2008.12.12 - mygnrforum.com - Axl talks to fans

Axl joined mygnrforum.com to talk directly to fans under the handle "Dexter":

yourolympichero: Imagine you post on the Britney Spears fan forum.
Now imagine the son of Britney's maid posting on the forum and everyone gushing over him because of his association to Britney. Nevermind that he never posts anything notable and is generally annoying. That's Fernando.
Dexter: Might as well start here... You're a little cunt and since you've been posting you've pretty much always been a little cunt. Blind accusations and insults by an anonymous coward and whiny shit stirrer aren't impressive or needed by anyone. Everyone else...talk with your administrator. Who wants to chat?!!

Spuffy78: Pot meet kettle.
Dexter: Not real bright are ya?

Spuffy78: No, not really. Then again I'm not the one who needs a house keeper to wipe my ass.
Dexter: Ah... another cunt! So shocking!

Dexter: Aw c'mon, nobody wants to play? U go on forever about where am I and I'm right here.

Spuffy87: Yeah, I'm a miserable cunt who's not a fan of the band and Axl doesn't need fans like me. Reality check here. The only one's who's a apparently a miserable cunt is somebody who alienates and hides himself from the world and blames fans who pays his bills so he eat his duck roast dinner's. Axl instead of coming here and calling me a cunt get off your ass and stick your head out of the fucking window. "All I've got in the press is shit after shit" which is exactly what we have gotten. Instead of being so butt sore over what some dude on the Internet says do what you do best put on a helluva of a show and make good music.
Dexter: I don't work for you. Just cuz u think so don't make it true.

Dexter: Blame the fans?

Spuffy78: I never said you worked for me.. Is it that hard to talk to your fan base? Fuck you're apparently doing it now. I don't know what Beta and Del have told you but us the fans have put up with your shit were the reason CD sold as much as it did along with every Gn"R record. After all the years of telling people to suck your dick you'd think you'd grow a fucking pair to actually speak or say something after the release other than hiding in the batcave under your desk while WASP plays with strippers going up and down.
Dexter: Why would anyone have to tell me anything? What would you know of anything actually going on in my world. Nice fantasy though, wish I had the time.

Spuffy78: I'm not acting tough against a computer screen I'm trying to figure out why the thing's in the GN'R camp is such a mindfuck and get Axl out of this little world of comfort he's apparently built for himself.
Dexter: Your misconceptions and fantasies along with your misguided sense of entitlement don't dictate my actions.

gnrfan20: a fight between a forum user and axl rose oh how classic is this
Dexter: Nah. Friendly banter by those with opposing views.

da_illest_in_402: If this is true. I have one question for you Axl. What is stopping the fans from seeing you Slash, Duff, and Izzy back on stage together?
Dexter: U've been lied to and misled for such a long time that sorting through all that here is virtually impossible. A lot will come out over time but the truth has been out there for a long time as well but that doesn't give you what you want so this dance just goes on and on.

ThinkAboutYou: thanks for playing Rocket Queen in Melbourne The red bike was awesome
Dexter: I think it's in the Better vid. Not sure if we cut it.

Blue Phoenix: just a quick question Axl, how come you always come on stage so late at gigs? ps I LOVE YOU MAN !!!!!!!
Dexter: I've been an after midnight type since I was sneakin' out of my house in Jr. High. With old Guns we preferred 12am or so. When we moved to theaters etc obviously that changes but it's never changed inside me. Doesn't matter what I do so generally that's when I'm more myself. This isn't to mess with anyone that has an early schedule to keep it's just personal preference. And in regard to the size venues I'm on record as preferring what ever venues allow for our schedule but management and promoters can do a lot in their own interests behind the scenes that can rarely be avoided and their greed or whatever leads to a lot of double talk and ugly behind nonsense that generally eventually ruins things for everyone. Translated once a tour is scheduled however it's like parting the seas to change. As far as being late, I've been that way my whole life. It drove Izzy crazy but he would check himself and freely admit I was generally actually doing something that had to get done rather than watching basketball etc.

chester: Hey Dexter, Just wanted to say I really appreciate the song ‘Scraped’…Awesome work….Also, while I was interning for President-Elect Obama, we all found ‘Madagascar’ to be very inspirational on certain days….Also, seen you in Iowa in ’06 and you certainly didn’t look tardy…and in Ill in 02…I think you and the guys gave top performances…I can’t believe you entered this particular jungle tonight…haha
Dexter: Obama! That's a big gig! I need some presidential press advisors and speech writers!! I'd like to thank everyone for their positive comments. They're very appreciated.

ThinkAboutYou: Axl do you really have 2 or 3 other albums of material?
Dexter: For now we'll concentrate and keep our focus on this album but I will say I've always thought of it as a double. And no offence but no one's trying to talk in parables. The issues are a bit more complex than anyone would like.

desolationrow: IS THIS REALLY YOU?? [picture from boxing game]
Dexter: Ha! No.

GNRs00ks: Axl I would like to know why you avoid the press so much. I think it's definitely hurting album sales, I mean, you haven't even done one interview. I know for sure you'd be able to get a few magazine covers. So why don't you? Why be such a hermit/recluse?
Dexter: That's ur opinion and it very well could be true. What I have to say a lot of people have no desire to hear. With our team we were able to negotiate thru a mountain of issues to be able to release the album. Within' those negotiations I believed I had secured agreements, commitments and assurances that would have allowed a promotional strategy to be implemented that obviously I've had a fair amount of time to consider. Unfortunately those things never happened and once the record was closer to release the biz went about things in their standard business as usual mode.

superloconoriega: axl, why did you change "the bues" to "street of dreams"??
Dexter: The Blues was my first working title and I was never comfortable with it in the sense that I felt that should be used with a bluesier based song. And here in Hollywood with the walk of fame etc I had always seen that imagery in my head when I think of it. I also like the idea of the song having in affect two titles.

Midnight Rambler: Axl, have you been in contact with steven adler at all? Not as far as playing with him or anything, just to like lend him support?
Dexter: I do wish Steven the best and in my heart hope that he finds some peace and security. As far as direct contact no. It unfortunately gets too messy too quick. In Steven's mind I'm the one who holds the keys and power over his happiness so I'm the bad guy pretty quickly.

evader: A video for "Better" was mentioned. Any ideas for a date of release, and/or in what capacities it will be released? What style of video is planned - live footage, some more dramatic theme? Great song. Can't wait to see what you guys have created for a visual.
Dexter: Soon is the word as in a week or so.

4thafans: Axl, cherry or original flavor Nyquil?
Dexter: prefer cherry night time for breakfast around 11pm

Randy Lahey: Hey Axl, Is Mickey going to pay you back for letting them use SCOM in the Wrestler by starring in a new Guns video?
Dexter: Actually Mickey agreed to play The Shackler if we were to make a vid for it.

Estranged Reality: I keep asking questions (like everybody else, I suppose) and feel stupid for asking so many, but I am also curious as to your relationship with Mickey Rourke. He's one of my favourite actors, and I saw an interview with him recently where he said you were kind enough to give him songs for The Wrestler. My question is: how long do you and Mickey go back, and do you have any interesting stories from "back in the day"? You guys strike me as being pretty similar in a lot of ways (I mean as far as personalities and what you've been through in your lives) and it's cool for me to see two of my pop culture "heroes," for lack of better description, being friends, and also making similarly timed "comebacks." (Or whatever you want to call it.)
Dexter: Mickey and I haven't really hung much but have a lot of mutual friends over the years. He's always been massively supportive. I've always been a big fan of his as well. It's probably better for both of us we didn't hang directly back in the day!!

AgainstAllOdds: Who do you listen to for hardcore blues? I'm a blues singer and I can tell from your work that you have at least got way into a couple of blues records.
Dexter: Bessie Smith, Zep 1, Robert Johnson, Tumbleweed Connection, Janice.

Mom: Axl what do you think about Portuguese girls?
Dexter: Lots!!

Dexter: Havin' a bit of trouble posting replies. Interrupted connection and all that.

Dexter: Here's some answers.

Prenticem: Axl, What's your fav song on the new album?.
Dexter: Into Sorry musically most rt now.

Kill YourIdols: lol i know it must be hard to keep up with all the questions but i was wondering if any of these songs could be included in future set lists?civil war, estranged, coma. again thx you so much for cd it's really the best cd to come out in a loooooooooooong time
Dexter: Estranged and Civil War probably somewhere.

Freddie Mercury...: Since 2001, I've noticed you've been singing a line in "November Rain" wrong. The lyric in the second chorus is "Sometimes I need sometime on my own, sometimes I need sometime all alone." But you've been singing the first chorus in its place: "Do you need sometime on your own? Do you need sometime all alone?" Is that intentional?
Dexter: I probably just fucked the song up, wish it had deeper meaning.

GNRs00ks: Axl what type of computer are you posting from? PC or Mac?
Dexter: PC but I use both.

Randy Lahey: Hey Axl, is the song Atlas Shrugged as epic as the book? Who is your favorite character from the book?
Dexter: Song doesn't have all that much to do with the book other than trying to do what you believe in and a line about shoulders not being wide enough.

ThinkAboutYou: Yeah the internets going slow because so many users are online
Axl was their ever a cover B and cover C for chinese democracy?
Dexter: Yes there are. There are 2 more covers/bk cover combos and the real booklet that is all artwork that will be out shortly in some form. It's been an ugly battle that hasn't made any sense to anyone and whether anyone cares about such things the booklet or artwork has always been something I've been passionate about and to release the album with unapproved and unseen final artwork with a !st work only error filled draft when others more recent were readily available still has not been explained but is finally getting cleared up. My fave is the How Are You Grenade cover.

GNRs00ks: Axl how do you feel about Kanye outselling Chinese Democracy? Do you like Kanye's music?
Dexter: I met Kanye at the Versace awards. He was very gracious. I love Gold Digger and told him so. I'm a big fan of his stage performance as he seems to go for it physically which I relate more to. B4 r release I sent him a msg that any nonsense from the media had nothing to do with us and wished him the best. I'm humbled we've done as well as we have considering.

(t): Dexter, do you listen to any underground metal?
Dexter: Sometimes but not underground!