[CONFIRMED] Izzy talks: Not involved with GN'R at this point

[Spirit]

Always with the semantics here.  People will call it a reunion because its Axl and Slash.  That's all that matters to most people.  Izzy and Steven would not have generated much more interest than what we have today.  Certainly no impact to ticket sales.  Izzy hasn't toured in years so what makes anyone think he'd want to be part of this?  He clearly isn't driven by money.  And he has maintained relationships to some extent with everyone, so can't see him being bitter about a reunion between Axl, Slash and Duff. 

I agree that Izzy and Steven not being in the band doesn't seem to affect ticket sales. Slash and Axl is what matters here.

I have seen quite a lot of articles attacking the band and Axl for excluding Izzy and Steven as if we were promised a full reunion. People have created the reunion conception themselves, then gets mad when they find out it's not a full reunion, when in fact, the band has never advertised this as a full reunion.

I guess this boils down to the Axl/Slash feud. People thought "oh, Slash and Axl are getting back together, then there's nothing stopping them from putting the full AFD5 together". Slash was viewed as the most impossible comeback of all former band members.

[D-GenerationX]

I guess this boils down to the Axl/Slash feud. People thought "oh, Slash and Axl are getting back together, then there's nothing stopping them from putting the full AFD5 together". Slash was viewed as the most impossible comeback of all former band members.

Legitimately though.

Axl's rhetoric about him was over the top, to almost cartoonish levels.

[sofine11]

So what, are people speculating that Izzy was bummed he was asked to take part in a reduced roll?

[GeorgeSteele]

It must burn Izzy that the media and general public equates 'Axl and Slash reunion' with 'Guns N' Roses reunion'.  He co-founded the band and was a primary songwriter on some of the most iconic songs of the biggest rock band of its generation, yet he hardly registers in the public consciousness.  That's a shame. 

[Spirit]

It must burn Izzy that the media and general public equates 'Axl and Slash reunion' with 'Guns N' Roses reunion'.  He co-founded the band and was a primary songwriter on some of the most iconic songs of the biggest rock band of its generation, yet he hardly registers in the public consciousness.  That's a shame. 

People in general don't have the same strong feelings for him as with Axl and Slash, but there's quite a bit activity in the media writing about Izzy right now.

I wouldn't go as far as saying he hardly registers. He's not quite up on the level of the two main characters, but I think he can feel the love so to speak. 

[GeorgeSteele]

It must burn Izzy that the media and general public equates 'Axl and Slash reunion' with 'Guns N' Roses reunion'.  He co-founded the band and was a primary songwriter on some of the most iconic songs of the biggest rock band of its generation, yet he hardly registers in the public consciousness.  That's a shame. 

People in general don't have the same strong feelings for him as with Axl and Slash, but there's quite a bit activity in the media writing about Izzy right now.

I wouldn't go as far as saying he hardly registers. He's not quite up on the level of the two main characters, but I think he can feel the love so to speak. 

Well, I know I and just about everyone here truly appreciates him, but outside that, the love is far short of what it should be.  And on a related point, I think one can be ecstatic about the upcoming tour with Slash and Duff yet at the same time not acknowledge this as a Guns N' Roses reunion without Izzy.  That's not being semantic, but it's a substantive reason based on the view that he was such critical part of the band during its heyday.   

[JAEBALL]

I'd find it hard to believe they didn't ask him if he wanted to be a full participant.

Why would that be hard to believe?

Hypothetically speaking. If you think about it, the whole reunion tour is something that's been pretty much created by outsiders. Maybe for the band members themselves, it's more about Axl regrouping with Duff and Slash again.

If that's the case, then I can see why Izzy (and/or Steven and so on) weren't asked to take part full time (or part time).
In other words, if the tour isn't meant to be some kind of reunion of a specific line up from a specific era, then why would they have to ask everyone involved in said era to be part of the shows?

I hope that makes sense.



/jarmo

Point taken.

However .. gun to my head.. I don't think the three of them who all are close with him would go ahead with this without asking him first what and if he would like to take part in this.

[GypsySoul]

 

For this to be case, Axl AND Slash AND Duff would have had to ALL mutually agree to slight Izzy.  And if Izzy believed that ALL three of them conspired against him and his equal rightful place in a GNR legacy tour, I think Izzy's reaction would be a little more intense than an unverified twitter account post and a cryptic message in a cover song video.

Not necessarily.  Most things GNR are Axl decisions, I don't think that's changed with Slash and Duff back in the picture.  For all we know, they probably sympathize with Izzy on this but that wouldn't be the hill they die on if there comes a time they need to hold firm with Axl on something.

I agree. This isn't about Slash and Duff but between Axl and Izzy whatever it is.
 

It's hard for me to believe that the problem would be between Axl and Izzy.  Izzy has been guest performing on and off with Axl/GNR since 2006 without issue.  And Izzy and Richard performing and interacting on stage together works beautifully and seamlessly so no issues between them either.  There has been ZERO indications of any animosity between Axl and Izzy or Izzy and Richard or Richard and Axl for inviting Izzy to participate.  (And obviously the same could be said about Axl and Duff and Tommy.)

Has Izzy performed with Slash or Duff over the past decade?  If memory serves me correctly, I believe when VR was forming, it was Scott (God rest his soul) who objected to Izzy's input/participation and Izzy was out.  So if history is any indication, this would be yet another case of a "hill Slash and Duff wouldn't die on" for Izzy so they could have leverage for themselves against Axl at a later date??

TO BE CLEAR, I do NOT think that Axl or Slash or Duff, together or as individuals, would have reservations about Izzy being a permanent equally vested part of this rejoining IF that is truly what Izzy wants for himself.

Again, IMO it's an outside entity that wants to force Izzy to participate to an extent that he is not so inclined.

[Bridge]

It must burn Izzy that the media and general public equates 'Axl and Slash reunion' with 'Guns N' Roses reunion'.  

I doubt it.  Izzy walked away by choice in 1991 when the band's popularity was peaking and has never looked back.  He's done his own solo thing over the years with little association with any GNR member.  He's rarely done interviews, and certainly never done any interviews to keep himself even remotely associated with Guns N Roses, even though he could have.

All things considered, I seriously doubt Izzy gives a shit what the media or public are reporting.  He's a man in his 50s who has long since gone on with his life and obviously has better things to do than worry about what a newspaper says, as most people that age do.

[GeorgeSteele]

It must burn Izzy that the media and general public equates 'Axl and Slash reunion' with 'Guns N' Roses reunion'.  

I doubt it.  Izzy walked away by choice in 1991 when the band's popularity was peaking and has never looked back.  He's done his own solo thing over the years with little association with any GNR member.  He's rarely done interviews, and certainly never done any interviews to keep himself even remotely associated with Guns N Roses, even though he could have.

All things considered, I seriously doubt Izzy gives a shit what the media or public are reporting.  He's a man in his 50s who has long since gone on with his life and obviously has better things to do than worry about what a newspaper says, as most people that age do.

I don't know, the guy just said "There was just so much speculation going on regarding my involvement and studio recording. There?s so much misinformation, so I wanted to clarify that I'm not in the studio recording with any of the Guns N' Roses guys. At this point in time, I'm not involved in the actual shows ... A lot of stuff [fans] are reading isn't true."  To me, that sounds like someone who cares about what's being reported. 

[GypsySoul]

I don't know, the guy just said "There was just so much speculation going on regarding my involvement and studio recording. There?s so much misinformation, so I wanted to clarify that I'm not in the studio recording with any of the Guns N' Roses guys. At this point in time, I'm not involved in the actual shows ... A lot of stuff [fans] are reading isn't true."  To me, that sounds like someone who cares about what's being reported. 

Is that quote from the Izzy999 twitter?

[sofine11]

I don't know, the guy just said "There was just so much speculation going on regarding my involvement and studio recording. There?s so much misinformation, so I wanted to clarify that I'm not in the studio recording with any of the Guns N' Roses guys. At this point in time, I'm not involved in the actual shows ... A lot of stuff [fans] are reading isn't true."  To me, that sounds like someone who cares about what's being reported. 

Is that quote from the Izzy999 twitter?

Rolling Stone

[Spirit]

To me, that sounds like someone who cares about what's being reported. 

Caring about getting the facts straight for the fans' benefit isn't the same thing as giving a damn what names are mentioned alongside Guns N Roses in the headlines.

Reunion rumors have been circulating for the past 20 years though. All obviously false.

[GypsySoul]

Reunion rumors have been circulating for the past 20 years though. All obviously false.

The rumors about the release of Chinese Democracy circulated for something like 17 years.  They were all obviously false until they were true, too. 

[GeorgeSteele]

To me, that sounds like someone who cares about what's being reported. 

Caring about getting the facts straight for the fans' benefit isn't the same thing as giving a damn what names are mentioned alongside Guns N Roses in the headlines.

If he's in fact doing this for the fans' benefit, there are other possible reasons, we don't know for sure (like Spirit noted, why now all of a sudden).  And the reasons don't need to be mutually exclusive, he can care about the fans being misinformed while also being resentful that this is being called a Guns reunion even though he's not part of it.  

[Spirit]

Reunion rumors have been circulating for the past 20 years though. All obviously false.

The rumors about the release of Chinese Democracy circulated for something like 17 years.  They were all obviously false until they were true, too. 

My point was, Izzy never went public to debunk those rumors before.

Although, this time a lot of the news articles were very specific about Izzy himself, so I guess this is a bit different.

[GypsySoul]

Reunion rumors have been circulating for the past 20 years though. All obviously false.

The rumors about the release of Chinese Democracy circulated for something like 17 years.  They were all obviously false until they were true, too. 

My point was, Izzy never went public to debunk those rumors before.

Although, this time a lot of the news articles were very specific about Izzy himself, so I guess this is a bit different.

One of the things that had me confused from the beginning of this twitter saga is, like you said, that Izzy never went public to debunk rumors before.

I totally understand that everything we are posting here is purely speculation and conjecture on all our parts.

That being said.....

If he's in fact doing this for the fans' benefit, there are other possible reasons, we don't know for sure (like Spirit noted, why now all of a sudden).  And the reasons don't need to be mutual exclusive, he can care about the fans being misinformed while also being resentful that this is being called a Guns reunion even though he's not part of it. 

Why do you think, if Izzy is resentful towards Axl/Slash/Duff for not being included in the rejoining, that he would choose to express that resentment by opening a twitter account and being vague about his agenda for doing so?
   

[Spirit]

Why do you think, if Izzy is resentful towards Axl/Slash/Duff for not being included in the rejoining, that he would choose to express that resentment by opening a twitter account and being vague about his agenda for doing so?
   

Personally I don't think that's the case ? Izzy being resentful.

Like I said, after thinking it over, it is a bit different this time around (regarding reunion rumors). First of all, Axl, Slash and Duff are indeed reuniting. Second, there are quite a lot of press talking about the possibility of Izzy joining them, specifically.

I think the previous years of reunion rumors where much more vague in terms of who was involved. Izzy might not have seen any reason for giving those rumors another thought.

[GNR4LIFEJD]

Ya know its funny Axl is referred to as the howard hughes of rock n roll when in fact i think its izzy who would be more of that description. Does axl stay out of the limelight yes but atleast he has done interviews in the last 10 years. Izzy never does interviews who knows if  he has a mailing address. He could very well be the most under the radar musician in rock history for someone who has contributed to something as big as AFD & UYI and to really know nothing about the guy its really quite fascinating.

I also believe everything he has ever done has been on his own accord keeping low he didn't want the spotlight when it was bright he left gnr. We need to stop with all the assumptions that he is unhappy or mad at anyone because izzy is izzy

[jarmo]

However .. gun to my head.. I don't think the three of them who all are close with him would go ahead with this without asking him first what and if he would like to take part in this.

Without knowing all the details, it's all a bunch of assumptions. But anyway, let's go ahead and assume....
These guys know Izzy better than any of us here (that's an assumption too). What we do know is the fact that Izzy hasn't done a real tour in over a decade.

He has done various guest spots on tours over the years.
So, is it possible those guys know that and therefore might've gone ahead and decided to regroup without checking with him first? I think it's possible.

I do understand what you're saying though. You don't think the other two would commit to rejoining GN'R without checking what Izzy's up to and whether or not he'd be part of it.
I guess my opinion is more in line with "let's get together and then see if Izzy wants to be part of it" rather than "before we get together with Axl again, let's see if Izzy is interested"......

And I solely base my assumption on the fact that Izzy hasn't been an active touring artist for some time.... But who knows, maybe he's changed his mind.


/jarmo