What's your viewpoint on a reunion?

[JAEBALL]

Honestly don't have any faith whatsoever that Adler could be on tour without relapsing, and he is a real pr liability.

Could not agree more.

And some people call that heartless, but this is a business.  He's a total loose cannon and too unreliable for a big operation.

And I'm just talking about him shooting off his mouth.  That's not even getting into what happens once you take him back on the road with money in his pocket.

If the unthinkable happened I don't see why both can't play ... If Steve fucks up ... Onbviously Matt can take over and play all the songs.

[ShotgunBlues1978]

A few random thoughts:

-if it's done for the "right reason" i.e. they're going to make a new album and tour behind that, great

-if it's done as a simple cash grab nostalgia tour, a bunch of rich old guys going on tour for no reason other than to become even richer, it doesn't excite me that much but of course I'd go see them live

-if it does happen, it won't be a full on AFD lineup reunion, unless it's a one off.  There's almost zero chance Adler is involved and almost zero chance Izzy does a whole tour (maybe a few guest appearances).  Which let's be honest makes no difference in the eyes of the general public; all they care about is Axl, Slash and (to a lesser extent) Duff.  I imagine it would be some sort of hybrid lineup with "the big three" plus Matt or Frank on drums, Fortus on rhythm, Dizzy on the piano/keyboards. 

[JAEBALL]

A few random thoughts:

-if it's done for the "right reason" i.e. they're going to make a new album and tour behind that, great

-if it's done as a simple cash grab nostalgia tour, a bunch of rich old guys going on tour for no reason other than to become even richer, it doesn't excite me that much but of course I'd go see them live

-if it does happen, it won't be a full on AFD lineup reunion, unless it's a one off.  There's almost zero chance Adler is involved and almost zero chance Izzy does a whole tour (maybe a few guest appearances).  Which let's be honest makes no difference in the eyes of the general public; all they care about is Axl, Slash and (to a lesser extent) Duff.  I imagine it would be some sort of hybrid lineup with "the big three" plus Matt or Frank on drums, Fortus on rhythm, Dizzy on the piano/keyboards. 

I'm all for Richard playing Izzys parts if he is unwilling to commit full time .

[D-GenerationX]

Your biggest dilemma is bass.

Duff is obviously the O.G., but Tommy has been Axl's longest constant other than Dizzy.

[LongGoneDay]

A reunion without Adler would be a total dick move.
Reunite, or don?t. It?s been 20+. A half assed reunion would just be another wrong move in a long list.
Everyone deserves a second chance, and Adler wants the reunion more than anyone.
It should be Adler/Sorum anyways, so if Adler fucks up, there you go. Sorum can play full time rather than splitting time.

It?s not like he?s being asked to perform surgery on your children. He?s a drummer being asked to play the drums.
If he fucks up, at least it?s GN?R fucking up, rather than the guy they hired because they were afraid Steven might fuck up.

[D-GenerationX]

A reunion without Adler would be a total dick move.
Reunite, or don?t. It?s been 20+. A half assed reunion would just be another wrong move in a long list.
Everyone deserves a second chance, and Adler wants the reunion more than anyone.
It should be Adler/Sorum anyways, so if Adler fucks up, there you go. Sorum can play full time rather than splitting time.

It?s not like he?s being asked to perform surgery on your children. He?s a drummer being asked to play the drums.
If he fucks up, at least it?s GN?R fucking up, rather than the guy they hired because they were afraid Steven might fuck up.

The only way I see it being a dick move depends on Izzy.  If Izzy is onboard with a full reunion tour, thus making Steven the only one left out, that's kind of a dick move.

But since none of us expect Izzy to want anything to do with a world tour, if it was just Axl-Slash-Duff and other pieces, you could get away with one of them not being Steven.

[sofine11]

As far as Adler goes, I've said it before & I'll say it again.  Axl is HUGE on loyalty.  Love it or hate it, he ain't sending anyone packing.  Meaning, he's not gonna send Frank back to the cornfields just because a few butthurt rock purists on the internet view it as a half-assed reunion if he's not on the kit. He's a fantastic drummer, sure, but he's also a lawyer happy drug addict with a history of relapse.  Not only Axl, but Slash & Duff likely wouldn't want him putting such a fragile reunion as it is at risk.  Not. Gonna. Happen. 

That said, knowing Tommy, he would likely sit it out just out of respect, paving the way for Duff.  Richard will likely either back up Slash & Izzy, or be Slash's full on rhythm player if Izzy doesn't want to tour. Chris & Dizzy will no doubt be up there doing their thing as per usual.

Side Note: The fact that this thread hasn't been moved to Dead Horse (or outright deleted for that matter) is extremely interesting.  When was the last time a thread dedicated to the notion of Axl & Slash reuniting allowed in the main discussion & news section?  I'm taking that as a good sign.

[EmilyGNR]

A reunion without Adler would be a total dick move.
Reunite, or don?t. It?s been 20+. A half assed reunion would just be another wrong move in a long list.
Everyone deserves a second chance, and Adler wants the reunion more than anyone.
It should be Adler/Sorum anyways, so if Adler fucks up, there you go. Sorum can play full time rather than splitting time.

It?s not like he?s being asked to perform surgery on your children. He?s a drummer being asked to play the drums.
If he fucks up, at least it?s GN?R fucking up, rather than the guy they hired because they were afraid Steven might fuck up.

Wouldn't be a dick move as much as a sensible business decision.

Adler is a walking liability, not only with the drug risk but with his stupid mouth.

[C0ma]

A reunion without Adler would be a total dick move.
Reunite, or don?t. It?s been 20+. A half assed reunion would just be another wrong move in a long list.
Everyone deserves a second chance, and Adler wants the reunion more than anyone.
It should be Adler/Sorum anyways, so if Adler fucks up, there you go. Sorum can play full time rather than splitting time.

It?s not like he?s being asked to perform surgery on your children. He?s a drummer being asked to play the drums.
If he fucks up, at least it?s GN?R fucking up, rather than the guy they hired because they were afraid Steven might fuck up.

Wouldn't be a dick move as much as a sensible business decision.

Adler is a walking liability, not only with the drug risk but with his stupid mouth.

Exactly!!
Think about it other than his share of the royalties, which is hugely lacking because he loses out on the whole UYI catalog and a lot of Lies based on writing credits, he is probably not rolling in money. If he signed on to do a tour in this capacity he is going to see a massive influx of cash, what happens when someone with his history gets a ton of cash, touring with the people he was with when he fell into his problems originally? That is a recipe for having to cancel a few shows here or there last minute because you can't find your drummer, or God forbid you do find your drummer (in a really, really bad state, potentially the worst case scenario).

I think as long as everyone can agree to it, you are probably going to see a few CD hold overs (Richard and Frank)... I don't think this happens without Duff on bass, to Tommy either steps aside or potentially takes on a 3 guitar slot as rhythm and Richard plays a more lead role if Axl convinces the old crew to play a few new tunes (Duff has done it so I can't see him kicking and screaming, Slash would be the question mark).

At the same time the likelihood of any of this happening is slim to none.

[LongGoneDay]

It?s hilarious reading all this business savvy and politically correct reasoning regarding Adler?s possible inclusion from GN?R fans.
I guess GN?R becoming so sterile over the years is washing off on the fanbase.

They used to be considered the most dangerous band in the world!
Now, I understand it?s not really cool for middle aged men to be dangerous, but for fuck?s sake it?s still rock n? roll. And Adler is still a human being.
One of the 5 that helped make AFD, Lies, and the Illusions possible.

God forbid he come into a bunch of money that he would be earning!

And if Sorum is splitting time, how much more insurance do you need?
They are all former junkies, so singling out Adler makes little sense to me.

I?m pretty sure that band wouldn?t be so open to excluding certain members anyway.
I think they learned a valuable lesson in the initial implosion.

I don?t doubt that they felt little choice but move on from Adler, but Izzy said that?s when the band started to die.
Izzy leaving was the nail in the coffin.
Duff was the hole they threw it in, and Slash was the dirt on top.

I don?t see a mix mash of CD and classic era lineups playing together. And quite frankly, I?d rather not.

[EmilyGNR]

It?s hilarious reading all this business savvy and politically correct reasoning regarding Adler?s possible inclusion from GN?R fans.
I guess GN?R becoming so sterile over the years is washing off on the fanbase.

They used to be considered the most dangerous band in the world!
Now, I understand it?s not really cool for middle aged men to be dangerous, but for fuck?s sake it?s still rock n? roll. And Adler is still a human being.
One of the 5 that helped make AFD, Lies, and the Illusions possible.

God forbid he come into a bunch of money that he would be earning!

And if Sorum is splitting time, how much more insurance do you need?
They are all former junkies, so singling out Adler makes little sense to me.

I?m pretty sure that band wouldn?t be so open to excluding certain members anyway.
I think they learned a valuable lesson in the initial implosion.

I don?t doubt that they felt little choice but move on from Adler, but Izzy said that?s when the band started to die.
Izzy leaving was the nail in the coffin.
Duff was the hole they threw it in, and Slash was the dirt on top.

I don?t see a mix mash of CD and classic era lineups playing together. And quite frankly, I?d rather not.

No, they are not 'all' former junkies, Axl was never a junkie.

Adler's history with relapsing, lying, and saying whatever is on his mind makes him an unlikely choice in this hypothetical scenario, imo.

[bazgnr]

A reunion without Adler would be a total dick move.
Reunite, or don?t. It?s been 20+. A half assed reunion would just be another wrong move in a long list.
Everyone deserves a second chance, and Adler wants the reunion more than anyone.
It should be Adler/Sorum anyways, so if Adler fucks up, there you go. Sorum can play full time rather than splitting time.

It?s not like he?s being asked to perform surgery on your children. He?s a drummer being asked to play the drums.
If he fucks up, at least it?s GN?R fucking up, rather than the guy they hired because they were afraid Steven might fuck up.

The only way I see it being a dick move depends on Izzy.  If Izzy is onboard with a full reunion tour, thus making Steven the only one left out, that's kind of a dick move.

But since none of us expect Izzy to want anything to do with a world tour, if it was just Axl-Slash-Duff and other pieces, you could get away with one of them not being Steven.

Axl-Slash-Duff puts your right back into Illusion-touring era, which for many (most?) fans is still the "original" lineup from the time when GnR was without question the biggest band on the planet.

If a reunion were to happen *without* Steven, however, I would worry about what would happened to Steven as a result. And no, I'm not saying that should be a reason for his inclusion, only that it's a concern that immediately crosses my mind.

[D-GenerationX]

Oh, Steven would freak out.

He'd crash the first show.  Show up with his drumsticks in hand, only to be turned away at the door.

[EmilyGNR]

Sure, he would blow a gasket- but is that a reason to include him?

I still think he would be too much of a liability to risk it.

[Ow-So7411501]

Oh, Steven would freak out.

He'd crash the first show.  Show up with his drumsticks in hand, only to be turned away at the door.

Classic!!

[Lord Stan]

Simply not interested. I've been listening to this shit since late 80s and it's not coming back. It doesn't need to come back either to disturb those great memories.

Actually, yeah, I want a reunion, please DJ come back.

[bazgnr]

Sure, he would blow a gasket- but is that a reason to include him?

I still think he would be too much of a liability to risk it.

And I agree.  But I also think it would affect him in terrible way personally, and at a very high cost.  If in fact any thing along those lines happens - a reunion that doesn't include Steven - I hope that's not the case.

[The Wight Gunner]

Not that I think its gonna happen.  Steven was sacked. He wasn't the full ticket. He still isn't.  How does running your mouth at your former band help his cause? Calling (for want of a better word) your mates replacements SCABS, is a low class as it gets, he was sacked, so who is he demand that the "R" word happens. He fucked his opportunity up, nobody else, he is persona non grata, with no place at the table.  His folly is that he still thinks he's relevant to any future deal, he is not. 

Slash, who was his buddy before joining GnR has remained so quiet about his sacking both when in and out of the band, must know in his heart of hearts, that should a reunion be on the list of possibility's that he'd not do so only with Steven. Yes the did the RRHOF together,  but in truth, Slash wouldn't have him any of his post GnR projects. so if I were Steven, I wouldn't count on Slash playing the "only if Steven is included card" Duff might offer a better chance for Steven, but then it would I believe maybe a prove yourself in rehearsals type situation....

I don't see anybody other than Frank being on the Drums if or when Slash would play alongside Axl again.

[D-GenerationX]

Not that I think its gonna happen.  Steven was sacked. He wasn't the full ticket. He still isn't.  How does running your mouth at your former band help his cause? Calling (for want of a better word) your mates replacements SCABS, is a low class as it gets, he was sacked, so who is he demand that the "R" word happens. He fucked his opportunity up, nobody else, he is persona non grata, with no place at the table.  His folly is that he still thinks he's relevant to any future deal, he is not.

The one that gets me was when Slash had Matt play on some song, and Steven just hit the roof.  Running him down, really nasty stuff.

And this is supposedly "like a brother" to him. 

[GypsySoul]

IMHO it would be a defeatist move by both parties if a reunion show were to happen.

Worst case scenario for the fans:  Slash attempts to out-Axl Axl. 
Picture it:  Both parties agree to a reunion show with the understanding that, as owner of the GNR name & whatever, Axl runs the show and has final say on any decisions....  Sold-out stadium.....  Live streaming is up....  Intro starts.... then right as they're about to step onstage, Slash turns to Axl and says "if you don't sign an equal share of the GNR name back over to me, I'm not going on."  Of course, Axl just shrugs his shoulders (if even that), gets back in his helicopter and leaves.