China Exchange: 60 Minutes with Axl Rose

[Blackstar]

1 hour ago, Top-Hatted One said:

AFD was very collaborative. Naturally Axl would be more proud of his work on UYI and CD and hold them in higher regard

He likes to feel that he's a part of a collaborative effort, though.

For him, i.e. as he wants to see it or present it, CD was a product of collaboration, too (not in the way Appetite was, of course, because those circumstances can't be reproduced). He has struggled all these years to convince the public that NuGuns were a real band and not his solo project with some session musicians.

On the other hand, he's said that UYI was more like three solo albums put together than a product of a band and he doesn't like it so much now, although he's proud of his songs.

[UKbliss]

On 7 June 2016 at 8:05 PM, Blake Sabbath said:

I'm so FUCKING pissed I had no idea about this until 15 minutes ago. 

FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes unfortunately most of us London fans didn't. Somehow it didn't make the fan forum rounds.

[axlslash]

Woulda been amazing to be there, but gonna be honest....I was hoping for more. Not even necessarily concrete info, but a story or something. So much of it was him saying stuff we already know, and he outright dodged some of the better questions. Not a knock on him, I'm glad it happened, and maybe it's that I waited until today to listen and got it hyped up in my mind. But I was underwhelmed when I finally did. 

[passenger57]

I'm sure one of the big benefits of the reunion is that they don't have to answer the 'are you getting back together?' questions anymore.

I bet they will release something at some point so they can avoid 'when is new gnr music coming out?' questions.

After that they can enjoy life a little more hehe

 

[lassie]

On 8/6/2016 at 7:08 PM, nikosgnr said:

Nope.

Adler’s playing was one of the greatest rock drumming performances in the history of music. You can put it in the top ten. His playing on Appetite… is perfect 

[gooner14]

12 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

He is just f'n stubborn. The guy is trapped in how own strange little world.. He has to big of an ego to accept that the majority did not like, care or accept his vision.. He comes off as an egotistical ass ass in this interview.. I haven't watched it but from what I have read he does.. Everything about this reunion just seems so wrong. Does he really need to come out and call Slash a liar right now? Why feel the need to praise the CD line up right now? It's like he refuses to accept CD was a failure.. He has been promoting that pie of crap for 16 years.. Move on..  Accept it and appreciate it for what it was.. Move on...

That and the fact he refuses to acknowledge the money and success he enjoys has a lot to do with the original guns and not the nu-gnr that he is so fond of. He achieved literally nothing with them. He needs to realize slash and Duff and Izzy and Steven/Matt are and always will be integral to GN'R which btw has only those 6 years of magic which axl will never reach again. 

slash and Duff know how to at least care about their fans who have funded their lifestyles over the years. Just look at axl and his retarded entourage. The way that leech Fernando grabbed that fans camera really pissed me off.  If he likes ac/dc so much he can go be a dictator there and kick everyone out and replace Angus with 'dj ashba' and run that bands legacy into the ground as well. 

[nikosgnr]

37 minutes ago, lassie said:

Adler’s playing was one of the greatest rock drumming performances in the history of music. You can put it in the top ten. His playing on Appetite… is perfect 

Yes, he was great. True.. But you 've stucked into one album. One. After that what other work has to show? Nothing.

He couldn't play on UYI era. I doubt he can pull off these songs today. Even the CD ones. That's for sure.

Edited June 10, 2016 by nikosgnr

[Un42nutzly]

14 hours ago, Tom-Ass said:

He is just f'n stubborn. The guy is trapped in how own strange little world.. He has to big of an ego to accept that the majority did not like, care or accept his vision.. He comes off as an egotistical ass ass in this interview.. I haven't watched it but from what I have read he does.. Everything about this reunion just seems so wrong. Does he really need to come out and call Slash a liar right now? Why feel the need to praise the CD line up right now? It's like he refuses to accept CD was a failure.. He has been promoting that pie of crap for 16 years.. Move on..  Accept it and appreciate it for what it was.. Move on...

I have no words for the majority of your posts. Everything you post is negative, biased, and exaggerated. "I haven't watched it but from what I have read [Axl] (seems egotistical in this interview.)" 

He doesn't remotely sound egotistical in this interview. Not sure where you 'read' this, because most of the overviews speak of how positive, happy, and laid back Axl was. I am actually surprised you didn't find a way to mention how bad Frank's drumming is. Smh. 

Edited June 10, 2016 by Un42nutzly

[Kickingthehabit]

On some level, it bothers him that GNR is getting much more attention and playing to bigger audiences because of Slash's return. The band suddenly became cool again. Lenny Kravitz wants to open! That has to eat away at a guy as insecure as Axl.

[Un42nutzly]

1 minute ago, Kickingthehabit said:

On some level, it bothers him that GNR is getting much more attention and playing to bigger audiences because of Slash's return. The band suddenly became cool again. Lenny Kravitz wants to open! That has to eat away at a guy as insecure as Axl.

I bet it does. On some level, he doesn't want to accept all that cash either. 

[Lumikki]

23 minutes ago, Kickingthehabit said:

On some level, it bothers him that GNR is getting much more attention and playing to bigger audiences because of Slash's return. The band suddenly became cool again. Lenny Kravitz wants to open! That has to eat away at a guy as insecure as Axl.

No doubt. Axl is the most insecure guy I've ever come across, and not just about the band, but all kinds of areas in his life. I can't imagine this not eating away at him at least a little. And it's probably also why he's so defiant about how he likes the CD songs best etc. And why they're playing CD songs at all and why we have Richard/Frank/Melissa in the band. Everything else would be admitting defeat and he coudln't deal with that.

Thankfully Slash and Duff seem to realize that and are going along with it, so he can save face.

This band is such a mess

Edited June 10, 2016 by Lumikki

[ZoSoRose]

I don't know, things actually feel cool for once. The ChiDem songs sound really good with Slash, the set has lots of hits and deep cuts, the band sounds really good (depends if you like Richard and Frank which I do),  they're doing a stadium tour...

He's got to be happy with GNR now 

[Original]

27 minutes ago, Kickingthehabit said:

On some level, it bothers him that GNR is getting much more attention and playing to bigger audiences because of Slash's return. The band suddenly became cool again. Lenny Kravitz wants to open! That has to eat away at a guy as insecure as Axl.

He had to have known all along what a Slash return would me.  Does anyone actually think that deep down he thought to himself he could have a band as big as real Guns were without Slash?  I mean if he were off his meds maybe?  Andwith all the 'yes men' surrounding him maybe he did.  He also once said something like "I only wanted Slash to be loved and appreciated" ..... And he told Loder in regards to why it was taking so long to record and get CD done his answer was "Slash".

[J Dog]

1 hour ago, ZoSoRose said:

I don't know, things actually feel cool for once. The ChiDem songs sound really good with Slash, the set has lots of hits and deep cuts, the band sounds really good (depends if you like Richard and Frank which I do),  they're doing a stadium tour...

He's got to be happy with GNR now 

Exactly how I feel. And Axl even mentioned they have at least discussed new music. This band has been a hot mess since 1986, not sure why people are worried about it now. I think they're right on track.

[The Archer]

2 hours ago, Kickingthehabit said:

On some level, it bothers him that GNR is getting much more attention and playing to bigger audiences because of Slash's return. The band suddenly became cool again. Lenny Kravitz wants to open! That has to eat away at a guy as insecure as Axl.

Yeah, I'm sure that's the case. It must be really awful to have made peace with Slash and have to smile and grin through all the acclaim from the larger crowds, or have to play to all the bigger AC/DC crowds too knowing that the crowds are all there to watch Angus and not him. 'Woe is me', Axl must be thinking, 'I'm just a poor frontman, at the mercy of these Guitar Gods'. Poor Axl, we do all know how much it must be eating him up, to not have been King of the world, before Slash took him back and Angus adopted him.

Edited June 10, 2016 by The Archer

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

On ‎6‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 5:55 PM, Oldest Goat said:

"Slash, Duff, imma let you finish...but AC/DC and The China Exchange are for sure the best use of my time of all time!" - W.Axl Rose

Seriously, what the fuck is this? I bet they have 3 albums ready to be released but then this happened;

Slash: STOP! You didn't release it yet, right?
Axl: Of course not, what are you, silly or something?
Mr Dizzy Reed: Yeah boss, you've got the whole, you know, China Exchange thing coming up. Don't you think it'd make more sense to release new music soonish when the schedule is less hectic?
Beta, etc speaking in unison: He's right, this makes sense.
Axl: Okay.
Melissa Reese:...Hey guys, what the heck is The China Exchange?
Pitman: Shut the fuck up, Melissa.

hahaha this had me laughing so hard! very funny

[AxlsFavoriteRose]

6 minutes ago, The Archer said:

Yeah, I'm sure that's the case. It must be really awful to have made peace with Slash and have to smile and grin through all the acclaim from the larger crowds, or have to play to all the bigger AC/DC crowds too knowing that the crowds are all there to watch Angus and not him. Woe is me, Axl must be thinking, I'm just a poor frontman, at the mercy of these Guitar Gods. Poor Axl, we do all know how much it must be eating him up, to not have been King of the world, before Slash took him back and Angus adopted him.

dammit it out of likes! but I agree, poooooor Axl having the best year in two decades, two great tours w/two of the BEST rock bands ever, getting good press left and right, actually seems HAPPY but yes,oh poor poor Axl!

[Kickingthehabit]

Then how do you two qualify the cynicism of his answers?

[The Archer]

2 minutes ago, Kickingthehabit said:

Then how do you two qualify the cynicism of his answers?

There was no cynicism except for those who wanted to see it.

[Kickingthehabit]

4 minutes ago, The Archer said:

There was no cynicism except for those who wanted to see it.

You're right. Axl isn't an insecure mess.

[The Archer]

2 minutes ago, Kickingthehabit said:

You're right. Axl isn't an insecure mess.

He still is if that's the only way you want to see him.

[killuridols]

2 hours ago, Lumikki said:

No doubt. Axl is the most insecure guy I've ever come across, and not just about the band, but all kinds of areas in his life. I can't imagine this not eating away at him at least a little. And it's probably also why he's so defiant about how he likes the CD songs best etc. And why they're playing CD songs at all and why we have Richard/Frank/Melissa in the band. Everything else would be admitting defeat and he coudln't deal with that.

Thankfully Slash and Duff seem to realize that and are going along with it, so he can save face.

This band is such a mess

Yes he is insecure but I dont think he's done all those things you've mentioned to "keep the balance" (fortus, melissa, frank, love for CD). To me, what clearly says he wasn't going to stay there watching Slash receiving all the praise, is having joined AC/DC.

And I don't believe he called them to help them or that it happened by chance. I think it has been orchastrated for quite some time and he convinced Angus, don't know how, to make him his new singer. And Angus fabricated the auditions of the tribute bands singers to play the game. Axl has got the job from minute zero. They all knew about this.

[Kickingthehabit]

1 minute ago, The Archer said:

He still is if that's the only way you want to see him.

You should be a motivational speaker. I'm going to send you all my sad friends.

Axl is self-evolved, guys. Thank goodness Slash FINALLY decided to work hard.

[The Archer]

Just now, Kickingthehabit said:

You should be a motivational speaker. I'm going to send you all my sad friends.

Axl is self-evolved, guys. Thank goodness Slash FINALLY decided to work hard.

 Actually, I think that Axl has just got some good therapy and medication and well yes, some sort of cognitive re-assessment has probably helped too. All credit to  Slash though for doing whatever it took to mend things from his side, and well, for working hard too. However, it does seem that he seems to be more at peace with all of this, than some of his fans are. That's a kind of sad, that nobody can help.

[Lumikki]

1 hour ago, The Archer said:

Yeah, I'm sure that's the case. It must be really awful to have made peace with Slash and have to smile and grin through all the acclaim from the larger crowds, or have to play to all the bigger AC/DC crowds too knowing that the crowds are all there to watch Angus and not him. 'Woe is me', Axl must be thinking, 'I'm just a poor frontman, at the mercy of these Guitar Gods'. Poor Axl, we do all know how much it must be eating him up, to not have been King of the world, before Slash took him back and Angus adopted him.

Oh come on I'm sure for the most part Axl is thrilled to have his friends back and to receive a lot of positive acclaim by the media and everyone else. It must be an intense relief for him. And yes, all in all, things are going great right now. Hell, if anyone had told me last year about everything that is going on right now, I wouldn't have believed them. I'm not trying to rain on a good thing, I'm pretty happy with the way things are going for the most part. I don't mind Frank, Richard and Melissa being in the band and I'm one of the people who actually like CD.

But Axl tried so hard to establish NuGnR as a legit band in its own right and to get people to appreciate his vision and CD, etc. He spent so much of his life on it. I can't imagine part of him isn't a little bitter that all of a sudden everyone loves him and the band again, just because Slash and Duff are back. People who always hated CD songs even like them all of a sudden, just because it's Slash and Duff playing them. That would get to me as well.

29 minutes ago, killuridols said:

Yes he is insecure but I dont think he's done all those things you've mentioned to "keep the balance" (fortus, melissa, frank, love for CD). To me, what clearly says he wasn't going to stay there watching Slash receiving all the praise, is having joined AC/DC.

And I don't believe he called them to help them or that it happened by chance. I think it has been orchastrated for quite some time and he convinced Angus, don't know how, to make him his new singer. And Angus fabricated the auditions of the tribute bands singers to play the game. Axl has got the job from minute zero. They all knew about this.

I was exaggerating a little about that, but I do think having these people there and this whole thing still being his version of GnR in a way (just with Slash and Duff back in) makes things more comfortable for him... Interesting view on the AC/DC thing. Haven't really looked at it that way before, but wouldn't surprise me if that played part in it.

As for how exactly he joined AC/DC, I literally have zero ideas about this. Have to admit I don't know enough about them or how they handle things to really judge what's going on there. Anything's possible as far as I'm concerned.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Lumikki