I Wish I Could Attend a GnR Listening Party...
Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 12:01AM
Guns n' Roses are throwing free Chinese Democracy listening parties in big cities all over the country. Places like New York City, Chicago and Detroit all get parties. I get squat.
During the listening party, fans will get to hear Chinese Democracy for the "first" time. Naturally, you can't have any electronic devices while attending the party - but still - I can do wonders with a pen and notepad.
As we all know, Chinese Democracy is set to finally release November 23 through Best Buy. The thing about the listening parties is not that you get to hear the music. It's that you are experiencing a special moment with a bunch of other people. In a lot of ways, the release of Chinese Democracy encompasses the entire zeitgeist of a generation. The kids who grew up on Appetite for Destruction now have jobs - and their own families. While Appetite was dangerous, ChiDem is a bit of mystery which will likely fail to live up to the impossible hype. For some, hearing new Guns n' Roses music in over a decade in a room full of strangers is a bit like reliving the past. In a sense, Axl Rose's over-litigious ways have kept us all from illegally downloading Chinese Democracy in our homes. Sure, plenty of you have ripped off the band and the labels, but others have stood strong. The ones that have stood strong - like me - would like a shot at hearing the album before the release date. This is the beauty of the listening party. Sure, people make fun of Axl's attorneys and their cease and desist letters - but consider this: in a time when most of us only relate to family and friends through machines and other tech toys, Axl Rose has forced humans to come together once again (face-to-face no less!) to listen to music. You know, the way it was back in the 1980s.
Since I don't live in a big city, I'll just wait until release day to get my hands on Chinese Democracy. In the meantime, let me know if you're going to one of these listening parties. I'd like to hear about your experience.
Reader Comments (16)
That was some insightful writing that hit my feelings right on the head, because for some reason, I'm not on the hunt for leaks of Chinese Democracy. I want to wait and though it contradicts what I said in my last comment (on liner notes, album art etc..), I'm very much looking forward to traveling in my car, buying the CD (first one since Crue's SOLA) and popping it the Cd player and listening at maximum volume on the drive home.
Axl has a way about his business that can get annoying and sometimes disappoints, but without a doubt there is some major anticipation from this particular metal head.
Still cant bring myself to call it GnR tho - but thats me.
But i'll definitely be buying it off amazon, or i-tunes as soon as it comes out.
I thought the release date was the 25th of november?
I think the closest listening party to me is Atlanta, which is still a 5 hour drive. Its too bad because I would probably go. I'm naturally curious about the album and even though I'm sure it isn't going to live up to my expectations, I'm looking forward to at least hearing it. I hope everyone who goes has a great time!
2. As for a GnR listening party, I'm done with Axl Rose. His psychotic behavior over the years has convinced me that as a fan, personality of a band member *does* matter, and is a small reflection of his/her music. Personally, I never thought he was the brains behind GnR, and as history has shown, he isn't/wasn't. This record is not a GnR record. it's an Axl Rose record. And if you're lookin for some experimental, industrial, angry [insert genre that he might fit into, cause it isn't rock/metal] in my book, then it's probly something worth listening to. But, I'm looking for a certain sound, and it doesn't exist in his world anymore. Damn shame, too!