Guns N’ Roses Planning Summer Stadium Tour
Axl Rose intends to follow last November’s release of Chinese Democracy with a worldwideGuns n’ Roses stadium tour this summer, according to industry insiders. If it comes to pass, the tour would mark the first U.S. stadium dates for the current line-up of Guns — their 2002 and 2006-’07 tours were arena outings, with some overseas stadium shows. (And contrary to one persistent online rumor, the band has absolutely no plans of playing Spain’s Kobetasonik Festival this June.)
Meanwhile, Guns’ manager, Irving Azoff, tells Rolling Stone that the band has big plans for this year. “Axl has been basically quiet, keeping out of the limelight for almost 15 years. People think they know him but they only really only know what has been said about him by questionable people,” Azoff says. “He is a good guy and often misunderstood — he is a professional who has worked very hard to build and maintain a high creative standard for Guns n’ Roses, which I support. We have some exciting things in the works this year for Gn’R, I’m looking forward to it.”
Since the release of Chinese Democracy in November 2008, Rose has mostly remained silent, speaking to fans via a message board and two interviews. Regarding the possibility of a large-scale tour, Axl told Billboard, “No plans, but there’s talk. Management and our promoters are really excited with the offers coming in both here and worldwide.”
source: RollingStone.com
Rolling Stone: Why “Black Ice” Beat “Chinese Democracy”: The Tale of Wal-Mart Vs. Best Buy
It’s the tale of two retail giants and two highly anticipated albums. While Wal-Mart and their exclusive release, AC/DC’s Black Ice, continue to sell like hotcakes, Best Buy’s investment in Guns n’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy is an industry flop. So what’s to blame for the giant disparity? There’s Best Buy’s lack of promotion or Axl Rose’s reluctance to give interviews, but theWall Street Journal also credits Wal-Mart for superior handling the promotion and executionof their exclusive product.
While Best Buy housed their Democracy in tiny cardboard kiosks, Wal-Mart essentially constructed AC/DC gift shops, selling band merchandise like T-shirts and the group’s Rock Band game, plus an AC/DC bus drove around select cities to build buzz. “Rock N’ Roll Train” debuted with fan interpretations, a music video, a Microsoft Excel video and a spot in the playlist at every sporting event, while “Chinese Democracy” simply hit radio and faded. AC/DC toured, Gn’R didn’t. Angus Young did interviews, Gn’R didn’t. More former members of Guns were willing to talk about Democracy than the band’s current members — even Dr Pepper promotedChinese Democracy more than Axl Rose did.
Still, Universal Records won’t feel the punch of underselling “the most anticipated album in rock history”: As part of the Best Buy deal, the electronics giant agreed to purchase 1.3 millionChinese Democracy copies upfront with a pledge not to return the excess to the label. There is a silver lining, however, as Rose’s epic can expect a huge bump in strip club spins after twoChinese Democracy songs were sent on a music sampler sent to over 2,500 exotic dancing spots.
source: rollingstone.com
Rolling Stone: Did Axl Rose Swindle Guns n’ Roses and Steal Slash’s Song? A Guide to Rose’s Online Rants
Axl Rose & Slash
from rollingstone.com
"Axl Rose didn’t give any magazine or TV interviews to herald the release of Chinese Democracy. But just days after breaking his silence with a pair of Q&As on Guns n’ Roses message boards, Rose has published a 4,594-word post and an additional Q&A on the two fan sites. Those who haven’t been following the Gn’R saga for the past 20 years may be a bit confused by some of his references to age-old beefs with Slash and other bits of Guns jargon. We’ve broken out the juiciest bits and explained them here:
Claim I. I didn’t swindle my bandmates.
Backstory: Slash has alleged that Axl refused to go onstage one night during the Use Your Illusion tour in 1992 unless the band signed away the name rights to the band. “Unfortunately, we signed it,” said Slash. “I didn’t think he’d on stage otherwise.”
Axl’s take: “Never happened, all made up, fallacy and fantasy. Not one single solitary thread of truth to it. Had that been the case I would’ve have been cremated years ago legally, could’ve cleaned me out for the name and damages. It’s called under duress with extenuating circumstances.”
Plausibility: Axl makes a surprisingly strong case. Might Slash not have had the clearest head during that tour?
Claim II. Slash lied in his book.
Backstory: In Slash’s 2007 book the guitarist claims that Guns n’ Roses’ final recording sessions were stalled due to a vast musical direction between himself and Axl.
Axl’s take: “I have the rehearsal tapes. There’s nothing but Slash-based blues rock and he stopped it to both go solo and try to completely take over Guns. I read all this if Axl would’ve put words and melodies on it could’ve… I was specifically told no lyrics, no melodies, no changes to anything and to sing what I was told or fuck off.”
Plausibility: It’s a classic case of he said, Slash said — but again, Slash’s memory of events from the 1990s is always questionable.
Claim III: We won’t reform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Backstory: Fans have been clamoring for a reunion tour from the original lineup when the band is eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Slash has said, “If this comes up, I’d hope we’d be mature enough to get up and do that.”
Axl’s take: “Never thought about that, with the RRHOF. The whole ‘mature enough’ bit was cute. Not to offend anyone but personally I don’t have an interest… It’s a ways away and seems a bit presumptuous to be contemplating being inducted now.”
Plausibility: Axl is now managed by Irving Azoff, a reunion miracle worker who reformed the Eagles and got David Lee Roth back onstage with Van Halen last year. His work is cut out for him this time. If it ever happens, it probably won’t be at the Rock and Roll Fall of Fame in two years.
Claim IV: Velvet Revolver took our song.
Backstory: Velvet Revolver had a hit single in 2004 with “Fall To Pieces.”
Axl’s take: He claims the song originated during the band’s ill-fated final sessions in the mid 1990s. “… Which led to the trial period where Slash played the key bits of ‘Fall to Pieces’ but once I showed some interest that was over.”
Plausibility: Hearing it again today, it’s easy to imagine Axl singing the song — which could have been a classic Gn’R hit if done right. Did Slash play it for Axl, only to pull it when interest was showed? Probably."
Rolling Stone: ‘Chinese Democracy’ among the top 25 album covers of 2008
Rolling Stone magazine readers have casted their votes for the top 25 album covers of 2008. 'Chinese Democracy' appears on the 16th position.
Here's the full list:
01. THE KILLERS - Day & Age
02. THE MARS VOLTA - Bedlam In Goliath
03. FLEET FOXES - Fleet Foxes
04. METALLICA - Death Magnetic
05. COLDPLAY - Viva la Vida
06. NINE INCH NAILS - The Slip
07. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - Narrow Stairs
08. THE RACONTEURS - Consolers of the Lonely
09. OASIS - Dig Out Your Soul
10. OF MONTREAL - Skeletal Lamping
11. KINGS OF LEON - Only By The Night
12. THE CURE - 4:13 Dream
13. KANYE WEST - 808s & Heartbreak
14. GIRL TALK - Feed The Animals
15. NAS - Untitled
16. GUNS N' ROSES - Chinese Democracy
17. MUDCRUTCH - Mudcrutch
18. MY MORNING JACKET - Evil Urges
19. BEN FOLDS - Way To Normal
20. LIL WAYNE - The Drought Is Over, Part 6
check out the entire list @ RollingStone.com
Rolling Stone Readers’ Rock List: Sports Anthems
Guns N
Over at RollingStone.com we found some interesting news...
"With the baseball playoffs in full swing, last week we asked the readers to tell us their sports anthems. After sorting through information like the Vancouver Canucks’ goal song and what Dio song the Phillies’ Pat Burrell comes to the plate to, we can reveal that Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” is your favorite stadium rocker, beating out a pair of tunes by AC/DC, Metallica and the White Stripes song that has become the unofficial theme song for soccer hooligans. Check out the list below:
1. Guns N’ Roses — “Welcome to the Jungle”
2. AC/DC — “Thunderstruck”
3. Metallica — “Enter Sandman”
4. AC/DC — “Hell’s Bells”
5. White Stripes — “Seven Nation Army”
6. Ozzy Osbourne — “Crazy Train”
7. U2 — “Vertigo”
8. Ramones — “Blitzkrieg Bop”
9. Todd Rundgren — “Bang The Drum All Day”
10. House of Pain — “Jump Around”"
