OPEN LETTER TO FERNANDO

[Mysteron]

I don't want to hedge all of our bets on Jan 31, but it's certainly going to be a decent enough barometer for the rest of 2020.  

I've pointed out before how much they LOOOOOOVE to say that they're focused on the tour and will look at new music once it's done.  As we've seen from the myriad of recent album announcements from other high profile bands, the two do not have to be mutually exclusive. For GNR, however, for the life of them they cannot seem to execute both at the same time...at least if history is an indicator.

So what does that mean?  It means that if this tour begins without a release date and/or single(s) then you can probably bet the farm that 2020 is off the table for new music. Sure, it's only January, but we've been around the block enough times to understand how this regime operates.  Not to mention, we know from Sue's deleted instagram post that US stadium dates are next after Europe so touring will continue through the bulk of the year.

How/if an album will figure into all this remains to be seen.

There will possibly be interviews around the time of the show as well, or Axl could mention their intentions for the year on stage. Lots of options

[D-GenerationX]

I don't think it hyperbolic to say that this is the most promising year to be optimistic about new music overall since 2008.

And, taking things a bit further, this is the best year on that front for most GNR fans since 1991, if we are being real about things.

Those of us that rode and died with the whole misadventure that was the CD Era, we all wanted to very much to see that through, and it was eventually delivered to us, however anticlimactically.  But it would pale in comparison to what we might get in 2020.

[pilferk]

I thought it was an edited highlights show.  And if so, that would probably lean more towards AFD tunes the world knows, right?

But we will still have a setlist, from either here or setlist.fm so we will get the full picture what went down.

We don't EXACTLY know.  But, it sounds like they've agreed to be part of it, and that's not been "normal" for past shows.  They typically opt out of being included in this sort of thing (assuming it's actually a thing).

So, just spitballing: Wouldn't "negotiating" that appearance maybe include telling Fox they want their new song included in the highlights, since it's going to drop as a single RIGHT afterwards?  And we'd see a press release either Sunday or Monday regarding the new album?

Look, I'm not saying that's what's going to happen.  But it would be a decent marketing strategy.  And, as has been pointed out over and over, the past 2 to 3 years, things have gone pretty much like they do with LOTS of "regular bands".  This would be a very "regular band" kinda way to do things.

We'll know in like 10 days or so.  And we'll know when it comes to whether we see new music in march in about 10 weeks?

That doesn't seem like a real long time to wait and...you know....show "just a little patience".  So that's what I'm doing.  YMMV.

[sofine11]

Obviously, none of us "know" what's going to go down on or around January 31st...BUT...if the idea is to release an album or single soon, it would definitely serve as an excellent launching point for that.   It's a great OPPORTUNITY which is why it's raising the fans eyebrows in regard to what may be planned.  

It doesn't make sense to squander an event that will have media eyes on it, and wait for Mexico City in March to usher in that new era.

[D-GenerationX]

Look, I'm not saying that's what's going to happen.  But it would be a decent marketing strategy.  And, as has been pointed out over and over, the past 2 to 3 years, things have gone pretty much like they do with LOTS of "regular bands".  This would be a very "regular band" kinda way to do things.

They have been was more "regular band" lately, I would agree.  And this would be the final step.  Actual new music.

[damnthehaters]

D, check your DM’s

[sofine11]

Slash on new music, released today.  

“There’s been no definitive answer on anything and I’ll just keep keep to that. Stuff is happening, but there are no specifics. More than anything, it’s because of the nature of the industry right now. It’s just like, how do you want to do this? I mean there’s material and there’s recording and there’s shit going on, but we’re not really sure what we’re doing with it right now.”

Well, that definitely doesn't sound like the words of a band who's about to release music. Hell, going by that comment it's not happening at all, at least not soon. I don't understand why GNR is the only band with this problem.  You have new music but you're not sure what to do with it? Here's a solution: JUST FUCKING RELEASE IT LIKE EVERY OTHER FUNCTIONING GOD DAMN BAND.......

Honestly, things are only as difficult as you make it fellas.

[COMAMOTIVE]

Thanks for posting

More of the same & not surprised

[sofine11]

Thanks for posting

More of the same & not surprised

Yep, definitely not surprising, but very disappointing nonetheless. Some things never change I guess.

[jarmo]

Isn't it better to have the "problem" of trying to figure out how to release new music rather than not having new music to release?



/jarmo

[sofine11]

Isn't it better to have the "problem" of trying to figure out how to release new music rather than not having new music to release?



/jarmo

You're not wrong.  But haven't we been playing some version of that same game since 2010?  Everything from "Axl has a ton of stuff", "Enough for 2-3 more albums", "We'll be looking very seriously at that" "We'll figure that out after the fall tour" etc. etc. etc.

Hearing that whatever may be "in the can" doesn't exactly bolster my faith in the current management regime's ability to figure out how to RELEASE it. 

[allwaystired]

Isn't it better to have the "problem" of trying to figure out how to release new music rather than not having new music to release?



/jarmo

This is very true, but I can't for the life of me figure out why it would be a problem-Slash himself has done it very successfully recently with his recent SMKC album.

[jarmo]

No, not the same.

GN'R today isn't the same as in 2014.

We got Not In This Lifetime since then. Which surely changed everything.


The interest in GN'R now compared to then is bigger.

Everyone knows this. To me, it seems like a question of how to release the material to take advantage of all this interest and also get the material the attention it deserves instead of "just another new album on the shelf among many others"....





/jarmo

[sofine11]

Isn't it better to have the "problem" of trying to figure out how to release new music rather than not having new music to release?



/jarmo

This is very true, but I can't for the life of me figure out why it would be a problem-Slash himself has done it very successfully recently with his recent SMKC album.

He's drinking Axl/Fernando's Kool Aid with that comment.  I mean honestly, it's not rocket science. It's the first GNR album with Slash & Duff since 1993 or 1991 for originals.  Sells itself.  I don't know why they're wasting precious time figuring out *why not* to put something out.  Who does that??

[sofine11]

No, not the same.

GN'R today isn't the same as in 2014.

We got Not In This Lifetime since then. Which surely changed everything.


The interest in GN'R now compared to then is bigger.

Everyone knows this. To me, it seems like a question of how to release the material to take advantage of all this interest and also get the material the attention it deserves instead of "just another new album on the shelf among many others"....





/jarmo

If the idea was to put out an album in time to support the upcoming tour, like Fernando said, shouldn't they have that all figured out by now?

[D-GenerationX]

Slash on new music, released today.  

“There’s been no definitive answer on anything and I’ll just keep keep to that. Stuff is happening, but there are no specifics. More than anything, it’s because of the nature of the industry right now. It’s just like, how do you want to do this? I mean there’s material and there’s recording and there’s shit going on, but we’re not really sure what we’re doing with it right now.”

Well, that definitely doesn't sound like the words of a band who's about to release music. Hell, going by that comment it's not happening at all, at least not soon. I don't understand why GNR is the only band with this problem.  You have new music but you're not sure what to do with it? Here's a solution: JUST FUCKING RELEASE IT LIKE EVERY OTHER FUNCTIONING GOD DAMN BAND.......

Honestly, things are only as difficult as you make it fellas.

Hahahaha.  This fucking band.  You just have to laugh. Bands release stuff every week of every year.  Not our guys though.

Our guys are the rock band equivalent to North Korea.  Both have the good (nukes, new music) but can't figure out a simple delivery system (a functioning rocket, a simple album release).

[sofine11]

Slash on new music, released today.  

“There’s been no definitive answer on anything and I’ll just keep keep to that. Stuff is happening, but there are no specifics. More than anything, it’s because of the nature of the industry right now. It’s just like, how do you want to do this? I mean there’s material and there’s recording and there’s shit going on, but we’re not really sure what we’re doing with it right now.”

Well, that definitely doesn't sound like the words of a band who's about to release music. Hell, going by that comment it's not happening at all, at least not soon. I don't understand why GNR is the only band with this problem.  You have new music but you're not sure what to do with it? Here's a solution: JUST FUCKING RELEASE IT LIKE EVERY OTHER FUNCTIONING GOD DAMN BAND.......

Honestly, things are only as difficult as you make it fellas.

Hahahaha.  This fucking band.  You just have to laugh. Bands release stuff every week of every year.  Not our guys though.

Our guys are the rock band equivalent to North Korea.  Both have the good (nukes, new music) but can't figure out a simple delivery system (a functioning rocket, a simple album release).

Slash is obviously just parroting whatever nonsense he was fed by Axl, or whoever else, as to why there's no album coming.  He obviously doesn't operate like that in terms of releasing music.  But now he's saying things eerily similar to something, say, Chris Pitman would've spouted back in the day.  Just sad, really.

[D-GenerationX]

Slash is obviously just parroting whatever nonsense he was fed by Axl, or whoever else, as to why there's no album coming.  He obviously doesn't operate like that in terms of releasing music.  But now he's saying things eerily similar to something, say, Chris Pitman would've spouted back in the day.  Just sad, really.

THEY GOT TO HIM

Interviewers should start asking Slash to blink twice if he doesn't feel safe.

[jarmo]

If the idea was to put out an album in time to support the upcoming tour, like Fernando said, shouldn't they have that all figured out by now?

Album? Once again you're thinking of how things used to be! 


I don't think it's a question of if, it's more about how and when. But you're hung up on the if.....



/jarmo

[The Wight Gunner]

Given the clusterfuck  that was the release of CD, once bitten twice shy and all that.

There's only one chance of releasing this properly covering all angles, can't see a best buy type deal being the major player this time.

Maybe a win a week at Axl's house golden ticket and $250,000 type competition with every purchase reaping dividends...

On physical releases, signed copies that are sealed and just out there would be cool, for unsuspecting buyers to get. Even better if limited to say 50 per band member on a unique hologram insert.