New Dj interview at LegendaryRockInterviews.com (Sep 2014)

[Limulus]

So whats up with the name rights? In the 2008 Axl forum chats some fan brought up the "splitting the name rights with newer members"-issue and Axl did find it interesting. 2014......so Dizzy, Tommy do have rights by now? Or is it still Axl ego-power only? Any reliable news on that?

[D-GenerationX]

I believe they are all salaried employees with contracts.  Its how its been in the past, anyway.

There are no other named partners at this firm.  Its Axl, Inc.

[Sosso]

Someone who wanna have a new album is not a "real fan"? I never laughed so hard.

If that's what you think, then it's funny.
Also, if you think somebody who enjoys an active band touring isn't a real fan as much as someone who spends free time whining about not having an album, that's even funnier.

On topic.  Positive. 

Was it picked up by you?  Nope.

I see. Your idea of positive is to put down 99% of what's been happening since Chinese came out and assume that the next tour will be in support of the new album.
Got it. 

That is very fucking positive.
You're right!

Good job on the positivity there. That's the spirit (never mind the fact that you assume the thing you want the most is the catalyst for this planned tour)! 
Keep it up.


/jarmo

It's just normal that  fans wanna hear new songs.

[sandman]

i'm not even sure what people are arguing about in this thread.

some people don't care who is the band. they love Axl and trust that he will make strong hires. they love the live shows and CD.

some people would love to see Axl and Slash back together again. nothing wrong with that in my book. and some of those people are not interested in seeing Axl with a bunch of replacements and/or they do not like the musical direction of CD.

these are just opinions. no right or wrong answers. 

the facts are that there is a demand for GnR in their current form. their successful tours are proof of that. they are not on metallica or pearl jam or or U2 or Bruce's level, but pretty significant demand nonetheless.

and another fact is that many people would love to see Axl and Slash back together. promoters do not just throw money around for no reason. they do research and it is clear that if those 2 reunited, GnR's ticket sales would increase significantly. why else would so many managers try to get them to reunite? the fact that multiple sources have referenced "big pay days" is proof that there is MAJOR DEMAND for Axl and Slash to reunite.

[Ali]

If Axl legally owns the name Guns N' Roses, then doesn't it follow logically that all decisions, like tracklisting for an album, would have to have him on board in order to proceed?ltimately

Ultimately, yes.

But don't you think if phrased differently, you get pushback?

Suppose instead of talking in business terms as you've done, the point is introduced via an observation this isn't much more than a dictatorship as opposed to a collaborative operation?  Axl is the king, the others down what they're told.

You know that would be fought.  I think it would be fought by you, probably.

But how is it different than your point?  We're arriving at the same place.

So, if and when, you don't have an argument that I find logically sound, or if there is another side of an argument not being considered, then, yes, I'll chime in if I so choose.  But, you presumed to know how I'd respond and what my position would be and you are mistaken.  Which is why I said, "don't presume to know what I'd say or not say".

I'm not putting words in your mouth.

I'm saying you have shown time and again that you jump in with a seemingly reflexive skepticism towards any sort of established line of thinking.  You question just about every perception, sometimes on the flimsiest of rationales.  You can "disprove" any perceived situation on the planet by saying that if we aren't in the room, we can't say.  While technically we can't rule out what you say, its highly bloody unlikely.

Do you NOT think you do that?  You do that on every board I have ever posted at with you, and I count at least three.

On point #1, yes it would be fought because if you look at the writing credits for Chinese Democracy, there is ONE song that Axl wrote on his own.  So, creatively, there is clear evidence of collaboration.

Yes, I have skepticism towards people talking about things as if they were in the room and have all the facts and have done the due diligence of considering other possible explanations.  The flip side of the coin can be worth considering.

The problem is the "highly bloody likely" comment.  That can be completely subjective.  What's highly bloody likely to you, may not be so likely to others.

Also, I think often people interpret things in such a way that reinforces their existing narratives.  For instance, in this same thread (I believe) we had someone bringing up DJ introducing himself for a radio interview as the guitarist of Sixx: AM in the context of the band viewing GN'R as a summer job when this interview was literally days before the new Sixx: AM record was released.

Ali

[EmilyGNR]

Know what gets me?

For a side of the argument that claims so vociferously they don't care what people think...gotta tell ya, they care what people think.  Not about them, specifically, but how other people see it.

Why can we not just say that the overwhelming majority of rock fans don't consider this Guns N' Roses, never will, and oh well? 

We are all still enjoying it on some level.  Aren't we?  From the "Is what it is, I'll take what I can get" types right on through "Of course its Guns N' Roses, its never been more Guns N' Roses, god damn it" types.  We are all rolling with it.  It still works for us.

It matters that most of the world can't make their peace as we have?  That's an unwinnable war and shouldn't be fought.

Know what gets me? The fact that you continue to come here day after day to present your self important opinions and critiques as if your opinion honestly matters in the grand scheme of things. You aren't special, you aren't unique, you have no special insight- you merely have internet access and somehow obtain self-satisfaction and some degree of smug self-congratulatory pleasure in voicing biased opinions on a matter you have absolutely no authority nor say in.

You infect several online sites with your negative and toxic observations, why not work on the obvious lack in your own life that is responsible for your nonsensical railing against the real fans and supporters of a band you obviously have deep-seated issues with?

Hope your self-worth and life improve so we won't have to endure your posts for much longer. Get well soon .

[JAEBALL]

@emilyGnr

You bring nothing to the discussion other than bashing others opinions that you don't agree with

And if you were bashing somebody who had more positive opinions of modern day GnR you would probably be banned , but because you defend Axl and the team you get a pass

But you still are just nasty about it

Dx and others don't insult anybody here like you just did ...it's low class

[ice cream sand pig]

I hope Axl is completely in charge of GNR. To me it has come to seem like he is the one with the GNR vision and always has been. For me his vocals are primarily what define the GNR sound. How is it humanly possible to sing like that? Me and my friends tried to imitate him for years and never came anywhere close.

Chinese Democracy is hands down my favorite album of all time. Before CD came out I was often frustrated with what was or wasn't happening in Guns N Roses. I firmly came to believe that Axl would never release CD and thanked the heavens that I at least had a few leaks to keep myself occupied. I even saw the person that leaked the music as a kind of hero.

Once CD did come out, I decided from then on that I would not worry about anything GNR did and just leave it to Axl. CD was such an amazing experience for me. My Grandmother that I was living with near that time passed away and I had to live in my car for a few months in order to finish the semester at school before I left the area. Even though my situation was not so good, CD and my car stereo must have transformed me into the most inspired homeless man on the planet.

CD was released near the same time as another project I never thought would be released, a little gba game called Mother 3. I thrived on my own interpretation  and enjoyment of the powerful currents pouring out of these herculean efforts for long after they were released and I'm glad I wasn't the one in charge of telling the creators of these projects what to do and when to do it. Before they were released I wished they would just get the damn things out there but when they finally did come around I was happy they took the time to get them just how they wanted them. I was also glad they took so long to release them because if they had released them before, I would have already wore them out. And also, the anticipation leading up to their releases made my experiences with them that much more epic.

I've noticed that most people I talk to and most of the people that post online seem to strongly dislike Axl. I wonder if Axl is aware of this and I wonder how this makes him feel? It must be tough when even your fans seem to hate you. He's getting older and it must make his job more difficult. I recently watched the press release for Hayao Miyazaki's retirement announcement and he spoke about how as you get older, things start to take a lot longer to complete and your attention begins to weaken. Axl's job seems to be very physically demanding. I hope his health is good and I am glad he is still able to do as well as he does and that he hasn't retired yet. That will be a sad day for me.

Anyway, this is just my two cents. Nothing I said was meant to be taken personally by anyone. I am glad a place like this exists where people can talk about GNR because the people I meet that have even heard of GNR are growing fewer and farther between as the years go by. One thing we all have in common is that GNR is still relevant to us. One last thing I'll say is that to me, being happy means having energy. Years ago I wasted a lot of energy thinking negatively about GNR as well as many other things. Nowadays I am a lot more careful with my energy so I choose to just leave everything to Axl and hope for the best. That's been working out really well for me.

[mortismurphy]

There is simply no analogy to be made, between any other band, and Axl's GN'R. Other bands either maintained a core unit (Metallica, Stones), were originally built around one member (Motorhead and Lizzy) or went to hell, to ever decreasing album and ticket sales (Iommi's Sabbath). What Axl did was truly unprecedented.

Simply not true.  One example I can easily think of is Smashing Pumpkins.  Another one would be Days of the New.  Queensryche lost their two principle songwriters on their first seven studio releases (Chris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate) and have still soldiered on.

Ali

You missed the point when I said, ''went to hell, to ever decreasing album and ticket sales''. And do their respective fan bases, the Pumpkins and Queensr?che, not also have significant majorities who deny their legitimacy to carry the name just like GN'R fans. I know there were two line-ups of the latter competing for the name in the courts. I can only imagine the forum debates were just as volatile as, that legal absurdity. Is there not also a big clamour for the Mellon Collie era Pumpkins.

Not sure what your point is then.  Smashing Pumpkins saw declining record sales even when Melissa Auf Der Maur replaced D'Arcy Wretzky, and even when Jimmy Chamberlin rejoined the band.  Now Billy Corgan has soldiered with a new lineup, just as Axl has.  Yes, there are people that disagree with Corgan's decision to continue on with Smashing Pumpkins, and those I've spoke to disagree because they do not believe the band was originally built around him solely.  I don't see how what Axl did is so unprecedented.  The exact timeline and path, and even results may be different or debateable, but the path he and GN'R have gone down is not completely unprecedented.

Ali

Maybe 'unprecedented' is too an extreme a word, but I word say, sum total, that what Axl has done is fairly rare in rock. You can pick any band and it is rare for them to continue without a certain consensual unit, a core of say, two-three members, a recognition even (despite the squabbles) that they cannot operate alone and carry the name. During all of those intense Stones feuds of the 1980s, neither Jagger nor Richards thought fit to call their solo projects, 'The Rolling Stones'. Richards would have presumably been in the Axl position because he was the one who hated solo projects and was one hundred percent devoted to The Stones whereas Jagger was running around in Lycra. The Beatles folded by default when Lennon quit. It was Wings and Plastic Ono Band, not the Beatles. Queen came up with the halfway house of 'Queen +__'' while working with Lambett and Rogers (essentially admitting that you cannot replace Fred). Kiss revolve around Simmons/Stanley. The Stones, Jagger/Richards. You see a pattern here? There is more than one member. It is consensual.  Kirk, while not a founding member, has been with Metallica since they were signed. Three/four members of Metallica have been on every Metallica album. That is a solid group right there. Who else? Roger and Pete are stretching things a bit without the Ox and Moon the Loon but I think most crowds who see the singer and main songwriter of The Who can just about accept them as a legit, if inferior, continuation of the band at its peak.

The list goes on and on and you are left with scraps to find analogies, Iommi's Sabbath and Mark XXX Purple of the 1980s. Perhaps Motorhead and Megadeth offer the best examples?

[ice cream sand pig]

And also, I like how Gen X often plays the devil's advocate (not sure if I am using this phrase correctly or not). He is generous with his opinions and it is always interesting to see him engage in debates. To me he seems to be a very dedicated and controversial forum member. He must really like GNR considering the amount of time he spends discussing their operations.

[EmilyGNR]

@emilyGnr

You bring nothing to the discussion other than bashing others opinions that you don't agree with

And if you were bashing somebody who had more positive opinions of modern day GnR you would probably be banned , but because you defend Axl and the team you get a pass

But you still are just nasty about it

Dx and others don't insult anybody here like you just did ...it's low class

So you are low-class by addressing me and defending the "member" that goes from forum to forum daily making disparaging remarks about GNR, physician heal thyself. Pot, Kettle, black.

I am honestly tired of slogging through his negative litanies that he feels compelled to repeat day in and day out, and labelling them "discussions" is but a thin facade for his hater posts.

I saw some great shows this year, I'm enjoying the DVD/Blu-ray release and I'm looking forward to the next move with GNR. If there are shows, I will be there, when there are releases I will get them, I am optimistic and I support GNR.

[EmilyGNR]

And also, I like how Gen X often plays the devil's advocate (not sure if I am using this phrase correctly or not). He is generous with his opinions and it is always interesting to see him engage in debates. To me he seems to be a very dedicated and controversial forum member. He must really like GNR considering the amount of time he spends discussing their operations.

To play a bit of a devil's advocate myself, I think he is a bitter ex-fan spouting his dissatisfaction around for a myriad of self-serving reasons.

It gets very old and tiresome to read for some of us.

[JAEBALL]

@emilyGnr

You bring nothing to the discussion other than bashing others opinions that you don't agree with

And if you were bashing somebody who had more positive opinions of modern day GnR you would probably be banned , but because you defend Axl and the team you get a pass

But you still are just nasty about it

Dx and others don't insult anybody here like you just did ...it's low class

So you are low-class by addressing me and defending the "member" that goes from forum to forum daily making disparaging remarks about GNR, physician heal thyself. Pot, Kettle, black.

I am honestly tired of slogging through his negative litanies that he feels compelled to repeat day in and day out, and labelling them "discussions" is but a thin facade for his hater posts.

I saw some great shows this year, I'm enjoying the DVD/Blu-ray release and I'm looking forward to the next move with GNR. If there are shows, I will be there, when there are releases I will get them, I am optimistic and I support GNR.

No I'm not insulting you ... Just stating that you were being very insulting .. There's a big difference
Dx is never insulting to you yet you attack him by saying he needs help...just because you don't agree with his ideas or why he expresses them

And I even agree that sometimes he goes over board for no real reason other than to pass time... But that's his choice and again he's not attacking other posters

[JAEBALL]

And for the millionth time we are all fans of axl so no matter what or who he plays with we are going to love going to the shows... That is not being debated here

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

I suppose what you could argue is, Axl turned GN'R from a Beatles sort of set up, that is, 3-4 members of (loosely) equal democratic importance, into a Motorhead/Lizzy type set up, that is, one member and a bunch of guys basically. Legalistically, in terms of power and control, at least that is what happened. Musically, Axl incorporated the other members on Chinese but you can rest assured that none of the other members could veto some Axl decision (would any have said, ''I hate This I Love, let's axe it''?).

Raising points like this generally get you scolded that you aren't there so you can't say.

Yeah, all common sense would seem to support this rather basic premise, but so often we must shut off all common sense talking about this band.

Don't put words in Ali's mouth!

Excuse me?  Did I ever disagree with that assessment of the current legal status of the band?  Or, are you just making something up to take a cheap pot shot?

Ali

Sorry, no offense.  Honestly wasn't about the specific comment at all, just knew Gen-X must of had you in mind when he made that comment. 

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

Know what gets me?

For a side of the argument that claims so vociferously they don't care what people think...gotta tell ya, they care what people think.  Not about them, specifically, but how other people see it.

Why can we not just say that the overwhelming majority of rock fans don't consider this Guns N' Roses, never will, and oh well? 

We are all still enjoying it on some level.  Aren't we?  From the "Is what it is, I'll take what I can get" types right on through "Of course its Guns N' Roses, its never been more Guns N' Roses, god damn it" types.  We are all rolling with it.  It still works for us.

It matters that most of the world can't make their peace as we have?  That's an unwinnable war and shouldn't be fought.

Know what gets me? The fact that you continue to come here day after day to present your self important opinions and critiques as if your opinion honestly matters in the grand scheme of things. You aren't special, you aren't unique, you have no special insight- you merely have internet access and somehow obtain self-satisfaction and some degree of smug self-congratulatory pleasure in voicing biased opinions on a matter you have absolutely no authority nor say in.

You infect several online sites with your negative and toxic observations, why not work on the obvious lack in your own life that is responsible for your nonsensical railing against the real fans and supporters of a band you obviously have deep-seated issues with?

Hope your self-worth and life improve so we won't have to endure your posts for much longer. Get well soon .

Know what gets me?  I just looked at your post history and almost every post you present your own self important opinions about D-X as if your opinion of him really matters.  One of these posts you say that he's not entitled to his own opinion, only an informed opinion.  Well, his opinion, which I often share, is as informed as its going to get given the information we have.  Of course there's speculation, but Gn'R unfortunately invites that due to lack of information and unusual way of doing business.  Perhaps the narrative is a bit tired by now, but I guess you could say the same about your constant need to belittle the opinions of someone you disagree with.  And to say that D-X has no life, well sounds like an uninformed opinion to me.  So ya know, pots and kettles and stuff. 

[EmilyGNR]

@emilyGnr

You bring nothing to the discussion other than bashing others opinions that you don't agree with

And if you were bashing somebody who had more positive opinions of modern day GnR you would probably be banned , but because you defend Axl and the team you get a pass

But you still are just nasty about it

Dx and others don't insult anybody here like you just did ...it's low class

So you are low-class by addressing me and defending the "member" that goes from forum to forum daily making disparaging remarks about GNR, physician heal thyself. Pot, Kettle, black.

I am honestly tired of slogging through his negative litanies that he feels compelled to repeat day in and day out, and labelling them "discussions" is but a thin facade for his hater posts.

I saw some great shows this year, I'm enjoying the DVD/Blu-ray release and I'm looking forward to the next move with GNR. If there are shows, I will be there, when there are releases I will get them, I am optimistic and I support GNR.

No I'm not insulting you ... Just stating that you were being very insulting .. There's a big difference
Dx is never insulting to you yet you attack him by saying he needs help...just because you don't agree with his ideas or why he expresses them

And I even agree that sometimes he goes over board for no real reason other than to pass time... But that's his choice and again he's not attacking other posters

He continually reiterates the same tired arguments and habitually voices his displeasure with almost every aspect of the band , from business decisions, to bad-mouthing management, to set lists and constantly hurls insults at the band not only on this site but on several others.

I get tired of hearing the refuse and the endless repititions of his fault finding and complaining, his biased views as well as his comments aimed at others who actually support this band, and are positive.

Imagine that, a positive fan on a forum dedicated to a band, what a novel concept.  

[EmilyGNR]

Know what gets me?

For a side of the argument that claims so vociferously they don't care what people think...gotta tell ya, they care what people think.  Not about them, specifically, but how other people see it.

Why can we not just say that the overwhelming majority of rock fans don't consider this Guns N' Roses, never will, and oh well? 

We are all still enjoying it on some level.  Aren't we?  From the "Is what it is, I'll take what I can get" types right on through "Of course its Guns N' Roses, its never been more Guns N' Roses, god damn it" types.  We are all rolling with it.  It still works for us.

It matters that most of the world can't make their peace as we have?  That's an unwinnable war and shouldn't be fought.

Know what gets me? The fact that you continue to come here day after day to present your self important opinions and critiques as if your opinion honestly matters in the grand scheme of things. You aren't special, you aren't unique, you have no special insight- you merely have internet access and somehow obtain self-satisfaction and some degree of smug self-congratulatory pleasure in voicing biased opinions on a matter you have absolutely no authority nor say in.

You infect several online sites with your negative and toxic observations, why not work on the obvious lack in your own life that is responsible for your nonsensical railing against the real fans and supporters of a band you obviously have deep-seated issues with?

Hope your self-worth and life improve so we won't have to endure your posts for much longer. Get well soon .

Know what gets me?  I just looked at your post history and almost every post you present your own self important opinions about D-X as if your opinion of him really matters.  One of these posts you say that he's not entitled to his own opinion, only an informed opinion.  Well, his opinion, which I often share, is as informed as its going to get given the information we have.  Of course there's speculation, but Gn'R unfortunately invites that due to lack of information and unusual way of doing business.  Perhaps the narrative is a bit tired by now, but I guess you could say the same about your constant need to belittle the opinions of someone you disagree with.  And to say that D-X has no life, well sounds like an uninformed opinion to me.  So ya know, pots and kettles and stuff. 

The mere fact of you not having any updated information does not mean things are not moving forward, doesnt mean anything except that you dont have any information.

Arguing about points that are non-negotiable is futile, not to mention stupid.

Anyone who spends as much time talking negative nonsense and critiquing every aspect of something that they actually don't have any insight into nor real input into, and spends hours complaining and whining online obviously is looking for justification, acceptance, attention, or has other problematic areas. It isnt rocket medicine.

[mortismurphy]

If you think Generation is critical and negative, then you really need to get out more and see what is being said on other GN'R communities. The fact of the matter is that, of all the fans who have ever supported Guns N' Roses at some stage in the past, most of them now routinely express, at best sarcastic indifference, at worst outright hostility (to Axl and newgnr). He has leaked a heck of a lot of fans, Axl, over the years and I am not simply talking about leathered up old school 'reunionistas': there was a lot of fans who were actually highly supportive of new gnr around 2002 and later, when Bucket and Robin were in, but ditched the ship for various reasons.

Generation ironically is probably the most positive and supportive fan in those places!

[ice cream sand pig]

What mortismurphy is saying about the other forums is definitely true, D X looks like an angel compared to a lot of people on there. Everyone hates Axl these days. It is the new cool thing to do! But I think Axl has his reasons for doing what he does. He's a guy that seems to know what he wants to do and I'm sure he thinks very carefully about how he should go about doing it. I'm sure he's not going to try and sabotage his own career. I bet he cares a lot about GNR.