guitar playing.  But.....the media?  When the tour manager conducts your interview we're not talking about hardcore journalism here.  These questions were surely pre-arranged.  He could have talked about anything he wanted.

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the journalist asking the questions, after all I'm sure Del James could've asked any question Axl wanted him to.  I was more referring to the radio stations and other media that will pick up on this interview.  If 80% of the interview was about CD and just 20% was about the old band, guess what they'd report on?  I'll give you a hint, it wouldn't be CD.

[GypsySoul]

who's pod?

My guess is Chris Vrenna....




/jarmo

okay, I'll bite .... who's Chris Vrenna?

[daviebuckethead]

Amen.........more bitter rhetoric......

So predictable.

I knew this was gonna happen once Axl decided to speak out.

For years we've heard the other side of the argument. Axl kept quiet.

Now when he comments on it, he's bitter?  

I guess Slash has been openly bitter since 1996 then? That's how long he's been talking about Axl and GN'R for!






/jarmo

so i assume this the only part of my post you disagree with?

Ok, Slash has said things about the break up of GnR, and on most occasions his sentiments or comments have been backed up by those who where there at the time who have no love for slash anymore either..............so everyone else is wrong?

Lets get one thing straight, i like my rock stars egotistical, and thats what axl is, i wouldn't have it any other way.

And, yes, the questions would be pre-arranged.

[jarmo]

When the tour manager conducts your interview we're not talking about hardcore journalism here.  These questions were surely pre-arranged.  He could have talked about anything he wanted.

I don't know. I think it's more a matter of trusting the person interviewing you.

Instead of sitting down with somebody who you don't know at all and don't know what will happen with the interview once it's done (being misquoted, things twisted around etc.), Del has a history with Axl.

So it's possible the interview actually turns out better when you know you can trust the interviewer.

okay, I'll bite .... who's Chris Vrenna?

Drummer, programmer...

Lately he's been working with Marilyn Manson.






/jarmo

[LunsJail]

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the journalist asking the questions, after all I'm sure Del James could've asked any question Axl wanted him to.  I was more referring to the radio stations and other media that will pick up on this interview.  If 80% of the interview was about CD and just 20% was about the old band, guess what they'd report on?  I'll give you a hint, it wouldn't be CD.

But they still won't report on CD.  The headlines will be "Axl calls Slash a cancer."  

[daviebuckethead]

But they still won't report on CD.  The headlines will be "Axl calls Slash a cancer."  

exactly, so why even mention him. he's not in Gnr anymore!

[LunsJail]

When the tour manager conducts your interview we're not talking about hardcore journalism here.  These questions were surely pre-arranged.  He could have talked about anything he wanted.

I don't know. I think it's more a matter of trusting the person interviewing you.

Instead of sitting down with somebody who you don't know at all and don't know what will happen with the interview once it's done (being misquoted, things twisted around etc.), Del has a history with Axl.

So it's possible the interview actually turns out better when you know you can trust the interviewer.

I can see what you're saying.  I'll give Del credit.  He did dig a little deeper when Axl seemed reluctant to elaborate on certain things.  Having more than 2 guitars for example.

[jarmo]

But they still won't report on CD.  The headlines will be "Axl calls Slash a cancer."  

That's true.

Doesn't that prove the fact that Axl doesn't play the same game everybody else does?

Which is what makes him so great.


On the other hand, those headlines should stop all the morons in the media writing headlines about a GN'R reunion based on quotes such as "never say never" (or whatever he said) from Duff etc.

So, you see, things aren't always that simple...

If you can get the reunion bullshit to disappear, then you can get down to the real thing and focus on just the present.





/jarmo

[faldor]

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the journalist asking the questions, after all I'm sure Del James could've asked any question Axl wanted him to.  I was more referring to the radio stations and other media that will pick up on this interview.  If 80% of the interview was about CD and just 20% was about the old band, guess what they'd report on?  I'll give you a hint, it wouldn't be CD.

But they still won't report on CD.  The headlines will be "Axl calls Slash a cancer."  

You know what they say, any press is good press.

[AxlReznor]

Amen.........more bitter rhetoric......

So predictable.

I knew this was gonna happen once Axl decided to speak out.

For years we've heard the other side of the argument. Axl kept quiet.

Now when he comments on it, he's bitter?  

I guess Slash has been openly bitter since 1996 then? That's how long he's been talking about Axl and GN'R for!






/jarmo

To be fair, he has said his piece on Slash numerous times now.  It's annoying when Slash talks shit about Axl, but it's just as annoying that whenever you read anything from Axl nowadays, he's reiterating everything he said the last time.  The first couple of times I can understand and was actually defending his right to say it from people because there were years of pent-up feelings that he needed to get out.  But he got it out now, and to repeat himself over and over again, isn't that one of the things Axl criticised Slash for doing in the Billboard interview?

Personally, I'm interested in what the band is doing now, the new members, the new music, the new tours.  I'd like to read an interview with Axl with more information about that and not just complaining about Slash/management/record label, etc.  In short, promoting what he's doing now should take priority over prolonging a feud with someone he hasn't seen for 13 years.

[faldor]

But they still won't report on CD.  The headlines will be "Axl calls Slash a cancer."  

That's true.

Doesn't that prove the fact that Axl doesn't play the same game everybody else does?

Which is what makes him so great.


On the other hand, those headlines should stop all the morons in the media writing headlines about a GN'R reunion based on quotes such as "never say never" (or whatever he said) from Duff etc.

So, you see, things aren't always that simple...

If you can get the reunion bullshit to disappear, then you can get down to the real thing and focus on just the present.





/jarmo

Good point.  I remember a few weeks after CD was released people were predicting a reunion was on the horizon.  I couldn't believe people were actually buying into that but then the media actually bought into it.  Maybe this will help squash those rumors once and for all.

[younggunner]

that was a head scratcher for sure

[LunsJail]

But they still won't report on CD.  The headlines will be "Axl calls Slash a cancer."  

That's true.

Doesn't that prove the fact that Axl doesn't play the same game everybody else does?

Which is what makes him so great.


On the other hand, those headlines should stop all the morons in the media writing headlines about a GN'R reunion based on quotes such as "never say never" (or whatever he said) from Duff etc.

So, you see, things aren't always that simple...

If you can get the reunion bullshit to disappear, then you can get down to the real thing and focus on just the present.





/jarmo

I just wish he'd gotten the reunion bullshit to disappear long before CD came out.  Then we could be focusing on the present now.  I think the new album is great, people should hear it, and just hate to see it get overshadowed by all this old lineup soap opera shit.