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APPETITE FOR DISCUSSION
Welcome to Appetite for Discussion -- a Guns N' Roses fan forum!

Please feel free to look around the forum as a guest, I hope you will find something of interest. If you want to join the discussions or contribute in other ways then you need to become a member. We especially welcome anyone who wants to share documents for our archive or would be interested in translating or transcribing articles and interviews.

Registering is free and easy.

Cheers!
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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Sat Feb 06, 2021 2:43 pm

2003-
HOOKERS & BLOW

The main purpose of this band is to go out and have a good time, and make sure everyone there has a good time.

________________________________________

With time on his hands, Dizzy started a sideband called Hookers & Blow together with four other musicians including Alex Grossi [Rock Journal, June 3, 2004].



Hookers & Blow



According to Brain, he was the one who had come up with the band name:

[...] that's it one thing I want to say really quick - and Dizzy will be the first one to say this - is I came up with the name Hookers & Blow. I just wanted to put that out there. He knows it, too. [?] that was my joke every time we'd be done with the gig, I was like, "Alright dude, here's time get some hookers and blow," and then he was like, "I'm gonna use that for my band name." And I guess now he told me, the last time I saw him, he's on the bus, they got the "Hookers & Blow" like, you know, rap, it I said "Hookers & Blow" on their fucking bus, he was all excited. I just saw him about three weeks ago. That's my claim to fame, that's what I'm most proud of, actually.


Dizzy would confirm he had been inspired by a friend and would explain how he wanted everything to be "opposite":

You know, at some point, I don't remember exactly when, I thought I wanted to call the band Hookers & Blow. You know, a friend of mine used to say that all the time when things get [?], "Let's go get hookers and blow, hookers and blow, I need hookers and blow!" So I just took that and ran with it. I really wanted to call a band that. And so I was doing this jam night down at the Joint, things had really slowed down the GN'R and we were going to... These guys came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go do some shows on the East Coast, they had some connections back there, just to cover songs. And I said, "Look, as long as we, you know, vow to do everything opposite of what we've been trying to do as musicians, we're not going to try to get a record deal, we don't care if anyone shows up, we're not going to rehearse, and I don't want to call it 'Dizzy Reed's All Star Band,' I want to call it 'Hookers & Blow'." And they said, "Okay," and that's how it started. And then I came up with a T-shirt and it was all downhill from there.


Hookers & Blow played their first show at the Cat House in late 2003 [Rock Journal, June 3, 2004]. The name of the band was according to Dizzy "an idea that's been floating around for awhile" and came as a result of him not wanting to name the band after himself [Fitchburg Sentinel, September 19, 2005]. Later on, though, the band name would temporarily be changed to Dizzy Reed's Hollywood Bulldozer [see below].

Yeah, last year we met. There's this place called the Cat Club in L.A. where all of us appear from time to time. I appear there every Thursday with the Starfuckers.

Hollywood Bulldozer has its roots at the Cat Club, a bar on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, Calif., owned by the Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom where local musicians jam on cover tunes for nothing more than the fun of it. The group's repertoire includes songs by Led Zeppelin, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult and, of course, Guns N' Roses.

I play at this place called the Cat Club on Thursdays. And I also do this thing with Happenin' Harry and the Half-tons [?] which are Sundays at the Cat Club and Wednesdays at this place called the ____. And a couple of the guys that sit in on those sessions approached me about doing some shows on the East coast... umm.. this guy Matt Starr and Alex Grossi- they're both from Connecticut and so I'm I say... sure let's do it. Now when they were booking some shows they wanted to call it the "Dizzy Reed band" ... I'm like 'that's so gay' and so they ask "well... what do you wanna call it then" and I'm like "I dont know... Hookers N Blow" so... it just kind of went from there. And its actually been very successful - very fun doing it.


Being asked if they intend to record an album:

I don't know. We've talked about putting some stuff together. I'm sure we will do something.

One of the things when when we started Hookers & Blow some 15 years ago, our main objective was to do everything opposite of what we've been doing as far as our musical careers: to not get a deal, to not really care. I think at some point maybe we, you know, started to care a little bit and we became a bit more of a viable entertainment commodity, so to speak. But I don't see it in the cards for us doing a record, but you never know. I mean, anything could happen.


In mid-2004, the lineup would be comprised of Alex Grossi on lead guitar, Curtis Longfellow on bass, Troy Patrick Farrell on drums, and vocal duties split between guitar player Matt Starr and keyboardist Dizzy Reed [Rock Journal, August 2, 2004]. In early 2005, the lineup was "guitarist Scotty Griffin, singer/guitarist Matt Starr, bassist Tsuzumi Okai and drummer Troy Patrick Farrell" [Greenwich Time, February 3, 2005].

For their tour in 2004, the band would be renamed to Dizzy Reed's Hollywood Bulldozer:

Yeah, we are going to be going out as Dizzy Reed's Hollywood Bulldozer. As much as I love the name Hookers 'n' Blow, there were some establishments that couldn't handle that name, so it is going to be the Hookers 'n’ Blow tour, but the name of the band is Dizzy Reed's Hollywood Bulldozer.


The band would announce a new tour for November 2008, covering South America and Mexico, which would include Del James [Blabbermouth, September 4, 2008; Blabbermouth, September 9, 2008].

By 2012, Dizzy had ended Hookers & Blow, and implying it had become "too important for some people":

You know, it is fun, and that’s one of the reasons I started Hookers and Blow because I just wanted to go and do something that basically had no pressure. I wanted just to go out and have fun. Unfortunately, just like everything else it sort of became a little bit too important for some people. Eventually, I just…I had to break up the band. The name lives on, the T-shirts are still for sale, but we did do a reunion breakup show last year in Redondo Beach for our good friends, Julie and Douglas. It was cool. They had a wedding reception and they asked us to get back together, which for them, we did, and then we broke up right afterwards, “a reunion breakup.” You know, there might be some more of those in the future.

Well I started Hookers N’ Blow in about 2003 after some guys had come up to me with some opportunities to go do some shows in the East Coast of America. They wanted to call it The Dizzy Reed Band and I said I’ll do it but it has to be fun, I don’t want it to be a real band so let’s just call it Hookers N’ Blow and it just started off like that. So many people were in and out of that band because it was all built around whoever was available but we were never a real band. It got to the point that we just tried to see what the fuck we could get away with and we were really great at getting away with a whole lot [laughs] but still putting on a good show. We would play frat parties and then we would play clubs in between, it was that kind of environment. I mean I was on the back lawn of a frat house in Princeton University doing beer bongs and I’m thinking ‘my god I’m forty years old, this is ridiculous’ but it was fun and we did it. Eventually some of the guys started to take it too seriously so I had to disband it before it self-destructed. There were guys who were quitting a band that wasn’t a band, you can’t quit when it’s not a real band and something that doesn’t exist [laughs]. I had a bunch of girls claiming that they broke up the band but they couldn’t break us up because we were never a band. It just got out of hand. Last year a friend of mine, a promoter in LA, asked if Hookers N’ Blow would play at his wedding [laughs], just kind of out there. So they had a big wedding reception at a club called Brixton at Redondo Beach and we got back together just for that and we called it our reunion break-up show. That was definitely the last Hookers N’ Blow show that there will ever be but we still have some t-shirts available which are great, I came up with the design myself and it’s cocaine font and you can’t get them anywhere except the website (website is no longer online).


By mid-2013, the band was ramping up its merch sale and playing a number of shows in the LA area:

We are very excited to be taking the Hookers & Blow brand to the next level. The whole concept has become somewhat legendary over the past decade and one thing that has been constant throughout is the demand for merchandise, especially for stuff beyond just the standard black t-shirt.


After Guns N' Roses went on touring hiatus in June 2014, Dizzy had more time for Hookers & Blow again:

I have one of my bands called Hookers and Blow.  We’ll be doing some touring this summer.  It’s always fun to get Hookers and Blow out on the road again.


And would organize a 10 year anniversary of the band on September 5 in Los Angeles and September 6 in Las Vegas [Billboard Magazine, July 9, 2014]:

There's always guests, and there's a lot of Hookers N' Blow alumni from 10 years. It's a pretty big list, so hopefully a lot of those people will come down, too. It's definitely gonna be a blowout.

I’m still doing my infamous cover band, Hookers & Blow. We just celebrated our 10th anniversary and we have a few shows coming up. September 5th at the Whiskey where we did two residencies last year and September 6th in Las Vegas at Vampd. Then we’re doing an east coast tour so there’ll be lots of fun.


And they would then join the Rock and Comedy tour:

And Hookers & Blow, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. [...] we did the the Rock and Comedy Tour with Don Jamieson from That Metal Show, which was fantastic. So we're doing that again in January, back east, New York, New Jersey, taking it up to Toronto.

Well, the latest lineup we had on this last run, and you have to understand we had our bus wrapped with the logo which is in cocaine font, which I invented, thank you - we're rolling through, like, you know, midtown America with that and we had Johnny Kelly on drums, who was in Type O Negative and Danzig, Alex Grossi on guitar from Quiet Riot, and Chip Z'nuff from Enuff Z'nuff, and Don Jamison doing stand-up comedy before us.

[...] we have our own tour bus, we have our tour bus route this last tour that we did. We did 18 shows in a row down here. It was awesome, it was great, all the shows were great. All the people were amazing and the bus was great. The bus driver was even better, it was fantastic.




The Hookers & Blow tour bus



Talking about touring with the Hookers & Blow bus:

And we did have our own bus in January, which was amazing. I'm not sure how we did not get pulled over by the police once. But it was wrapped with Hookers & Blow logo, rolling across mid America. [...] But you know actually we got a lot of, you know, people were yeah, a lot of horns honking and a lot of pictures that... We went to a lot of Walmarts and it was very popular. I'm not sure why, but.


Hookers & Blow would be the opener for the Dead Daisies' August-September 2018 tour [Press Release/antiMusic, May 8, 2018].


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Mon May 03, 2021 6:47 pm

DIZZY DISCUSSES HIS LONG TENURE IN THE BAND

I definitely believe in it a thousand percent and I have no plan B.

I really believe in what we were doing. I’m the kind of person that when I start something I want to finish it. I’m damned determined to stick this thing out. And also I have nothing to fall back on [laughs].

I really believe in what we're doing.  And I think the longer its gone on, the more I've had to invest in what I'm doing.  I want to see it through.  I still think I have a lot to prove with this band.  I have a lot invested in it and I want to see it happen.  It always seems like its just around the corner that its going to come, so why quit now?  And then you get around the corner, and its around the corner again (Laughs).  But still, at this point, its the same thing: Why quit now?  And I guess I haven't done anything stupid to get fired.

I believe in [Axl], and I believe in what he's doing. I don't know what happened to the other guys. They quit one at a time. That's something I want people to know. They weren't kicked out of the band. They made the decision to leave and they had plenty of opportunities to come back. They walked out on us. And I didn't. I chose to stay, for a lot of reasons. I was at the point where I had put so many years of writing into it. I wanted to see it through. Axl gave me the chance to be in that band, and I am always going to be grateful for that.

I want to see this thing through. I'm going to support [Axl], he gave me my start, and I really want to see this happen. I believe in what we're doing.

I believe in what we’re doing. At the end of the day my loyalty is with Axl and GNR. When someone has left, we’ve brought in someone just as good or better. The lineup we have now is the best we’ve ever had. In the studio there’s a lot of energy. There’s no reason to leave. Guns is still my number one priority.

Axl and I have always gotten along.

I’m just a determined [expletive]. I’m a loyal friend and a determined [expletive].

When I set out to do something, I like to sort of finish it. I've never seen any reason to quit. We started to make a new record, and I really wanted to see it through. I had a lot invested to it. People would quit and then be replaced. They came and went, but I didn't have any reason to quit. (Rose) gave me an opportunity and it was largely his idea for me to be in the band. I really always felt I needed to stick this out as long as I could. He's been good to me thus far, and I'm still alive.

I think I’m just really determined. I just wanted to be in the band when ‘Chinese Democracy’ came out. I wanted to start presenting it to everybody and play it live. Axl gave me a shot a long time ago, and I’m a loyal person. [...] I don’t like to quit. If I’m part of something when it starts, I really like to see it through to the end.

It’s not always a sunny, great day, but if I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it. And I’m still really digging it.

I think coming into the band as I did, I just had a different perspective on it. I was pretty grateful to be called up to be a part of what was such a huge thing at the time, and if I ever start drifting off into any sort of place where maybe I want to do a little more for myself I just try to remind myself that I'm pretty darn lucky.

It’s probably a few things. I’ve always just kind of made it my No. 1 priority for the most part as far as music goes. When we started tracking and writing songs for ‘Chinese Democracy’ years and years ago, I wanted to stay focused and I wanted to — I don’t like to give up on things even though it was very difficult at times.

I think that was one of the reasons, plus I feel like I belong. I’m in a place where I belong. Axl has always been cool to me, and he gave me a big opportunity and I’m very thankful and grateful for that. I just honestly, I’m just very happy. I wake up every day just being very grateful and thankful and happy that I can still do this for a living even after all of these years.

[...] I got a great opportunity from Axl and I’m very appreciative of it. I think we had a mission and we still have a lot to prove. So I didn’t really have a desire to go anywhere else; not on a permanent basis. When other people quit, it was like we were going to hold down the fort and keep it going. Obviously, the Chinese Democracy record took a longer time to make than we had planned, which has something to do with it. But we still have things to prove and show people. I don’t like to quit; let’s put it that way.

I get asked that a lot and it's really just, I just never really thought about doing anything else, you know, on sort of a permanent basis. You know, I kind of feel like I'm in Guns N' Roses and that's where I was meant to be.

I was given a great opportunity by Axl and the band when they were at the top of the heap. I just thought I always want to give back. Whatever they need from me, they’re gonna get it.


In 2014, being asked if he considered retiring:

No, man, I’m going to do this as long as my body and my mind are able to do it. I’m not forging steel; I’m not a coal miner.

Guns N’ Roses is my No. 1 thing, as long as people will have me.

There are so many fans over the years that have expressed their appreciation for me sticking with the band. That always makes me feel really good about what I’m doing. And now, I’m at a point where I can’t do anything else. What am I going to do? Start over?


He would also discuss his unconditional loyalty to Axl:

If there’s ever any rift, I’m going to take his side. It’s not even a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. You can formulate all this stuff in your head and get worked up, but I know if I ask him about anything that doesn’t make sense, when he explains it, it sets everything straight.

Axl’s the one that presented me with this gig. It was his idea. He gave me this opportunity. He could fire me tomorrow. I try and give him my best, my all, all the time.


As for whether he ever feared getting fired:

No, I don’t know if I’ve ever got that feeling. But if I’m fucking up, someone’s gonna let me know.


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Sat May 08, 2021 7:17 am

APRIL-MAY, 2004
SLASH, DUFF AND AXL'S LEGAL BATTLE, PART I

APRIL 29, 2004: SLASH AND DUFF SUE AXL

On April 29, 2004, Slash and Duff filed a lawsuit against Axl to try to stop him from "whimsically refus[ing] to license Guns N' Roses music and recordings". [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004]. Their argument was that Axl had left the legal partnership that had been established to govern and protect the assets of Guns N' Roses, and although that allowed his rights to the name "Guns N' Roses" it allowed him no right to veto any commercial use of the music [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004]. To substantiate their claim that Axl had left the partnership, the suit pointed to the letter sent by Axl in August 1995 where he stated he intended to leave the partnership by December that year [see previous chapter about the 1992 partnership agreement and see previous chapter on Axl's letter about an intended resignation]. In their argument, this made Slash and Duff the sole "Remaining Members" while Axl became a "Terminated Partner" [see previous chapter about the 1992 partnership agreement and its clauses] with no rights to participate in or make decisions regarding partnership business matters [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004].

Despite having left the partnership, Axl continues to claim ownership over the assets of the partnership and, among other spiteful acts, whimsically refuses to license Guns N' Roses music and recordings. His capricious actions are motivated by a conflict of interest and not only deprives the fans of Guns N’ Roses music, but the Guns N' Roses partners of the fruits of their labor.

After deciding to leave one of the most successful rock 'n roll bands in history - and conveniently availing himself of the benefit of the contractual right to perform under the “Guns N' Roses" band name - Axl refuses to live with the consequences of his voluntary departure, costing the Guns N' Roses partnership millions of dollars to date.

By this lawsuit, the actual remaining members of the Guns N’ Roses partnership seek compensation for the harm suffered as a result of Axl’s misconduct. They also seek a judicial declaration and injunction confirming that Slash and Duff - and only Slash and Duff - own and control all partnership assets.


More specifically, the lawsuit would list what Axl had done despite having left the partnership:

Despite his voluntary withdrawal from Original GNR [=the partnership], Axl has wrongfully claimed continuing partnership rights, including: (a) a continuing right to participate in Original GNR decisions and management: (b) a veto right with respect to the exploitation of the Original GNR assets, which include film, video, licensing, and certain master recordings; (c) the right to act as the sole spokesman for the Original GNR partnership with respect to the ongoing relationship with Geffen Records (“Geffen”) and the exploitation of Original GNR recordings and songs; and (d) the right to control of Original GNR partnership files, legal files, business records and other assets.


According to the lawsuit, Axl had vetoed licensing Guns N' Roses songs to half a dozen movies, including "Just Married," "We Were Soldiers," "Death to Smoochie" and "Old School" [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004]. Axl had also, according to the lawsuit, refused to license the original version of 'Welcome to the Jungle' to the movie "Black Hawk Down", instead wanted to license a rerecording of the song so as to not have to pay licensing fees to Slash and Duff [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004].

According to the lawsuit, Axl had vetoed licensing Guns N' Roses songs to half a dozen movies, including "Just Married," "We Were Soldiers," "Death to Smoochie" and "Old School" [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004]. Axl had also, according to the lawsuit, refused to license the original version of 'Welcome to the Jungle' to the movie "Black Hawk Down", instead wanted to license a rerecording of the song so as to not have to pay licensing fees to Slash and Duff [Slash & Duff Vs. Axl lawsuit document, April 29, 2004].

Slash and Duff sought a judicial declaration that Axl had no partnership rights:

Accordingly, Slash and Duff hereby seek, among other things, a judicial declaration that following his voluntary withdrawal from Original GNR [=the partnership] in 1995: (a) Axl had, and presently has, no right to participate in Original GNR partnership decisions and management; (b) Axl had, and has, no veto right with respect to the exploitation of the Original GNR partnership assets, including film, video, licensing, and certain master recordings; (c) Axl is not the spokesman for the Original GNR partnership with respect to the ongoing relationship with Geffen and the use of the Original GNR recordings; and (d) Axl is not entitled to control and possession of the Original GNR partnership files and business records. Plaintiffs further seek an injunction against Axl and his representatives and other agents and employees, directing them to discontinue making such claims in the future.


When Duff and Slash guested the Howard Stern Show in May 2004, they were asked by a caller why they were suing Axl:

You know what, I don’t even want to get into that.

I mean, I think it’s been kind of throwing a skew of what exactly we are doing. To just kind of outline, it’s... we all own the songs. We never sold our publishing. And Slash and I are actually the only remaining members of Guns N’ Roses. And we’ve been trying to use the songs, like, for good movies, Black Hawk Down, and it got blocked by Axl. [...] So we’re just trying to get the rights to use our songs.

I mean, all things considered, it’s just - it’s a long story, but basically he’s sort of cock blocked everything. It’s gotten to the point of going, “You know what, we appreciate your artistic stance on what goes where, but this is ridiculous.”



MAY 26, 2004: AXL COUNTERSUES

On May 26, Axl countersued Duff and Slash [Axl's counter-lawsuit document, May 26, 2004]. In the introduction, Axl would paint Duff and Slash as money hungry with no regard for the legacy of the band:

This case arises from the cynical attempt by Saul Hudson (“Hudson”) and Michael McKagan (“McKagan”) to cast aside respect for devoted and sophisticated fans and strip mine the legacy of one of the most important bands in rock and roll history solely to make more money. Once part of a musical group whose blistering songs and aggressive, unapologetic style captured the essence of a true rock band, the former Guns N’ Roses (“GN’R”) members have sued Axl Rose because he prevented them from licensing their songs to movie classics such as “Just Married” starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy and Robin Williams’ “Death to Smoochy.” No longer members of GN’R, Hudson and McKagan have taken lust for money to a new low. This naked greed exposes their utter contempt for Guns N’ Roses’ music and its fans and helps explain why the original GN’R could no longer function.


Axl would also attack Slash and claim that he had been the one who had been responsible for the end of the UYI lineup:

This lawsuit is just another in a long fine of public relations stunts by Hudson to resuscitate his career by disparaging Rose. Try as he may to revise Guns N’ Roses history through his complaint in this matter, Hudson cannot escape the fact that it was he (a) who announced publicly that he was leaving GN’R, (b) who refused to cooperate in replacing band members to replace the individuals that he maneuvered out of GN’R, and (c) who refused to work with the band to create songs for a new GN’R album.


Axl would further go on to argue that he had the legal right to veto the commercial use of GN'R music since Slash and Duff had recognized this right over the years; that Duff's lawyer in June 1999 had acknowledged that any commercial use had to be agreed upon by all three, thus confirming that the partnership was intact; and that their "new position is directly contrary to the position they have taken thousands of times before" [Axl's counter-lawsuit document, May 26, 2004]. He would refer to the letter he sent in August 1995 where he expressed an interest in leaving the partnership as the "so-called departure", thus denying that he left the partnership [Axl's counter-lawsuit document, May 26, 2004]. Still being part of the partnership, Axl would claim that Slash and Duff had breached the provisions of said agreement by "among other things, attempting to approve licenses for Guns N’ Roses music over the express objection of Rose" and as such, that Axl "has been damaged in the sum of at least $250,000, the exact amount to be proved at trial" [Axl's counter-lawsuit document, May 26, 2004].

Despite the absurd suggestion in Cross-Defendants’ complaint that Rose has no authority to make decisions relating to Guns N’ Roses music due to his so-called departure in 1995 from the “partnership,” McKagan, through his highly experienced and highly regarded lawyer, Gary Gilbert, Esq., wrote Rose’s lawyer in 1999 (four years after the “departure”) memorializing the agreement requiring that decisions regarding licenses be made on a “unanimous basis” among Rose, Hudson, and McKagan (Ex. A). [...] At all relevant times from 1999 to the present, Rose maintained, and Hudson and McKagan recognized an absolute veto over the licensing of any song in the Guns N’ Roses catalogue. During the period, thousands of requests for Guns N’ Roses licenses have been received and for each of these, Hudson and McKagan recognized that Rose had an agreed-upon veto right. Hudson’s and McKagan’s new position is directly contrary to the position they have taken thousands of times before.




Letter from Duff's lawyer
June 29, 1999



Finally, Axl requested a declaration of his rights and obligations form the court [Axl's counter-lawsuit document, May 26, 2004].


2005-2006: OUTCOME OF THE LAWSUITS

In March 2005, it would be reported that the case which was originally intended to be finalized in May 2005, was delayed to November 2005 [Sp1at, March 2, 2005]. While this was pending, Slash and Duff sued Axl again, now for missing royalties, on August 17, 2005 [see later chapter about this lawsuit]. In February 2006, it was reported that the case was delayed from March to May, with the trial set to start on May 16, 2006 [HTGTH, February 10, 2006; via Blabbermouth]. The lawsuit was then "dismissed without prejudice" on May 22, 2006, before it was to go to court.

With the lawsuits having been dismissed we have no legal conclusion on the parties' claims and positions, but Guns N' Roses assets seem to have been governed the same way going forward, with continued conservative and restrictive commercial use, which implies that Slash and Duff saw less interest in pursuing this legally or settled with Axl.


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Sun May 16, 2021 1:37 pm

JUNE 22, 2004
HOLLYWOOD ROSE: THE ROOTS OF GUNS N' ROSES

2004: "THE ROOTS OF GUNS N' ROSES"

In early 2004 it would be announced that Cleopatra Records would release the album "The Roots of Guns N' Roses" in June 2004 containing old demos from Hollywood Rose, including some tracks remixed by Gilby and Fred Coury [Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, March 11, 2004]. Cleopatra had bought five old Hollywood Rose songs from Chris Weber and the record contained the original version of these songs as well as new mixes done by Gilby and Fred Coury.

Chris Weber would explain what happened:

About five years ago when I came back to Los Angeles I wanted to do something with it. No point keeping something under your bed if it's interesting. So I got some interests from some places and then I really didn't do anything. Then my band took off and I went on tour and I was doing records. When things slowed down at the end of last year, for some reason, Vicky Hamilton who was Guns N´ Roses manager back then and I've known here for twenty years, she said that there was this record company called Cleopatra Records and that they might be interested in releasing it. She asked them and they thought it was a great idea. So they offered to buy it and do a deal.


And whose idea it was to use Gilby and Coury for remixing:

Not me! I went in actually because I didn't have versions that at the time were representative of what the tapes were. The best versions were on cassette tapes. I had the master recording so I went in and remixed them pretty much exactly as we did when we mixed them in 1983. But I had to remix them myself as well, because it really wasn't anything you could put on a cd. I didn't do anything special to them, so they´re pretty much true to what you would've heard if it was put on your desk back then. I like some of the remixes and some add something to it.


And Gilby would explain how he got involved:

Basically, people gotta understand this: I have a studio and I do many jobs; mixing, recording – a lot of recordings - and production. That was a favor for a friend, Brian, who is the owner of Cleopatra. He told me, “Gilby, I've got these master tapes, I’m going to release them. I think it’d be great if you mixed them. I know that you don’t play, but please do the mix, because you’re the only one who can do it.” So he brought me the tapes and then he thought that it would be a good idea if Tracii played additional guitar on some parts. So the only thing I did was mixing; nothing more. Plus, I knew the music, so I could do a better job.


Describing the music:

It had a more metal approach to it. It almost reminded me of early [Judas] Priest, if anything. I was surprised at hearing how good it was. And I’m not talking fidelity quality, but they really sounded like they had something as a band, which is the hardest thing to do.


Cleopatra had also obtained "mechanical licenses" for three songs that had not been co-written by Weber which would result in sales royalties to Guns N' Roses [Court documents, July 2, 2004].

The Roots Of Guns N’ Roses includes the following tracklisting: Original Demo Versions: ‘Shadow Of Your Love’, ‘Rocker’, ‘Killing Time’, ‘Wreckless Life’ and ‘Anything Goes’. Newly Remixed By Gilby Clarke: ‘Shadow Of Your Love’, ‘Rocker’, ‘Killing Time’, ‘Wreckless Life’ and ‘Anything Goes’. Newly Remixed By Fred Coury: ‘Move To The City’ and ‘Wreckless Life’.


Being asked if Weber had more unreleased material:

There's no more of this and in this format. No more high quality sixteen track masters laying around. I do have some songs on video and other stuff, but I really don't have an intent of doing anything with it.


Just a few days after release announcement, Cleopatra Records would state that the record was on hold and may not come out until November [Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, March 13, 2004]. But then on June 22, 2004, Cleopatra would indeed release the record.

Johnny Kreis, drummer in Hollywood Rose, would comment on the mixes:

The Fred Coury Mix, is Awesome! it is how I would want HR to sound as if we were still crankin today!...and with Clarke's Mixes, I liked the Tracii Guns cuts!..in fact back in the days, I knew Tracy well!... and really admired his guitar playing!..he's also a really cool person too!


APRIL-JUNE 2004 : THE GUNS N' ROSES PARTNERSHIP TRIES TO STOP THE RELEASE

On April 29, Axl sent a "cease-and-desist" letter to Cleopatra demanding they would halt the release and on May 11 the "mechanical licenses" would be withdrawn [Court documents, July 2, 2004]. On May 14 a letter from Guns N' Roses would clarify that the "mechanical licenses" were rescinded because the album was now titled "The Roots of Guns N' Roses" and not "The Roots of Hollywood Rose" [Court documents, July 2, 2004]. Cleopatra would argue that the title of the album did not infringe on the Guns N’ Roses trademark and that the pictures used did not infringe on Axl's right to publicity [Court documents, July 2, 2004]. On June 8, Guns N' Roses responded by claiming for trademark infringement, false designation of origin, right of publicity, and unfair business practices and they also filed the pending motion seeking a preliminary injunction [Court documents, July 2, 2004]. On June 21, Guns N' Roses filed an emergency motion seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the planned June 22 release of the album [Court documents, July 2, 2004]. The injunction was denied on July 2 [Court documents, July 2, 2004; AP/Indiana Gazette, July 9, 2004]. On May 23, 2005, the court ruled that Axl, Slash, Duff and Guns N' Roses Music (the defendants in the suit), would pay Cleopatra's legal fees of $24,175.38 [Blabbermouth, May 25, 2005; Court documents, May 24, 2005].

Johnny Kreis was also not happy about the release:

Honestly, I was rather troubled, cause nobody bothered to even try to contact me to let me know that my drum tracks would be released without my consent to the public, and I knew that some people out there would be interested and buy the CD, they don't represent the best of my playing but for that time I was pretty proud of them and they were with my friends, Izzy, Axl and The HR Crew. Now I look back and there's nothing I could have done about the release I have tried to contact the label, to no avail, somebody's makin money off of this CD, and it aint me, not a damn penny!........so that's life in the record biz!...yes! I am bitter about how it went over!.....but I am proud that now the world can hear me Johnny Kreis play drums with Izzy and Axl and Hollywood Rose!


The album was released on June 22, 2004:



The Roots of Guns N' Roses
June 22, 2004


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Post by Soulmonster Sun May 16, 2021 1:41 pm

JUNE 2004
AXL HAS TAKEN OVER PRODUCTION DUTIES

In June 2004, Tommy would say that Axl had now taken over as producer of the record [MTV News, June 9, 2004].

Tommy would later compliment Axl's work on Chinese Democracy:

Axl is a great producer. He doesn’t give himself credit for it.


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Post by Soulmonster Sun May 16, 2021 1:44 pm

2003-2012
AXL'S ADDITIONAL LAWSUITS

Axl, Duff, and Slash's 2003 lawsuit against Geffen to stop the Greatest Hits; Duff and Slash's 2004 lawsuit against Axl; and Duff and Slash's 2006 lawsuit against Axl over royalties; are discussed in other chapters. This chapter deals with additional lawsuits beyond those.

The amount of lawsuits and litigation caused a substantial amount of articles in the media and the impression that Axl himself was quick to file suits. In late 2011, Axl would claim it was a misconception that he sues everybody:

And a lot of people think I sue everybody, but the reality is I get sued a lot and I don't really sue anybody back and not half as many as I'd like to...or I have time to [laughs].



2006: BEVERLY HILLS CLASSIC CARS

In early 2006, Axl would sue Beverly Hills Classic Cars, claiming that the company owed him money [Associated Press, January 13, 2006]. Axl's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, would make a statement:

Andy Cohen, owner of Beverly Hills Classic Cars defrauded Axl out of more than $150,000. Mr. Cohen sold one of Axl's cars and pocketed the money as well as keeping a $20,000 deposit on two cars he committed to order on Axl's behalf but failed to do so. We are suing to recover the money that Mr. Cohen converted for his own personal use and are asking for punitive damages to be awarded because of the intentional breach of contract and theft committed by the defendants. Over a period of 4 years Axl bought a number of cars from Mr. Cohen and had built what he thought was a trusting relationship with him. It is unfortunate that Mr. Cohen abused that trust and not only failed to deliver on his promises but also took over $150,000 of Axl's money. Axl has reluctantly sued because Mr. Cohen continually represented to Axl over the better part of a year that he would repay the money and broke each promise for repayment leaving Axl no choice but to file this complaint to get his money returned.



2006: ACQUIRE D'ARTE GALLERY

Also in 2006, on September 11, Axl was sued by a Los Angeles art dealer, Acquire d'Arte gallery, who said they had negotiated with a New York art gallery and was able to lower the price of an artwork from $2.65 million to $2.36 million for Axl [New York Daily News, September 20, 2006; Associated Press, September 21, 2006]. The artwork was an Andy Warhol portrait of John Lennon [New York Daily News, September 20, 2006; Associated Press, September 21, 2006]. According to the suit, after agreeing to buy the portrait, Axl paid only $1.21 million [Associated Press, September 21, 2006]. Acquire d'Arte was seeking $1.15 million in damages [Associated Press, September 21, 2006]. Also according to the suit, Axl's "manager and attorney" told the broker that Axl would not pay the remaining balance because he didn't have enough money and "the painting was not worth the price he had agreed to pay" [Associated Press, September 21, 2006].

According to Axl's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, some of the deal's terms and conditions may have been misrepresented to Axl and followed up with:

Axl owes nothing. [He] may be the victim of a fraud or misrepresentation.



2007: GARY ARMIJO

On August 21, 2007, security guard Gary Armijo sued Axl for allegedly having kicked him in the head at the December 20, 2006, show at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City, USA [TMZ, September 13, 2007]. According to the suit, Axl had unprovoked kicked Armijo in the head causing "severe physical injuries" [Lawsuit, August 21, 2007].

Howard Weitzman, Axl's lawyer, commented on the suit:

The allegations in this lawsuit are frivolous. There is video of this incident which contradicts the allegations against Axl. Axl vehemently denies he did anything wrong which will be proven via witnesses and the video. Unfortunately anyone can file a lawsuit whether it has merit or not. In my opinion this is a pathetic attempt to get money from Axl.


This lawsuit was dismissed in April 2009.


2010-2011: BENTLEY FINANCIAL SERVICES

In October 2010, Axl again found himself in car trouble when Bentley Financial Services sued him for allegedly returning a damaged 2006 Bentley Flying Spur lease car and didn't pay his bills [TMZ, October 21, 2010]. Axl was sued for $73,976.42 in payments [TMZ, October 21, 2010]. The case was settled in September 2011 with Axl having to pay $53,000 to cover the damage to the car [TMZ, September 26, 2011; Blabbermouth, September 26, 2011].


JANUARY 2012: AXL SERVES JURY DUTY

In January 2012, Axl served jury duty:

It was relatively painless. I was fortunate that everyone in the courthouse and jurors were all really great, plus I got to see daylight from a different prospect.


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Post by Soulmonster Sun May 16, 2021 1:52 pm

JULY 2004
BUMBLEFOOT IS CONTACTED BY THE BAND

In September 2004, guitarist Bumblefoot posted the following on his webpage:

Since, the rumors are already flyin', I might as well say. [...] I was asked to join GUNS N' ROSES two months ago. It's not definitely happenin', we're just feelin' it out. When decisions have been made, I'll let y'all know.


In a later interview he would specify that the contact happened in July:

It was July 2004. I was teaching Music Production at a College in New York, and producing and co-writing for a bunch of artists. I got an email from Joe Satriani. He said he had recommended me to Guns N' Roses. Soon after I was chatting with the management and band members, getting to know each other a bit ... making some plans ...


Bumblefoot would say that he was contacted by both Satriani and Chris Pitman at the same time, and that they were unrelated:

At the same time [as Joe Satriani got in contact], totally unrelated, Chris Pitman got in touch, heard from both within hours of each other. Glad I checked my emails that day...

Joe Satriani recommended me to them, then Chris Pitman (GnR keyboardist) got in touch, and here we are Smile.

Actually, I got an e-mail from Joe Satriani saying “Listen, I just recommended you to Guns. They’re looking for a guitar player – so if they get in touch, just so you know, it’s not somebody playing a joke on you or anything.” I was like, “alright, cool.” And Chris Pitman e-mailed me this funny e-mail, I gave him a call, we talked for a while, and he was a great guy. Started talking to management, and everything looked like it was on track. [...] It had to be around summer, late summer of 2004, that we started talking.

Joe Satriani sent an email, letting me know he’d recommended me for the gig – just so I’d know it wasn’t a joke. Two hours later, Chris Pitman [GN’R keyboards player], sent me a joke email, which was totally unconnected. I started talking to their manager.

It was 2004, and Joe Satriani shot me an e-mail. He said, 'I recommended you to Guns, just so you know. It's not fake if someone reaches out — it's not something weird.' [Former keyboardist] Chris Pitman reached out a few hours later and sent this funny e-mail — something like, 'Eighties Hair Band Looking For Guitar Player,' something funny like that."


Not long after he had posted the update to his webpage, Bumblefoot deleted the update and a press release was sent out from Sanctuary Group:

There have been numerous reports over the last few weeks from various sources claiming that one person or another has been invited to join Guns N' Roses. To set the record straight no one - we repeat no one - has been invited to join the band. We would normally not respond to rumours but it is wrong to allow a few self publicists the platform to mislead the media and Guns N' Roses fans. We will let you know when there is credible news on this subject.


Bumblefoot would later refer to this:

And then some Internet rumors came out that sort of delayed the process, haha..

It took about two months [after the initial rehearsals] and then some internet rumours got out, which derailed things.


Of course, judging by his own quote in Blabbermouth from September 30, 2004, where he pretty much confirmed he was joining the band, it wasn't just "Internet rumours".

While touring in Sweden in October, Tommy would be asked about the Bumblefoot rumours:

I knew there were some guys on the hook for checking it out. I haven't heard anything past that. I don't think we've actually..... I don't think there'd be any auditions without me being there. Because I think, we need to put the band together to hear them play. So I would imagine that's probably gonna happen when I get home at some point.


In mid-2005, Richard would say there were only two guitarists in the band, Robin and himself:

At the moment, Robin Finck and I are the only guitarists in the band. We switch off between lead and rhythm.


Later, Bumblefoot would discuss what had happened and explain how he had argued with Merck Mercuriadis:

(Laughs) Well, that was something that in the very beginning I learned the hard way. I had never experienced anything like that, where I had to be guarded. For me, the natural thing to do when you're in a band is to let all your fans know everything that's going on, and to include them in everything that's going on. That's something I always did; I would keep updates all the time on my forum, on my site, and just answer questions and make videos, and bring people down to the studio, and let them hear pieces of what's going on, and let them participate. There was one tour I did - I think it was in 2002. I was touring France, so I had all these French people from message boards pick the set of songs that we would play. I told them to just pick twenty-five songs out of the seventy-five, whatever it is, that they would wanna hear, and from there, whichever songs got picked the most were the ones that we played, and that was our set of music that we toured with. Doing things like that was always what was natural to me.

I remember when I first started talking to Guns N' Roses back in 2004, I had never experienced the whole thing of people just out to get information, and to break news, and almost use it to the detriment of what's trying to be accomplished. That was something I was naive about, so when I first started talking to them, some rumours started locally in New York, and that was completely my fault. When I was teaching at college, I told the head of the music department, I said "I may not be able to work the next semester because I might have to go record with Guns N' Roses", and he let it slip to the students (laughs). I remember I went away for a week to Russia to do some shows of my own, and I came back and had all these emails and phone messages, saying "Oh, I've heard that you're touring with Guns N' Roses" and all this stuff.

At that point, I was just talking with them. It was all just "I might be", so I wanted to clarify it. I went onto my website, and said "Just to make things clear here, I am not a member of Guns N' Roses. I spoke to them, and we talked about me joining, but all we did was talk. Nothing happened - we just had conversations". Even then, I felt like I was downplaying it, because I had two months of conversations and thirty pages of emails between management and band members. Once I said that though, that got used against me (laughs), I was trying to say I was not in the group. The next thing I knew, my little blurb ended up on music news websites, saying "New Guitarist Found For Guns N' Roses?". "According to local New York guitarist: "Yes, we've been talking"", and they left out the part where I said "I am not in Guns N' Roses" in big letters. It just backfired, and caused even more trouble.

I got into a big argument with management, who said "Who said you were gonna play in Guns N' Roses?.. Blah blah blah... I want you to retract this and that...", so I did. At that point, I just wasn't liking that whole environment because I've always been very anti-music business - I've always been anti-bullshit. I've been just basically about music, and doing it without playing the game, and going through all that stuff, and dealing with all that stuff. I just prefer to keep it human; I play, you listen, and we have a great time together, and cut out all the bullshit and the business shit.

At that point, I said "I don't think I'm the guy for this", and I told them "I will help you.. I will be happy to help you. I'll audition people for you discreetly, and I'll help you find the best guitarist you can, but I don't think this is for me". Then management went, and they put out some kind of press release which implied that I had lied to get publicity, and that they had nothing to do with me. It ended up causing a little battle between me and management, and that's why we didn't speak for a good year and a half (laughs).

[It was] ten years ago. Joe [Satriani] emailed me and said, "Hey, I just recommended you for the band. They're looking for somebody. Just so you know if someone reaches out that it's legit." A few hours later Chris Pitman [keyboards] reached out and then I started talking to the producer of "Chinese Democracy," Caram Costanzo and the manager at the time, Merck. We spoke for about two months just emailing and conversations. Then there was a long period of nothingness. [...] After having some dealings with the management, I didn't like how they were doing things. It was something I didn't want in my life 'cause at that time my life was totally good. I didn't need it. I was putting out albums. I was touring the world and I was an adjunct professor at SUNY Purchase College teaching Music Production. I had my own studio and a whole entire second house I turned into a studio. I was producing a ton of bands and making music for TV shows, video games and indie films. I was doing so much and was so gratified doing it all, I knew if I joined Guns I would lose a lot of that and I wouldn't have the time.


More on Bumblefoot's relationship with Merck and how he eventually joined the band in a later chapter.

The contact between Guns N' Roses and Bumblefoot in 2004 did not result in any auditions, only discussions [Whiplash (Brazil), February 24, 2010].

Summarizing the talks in 2010:

So yeah, so it was 2004, summer 2004, and I got an email from Joe Satriani said, err, "Just, uh, recommended you to the GN'R gig so if someone reaches out you know just, you know, they're not yanking you, and you know it's legit." So alright and then a few hours later one of the guys in the band sent me a funny email and so yeah so I wrote him back and and we just started chatting and started talking to the manager, started talking to Caram, the producer that did Chinese and yeah we just started making plans and that went on, the planning stage went on for a while then it was a lull.


Bumblefoot would also say he "kind of turned them down":

I was feeling it out but I was also teaching at SUNY Purchase College, I was producing a ton of bands at my studio, I was putting out my own music and touring, licensing music to TV shows and my world was pretty complete and I was happy with it. I knew that if I joined Guns I would have to give a lot of that up, and this was around the time when everything happened with Dimebag… and I started thinking, "Do I really wanna be the guy that gets shot, for stopping the old band from getting back together? You know there was a lot to consider and at first I kind of turned them down. Then we didn’t speak for about a year and ½ [...]

At the time in 2004 I was putting out an album every year or two, I was touring, I was producing a ton of bands, I was an adjunct professor at SUNY Purchase college teaching music production. I was making music for video games, TV shows, little indie movies. I was doing so many things and I was really happy doing them all. And I felt that every one of those things had a future and were growing and should be nurtured. I knew that if I put all that aside that I would be trading off a lot of things that we’re important to me, that meant something to me and I felt had value. I was able to contribute something of worth to the world and I didn’t want to give that stuff up. So yeah, originally I told them, ‘Look, I don’t think I’m the guy for this. I will help you find the right guy. I’d be happy to discretely get in touch with people and help you find the right guy, but I don’t think I’m it.’


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Post by Soulmonster Sat Jun 12, 2021 9:20 am

2003-2011
THE SAGA OF 'ADLER'S APPETITE'

2003-2005: THE START OF 'ADLER'S APPETITE'; EP

In early 2003 Steven would announce he was putting together a new band:

I have been putting a new band together and the chosen few will be announced this spring. This new band well enable me to get out there and meet all of you fans everywhere once again. It has been 13 years now and it's time for me to come back and rock your world. I am going to make it a point to play everywhere Axl Cancelled. The first show is March 22nd in Las Vegas. We will be playing most of the appetite for destruction LP [...]


A little bit later the name was reported to be Suki Jones and contain the following members: RATT/ex-LOVE/HATE singer Jizzy Pearl, ex-SLASH'S SNAKEPIT guitarist Keri Kelli, FASTER PUSSYCAT guitarist Brent Muscat, and ex-VINCE NEIL/BLACK N' BLUE/RATT bassist Robbie Crane [Blabbermouth, March 1, 2003].

[Steven] came out of a 15-year seclusion in March 2003 to form his latest group when a friend convinced him to return to music after Adler performed with Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil in Las Vegas. Adler's friend introduced him to bassist Robbie Crane, guitarist Keri Kelli and singer Jizzy Pearl, and the foursome quickly began playing live and recording.


The tour was scheduled to start on March 21, 2003, in Kingman, Arizona [Blabbermouth, March 1, 2003].

In June 2003, the name would be changed to Adler's Appetite because Steven wanted people to know he was in the band [Steven Adler's official website, June 4, 2003].

Actually a friend of ours, Ryan Johnson [came up with the name]... first we had Suki Jones and I was like...eeeehhhhhh and he said, you should call yourselves Adler's Appetite! And we all thought it was a cool name. The name is very important for a band!


When asked if someone had tried to stop him from using 'Adler's Appetite' as the band's name:

Why would they? Axl’s just one original member of Guns N’ Roses who’s now playing with a whole bunch of new people. I’m doing exactly the same thing. At first we called this thing Suki Jones, but Adler’s Appetite is a much stronger name. This band is nothing to do with ripping off Appetite For Destruction, it’s about my own appetite - for getting out there and playing music again.


Steven intended to record an album of original material with his band:

Yes, absolutely. But not for a year or so. I’d want our sound to be more like 60’s and 70’s pop and rock. Right now, I’m enjoying playing the Appetite songs for the people, and we plan on touring doing that as much as possible.


In March 2004 it was reported that the band was working on writing songs for a record:

In other news, Brent Muscat recently bought a house in Vegas, and Jizzy has moved in with him. They will begin writing songs for an original Adler’s Appetite record, which should be finished by late summer and hopefully out by the end of the year.


Talking about the record-in-making and the band:

So far, we've got 10 songs down. I want 20-25 songs to be able to pick from, but everything's been going so great, I've been playing so much. My band — Robbie Crane, Keri Kelli, Brent Muscat, Jizzy Pearl — I've just been having the greatest time with

I’m with a new band, Adler’s Appetite, got Keri Kelli to play guitar, Robbie Crane bass, usually Brent Muscat on guitar and Jizzy Pearl singing. We’ve got a new record coming out probably around January, probably on my birthday January 22nd, which, god willing, we should be in Spain.

Well, the band is called Adler’s Appetite and it’s with Kerri Kelly, Robbie Crane, Jizzy Pearl and Brent Muscat. So far, Robbie, Kerri and I have ten songs and we are very pleased. I never realized aside from hearing from the fans how much I was a part on Guns N’ Roses and now I’m recording again. I was scared shitless because I didn't know if I could write songs again. It’s been a long time. Robbie, Kerri, and I went into the studio. We where done in seven hours and we had three songs. The style is Aerosmith, Stones, Guns N’ Roses.

I would like for [the album] to be out on my birthday January 22nd but that’s looking a little bleak. I want to do 20-25 songs just to have a few more to pick from. With Guns N’ Roses, pretty much Appetite and Lies was like that. I would like to put out an E.P just as a teaser.

I was scared to death. I didnt’ know what to expect. I haven’t written a song in over a decade. Working with Robbie Crane and Keri Kelli is such a dream. Those 13 years didn’t hurt…it was like I just picked right back up where I left off. It was so easy…“It’s so fuckin’ easy! I was a little worried about Jizzy. He brought the lyrics in for the record and I’m glad he was never hugely successful in the past. He’s fuckin’ hungry! You can hear it in his words. We played those songs for the first time in Colorado and Utah. We would play G ‘n R songs and everybody knew ‘em. We’d play “Hollywood” from Thin Lizzy and they’d be jumping up and down, screaming. We’d play a song they didn’t know and they’d just stand there. It’s so nice to see people consistently get into it even with the new songs. We played this bar in Aspen. Two girls in the front row took their tops off! This was a bar! At a stadium you expect things like that. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. People were getting into it. When we played “Welcome To The Jungle” people started moshing around. I couldn’t think of better people to be playing with. It was very easy writing the new songs.

Actually Jizzy and I went to the same high school together. Robbie and I and Slash hung out at the same elementary school and we rode skateboards and bikes and smoked weed. In a way we did grow up together.


In February 2005, the band would release a self-titled EP:



Adler's Appetite, the EP
February 2005



Steven would also say a few words on getting revenge on his former band mates through his coming success, and how much he disliked Velvet Revolver:

The biggest thing I wanted to do with Slash and Duff and that jackass was revenge. The finest and greatest revenge is success. That’s all I wanted. Slash is gonna hear this record we did and he’s gonna flip. It fucking blows that Velvet Revolver crap away. I love Slash and Duff. I wanna like it but it’s crap. I’ve gone from song to song and I can’t like it. I tried to get Slash to play on a couple of things. He was too busy. I wanted to get a hold of John Sykes for “Hollywood,” but Keri pulled it off. You know him, buddy.


In February 2005, Steven would be touring with Adler's Appetite in Sweden but according to MetalShrine " the Swedish gigs have not been a major audience success" [MetalShrine, February 17, 2005].

We'll have an album out hopefully by May or June, around summertime. And we'll hopefully do some festivals, but if we don't do festivals we're certainly gonna tour worldwide. We're going to Japan soon, in the next two weeks and after that we're going to South America and we wanna come back to Europe and do some festivals.

We're doing the Guns songs and I wrote those songs with Slash and Duff and they´re my songs too. I have every right to play them! Those guys aren't playing them and you're not going to get closer to hearing the album "Appetite..." live. We're doing pretty much everything from "It's so easy" to "Civil war". And you're not gonna get closer to hearing the songs the way they were recorded. I could guarantee if, God bless Axl puts a record out, and when he plays live you're gonna hear those songs because he's so down on that time in his life. Why I don't know and I wish I could knock it out of him, but you're not gonna hear... and plus the band, this great band... the drums and rhythm to those songs... You can't be me! I don't know what the fuck I'm doing! I'm just up there having fun, so it's kind of hard to duplicate what I do because I don´t know what I'm doing and if I don't know what I'm doing, how could anyone else know?


When Gilby was touring Greece with MC5 in 2005, he would be ask about the Adler's Appetite shows:

How did it go? Did it have any attendance at all? [...] Nice setlist, though (laughs). If we played these songs with my band, we would be fantastic. They are great songs, it’s hard to screw them up (laughs). I haven’t seen them, but I know everybody. [...] I know Steven and he’s a good guy. Very amiable. He lost his path a bit, but he’s a good guy. He deserves it. He found a way to go out on the road and play music again. I’m happy for him.



EARLY 2005: HANOI ROCKS KICK ADLER'S APPETITE OFF TOUR

In early 2005, Hanoi Rock would kick Adler's Appetite off a planned tour after Steven having accused Hanoi Rock's guitarist's (Andy McCoy) wife, Angela McCoy, of having caused Erin Every to overdose in 1990. Apparently, Angela did not appreciate Steven's comments and asked Hanoi Rocks to terminate any involvement with Steven's band [Rock Confidential, February 8, 2005]. See later chapter for more details on the overdose incident.

We were supposed to play in England with [Hanoi Rocks] and they dropped us out of the show. Whatever, because ninety-five percent of the people went back and got their money back. So that kind of says something about us! And it's a shame... and fuck it, I don't even wanna talk about it!



2005-2006: STEVEN'S ADDICTIONS CAUSE CONFLICTS AND BREAKUPS OF ADLER'S APPETITE

While touring Argentina in November/December 2005, Steven would be asked about his new lineup and Steven would then refer to former band member, Jizzy Pearl, as a jackass who could kiss his ass:

Yeah, Brent Muscat was in the band, Robbie Crane, Keri Kelli… and also another jackass singer, I don't remember his name. I didn't like him very much. Not a good singer. [...] If I would've known anyone who sang like that, I would've gotten someone else [before we recorded that EP]. I'm serious. I didn't like him very much. Not a good singer, not a good person and he can kiss my ass. I didn't like that guy.
Blabbermouth, December 26, 2005; originally in Jedbanger


Steven would also refer to the new lineup as "more professional" [Blabbermouth, December 26, 2005; originally in Jedbanger].

These comments from Steven released heated -- yet entertaining -- discussions on various internet forums where his previous band mates would be involved and where they would question Steven's own professionality and his sobriety [reprinted in Blabbermouth and Metal Sludge, on various dates in December 2005].

The new lineup of Adler's Appetite would in December be confirmed to be "lead singer Sheldon Tarsha [replacing Jizzy Pearl], bassist Chip Z'Nuff (Enuff Z'Nuff), and guitarists Michael Thomas (Beautiful Creatures) and JT Longoria (Izzy Stradlin)" [Blabbermouth, December 21, 2005].

I’m having so much more fun. We are so much more, (pause) we like each other. There are 5 personalities, but we’re all one. We’re all just, (pauses), we love each other. And we play, we work off each other so, I mean so easily.  We know what the other guy is doing before he does it. And that’s a rare-rare thing to happen, starting right off.  You know what I mean?


But this new lineup would break down immediately [Metal Sludge, January 25, 2006]. In the words of Michael Thomas:

Spain was fine, Steven was fine and everything was great! Until Adler blew a junkie gasket at our first show in Germany. Adam Bomb opened up and after the show he & Adler vanished. The next day Steven was a cussing, venom spewing viper who was clearly NOT the same person he was the day before. It's drugs, it has to be drugs.
Metal Sludge, January 25, 2006


Sheldon Tarsha would also discuss what happened:

We booked 50 shows in Europe, going back to Brazil with dates on the Rock In Rio festival. It was just an enormous tour. Right at the beginning of it, in Germany, Steven… his priorities shifted and shit hit the fan. And poof, the whole band minus Steven Adler is stranded in Germany in the snow! I don't know exactly what to call it, but it was like a rock 'n' roll nightmare. At the same time, it was kind of cool. It was like, "We're stranded in Germany. It's snowing balls out, and we're on the train." The next thing we knew we were in Amsterdam in some pub getting shitfaced drunk, and that's basically how it kind of wrapped up. In Europe, Adler went A.W.O.L. I flew back a couple days later, and I just got started on a new record because I new that was what I had to do next.
The Classic Metal Show (via Blabbermouth), March 11, 2007


Tarsha would definitely take the high road:

Well dude… Steven, he…He doesn't mean any harm by this. Blabbermouth plastered this last year all over their website, but I said that Steven is actually a good-natured guy, and he is. He just does some childish, outlandish shit and people just get really pissed off. They are like, "God, that's so irresponsible. How can he do that to me?" But who the fuck is anybody? Steven Adler is rock n' roll. Rock 'n' roll isn't about being responsible. Rock 'n' roll isn't about being predictable or doing what everyone expects you to do. That's how Steven is. People come around and are like, "Dude, I love rock. Rock forever!" Then Steven Adler is rock 'n' roll and acts rock 'n' roll, and people are like, "Why did he do that to me." It's like, "Dude, that's what rockers do." You can't fucking put a leash on them or put them in a cage. They just go fucking crazy. They do what they want to do when they want to do it, and I have to respect him for that.
The Classic Metal Show (via Blabbermouth), March 11, 2007

If he wasn't (Steven Adler), I probably would have never been in a band with him to begin with. If he was in a band with me, and he wasn't famous…first of all, I don't think I'd be playing with someone that is 15 years older than me. That was like the first weird thing. The guy is a fucking rock legend! What the hell is he doing playing with me! As people get older and more experienced, their priorities change. Me, I'm this young, fresh, ready-to-go-to-the-top-of-the-mountain guy, and that's me, dude. I'm ready to put my mark on the world and dominate the planet. He's already done that. All he wants to do is bang chicks in limos doing laps around the airport. And he was doing that, by the way. It was like, "Where's Steven." And he disappeared and was banging some chick in the bathroom or in the airport lobby. He has different priorities. He's made his money. He's done his deal. Just to get that guy on stage is an honor and a miracle all by itself.
The Classic Metal Show (via Blabbermouth), March 11, 2007


Tarsha would also muse about the state of Steven:

Steven lost control of his life a long time ago, and he's lost even more control of it now. The problem is that he can't control himself, so he looks to the people around him to tell him what to do, to tell him how to think, to tell him what he should do. That's the problem right now. He screws people over based on the information he's getting from the people that are supporting him…or not supporting him. He's like a puppet. He has the name. He has the fame. He has the money, and he's easily influenced by whoever is closest to him. That's really what I think is going on right now.
The Classic Metal Show (via Blabbermouth), July 28, 2007

Steven has figured out how to use his fame to get whatever he wants. 'I'm the drummer of Guns N' Roses. I'll take care of you.' He promises you the world, and then when it comes right down to it, he pulls it back and he doesn't keep his word. He gets away with it. Does he have a bad heart? I don't think so. He's learned how to get his way over the years. He's stretched his credit beyond the limits of what I think the credit is worth, honestly.
The Classic Metal Show (via Blabbermouth), July 28, 2007

The greatest thing going on right now in the Adler camp is that he's playing the sympathy card with Slash and Izzy; getting these guys to come down and pop up on stage with him. It just gives Steven more ammunition to use that fame card to manipulate people and get people to do his bidding and do what he wants them to do. They feel like there's this chance that Guns N' Roses could reunite, 'and I want to be in Steven.' I don't know those guys (Izzy, Slash, Duff) personally, but I know people that know them very well. Knowing Steven for so long, I kind of get the gist of it. Those guys — they kind of feel sorry for Steven. He got himself kicked out of Guns N' Roses because he has his own attitude problem, and obviously substance abuse issues. You know, they just kind of feel sorry for him. Those guys have had really cool lives. Slash — look at him. He's an American icon. He kind of feels bad for his bro that he went to junior high school with. They started the dream together, and now Steven is just scraping the bottom of the barrel. Slash is riding high with his brand new band and doing all this big time stuff. He just wants to kind of dish out some charity for him.
The Classic Metal Show (via Blabbermouth), July 28, 2007



2006: STEVEN ENDS THE TOUR WITH A GUNS N' ROSES TRIBUTE BAND

An Italian Guns N' Roses tribute band would replace Adler's Appetite for the remaining shows of the tour [Metal Sludge, January 25, 2006]. For the UK leg of the tour, Steven would play with the UK GN'R tribute band "Guns 2 Roses" [HTGTH, January 28, 2005].

Robbie Crane, a member of the previous lineup of Adler's Appetite, would release the following statement:

I'm sorry to hear the tour didn't work out as planned for Chip, Michael, Armando and Rikk, they are all friends and great guys. Thankfully they made it home safe. I think now everyone understands what the Adler's Appetite partners (Keri, Jizzy and I) went through on a daily basis over the past 3 years and why we weren't willing to fully commit to A.A. We were constantly having to physically strong arm and threaten Steven when he tried to "hang out" with his junkie buddies to keep him from going off the deep end. We as a group (Keri, Jizzy, Craig, Thomas, Armando, Rikk and I) worked day and night when touring with Steven to keep him away from situations and people like this. It wasn't easy but we did it. When he did fuck up, (and he did fuck up) we would hide it from the public as best we could so people wouldn't judge him. I only hope he finds his way clear of this and gets the help he needs.
Metal Sludge, January 25, 2006


Crane would also discuss Steven's financial situation:

Steven doesn’t have access to any of the GN’R money that he receives. His estate controls it, and his involvement and access are very limited. So, through the course of each tour he was broke and would ask for and receive cash advances from the tour money we received. By tours end he would be in the hole and owe the band money. Then, when he did get home he would sit on his couch, get high as a kite and wonder where all of the money went. Thankfully, Craig made him sign for every dime he received, PAID IN FULL!! And NO, at the end we didn't respect Steven. After going through this kind of shit for 3 years respect wasn't what he deserved, not from us. Hope you make it home safe Steven.
Metal Sludge, January 29, 2006


Steven would look back at the tour and his relationship with ex-members of the band:

Dude, it was so important for this whole thing to go fucking off smoothly. And it did. I did fifteen shows in England, almost in a row. I kicked ass and had a great time, made a new dvd, and I did it. I wanted Keri back, but I never called him up and said anything to him. [...] I told them [=band members], I said "I don't want to get rid of you! I don't want to throw you away! I love ya! I want to work with you! I just have to try to do this!" I had to prove myself! That South America shit? Dude, I got that band together in five fuckin' days! I did it! I didn't cancel, I proved myself. Everytime I've gone to Europe it ended up costing me eight to ten thousand dollars! I didn't make dick there!


During the tour Adam Bomb would be on the same bill as "Adler's Appetite" and Bomb would also manage Steven:

Oh, Jesus Christ! The only thing he said to me, made me feel, that I could do this thing on my own. It was good and it was bad and it was ugly. I learned a lot, but still I got fucked over. The first night I played with him, we did well, and I thought, "cool, maybe this is want I need". I mean, I hope, that I can still work with Sheldon and the guys sometime. But I know they're pissed. I...fuck.... with the other guys, Robbie and them, they were wanting to cancel the shows in South America that time, and I said "No way!" I just had to prove that I could do it on my own. I did it, I pulled it off.

You gotta understand, please, everybody would go home making money. What happened was, I got ripped off again. Being with Adam, I learned more business.

I want nothing to do with him! I was only with him for two weeks! He says one thing and does a goddamn other. His bass player was a great guy. Hard worker. Rossi, great guy, too!


Steven would claim Bomb had stolen stuff from him:

When we were supposed to go to Spain. My money, my merchandise, my cymbals and shit - were gone! And he was gone.


Steven would later talk about Metal Sludge:

It's a cruel gossip thing! It's the meanest thing, dude. People say, "Oh he lives his life through one record", like they're all above that or something. Or "Oh, if I had his success, I'd be doing a lot more than he does", well, maybe you should think about why you're not successful. I'm proud of what I've done!


And offer apologies to Sheldon and the previous band members:

I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I never wanted to get rid of you. It was ugly and I'm sorry.


And when the interviewer suggested this new sad chapter in Steven's career couldn't be good for his image:

My image? I still played great, everybody dug it! Like the first GNR convention, I didn't think I would be talkin'! The first five questions the guy asked me, "C'mon, are you nervous?". I said "Fuckin' A I'm nervous, get me a fuckin' drink!" In South America, I was by myself! I got the band together in five days! I used an Italian band in Italy. I played with six different bands. The Irish band was the best! They were fuckin' good!


And when the interviewer pointed out the band he used in the UK dressed as Guns N' Roses:

Dude, yeah, yeah…I told them, "Dude, just be yourselves!" It was freaky man! Being onstage we were playing and I'd look up - "Holy Shit!", 'cause, it kinda looked like 'em. Then we'd go backstage and the guys would take their wigs off, blew my mind! Scared the shit out of me! (laughs).


A couple of months later, Adam Bomb would talk about touring with Steven:

I told Izzy that I had to leave the tour because Adler was out of control and probably he wasn't able to reach Portugal. And he didn't.

I was fed up with struggling to keep the tour together while Adler decided to work against me. The spanish promoter via sms told me not to go to Spain because “this is Adler’s tour, not yours” so I dropped everything. Adler in Spain did 2 gigs out of 12 and cancelled the tour.


In reality, Steven managed to get four shows done in Spain before the tour ended on February 21.

Bomb would also claim there was a conflict between Steven and his family:

Adler is a mama’s boy, he used to call her from my mobile phone...screaming at her like a child. He thinks his mother & his brother want him dead so they can have his money...


Also in 2006, Gilby would invite Steven to come to Argentina to play with his band:

The year is 2006, Steven has a great opportunity to play a gig in Argentina. Gilby Clark who played with Guns & Roses at one time has his own band and invited Steven to join them on a So American tour. I hope all goes well, but Steven in on methadone and can’t go a day without it. By the way, methadone is legalized herein that the government dispenses at local clinics every day. As with heroine if you don’t take the methadone you are going to get very, very sick and it’s not a pretty sight. Steven had called me a few days into the tour and said he was fine and having a great time. I hung up the phone and said “thank God” but I thanked God too fast because the next day the band’s manager called to tell me he was sending Steven home. It seemed Steven took an overdose of methadone and was completely out of it. So they sent him home on the next flight to L.A. He screwed himself again. Does it ever end?
Dianna Adler's blog, June 13, 2012[/url]


Likely as a result of the chaotic tour in 2006 and Steven's overdose, an intervention would be held in 2006 to try to get Steven off drugs [Rolling Stone, August 9, 2007].


2007: PUTTING ADLER'S APPETITE BACK TOGETHER

In 2007, Steven would be touring with Adler's Appetite again with a new lineup, without Sheldon Tarsha:

And I got Kris [Kristy Majors] from Artists Worldwide [and PRETTY BOY FLOYD] playing rhythm guitar. Sheldon [Tarsha, vocals] is recording a new album and setting up his own tour, so he had to decline, and I wish him the best!


Tarsha, on the other hand, would suggest money was the reason he didn't rejoin Adler's Appetite:

Two weeks before Rocklahoma, Steven Adler and I spoke for almost an hour on the phone. He apologized profusely for derailing our European tour last year and PROMISED me that he was going to pay me out of his personal account 'if not $20,000 at least $10,000' to be in the band and do the upcoming tour with him. I postponed my show on July 13th that I had scheduled in San Diego with my band (TARSHA) to be available to play with Steven at Rocklahoma. I tried calling and texting him several times as the date approached. I got no call, no nothin'. He completely flaked on me and never called! It wasn't till a couple days ago that I called his brother Jamie. I told him and Steven's new manager that I'm not available to tour with Adler. They BEGGED me to 'at least play the Key Club show...' I told them, 'I'm sorry guys, I've been on the rollercoaster ride long enough. PLEASE find someone else.' They said 'We want you and only you,' blah blah blah... I texted them back the next day and told them I need $5,000 up front to do the tour. They immediately started in with 'We don't have that kind of money...We're not rich like u might think...' I told them that if I was gonna be involved, I need to know that Adler's Appetite is a serious band with plans for real success. They told me, 'I thought you said it's not about the money, which is it?' I told them it's about the commitment, not only to me and the fans, but the overall success of the project. I told them that if they don't plan on going all the way, I don't want to be involved.' They had no response.

[...]

I'm extremely focused right now with my new band Tarsha. [...] I wish Adler the best of luck and I hope all the fans I made touring with Adler's Appetite will check out my new music and support my new album.
Blabbermouth, July 26, 2007


Steven had also got Michael Thomas back in the band:

He's been great. I know what I did in Europe was the biggest mistake I ever made. I couldn't be sorrier. I owe those guys. They were there for me. But we're back, we feel great, and we're gonna kick some ass!


As usual, Steven was exuberant about the future touring:

[...] things are comin' together, just getting' ready for the 28th! There's Michael Thomas, Chip, and I got Ronnie Schneider back with me takin' care of the drums. Then the 31st we leave for Argentina. Then it's off to South America, Brazil, and Europe hopefully in September. Just hope to see all the great rock 'n' roll people!

We're gonna be busy working until pretty much Christmas, which I'm excited about. I love playing live, especially for people who love the music and appreciate it and show nothing but love to me and respect. I love it, and I give it all back.


But then in late 2007, Steven had to cancel the European tour because of "personal problems":

We sincerely apologize to all our friends and fans for the cancellation of this tour. Of course, Steven loves to play and meet his fans. Unfortunately, he has some personal issues that prevented him from participating. He was optimistic about doing the shows, but when it came down to it, he just couldn't. Steven's like a brother to us, and we just want to see him healthy. We're looking forward to making up these shows next year. Please forgive us, and thank you for your patience and understanding. Peace.
Adler's Appetite MySpace, November 2007[/url]


According to Blabbermouth, the band had to cancel a show in Mexico City on September 19, 2007, after Steven had collapsed on stage [Blabbermouth, November 24, 2007].


2009-2011: TOURING

After his extensive drug issues in 2008, Steven planned to tour the USA with Adler's Appetite in early 2009, playing Appetite for Destruction in its entirety [Blabbermouth, February 24, 2009].

It was something I've wanted to do for the last two years, but I was on drugs so I wasn't capable of doing any of these things. I got an opportunity to do "Celebrity Rehab" and I took it for everything it's worth and got everything I could out of it.


Discussing the lineup:

We've got seasoned veterans of the touring circuit of the world. I've got Michael Thomas (of Faster Pussycat) on guitar, Alex Grossi (of Quiet Riot) on guitar, a young guy named Tarsha [on vocals]. And of course I've got the famous Chip Z'Nuff (of Enuff Z'Nuff) holding the rhythm down. It's a great bunch of guys.




Adler's Appetite
Picture believed to be from 2009



While touring, Steven would be asked if they planned to release a full-length album of original material and reiterate this was the plan:

Absolutely! Next week, (First week in April 2009) once we finish this tour up, I am going to go home for a few days and just sleep. We have done 22 shows so I am going to sleep for a few days then I am going to have a couple meetings with Slash. I have been working with Slash. I am producing a record and playing on it of course, so that will be in a week or two that we finish with this (the final date on the tour).


And state that Slash would produce it:

[...] that is going to be my record, but I am going to play a song on Slash’s solo record too. So I will be doing some recording with him on that, but he is going to be producing my record.


Steven would also talk about wanting to have plenty of guest appearances on the album and that he was considering changing the name of the band to "Adler's G.N.R":

Of course, we want eight cover songs. With each song we do we want at least one person who played on the original version to play on my record. I am thinking about changing the name to “Adler’s G.N.R.” too, because you cannot copyright the letters. I am 1/5 of the band just like he (Axl Rose) is 1/5 of the band. At least I’m out there playing the songs people want to hear.


In April 2009 it was reported that singer Sheldon Tarsha had quit the band [Blabbermouth, April 13, 2009]. Tarsha would be replaced by Rick Stitch from Ladyjack just before the 2009 tour [Blabbermouth, April 16, 2009].

After the tour in 2009, Steven would excitedly post about it on his MySpace page:

Oh, man, this tour was great. Thank you so much to everybody that came out to see us, to everybody that hung around and had all those nice things to say… Man, we played places…we played a cornfield! Iowa! They flattened a cornfield out and put in a mini-carnival. They had a semi-trailer-truck and put a PA in it, and we played the show in a fucking cornfield! It was called “Cornstock”! So many great shows, great people…

[...]

Morale within the band is fabulous! Ricky did a great job! We lost him in Chicago, he went out with some chick and never came back to the bus so he had to catch another flight to make it home. He’s havin’ a great time and it was a great time. I love and thank each one of the guys; Alex, Michael, Chippy, they were all at the top of their game, totally professional. The people loved them, of course!

The audiences were fabulous! We put on such a big show, it’s an Arena show we put out! You go see bands at clubs and bars, you don’t usually see people chanting, singing along with every word with their hands and arms up in the air. Even if it’s just a hundred people, it looks like so much more with all the hands in the air ‘cause they all are so into it! I swear (the audience ages) were anywhere from six to sixty! I felt like a politician, I was taking pictures with babies! And girls, throughout the decades, you got better looking! I couldn’t believe it, but all I can say is so many people really loved our show and said it was better than when they saw what Axl was doin’. It’s crazy, but that’s the main thing I heard! So we’re workin’ on getting more goin’, there’s a few shows comin’ up that’s listed on here, and hey, I love you all, God bless, and thank you!


In early 2010, Steven would talk about a European tour to start in March [Metalkrant, January 16, 2010].

Talking about the new lineup:

This is definitely the best line up so far. I am happy to have such great players in my band. I am also talking to Mili of Steelheart about possibly doing some of the European dates with us. We will have to see how that unfolds.

I’ve been doing Adler’s Appetite for like the last eight years. There have been different people involved. Just like Guns ‘n’ Roses, we’ve played with other people throughout the years. This was a fun lineup that just clicked together. We have a new single out called “Alive.” “It’s Good To Be Alive” and it is good to be alive. If you buy the book, you can download the single for free. We debuted the single on The Howard Stern Show when we did the show. We play it live. Basically the live show … we open up with “Reckless Life” and we end with “Welcome to the Jungle.” So we do that and everything that’s in between.


A show in Iowa on September 5 was cancelled when "an over-excited fan jumped on [Steven following] the show [on September 3] and caused [him] to throw out [his] back", according to Steven's twitter [Blabbermouth, September 6, 2010].

This one girl, right after a show, I was walking to the bus and this one girl got so excited to see me that she jumped on me and pulled my back out. I had to miss like 10 shows because she hurt my back.


And the album-in-making:

We are working on several songs in the studio. It is our goal to have an album out later in the year. The first songs we have done kick ass!

We have some shows at The Whisky. We are going to do a video for this song first. We’re going to film it at The Whisky and at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, which is all right there. In the middle of September we are going to go back over to Anthony Focx’s studio, where we did the first single. We’ll have two weeks in L.A., so we’ll probably run through another five songs. We’ll put it out single by single. That’s the way the market is now. You put out a single, people will download a single. So we have this single that’s out. In about three or four weeks we’ll have a new single and we’ll go from there. We’re just belting them out and having a great time doing it.


During the European tour in 2011, on February 28, Duff would join the band onstage in London for the songs My Michelle and It's So Easy [Blabbermouth, February 28, 2011].



Steven and Duff
February 28, 2011



After the European tour, the band would tour the US in May-July [Big Wheel Magazine, May 2, 2011].

Being asked why he still played Guns N' Roses songs on tour:

Because those are my songs. My name’s on there. I had a part of writing those songs so I’m always gonna play ‘em. Out of all my musician friends I have, that have made records for the last 30 years, none of them listen to any of their music! I love my records! I still listen to my music! I asked Sebastian (Bach), you listen to Skid Row? He said, no! I asked Fred Coury, you ever listen to your Cinderella records? He goes, no! The only person who listens to their records that I know is Steven Tyler. He feels the same way. He goes, man I love my music! I always listen to it (laughs).



2011: LINEUP CHANGES

In early 2011 there were lineup problems in the band, again, with the singer, Rick Stitch, departing one the eve of the band recording their album to concentrate on his Los Angeles-based original project Ladyjack:

I think he went about it the wrong way, 'cause I didn't even find out that he quit the band from him, I found out from someone else. [...] Right now we're still going on with our tours. Our tour starts May 5. We have other singers that we've been talking to — even before he decided to quit, we were talking to other singers. And we wanna get more of a solid guitar player, 'cause the one that we hired for the European tour wasn't as solid as we thought. [...] And it's a shame that the singer we were working with decided not to work with us. Because we're going into the studio in the next three weeks, which he's gonna miss out on. And what he did to me personally I didn't appreciate. We were planning on him being in the band — that's why we did the recordings with him. So, basically, he wasted a lot of our time and a lot of our money. In fact, if he was gonna do it that way, we would have thrown him out a long time ago, we would have never used him. [...] I think he's an asshole for doing it to me, or doing it to us. But God bless him all the same. . . I haven't talked to him yet. That's the kind of person I'm dealing with. I found out that he was quitting the band because somebody told me he saw it on his Facebook. I had no idea. So you can take any story you want out of that, 'cause that's how it happened.


Before this, Alex Grossi, the band's guitarist had been replaced with Robo for the recent European tour [Metal Sludge, March 28, 2011]. Grossi had wanted to focus on his other band, Quiet Riot [Metal Sludge, March 28, 2011]. Robo also played in Ladyjack with Stitch and, as stated in the quote above, Steven intended to also replace Robo before the next tour [Metal Sludge, March 28, 2011]. So by late March 2011, Adler's Appetite was looking for both a new singer and a new guitarist.

I think we are going to have a little like 'American Idol'-type auditions.. Me, Chip [Z'nuff, bass] and [Michael Thomas, guitar] plus a few management people will judge you to be the next Adler's Appetite member! Who is in? Who wants a tryout? [You] must be qualified first.


In early May, the new lineup was settled:

Well we’ve now got Patrick Stone of Aces & Eights on vocals, we got Lonny Paul on rhythm guitar, and of course Chip Z'Nuff and Michael Thomas. Were gonna be doing stuff with the new singer, and or some special guests, there will be some special edition release, some rarities! Were looking forward to touring with the new lineup.


Talking about the new lineup:

[...] we gelled from the very first rehearsal. They brought something to the band. We all get along really great, and that's very important living on a tour bus in close quarters like this. We get along, and we're going to keep going. Knock on wood (laughs).

I'm really pleased with it. Everything has been going great between the rehearsals for this tour and the band. I have to say it's funner than ever. We're doing a couple GnR tunes we haven't done in the past and our new single that's just out on iTunes; we got a whole new show put together.


But in September, Chip Z'Nuff departed the band after Steven decided to form a new band:

I love Chip Z'Nuff like a brother and wish him the best in all his future endeavors. [...] Chip's departure was my decision due to the fact that I am working on an original band with [Adler's Appetite guitarist] Michael Thomas and Lonnie Johnson.


According to Steven, Adler's Appetite would still exist [Blabbermouth, September 29, 2011] so Steven planned to have two ongoing bands at the same time.


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Tue Aug 03, 2021 6:44 pm

AUGUST 2004
TOMMY LISTENS TO THE FINISHED RECORD

In August, Tommy checked in with (presumably) management to hear the record and give his two cents:

I'll probably be touring this record [=his solo record, Village Gorilla Head] up till the end of the year. Then I'm thinking the GNR record will be coming out real soon after that. Then I'll be touring behind that record. I'm anticipating being on the road for the next year and a half, two years.

[Chinese Democracy] is almost done. Closer than it has ever been, for certain. I went and listened to some of the songs before I left L.A. to make sure my two cents were thrown in, so to speak. I was pretty stoked about it. I heard some really, really great stuff that I hadn't heard in a long time.

Stylistically speaking, if I were to take a stab at it, it would probably be something more focused than Use Your Illusion. I think Use Your Illusion was going in a couple of other musical directions, but not fully realized. I think there were some limitations to where the band was maybe willing to go? That has been taken out of the mix. More focused, but also more diverse. I think the music on the new GN'R record will be a lot more complex, a little more far-reaching probably? As well as there will be some rock there that will be reminiscent of the older records. But for the most part, stylistically speaking, there's a lot more going on. And I would say lyrically, definitely there is a lot more going on than old Guns. There's a lot more introspection, a lot more social commentary involved.

It still exists. There's a record coming -- sooner rather than later -- and six or seven of the songs are earth-shattering. We'll be touring the world the beginning of the new year.

I would imagine they would start mastering it some time in October, November, somewhere in there. I just wanted to make sure I got my two cents in so I couldn't look back and go, 'Dudes, what's up?' And they go, 'Dude, where were you? You didn't say anything!' So I got my two cents in on it.

My two cents was very much like a cent and a half. It's like, all the stuff I heard was phenomenal. I didn't get a chance to listen to all of it, because I was pressed for time. But also I wanted to hear the things I hadn't heard yet. Some of the stuff had been done a while ago and hadn't changed much; I didn't really bother with that. But I wanted to hear all the new stuff and I heard about six things that I hadn't heard finished yet, that were really mind-blowing. A few of the songs are pretty epic in length, but that's always been GN'R's thing, hasn't it? I don't think it's a particularly long album, but I think the six I heard are pretty epic. I mean they are just... fucking huge, you know [laughs]. I think pretty much all of us in the band have some songwriting credits on just about everything. The undertaking was pretty much a large collaboration between eight people, even a couple others who aren't around anymore, but maybe started with pieces of the old band or whatever. But yeah, there is probably a lot to go around with that one

And, keep tuned in because I heard stuff before I left the States, some of the final mixes, or close to final mixes of a bunch of the stuff we've been working on for the record. They sounded epic to me, they sounded fantastic and I'm waiting as patiently as everyone else to make it happen. Honestly, it's gotta be right and when it comes out, it's gonna be at least as right as it is in our eyes.

So, it's definitely very close to being done and when it comes out we're just gonna have to hit the road and do the whole world and have fun with it. I'm just telling you that it's definitely gonna come out.

There's some really beautiful pieces, some really hard pieces, there's some real fucking, you know, somewhat self indulgent creative pieces that people are either gonna love or hate. But they're fucking there because, as an artist that's how you fucking have to make records you know.

I went and listened to it before I came out on the road, just so I could get my two cents in because I'm probably going to be gone when it comes out. [...] [I will be on tour at] least when they finish it up and send it off to mastering. So I had to go put my ear to it. [...] This is [as close as it has been to mastering]. It's coming in for a landing. The landing pad is near.

Just before I came out on this trip, about a month and a half ago, I heard some final mixes. There were about six things that I hadn’t heard yet that were done and sounding epic. And I have a hard-core view of music, but I heard some great stuff. So it’ll be going to mastering and ready very soon.


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:08 pm

AXL TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW BANDMATES

Axl would typically praise his new band mates in interviews, occasionally contrasting them with members from previous lineups:

And they’re really – they’re just characters. [...]They’re all very opinionated individuals.

They are amazingly supportive and do their best to keep me in up spirits and focused which I had less and less of in Guns way before Sweet Child caught on. If that were to change then that may be something to look at. I hope for us to grow more together as we continue so who knows.

No one ever talked about or suggested using another name. The guys are really respectful in regard to the old band and I’m not sure if they’ve said a paragraph apiece in all the years towards or about the old band whether I’m talking about whatever or not. But from being with me for so long they know a lot of it’s shit so they get bummed at the endless interviews and nonsense. Personally I’m so proud of them I wouldn’t know how to express it. I can’t see me handing something like this as they have with so much class and maturity especially being shit on publicly to such a degree. “Hey join my band, bring an umbrella!!”

The heart and commitment these guys play the material with is much more than the others were prepared to give pursuing their own interests for a very long time.

The members that are with us on this tour are the best. Especially guitarist DJ Ashba, who was in the opening band for Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne's festival and has been on the Marilyn Manson tour. He will switch between about 10 different guitars during the shows on this tour.

They have my back, as friends and caring about everyone's well-being and livelihood, not just their own careers. I feel good about their creativity. This lineup has been coming together more and more.


Jokingly:

The relationships in this band is based on faith and trust. They don’t have faith in me and I don’t trust them for s***.
Onstage in Saskatoon (via The Star Phoenix), January 19, 2010


But Axl would also say he was missing the support and camaraderie he had with Slash and Izzy in the time before the release of Appetite and that he didn't have that same kind of relationship with his new band mates:

Here's what I miss about old Guns the most. And this is really before we got Appetite out. In the very beginning, you had three people (Rose, Slash and guitarist Izzy Stradlin) on the same page for a short period looking out for the best interest of that band and its goals. We were trying to get signed from the beginning. We were figuring out the right attorney, the right label. I had two other guys I could rely on. I don't necessarily have that now because it is more my thing, but I do ask everyone's opinion about everything.


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Sun Jan 22, 2023 8:35 am

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2004
BRAIN TOURS WITH TOM WAITS

Brain had recorded with Tom Waits previously before joining Guns N' Roses [see earlier chapter] and when Real Gone was released in October 2004, Brain would tour with Waits in Europe.

Brain would explain that this was at a time when Axl "didn't do anything for two years":

Tom happened somewhere before Primus, and then post after Primus, in between when Axl didn't do anything for two years. I went out with like Real Gone.

[...] I guess, towards the end it started to get a little ridiculous because, you know, that's when I start when I came out of the recording and I just started like hanging out again. And I think what happened was I did the recording and then Tom Waits asked me to play on that Real Gone album and so I went back up north for about three months and recorded with Tom and then Guns wasn't doing anything and then Tom said, "You want to go on tour?" and I was like, "Yeah, okay, I'll go on tour." And that's when we were in Europe a lot with Tom and a lot of those fans, you know, their fanatical, they would come to the show and they would know that I was in Guns and they would kind of like, you know, be like, "What the hell is going on, you guys?" and I started to think like, "What is going on? This is ridiculous," you know.


And that this happened after the riot in Philadelphia in December 2002:

So I went out with Tom Waits for like two years. And did his Real Gone album, it was that period.


Talking about bringing a large wheel on the tour:

We rehearsed at the place where we recorded the album. Then on the last day, everybody was packing up and getting ready to go. On one song we had used this old wagon wheel. It’s about five feet across, rusted as it can be – orange. We’re hitting it and I’m sampling it. So Tom walks in and says, “Well, umm…we’ve got to take that.” Everybody’s looking around, like, “We’re going to take this thing to Europe?” So they expedited a custom case and shipped the wheel to Europe. It was insane, but he was like, “What do you mean? That’s the sound; we bring it.”

Dude, when we did the Real Gone tour there was a wheel, a cart wheel, like a metal - I guess from an old like carriage -  that is part of the sound, it makes like just one tone. It just goes "ping!" It literally was probably about 5 by 5 feet circle, you know, just like a circle and probably about 5 inches thick, but we would hang it and we'd hit it and do that thing. We built a road case to fly that thing out to Europe and I remember going up to the tour manager and going, "Dude, Tom wants to bring this," and he was flipped out of his mind because- [...] Yeah, once and like literally just go "ping!" in one song. And the case I think was like $7000 and it was like $15,000 of shipping. And it was some of the most awkward piece. [laughing] And he was like, "No, I want to bring it and it's got a flight," - [...] I mean, it was just so rad. I'm just like, it doesn't get any better than this, right?


Brain would also contrast playing with Waits and playing with Guns N' Roses:

Well, the tour went like that, yeah. I mean, I got a story for the tour. I think we're in Berlin and I think we did a sound check for six hours, like a six hour sound check. Went through songs I had never heard, just, you know, whatever. Or, "Here's a song I wanna try, remember the gig last night, you know, we fucked up some shit, let's practice this." Whatever. We're just doing a 6 hour sound check. Got all the songs we're going to do for the set or what we're, you know, for the last set, we just played down, totally got it all down. It feels great, you know, gonna play this great two hour show. Go to the dressing room and Kathleen, his wife, brings down the set list. Not one of the songs that we rehearsed for the six hours is on there, and I don't know about seven of them. So I start to get kind of a panic attack and going like, "What the?" like, "There's nothing on here we rehearsed, we didn't do anything." You know what I mean? I go running up there, I'm knocking on the door. Tom's getting ready. So Kathleen opens. You know, I'm just like, "I don't know like seven of these songs, I've never heard them. Don't even know what they are," and Tom, you know, I could just hear him in the background going, "That's fine. Don't worry about it." And we go out, we play, and it was awesome. I don't know how it was awesome. I don't even know what some of the songs were. It's just that's how... you know what I mean? It was like we did all that rehearsing to be a band. Then it doesn't matter, when the show starts it's like he just would call something off or he'd start, Mark Robo would just start the song because he knew them, or he didn't, or he just saw the chart, or he just.... A lot of the times I asked Larry, the bass player, and he says, "I just watched Tom's hands. I'm just behind him on the, you know, upright and I just, I know he's going to C, to F, to D flat, to whatever, and you just kind of follows it and it just kind of goes and he flows and I just get some brushes and..." As long as Tom is up there playing piano, it doesn't mean nobody else really cared if I was there. I think that's really what I got at the end, you know? I mean, that's kind of the the way it was. It was just, you know, it was about just vibe, I think, you know. There was like kind of opposite of Guns N' Roses, you know. Guns N' Roses was like, let's rehearse Welcome To the Jungle seven million times. You know, and that fill wasn't exactly the same. And I'm not dissing Guns.


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24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES? - Page 2 Empty Re: 24. NOVEMBER 2002-APRIL 2004: THE TOUR BREAKS DOWN, THE END OF GUNS N' ROSES?

Post by Soulmonster Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:56 am

DIZZY, BUMBLEFOOT, DJ, CHRIS, BRAIN, AND FRANK TALKING ABOUT AXL

DIZZY

[Axl is] one of the most thoughtful people I know. He's one of the smartest, too. Musically, he's close to being a genius, if he isn't one. He can take any idea and once he adds his thing to it, it turns into magic. I love the guy.

I think he's one of the coolest, most giving, warmest people I've ever met. Sure he's temperamental, but he's a good friend. Seriously though, he's a good guy.

Axl is great. He is wonderful. He is the reason that I still do this. You know the new band that we have now is in my opinion the best band that I have ever been in absolutely!

The guy works his butt off constantly. I don’t know if that ever gets represented. He’s had so much to do with the success of the band over the years. Perhaps he doesn’t make himself as visible as other people that have been in the band. Therefore, he doesn’t get attached to what was, what has been and what will be the success of the band when he probably has more to do with it than a lot of people outside of the raw riffs and guitar talent that he’s surrounded himself with. I think that might be one thing – the main thing.

I love Axl. He's a great person. He gets bashed a lot in the press, but he's a great cat and he's amazingly talented. And he's really funny, that's something I don't think people realize. A lot of times he'll greet you with a joke, and it's a good joke, not something your grandpa would tell you.

He's one of a kind, man. Always has been, always will be.

He’s a good friend, and he’s pretty funny, man. A lot of times before we go onstage, he’ll tell us a joke he just heard or something that he read that was really funny, then it’s like, ‘OK, let’s go play.’

He’s a great, great man. He’s done a lot for me and my family and for so many other people. And people don’t know that about him. And you know what? He’s always got some great jokes, man.

He's been a great influence on me. He's the person who gave me this opportunity and I'll always be thankful or that. When we do hang out, it's always fun. He's a very funny guy, good with quips and his level of musicianship is high. He sets the bar pretty high and over the years it's made me a lot better at doing what I do. In that regard, he's made me a better person as well. We've had ups and downs, but he's always come out and delivered and that's a very tough thing to do when you're fronting a band like this.

In a lot of ways, yes [Axl] is a perfectionist. If he has a song, he’s going to turn it inside and out and sideways. He’s not by any means a tyrant as the media says he is. He is a lot of fun to work with and I learned so much from him as well. He pushes himself to the brink all the time. If only people realized how hard he works before and after the show and in the studio. I have an incredible amount of respect for him and it makes me better and push myself harder.

And he's a good friend, he's like a brother and a mentor and a lot of other things. So I love him and yeah, that's how I feel about him. That's my perception.


And discussing how media treats him:

Its ridiculously unfair. Its just total creation of the media. For some reason, when the media turns on someone, they just let him have it and its completely unfair. The thing is, a lot of it happened when he kind of disappeared for a long time. So he wasn't around. Rolling Stone put out a whole article based on interviews of people that... well they put him on a cover and never spoke to him at all about anything to sell their fucking magazine. They basically just collected a whole bunch of negative comments. You could go around with you or me or anyone in this room and talk to people that they've known their whole lives and say, "Come on, give me some dirt," and there'd be something and then you could write a fucking article about it and make them look like shit, and it would all be factual. They just did it to sell their fucking magazine. That's so fucked up. So its all bullshit.

Unfortunately, in the world we’re living in – especially today – negativity sells. That’s all people want to know about. When you make it to the top of the heap, everybody wants to knock you off. Things have always been like that. The more a person fights that, then the more it gets thrown back at them. If you took anybody and just presented all the negative things about them – a lot of them untrue or exaggerated – then you’re not going to think too highly of that person. So there’s misconceptions, definitely.


Dizzy would argue that the impression people get from Axl through media is heavily distorted, and when asked by a fan why Axl is the way he is, Dizzy would reply:

He's not the way he is.



BUMBLEFOOT

It's a fucking pleasure. He's a wonderful guy, we have a great time on and off stage.

I don’t know if I can ever be as pro, I mean the things that he can do; I wouldn’t last 5 minutes in his shoes. For 2 and a half hours of entertaining the fuck out of people, and the energy that guy has, I don’t have a tenth of it. I don’t know how the hell he does it, it amazes me, and just to watch him do his thing is like, it’s some good shit.

The Axl I know is a thoughtful, caring, fun person. He really is.

Axl's a friend, always havin' a great time on and off the road. People have so many assumptions, people always want to think the worst. They don't want truth, they want entertainment. I can talk 'til I'm blue in the face about how I was brought into GNR to be myself, and that's what I do, I do my thing, I speak my own words, no puppeteer with a hand in my back, yet anything I say and do there are those who respond with "oh, he *has* to say that", haha. Ya can't win, haha. I've been completely creative in GNR. In my solo band, where I write everything, play everything, sing everything, sure I have more to add, but that's because it's a solo effort, not a band. GNR is a band, where everybody does what they do, together. I gotta say, it's been a fuckking blast.

Axl has a vision of work in which I believe. Part of it is to let your bandmates being themselves, creatives and doing what they have in mind. It's great!

We’ve had plenty of fun times, some tough times in the trenches, but it’s all good.

He’s a human being and he has a big heart. The press doesn’t give him the same consideration that they would some other people. You know, they try to hold him to a different standard, where he’s always supposed to be happy and smiling, nothing should ever be wrong and he’s always supposed to be in a good mood and do the right thing and that’s stupid. It’s bullshit. It perpetuates a lot of negativity and incites a lot of negativity that isn’t deserved. He’s dealt with a lot of that. I had a great, great time working with him. Is everything perfect? No. I’ve probably pissed him off more than the other way around, but he’s just a human being.


And commenting upon all the stories about him:

It makes me laugh. But people don’t want the truth. They want to be entertained. They invent things, or they embellish. Anything to feed the fire. Some of them are definitely trying live vicariously.

I find that people that don't know him are the ones that have all these crazy ideas about him. The people that do know him have a lot of good things to say about him. He's got some really nice friends who have become my friends. I've crossed the line from people that don't know him to one who does, and I don't know what people know or don't know anymore. I do know that there's a lot of wrong information about him out there. It kind of bums me out to see and read things that I know are totally bullshit.

He's definitely an intense guy, that's all: he's pretty normal.  I do have to say that the singers I've worked with in the past make Axl look like a little kitten.

I know that people hear a lot of stories about him, but for me everything is fine.  When it comes to negotiating, everything is very simple.
Vuelta en U (Costa Rica), May 2, 2010; translated from Spanish

[...] he is a very easy target to blame by the press for anything because he is not giving interviews, he is not there. So if you are not going to speak for yourself and do not defend yourself, people would just run with anything. You know people have so many things to say about him although they didn’t actually meet him. But you will notice that anybody who had actually met him will say the same thing: he was great, he was very social, he was very hospitable, he was making you feel very comfortable, he is very generous, he was a lot of fun, he was full of stories, he did a lot of laughing, he always stops to sign anything and for taking pictures with anyone. So there are the people, that don’t know him and make up a lot of stories and there are the people that do know him and they all have nice things to say. [...] The thing is that Axl is not allowed to be human, because everybody has him under a microscope and everybody is waiting for something that they can jump on, they entertain themselves in his name. So if he doesn’t smile on a photo people start making up stories “Oh he must be angry about this and about that”. But that happens. That happens to anybody that has a celebrity myth about them. People will just invent things to entertain themselves. And most of the time Axl doesn’t bother with it I guess. He just wants to have a good time.


And on whether that is said about him isn't true:

Almost everything. [laughs] Don't believe in half of what you read and doubt the other half. People don't want the truth, but instead they want to be entertained. They believe and repeat whatever entertaining history, even on people's name. Don't believe unless you had seen it with your own eyes.


Being asked if Axl is as moody as believed:

I’ve had a lot of fun times hangin’ with Axl over the years, I’d rather recall people at their best, not their worst. Actually I can be pretty fucking moody…


And in 2011:

We have some good moments, there are some other times where we disagree and there are even times we get sick and tired of each other. I should note that I get sick and tired of him more often than he does of me. That being said, people always look at everything he does and they exaggerate. You know, some people just love digging up dirt.

I have to say that in my life the most sane, most stable, secure and everything has been Axl. There has been no other singer that I have ever worked with in my fucking life that cares as much and that gives as much and that kicks as much ass on a stage and that works as hard as that guy.

He's got a great sense of humor. A real ball-buster. Sometimes he'll tell jokes into our in-ear monitors while we're tryin' to take a solo, he's fucked me up a few times, haha...


2013:

I think that, a lot of times, if he’s late on stage or if he’s not going to show up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or if an album is taking too long to come out – that kind of stuff – I think a lot of times people think it’s because he doesn’t care about his fans. They just take it that way. But the truth is I think, from what I see, he cares so much that it almost gets in the way. I would say he cares too much. That’s what people don’t realize about him. They take it the wrong way. They think that if he’s stalling on something that it’s that he doesn’t care but it’s actually because he cares so much that he’s so concerned about doing the wrong thing. He’s trying to feel out what the right thing is to do. That’s one thing I noticed about him: that he cares maybe too much. That’s my perspective if I were to put it into my own words.

He's like no one I've ever known, a unique spirit & energy. It's a pleasure making music with him, a lot of good times.

Axl actually has a great sense of humour. He tells the corniest jokes. I’ll be in the midst of playing a solo, and he’ll crack jokes into my in-ear monitors. Jokes aside, he makes you feel very welcomed when you’re hanging out with him and he’s always telling stories and making everyone feel like friends.

I don't think you can describe that guy in one word; he runs so deep. Yeah, he's not a one-word thing. [Axl] absolutely is [a cool guy]. He's very fun and welcoming and a wonderful host when you're hanging out with him and just loves to see everybody enjoy themselves and makes everybody feels comfortable. Unless you don't treat him like a person, and then he's gonna respond like a person that's not been treated like a person.

That's the thing about him — he doesn't act like a celebrity, he acts like a person. And if you treat him like a normal person, you'll have a great time, like you would with anybody. But if you treat him like he's not human, then, yeah, [it's like it is with] anybody — your guard goes up, because it's just not natural and it's not normal and you don't see yourself that way. You just see yourself as human; the same person that you were born as.

Axl is a person. Only difference is that if you get frustrated for a moment, it doesn't end up on YouTube as entertainment and your legacy forever... lol. He likes to have fun, and I've seen plenty of that Smile

On stage, he gives all he's got, and is always cracking jokes in the monitors trying to make me laugh & screw up my solos, often succeeding, LOL!

Oh, I will tell you one thing, the guy, no matter what, he delivers 1000%. He makes sure no matter what that he can give it all he's got.



DJ

The thing people don't know really about [GUNS singer] Axl [Rose]... I think everybody has a preconceived notion of who he is or what he is, and it's just funny to sit back and listen to what people really think of him, because he's actually the nicest... one of the nicest guys I've met. I think it's one of those things when you get to that level, when you get that big that quick and for that long, I think it's like anybody — Britney Spears, Michael Jackson — when you get to that level, the media just loves to tear people down, no matter what you do, and it's unfortunate. The bottom line is he's done more for this industry of music than most, and [more than they could] ever could ever dream of.

I didn't know what to expect, really. [...] All I heard was different things from different people, and I met him like 10 years ago when Sharon Osbourne introduced me to him. They were in doing 'Chinese [Democracy]' and I was doing the Beautiful Creatures album right next door. He was the nicest guy. [But] you hear all the rumors, you see what you see. [...] I was shocked mostly because he is quite the opposite of what you hear. He is one of the best friends I've ever had, we talk every single day. And he is the funniest guy; the guy is funny as s--- and always cracking jokes. He's quite the opposite of what people I think want him to be, that ass----.

I know Axl tends to get a bad rap because people believe what the media force feeds them and they believe what they wanna believe. ‘Cause I think when anybody gets that big, it’s the media’s job, they feel, if we don’t tear ‘em down then we’re not doing our jobs. The media loves to build people up just to tear ‘em down. I’ll never get that because if you actually sit down and get to know Axl, he is very intelligent, very talented, and probably one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met in my life. He’s constantly cracking jokes left and right; he’s really just a good-hearted person.

He’s like anybody else; the thing I like about Axl is he’s the real deal. He gives you the option—you can either be his friend or fuck him over. So I think he’s like anybody only he doesn’t pussyfoot around the subject. If you do him wrong, he’s gonna call you out on it. But he gives everybody the opportunity to be cool; he treats you like you treat him. He’s just a cool fuckin’ guy and I can’t really say enough nice things about him.

He's just a genius when it comes down to music and I just cannot wait to sit down with an acoustic guitar and just write. He's just got this gift that's very, very rare.

Axl is one of those people who would give you the shirt off his back. And he's also one of the funniest guys I know. I always tell him, ‘It's a good thing this music thing worked out, but if it didn't you should've been a comedian.' [...] The guy is hilarious. He just cracks me up. We're always sending each other the funniest jokes back and forth.

I can only speak from personal experiences, but he's been nothing but amazing. I hear all the opinions and blah blah blah, but the guy treats me like gold. He's been nothing but an amazing friend and loyal and honest. I couldn't ask for anything more when it comes down to that.

The one thing people don’t realize about Axl is he is probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life. We’re constantly texting each other just the funniest shit. You’d never probably look at him and go, ‘Wow, he’s a funny guy,’ but he actually is.

When I’m hanging out with Axl, I don’t see the guy from Appetite. I see him as my friend. [...] Axl and I have become super close since I’ve been in the band and he’s just awesome. He’s one of the funniest guys I know. He’s constantly cracking jokes and that’s what sad about it... I can only speak for me and what I know, but I see all the negative shit and it bums me out. That’s not the guy I know. He treats me like gold and he’s a great great human being. He’s seriously one of the most talented individuals out there. It’s an honor to be in the band and I don’t have to say that. If he wasn’t, I would NOT be playing in this band.

He’s a f’n prick! haha! nah I’m only joking!

He’s actually very misunderstood by the media and people who don’t know him. People like to assume shit, now granted I can only speak for me, but truth is he is one of the funniest and coolest motherf%$#ers out there. I would take a bullet for him.

Axl is awesome; he is one of the last true Rock stars, and one of the world's greatest Rock and Roll singers. It's a pleasure to share the stage with him.

I think a lot of people and the press try to blow it up and say he's an asshole but everyone can be an asshole if you get them on the wrong day. One thing people don't seem to get is that he's genuinely funny and he's always joking around and telling stories to make people laugh. I always say that if he wasn't a musician he'd be a great comedian. I wish the world could see that side of him because it's the opposite of what people have branded in their brains.

Axl is in a position where he doesn't have to be cool with the band but he treats us like gold. He lets us write our own solos and gives everybody their time to shine on stage and I think that says a lot about who he is. He has no problem sharing the spotlight, in fact he quite likes it - otherwise he'd be doing this interview and not me.

[...]  I have so much respect for [Axl] and vice versa and it's just really cool to share the stage with, you know, one of the last living legends out there, you know. He is, you know, just insane every night, he's on 10 for the two to three hours around stage, it's just high energy, and I'm just, you know, very blessed to be able to share the stage with not only him but some of the most talented musicians out there [?].

I've obviously played with a lot of bands out there and the one thing that impresses me so much about playing with somebody like Axl is there's not one of these songs that's easy to sing and this guy goes out and not only runs for three hours on stage full blast singing these songs, he does it night after night which is it's just mind-blowing to me. I don't know how he does it. I could never... you know, it's pretty insane. It's one thing to play guitar for three hours but it's another one to be singing these songs, you know. It's pretty insane. [...]  and then the greatest thing is he's old-school, you know, he doesn't believe in playing, you know, having... you know, everything you hear, he is singing, and there's no, you know, there's no lip-syncing to Guns N' Roses, it's the real deal. It's raw, you know, and it's just... you know, I just have so much respect for that, so....

[...] he’s one of the last living legend singers. Working with him in real life is the exact opposite of everything the media says about him. He’s one of the nicest guys out there and one of my closest friends in the industry. We just had a band barbecue and Axl was telling jokes and being funny, which is different than anything you hear about him. I don’t have one negative thing to say about him.

You know, it kind of bums me out too because if people don't get to see... I wish they got to see the real side of him because he's actually, you know, a really nice guy and he's always, you know, he treats the band like gold and buys everybody gifts and, I mean, he's just a good, good guy and it's kind of mind-blowing that people have this big [?] conception of who he really is.

I remember the first time we walked on stage I had been in rehearsals and the first time we actually played together was in front of like 60 thousand people and I remember [Axl] walking on stage. You have to catch yourself cause you realize FUCK – I grew up listening to him. It’s just a real honor to know him. He’s not the guy the press wants to make him out to be.  From my perspective he’s always been a good friend to me. It’s been nothing but an awesome blast in this band.

At the time, I never dreamt that Axl would know who I was or even knew I existed. But he's a very intelligent guy and he knows everything that's going on in the music industry. He knows pretty much who all the hip people are coming up. He knew more about my career than I… I had forgotten about some of the things I did. That's what impressed me about him. He was really very smart and really up on the game.


Adding to Richard saying that former band members take advantage from the fact that Axl doesn't defend himself publicly:

It's easier to get into a fight when you know the other guy isn't going to swing hack.



CHRIS

I've always been fortunate to have great people to work with and they have the same determination not to repeat the past but to follow their own curiosity.

Axl Rose is a wonderful example of this, always looking for new boundaries to push and at the same time being well prepared for the consequences. Especially since he finds himself under this microscope driven by the market and the media, some of it harsh criticism. It's about how you feel about your work, nobody can understand what that means.

Oh yeah, he's a very special guy. Just one of a kind, you know, no artists like him. And when I just met him and worked with him at first, you know, you don't know how you're gonna work together, but he was very convicted. Everything he does is all about his music or his art and when you see someone convicted, very convicted, with their art you want to be with it, you know. You wanna-



BRAIN

[Axl’s] always treated me really good. Even when I left and Frank [Ferrer, current GN’R drummer, pictured above] took over because I was having a kid, they were pretty accommodating. I think Axl was a little freaked out with another drummer coming in but I did it, he let me do it and it was kind of my decision not to come back because I was getting into other stuff like producing and film soundtracks. [...] He’s always been good with me. I know he’s got his reputation and I’ve seen it and that’s what makes him Axl Rose. He’s running the whole ship. He’s got a lot of pressure and there’s a lot of freaks trying to take s*** from him.

But, you know, to this day I've never had any bad, you know... I know that probably the other guys in the original band will probably have, you know... I don't know what they would say. But he was always good to me and it was always like, you know, anytime I was hanging with him or whatever, it was all good, you know, there was no weirdness with that.

I'd say that's a super talent. [...] What he does on stage... yeah, you can't fuck with that.



FRANK

Actually, [Axl]'s super friendly, super loyal to the band members. We've been texting, you know, this whole DJ thing [=after DJ announced he was quitting the band], so we've been texting back and forth and everything's cool, he's cool, he loves DJ, everything's cool, you know. He's in a good spot right now so hopefully you will hear some good news soon.

He's great, he treated me like a band member from day one. He just wants to hear that 2/4 groove so he can move his ass. He's not a regular dude, super private, focused and wants everything to be really really good every night. He has tremendous trust in the band, we have insight into what he wants. I think I'm in the band because I have that sensitivity toward what Axl needs.
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