Axl Rose Interview With Del James

[GypsySoul]

Is Brain in the band?
Last I checked. Brain works on several things with Guns either from his home or in the studio.

Wonder what those "several things with Guns" Brain is working on are??!!! 

[Axlspants]

Great interview and I appreciate Axl talking about Slash and wanting to get shit off his chest but I'd loved to have more info about the songs on CD, who they're about and what the inspiration behind them are, also when are they touring. I guess all will be revealed. Great to hear from the main man though.

[Jim Bob]

Axl is an artist with integrity.

Axl could have sold his story just the same as slash sold his.. but instead he chose to come talk to his fans directly and give a few select interviews with journalists that he trusts.  

Slash is a fake public persona, he's all about his image and his brand.    He is also a manipulator and a very shrewd media opportunist.

Funny thing is, these days he's become a cariculture of himself and has been reduced to performing with fergie and appearing on ellen.

[victor08]

Axl is an artist with integrity.

Axl could have sold his story just the same as slash sold his.. but instead he chose to come talk to his fans directly and give a few select interviews with journalists that he trusts.  

Slash is a fake public persona, he's all about his image and his brand.    He is also a manipulator and a very shrewd media opportunist.

Funny thing is, these days he's become a cariculture of himself and has been reduced to performing with fergie and appearing on ellen.

i agree with all of this.

[Rhino]

What does Slash do exactly that makes him a media whore??

Really?

You can't figure it out why some would think he's one?

All those photo opportunities at award shows/galas and whatnot doesn't give a clue?

I'm just guessing, but a lot of that stuff has very little to do with his music.... Which is what made him famous in the first place. It's more about being seen and getting publicity.





/jarmo

There are a few reasons why. Although I don't agree on this one. Publicizing/marketing yourself inst doing something wrong at all. Its just a personality just as being a recluse ist a bad thing although that dosnt automatuically make you "cool" either . Its just different personalities.

Maybe its the way some people go about publicizing them selfs thats behind the scenes that wrong or is what he was maybe refuring to.

Just for the record IMO Jamming with fergie is a joke(whoring) ...imagine axl jamming with hanna montana for a cover of Sweet Child......some might call that a sellout.

[D]

Axl is an artist with integrity.

Axl could have sold his story just the same as slash sold his.. but instead he chose to come talk to his fans directly and give a few select interviews with journalists that he trusts.  

Slash is a fake public persona, he's all about his image and his brand.    He is also a manipulator and a very shrewd media opportunist.

Funny thing is, these days he's become a cariculture of himself and has been reduced to performing with fergie and appearing on ellen.

Come on now Jim Bob. Let's don't be ridiculous.

Reduced?

U are acting like he is on some lame VH1 reality show.

Last I checked 4 years ago or so they did have 2 number 1 singles and a grammy and a double platinum CD....

Not bad for some washed up loser, caricature guitar player.


I am with u on the Fergie shit.  That i absolutely hate.

[Rhino]

Axl is an artist with integrity.

Axl could have sold his story just the same as slash sold his.. but instead he chose to come talk to his fans directly and give a few select interviews with journalists that he trusts.   

Slash is a fake public persona, he's all about his image and his brand.    He is also a manipulator and a very shrewd media opportunist.

Funny thing is, these days he's become a cariculture of himself and has been reduced to performing with fergie and appearing on ellen.

All for Axl, but what is so bad about promoting your image? Just cause you hide away dosn't make you James Dean cool. I bet Slash fans love seeing slash everywhere. If Axl shiowed up on Conan, would you call him a sellout?

[jarmo]

Publicizing/marketing yourself inst doing something wrong at all.

I know. Everybody has their opinion.

I'm just saying, maybe all the appearances on award shows, red carpets, selling your house on Ellen, VW commercial etc etc. makes some people see him as a publicity whore and attention seeker.

Obviously others just think of it as cool or a necessity to further a musician's career. Or pay the bills.

If Axl shiowed up on Conan, would you call him a sellout?

Everybody does the late night TV shows when they're promoting something.

It's part of the promotion game.







/jarmo

[D]

I think people get themselves into trouble making statements like Jim Bob just did.

Cause this summer, when the Best Buy deal expires and Axl re releases CD, who the fuck knows what kind of media shit he will do.

Then, I am gonna pull back up this thread and once again people will be eating a lot of crow.



How many video games and movies has GNR songs appeared in?

U can buy GNR baby clothes at Spencers.


So let's don't act like Axl is some indie coffee shop dude, selling Cds out of a car either.

He hasn't been a media whore since GNR split BUT this is the same guy who had a limo meet him at the police station with an MTV crew inside.

[SOLGER]

Conan is no more!

[LunsJail]

I agree with Slash being a media whore. He should learn to say no to some things. But how does he have a fake public persona? In most interviews these days, he talks about guitars, being in rock bands, and how fucked up he used to get. That seems to be what he's always been about.

[ppbebe]

the less anyone heard of slash or his supporters, the better.  

[jarmo]

He hasn't been a media whore since GNR split BUT this is the same guy who had a limo meet him at the police station with an MTV crew inside.

 

Once again, you're missing the point.

What better way to get your side out to your fans than to talk to MTV's Kurt Loder?

How many Axl interviews did you see during that period? Would you say the market was over saturated with Axl interviews in the early 90s?




/jarmo

[Rhino]

Publicizing/marketing yourself inst doing something wrong at all.

I know. Everybody has their opinion.

I'm just saying, maybe all the appearances on award shows, red carpets, selling your house on Ellen, VW commercial etc etc. makes some people see him as a publicity whore and attention seeker.

Obviously others just think of it as cool or a necessity to further a musician's career. Or pay the bills.

If Axl shiowed up on Conan, would you call him a sellout?

Everybody does the late night TV shows when they're promoting something.

It's part of the promotion game.







/jarmo

Then where is ol' Axl Id love to see him on Conan, where is that elusive Video ...Its almost time for the next single?

I would agree Slash has taken it to the max almost sellout stage of the promo game, but the zero lack of promotion from the Guns camp is almost as frustrating. I respected Pearl Jam for there stance against mass media promotion for years but they were always "out there" on late night TV or Rolling Stone./ Touring ect.
Im so proud of Guns and for Being a fan all these years with the New Album Kicking ass Id love to see them get out there and kick some ass!

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Axl was blunt and direct at times in this interview, and I appreciate that candor, but to be quite honest, there are portions of this interview that I really am having trouble understanding what he's saying.  I don't have time to get into it now, but tonight I'm going to post some quotes and hopefully get a productive discussion going to analyze some of Axls ramblings.  I just start with one for now.

Did you break up the old Guns?

It is my belief that the commitment to end old Guns came long before the band started in the heart and soul of one man.

So is he implying that Slash intended to breakup the band before they even started?

[DeN]

okay, with this one, I hope noone will question again the reunion thing. good point, time to move on.
it was more interesting than the first interview to read I admit, and some answers made me laugh.
thx to Del and Axl for that.

ah, I'm curious to know the story about Izzy's contract for touring, but I suppose noone knows on this board...

[Howard2k]

What does Slash do exactly that makes him a media whore??

I just want to know what constitutes that

no arguing, just curious as to your opinion.

Jam with fergie,?

I'd jam with Fergie!!

[jarmo]

Then where is ol' Axl Id love to see him on Conan, where is that elusive Video ...Its almost time for the next single?

I said it's part of the promotional game, I didn't say Axl plays the same game everybody else does....  

To say appearing on late night shows is selling out is a bit of a generalization.

Let's say you appear on like Letterman, Kimmel and Fallon because you got a new album out. Is that selling out? No...

What if you appear on one/some of them because you want to be seen on TV, and you're not promoting anything. Wouldn't that be a bit different?

Axl was blunt and direct at times in this interview, and I appreciate that candor, but to be quite honest, there are portions of this interview that I really am having trouble understanding what he's saying.  I don't have time to get into it now, but tonight I'm going to post some quotes and hopefully get a productive discussion going to analyze some of Axls ramblings.  I just start with one for now.

Did you break up the old Guns?

It is my belief that the commitment to end old Guns came long before the band started in the heart and soul of one man.

So is he implying that Slash intended to breakup the band before they even started?

It might mean that the person in question has the kind of destructive personality that would make it impossible to keep the band together for a long period of time?




/jarmo

[D]

That isn't even the point though Jarmo

U are famous, u are an entertainer, so normally, that is what entertainer's do. they go to parties, they give interviews, they do shit.


As someone else said, if Axl doesn't want to do those things, All power to him and that is great for him. I don't think people who are into that, should be insulted and treated a certain way cause they enjoy going out and interacting.

[Jim Bob]

I think people get themselves into trouble making statements like Jim Bob just did.

if you think i'm getting myself into trouble, i think you need to work on your reading comprehension skills.

If Axl wants to go on Conan, that would be cool.   There is nothing wrong with promoting your product.   I'd love to see CD get more promo.

If Axl wants to make a commerical for toyota or appear on stage with miley cyrus, I would call him a media whore too.