Would Guns n' Roses Reunite?
Monday, February 4, 2008 at 12:01AM With all the rumors swirling about reunions and special performances in advance of the 2008 Rocklahoma line-up announcement, I couldn't help but wonder about Guns n' Roses.
Now, I know as well as everyone else that the original Guns n' Roses won't be reuniting anytime soon, let alone for Rocklahoma. My question is this: if the Guns n' Roses we all know and love was still together, would the band headline the Glam festival?
I'm not sure Axl Rose would go for Rocklahoma. In the band's hey day, Guns n' Roses played festivals in South America in front of about a 100,000 people. The stage shows were big, and according to Slash, somewhat overdone.
Can you imagine if Axl Rose came out of hiding tomorrow and decided to reconcile with Slash, Izzy Stradlin, and Duff McKagan? So many years removed from the Use Your Illusion records, I still believe music reporters would go nuts.
You'll notice I didn't name a drummer in the previous paragraph. I think that would be another sticking point: who would play skins in the reunited Guns n' Roses? Steven Adler made himself a Rocklahoma fixture last year. He's also the most seemingly interested in a reunion. We all know Matt Sorum replaced Adler after drugs got in the way of the music. While Sorum played on the records after Lies (save one song during the Use Your Illusions sessions), I think many fans would prefer to see Adler behind the kit. Of course, Sorum is the drummer for Velvet Revolver which also features Slash and Duff McKagan. That relationship could possibly deter an "all original" line-up reunion.
Here's the other thing. What if Axl, Slash, Duff, Izzy, and Steven all reunited? Would they play Appetite for Destruction in its entirety, or would the band also dabble in songs from Lies and the Use Your Illusion records?
Of course, Axl's mood must always be considered. Would he run out on the Rocklahoma stage and act like he still has an album in the top spot of the Billboard charts, or would he somehow be humbled at the opportunity to perform again for the very fans who have sustained him - and his mansion - for all these years?
2008 could very well be the year of Chinese Democracy, but I don't think we'll ever see that album officially released. Most tracks have leaked on the Internet in one form or another. If Axl wanted the album out, we'd all have it on our iPods by now.
I think a reunion is also in Axl's court. Discuss.
Reader Comments (24)
Axl can still get the audiences when he goes on tour and in the staduiums too, in contrast with Velvet Revolver who I saw several years ago at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena, but who this year will be playing universities and venues like the Birmingham Academy holding 3000. That's assuming they're able to tour and Scott isn't in jail for DUI. VR were an hour late on stage when I saw them, by the way, which has made me rather sceptical of claims from Slash and Duff that it was always Axl delaying the start of performances.
Frankly, whatever you think of the guy, Axl doesn't need the others to sell tickets. Much as I love them, it's Slash, Duff and Matt who need him more - especially with the STP reunion coming up. Is Scott going to bail on VR and leave them without a singer again? Not that I rate Weiland as a front man in any case, he doesn't strike me as having the required charisma, and when I did see them live his 'Sid Vicious wannabe' act was a bit pathetic.
Axl barely plays any Illusion songs now. Why he needs 2 drummers, 3 guitarists and keys to reproduce appetite for destruction is beyond me.
And the new songs were all incredibly boring.
I'd love to see the original Guns line-up... But I don't believe it would ever happen..
Anyway, I think even if they will reunite they wouldn't enjoy Rocklahoma... In '87 they've probably wouldn't too... Axl never liked calling him and the band Glam in any way.
Although Slash took part in Sam Kinison's Wild Thing video with other Glam artists....
Rob Rockitt
Hard Rock Hideout
http://www.hardrockhideout.com
And, I think Velvet Revolver is boring. I excitedly bought their CD's and only listened to them a few times. They are now collecting dust. I agree that VR should have picked Baz to front the band. Slash writes in his book that he is surprised that Baz has been dissing him lately.
That having been said, I don't see them inviting Steven back in. It'd be Matt. Steven's had too many problems in the past few years and throughout his life and is just too unreliable. Plus he wouldn't want to play UYI material, which the rest of the guys surely would.
Lastly, I don't see them agreeing to do this or any future iteration of Rocklahoma. The band members of GNR really hated the whole glam and hair scene and tried to rebel against it. They wouldn't want to be lumped into that even today. And why would they play Rocklahoma when they could draw that many folks on their own and get paid more money doing it?
-VN
If a reunion does happen I suspect it would be Matt on the drums as well Adler is still too unreliable and has all sorts of problems. The Adler's Appetite UK and European tour was cancelled last year on the day of the first gig when most of the band was in the UK and Steven was reportedly on a bender somewhere in LA. Until he can get himself completely straightened out I just can't see him being invited to take part in a reunion (assuming one ever happens).
The line up of everyone bar Steven was the first one I saw of GNR - back in 1993 when Gilby had broken his hand and they called on Izzy at the last minute to fill in. I've got a bootleg copy of the concert at Milton Keynes I went to and it was one of the best concert experiences of my life, even 15 years on (15 years? Eek!)
God Bless Rocklahoma, it's a great idea and I'd love to get out there someday, but it *is* mostly a nostalgia-fest and I don't see GNR having any interest to play with some many bands that are commercially past their prime and so closely associated with the 80s.
If the core members had stayed, GNR would've continued to evolve in terms of music (although more than likely not to the sound Axl has cultivated by himself) and wouldn't fit in with the sound of those bands anymore anyway.
I love Guns, personally I think they are the greatest band ever, but I don't think a re-union will ever happen. Any of you guys seen Steven lately? WOW. All those drugs fucked him up bad. He acts like a retard. He twitches and stuff. It's depressing to watch.
Completely irrelivant, but CrashDiet fuckin rock!