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#281 Re: Guns N' Roses » Another sign Finck is gone?? » 879 weeks ago
James, be fair.
When Tommy toured behind VGH he gave a whole slew of interviews telling the same, elliptic stories all over again. Axl's great to work with, the album's a band effort, will hopefully be touring behind soon. Fortus started out talkative but he's resorted to those ridiculous 'no comments' as of late. Ron's the only one who's been saying anything of substance on the album and he's being allowed to do that because he's the Buckethead replacement and therefore, replaceable by none other than Bucket himself. And even Ron's turning all the more careful.
#282 2006 » View from the Side of the Stage (Del James, 10/31/06) » 879 weeks ago
- sic.
- Replies: 0
VIEW FROM THE SIDE OF THE STAGE
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Del James / GunsNRoses.com
Hello and welcome to "View From The Side Of The Stage." I was asked to write a column for GunsNRoses.com and have mixed emotions about doing so. I have a 21-year history with Guns N' Roses dating back to before the record deal. During those 21 years I've been offered amazing opportunities and have directed videos, co-written songs, lived with, humped gear, was the project coordinator for the double live album, etc, etc. I've also interviewed Guns N' Roses for countless publications around the world including Axl Rose's first Rolling Stone cover.
If you're reading this then you're probably a Guns N' Roses fan in search of some factual information.Hopefully this column will be insightful and informative without becoming a drag. I'm here to share a little honesty because of the access I have. The day this starts to suck is the day I forget how to type a sentence.
I don't know how often I will update it and since GN'R are on tour, I have other duties that need to be tended to but every now and then I'll do my best to scribble out some lines.
That being said, welcome to the backstage area. First things first, the drummer for the 2006 US tour is Frank Ferrer. Frank filled in for Bryan "Brain" Mantia for a good portion of the European summer tour when Brain went home to be present for the birth of his daughter, Kei. Prior to the U.S. run, Brain asked if he could sit this one out so he could be with his newborn baby. Had it come down to not being able to do it without him, Brain would have done the tour but management and the band support his decision to be with his family.
Frank Ferrer is not a replacement drummer or some backup playing because of an injury. Like Brain, Frank is part of the Guns N' Roses family. He came into the fold through guitarist Richard Fortus. Frank and Richard were in Honky Toast together, which for those of you not living in New York was the best band to come out of that city since D-Generation. When GN'R were making arrangements for someone to fill in for Brain, both Richard and bassist Tommy Stinson knew what the perfect fit would be when they recommended Frank. After one rehearsal, everyone else in the band knew they were 100 percent in the right. Frank's resume includes Honky Toast, The Psychedelic Furs, Perry Farrell, The Beautiful, Wyclef, and many others. Along with the ability to bend cowbells, Frank brings a positive vibe that always lights up the room.
Guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal is also GN'R family. Prior to the European tour, auditions were held in Los Angeles but the band did not find the right guy to replace Buckethead. Truth be told, the band was hoping that Buckethead would come back and made very effort to make that happen. When it was apparent that Bucket would not be re-joining, the band had to move forward. Joe Satriani is how the Guns camp first heard of Bumblefoot. GN'R's Pro Tools engineer "French" Eric Cadieux has worked a lot with Satriani and Satch recommended Bumble to French Eric. One thing lead to another and prior to the band's four-night stint at the Hammerstein Ballroom back in May, Bumblefoot was part of the fold.
Bumblefoot is probably the most accessible member of GN'R. At times he's too nice and has to be reeled in from signing autographs in order to catch a bus or a flight. His six-string wizardry is of the highest level and the man literally knows every song ever recorded or if he doesn't only needs to hear something once. The walking Ipod entertains his brethren by playing the most obscure AM radio hits of the 70's, cheese metal, or TV theme songs. The band often tries to stump him with a request and rarely can.
Some time last week, GN'R flew into Florida for production rehearsals at Miami Arena. The place was sweltering hot and somehow we managed to temporarily lose one out of the two band buses en route. A few songs that fans haven't heard in a while have been worked up and when the time is right, may be added to the set. Telling you now what the songs are would be rude. After Monday night's rehearsal, Axl and Guns N' Roses manager Merck Mercuriadis went over to catch some of the Eric Clapton concert because as it turns out, Axl's friend, guitarist Derek Trucks, is playing in Clapton's band. From there, Axl met up with most of Guns N' Roses at a South Beach hotspot called Snatch. For the uninitiated, Snatch is a club that blends hard rock and funk with classics. Snatch also has a mechanical bull, performance artists, drag queens, and super fine go-go dancers all getting their freak on. Now some people might frown upon a rock band staying out all night, drinking up a storm and dancing before the very first show of a tour but this is Guns N' Roses. Conformity will never be a part of the equation. No one in this band got into the music business to punch a time clock or worry about hangovers. It's not rocket science, it's rock n' roll, and seeing Dizzy Reed, Robin Finck, Axl, Tommy, Frank, and Bumblefoot drinking, mingling, and dancing until the sun came up was a beautiful scene of a rock band bonding. And that's what Guns N' Roses 2006 are -- a band!
When certain former members of Guns N' Roses quit, like Slash and Duff McKagan, had they had their way that would have sounded the death knell for GN'R. Guns N' Roses was never their original vision. It has always been Axl's vision and drive to try to make the band as successful as possible without compromising the integrity of Guns N' Roses. Fortunately for the fans, Axl has always been able to see outside the box of conventionalism, taking intelligent and calculated risks when it comes to the evolution of Guns N' Roses. This same forward progress is evident on the band's forthcoming album, Chinese Democracy. Some people out there have downloaded unmixed versions of songs like "IRS," "There Was A Time," "Chinese Democracy," "Madagascar," and "Better" and while it's unfair to judge an unfinished product, it's not that big of a stretch to say that Axl's vision is once again leading him in the right direction. Recently, Bumblefoot and Frank played on a few tracks that will appear on Chinese Democracy.
Oh yeah, there was a show on Tuesday night, 10/24, at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. and judging by the reaction of the 10,000-plus people in attendance, they had a kick-ass time. There have been a few more Florida shows and an amazing gig in Puerto Rico. I've read a few reviews where the reviewer says something along the lines of 'the band came on late but the show was great.' WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE -- who decides what late is? Every single press release for the tour specifies that Sebastian Bach will be going on sometime AFTER 8pm, Papa Roach will be going on AFTER 9pm, and Guns N' Roses will be onstage AFTER 10pm. This is supposed to be an all night party. When the f*ck did rock n' roll -- and the last time I checked rock music was supposed to be a non-conformist, rebellious, art form -- get a Flavor Flav-sized time clock wrapped around its neck like a hangman's noose? Rebellion and punctuality do not go hand in hand and for those of you too young to remember, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin rarely went on before midnight in their hey day.
Here's a little insight for you -- a rock band has to do certain things in order to be prepared to hit the stage. It's a lot like a sports team warming up before hitting the field. Axl has to do his vocal warm ups or else he will blow his voice out. Guitarist Robin Finck has to do yoga-type stretching or else he's going to pull or tear a muscle again. Some of the band members need chiropractic adjustments or massage therapy. Others need to warm up on their instruments. The list is endless and every night something unexpected always occurs. There's a lot more to it than showing up, grabbing an instrument, and walking onstage. No one is interested in wasting your time or keeping you waiting, but the band goes on when it is 100 percent ready to go on and give it all that they have for that evening and not one minute before. The show starts when the band hits the stage and ends when the final encore is over.
If, back in the day, Thin Lizzy or Humble Pie or Queen came on at whatever time and gave me two hours of blistering "rawk" like GN'R does every night that would have been a magical evening. A rock concert is supposed to be a celebration where for a few hours people can escape from the pressure of everyday life. Jobs and taxes and homework and traffic are all still going to be there when the show ends so what's the hurry? I mean, GN'R ain't some play by the rules, shake hands and kiss babies for public approval type band. It's Guns N' F*ckin' Roses so please feel free to raise your middle finger with GN'R because Axl, Dizzy, Robin, Richard, Tommy, Chris Pitman, Bumblefoot, Frank, and Brain will always stand defiant against conformity while doing their best to thoroughly kick every audience's ass. As Axl says onstage from time to time, "This isn't McDonald's or Burger King - it isn't 'Have it your way.'" Anyone who doesn't get that should really just stay the hell home. I've noticed that during our first week on tour, there's a lot of pissing and moaning on the Internet by people who aren't even at the shows. This vocal minority are not what I consider real GN'R fans. They are obsessive pests (go ahead and flame) in need of a real outlet other than GN'R chat rooms and posting on fan sites because the real fans are at the shows having fun. When someone overanalyzes something as petty as Robin's beard, what Axl says to the audience, the set list from one show to the next, or the tuning of Bumblefoot's fretless guitar, it's time to get a life. Disconnect from the Internet and reconnect with the real world.
My bus call is a few minutes from now. Time to pack my bags and reconnect with the real world of life on the road with Guns N' Roses.
#283 Re: Guns N' Roses » Paul Tobias/Mank Rage » 879 weeks ago
I think RTB left/was let go without doing anything to the album, didn't he?
He was with the band for, what, 20 months. He was finishing tracks with Tom Zutaut in late 2001.
The band's work was mostly done, I surmise, and that may be the reason why a new producer was never called in full-time. It was the UYI situation; Axl was set out to do additional production and vocals after the basic tracks were done with Mike Clink. Clink was around to organize additional backing track recording on the road et al, but Axl was with his own devices for a good while. I also understand that when they got around to mixing it, it wasn't a producer-centered field of work anymore.
There were no orchestrations by Buckmaster or Beltrami issued during Beavan's or RTB's era. It was an Axl thing. Fortus did some work over Paul Huge's parts and some solos, Ron did some work over Paul Huge's/Fortus' parts and some solos. However, I do hope Axl's spent the time in between late '02 and late '07 (when CD was said to be completed) actually working on the so-called follow-up albums.
Otherwise the last five years are pretty hard to justify in terms of finishing touches.
#284 Re: Guns N' Roses » Paul Tobias/Mank Rage » 879 weeks ago
Gary Sunshine was formerly a guitarist for a band called Circus of Power.
Stuart White recently worked on the new Alicia Keys album.
#285 Re: Guns N' Roses » Paul Tobias/Mank Rage » 879 weeks ago
The A&R man was James Barber, and yes, he did insinuate the things you just said.
I understand Howerdel worked with the band in '98-00. 
#286 Re: Guns N' Roses » Paul Tobias/Mank Rage » 879 weeks ago
the lead singer may have issues singing and writing melodies
That's actually Dave Lank, the co-writer of Don't Damn Me from Axl's and Izzy's Lafayette posse.
a few of these riffs on various songs could serve as a foundation for a nice rock song with someone able to write melodies over them.
It's interesting you should say that, because that was Axl's original intention when he brought Paul onboard. Basically, he wanted someone who could effectively replace Izzy, and since Paul was from the same Lafayette stock as Izzy and Axl, he was, theoretically, the best man out there. His background and musical history might've resembled Izzy well enough for Axl to think he would've had the chops to come aboard and maintain the specific mix that they'd so far used to write songs.
I am wondering, as many have insisted (Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese, Sean Beaven, Chis Vrenna, A&R folks, etc,) that the 1998/99 album had major potential if completed.
They were completing songs by then.
Various bits and pieces that would later be compiled in Pro Tools from ground up like the DJ Shadow record were mainly recorded in 95-97, with Paul, Robin and Dizzy. They had most of the basic song structures of what we've been hearing completed with Sean Beavan in 98/99.
00/01 saw the music re-recorded and produced in a more classic rock fashion with Roy Thomas Baker. At that point, they also wrote new songs with Bucket, Brain and Pitman. Therefore, the 98/99 album would've lacked the Bucket solos, the heavier presence of synths and would've sounded grittier than anything heard since. Beavan has a tendency to pull all stops with his rockers, while the ballads may sound thread-bare.
My guess is, it would've been a very brutal, honest album, with Axl screaming his hatred and anxiety towards the music industry, former band members and lost loves. It's hard to say how it would've managed when set against NIN's The Fragile which came out just at the same time. Axl and the band would've had the songwriting props to take on the critics, but the sound would've dated quite rapidly and there would've been no-one to properly replace Slash.
It would've been a controversial album, no question. It's nature could've been such that people would've either loved or hated it. It would've been a definite step down in terms of mass appeal and Axl would've had to win a lot of crowds over by providing a solid live band, which I think the lineup could've well been. Based on what I've heard and read, the album at the time certainly reflected Axl's state of mind at the time; the red-headed stepchild of the industry reaching puberty; feeling stranded yet ready to take on an uphill battle, no matter the cost.
from 1999 onwards
1993, in fact. 
#287 Re: Guns N' Roses » you can't please everyone » 879 weeks ago
Well von,
I actually agree with you on that and the thought actually occured to me as I wrote the previous post but somehow never made it into it. You see, I believe one can say GNR's always been 'Axl's vision' as far as the end products are concerned. AFD was his 'vision', but I bet you $1,000 that if you would've asked the other members back then what they wanted to achieve with the album, what was in their field of interest, you would've gotten pretty much the same answers from everyone. That's why AFD is 'Axl's vision', but the band happened to be on the same page with him (and vice versa), which makes it equally the band's vision, and the outcome therefore can never attributed solely to Axl.
The UYI's represent 'Axl's vision' as how it'd developed in the intervening times and build a perfectly reasonable bridge in between AFD and the CD songs. You can hear for yourself where and when he picked up a lot of things after AFD that have since become stables in the overall GNR sound, even if the other original aren't there anymore. That's why choice cuts from the UYI's would definitely fit like a glove into a CD-heavy setlist, as well as the new band's musical sensibilites. There's just so much more for them to dig into, to stretch their muscles in terms of interpreting that stuff, as the foundations of CD lie heavily in the UYI's - as far as Axl's concerned.
Those mish-mash powerhouse rockers and ballads in the albums are just begging to have the benefit of the new band members in a live setting, because they would have the ability to cut through the fat and bring out whatever Axl'd wanted to get on the record in the first place, as I think they correspond with his 'vision' - both back then and now - far better than the old band.
But I guess Axl's a bit wary of 'fixing what ain't broke', and by this I mean the solid structure of AFD. And as long as he's relying on an AFD-heavy setlist, it's a bit tricky to start adding more UYI material, as they stand out pretty lively. I guess the ideal situation would be in making the must-haves (WTTJ, SCOM, PC, Patience, NR) and the major CD songs the backbone of every show and having a pool of secondary AFD/UYI/CD songs from which to throw in a number depending on the night.
And that would not include Out Ta Get Me.
#288 Re: Guns N' Roses » you can't please everyone » 879 weeks ago
The AFD-heavy setlist is quite the curate's egg. While Axl considers it the finest whole of music he's actually released to this day, the album itself comes with so much of what can be considered filler, material that could be easily replaced with choice cuts from the UYI's. For the most of it, AFD is and remains a rather solid album, but basing a setlist on it nowadays takes a good deal away from the band's evolution from one place to another.
Axl keeps saying he's unhappy with the UYI's as, while he never uses the particular words, he himself, Slash and Izzy were growing apart as musicians and songwriters, developing a degree of craftsmanship that made the albums into the mixed bag they are. The band was dying, or at least in a certain kind of crisis, as for everyone else, the UYI songs represented them in 1990. Axl made them go the extra mile of production and under those circumstances, they couldn't exactly move on to solo albums and whatnot. Meanwhile, Axl's vision got so overpowering over the rest (partially as his work was done last), you can't shake the feeling they would've been unsure whether the album released was really the album they'd made, whether the songs they'd written for the band any longer explored the areas of their musical interests at that time.
Therefore, I think Axl's approach to the UYI's today is a bit of a melting pot approach, although he'd see as the polar opposite of the CD project. What he did was take all these songs from the other members and forge them into what he felt was the direction he wanted GNR to move towards from AFD and tried to use his personal preferences as production guidelines in order to create cohesive pieces.
Of course, the problem is that while there are several instances of brilliance audible on both the finished album tracks as well as the early demos, in a situation like that, you're heading into a series of compromises to begin with. Axl's not exactly the mediator - had he settled to be the one bringing synergy, he might've been able to create a best of all worlds situation, balancing out and accommodating the different styles therein. But he had the big-time power ballad thing going for him and while he does handle that nicely, it hardly provided him with the moderation and clarity required to bring out the best of all there was.
That's why the others likely felt a bit distanced from the final product when it finally was done, while Axl was still enjoying a rush of accomplishment. After all, he, in his own mind, thought he'd forged the songs into albums which he felt were true to the new GNR direction, and only later did the realization sink in that what he'd done was actually taking everything and forcing it into that said direction. Therefore, when considered as albums as opposed to the AFD, the UYI's are salvage jobs. Very elaborate ones and certainly not without several different merits, but salvage jobs nonetheless.
#289 Re: 2002 » 2002: Chinese Whispers » 879 weeks ago
Wasteland
"The band, with the exception of Rose, was still lodged at the Ritz Carlton in Center City [the following] afternoon." (Philly.com, 12/08/02)
"We'd just played Madison Square Garden and it went great and we were supposed to play the Spectrum, and, to make a long story short, it just fell through. It was one of those things, where Bucket and I are in a hotel room and we're watching chairs being thrown on Channel Seven, and they're like 'Ooh, the Guns N' Roses show isn't going to happen!" (Brain, I'd Hit That, 02/15)
There were reasons for them not to skip town as of yet.
"Guns N' Roses will attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records in Philadelphia, PA, when they become only the second act to play back-to-back shows at the First Union Center (December 6) and trek 758-feet, nine-and-a-half inches across the parking lot to the neighboring First Union Spectrum (December 8)." (First Union Spectrum, press release, 11/11/02)
"Then, ClearChannel calls and says the whole thing is over and we're flying home." (Brain, I'd Hit That, 02/15)
The second Philadelphia show was canceled, with further dates also disappearing from the tour itinerary. Soon, the promoters sent out a brief statement.
"The remainder of the Guns N' Roses concert dates promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment have been canceled. Refunds will be available at point of purchase." (Clear Channel, 12/12/02)
"Rose and Clear Channel could end up locked in a costly legal battle. The five-day delay in announcing the tour's cancellation (individual dates were nixed along the way) may have signaled a reluctance from both the band and the promoter to take responsibility for pulling the plug, according to [Pollstar editor Gary] Bongiovanni, who says that whoever made that decision could end up owing the other side money. ''I think lawyers are talking to lawyers,'' he says. One thing is clear: The promoter incurred financial losses from Rose's two no shows." (ew.com, 12/12/02)
The fact that there were monetary claims surrounding the cancellations that could go either way may partially explain why the band never officially commented the abrupt end of the tour. Then there was the lucrative advance from Clear Channel...
"The tour, more than a year and a half in the planning [dating back to the Sanctuary/Big FD merger], was hobbled before it started by the failure of band leader Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy," the tie-in album that has been promised for years. [...] In recent days, all involved have huddled to broker the messy cancellation. Among the issues: The $1-million advance given to Rose last year to secure the tour.
[...] The Vancouver fiasco reminded fans of Rose's consistent inconsistency as a performer and instantly sapped any tour momentum. [The second Philadelphia] show was put on sale within days and was greeted by frosty fan interest. Only half of the tickets for the hometown venue had been sold.
[...] Fan safety and mounting financial risk haunted the tour's key players, as did the erratic ways of Rose, who would pop in a different city than scheduled in the hours before some shows." (Los Angeles Times, 12/14/02)
"For this tour, Rose even traveled with his own psychiatrist, whose major responsibility apparently was convincing him it was important for his mental health to get onstage nightly and perform." (Chicago Sun-Times, 12/11/02)
With $1 million already given to Axl in advance, it turned out to be difficult for Clear Channel to make profit. The Vancouver riot might've already caused additional expenses which they, as promoters, would've then shouldered in order for the tour to carry on.
"According to Pollstar, GN'R's North American tour was at number 75 on the top 100 tours of 2002. The tour grossed $6.5 million in ticket sales." (Pollstar, 01/04/03)
"Attendance at other venues was underwhelming according to figures reported to Pollstar, ticket sales for the tour's first 10 dates averaged 7,344 a night for arenas that hold between 15,000 and 20,000." (Blender, 02/10/03)
"Several shows did come off, albeit to mixed critical and commercial reception. Nine shows reported to Billboard Boxscores grossed $3,228,311 and sold 70,086 tickets out of a possible 118,611 capacity, topped by $733,525 from 13,639 at Allstate Arena near Chicago." (Billboard, 12/21/02)
It is speculated that the uneven ticket sales and the aftermath of Vancouver made Clear Channel to ask for the advance to be returned as collateral. True enough, the matter would remain in a legal hold-up behind the scenes in the years to come.
"Regarding the 2002 tour Tommy says: 'There was a problem with the promoting aspect of that tour... They pulled the plug on it and I can't really go into it.'" (Tommy, Q104.3, 01/31/05)
"'We owe Philly [a new show],' Stinson said. He wouldn't elaborate about the [2002 riot]. 'That's all still in litigation.'" (South Philly Review, 01/20/05)
Meanwhile, the band disbanded for an earlier-than-expected Christmas holiday.
"Sources say Rose is very close to checking himself into a psychiatric clinic to deal with ''exhaustion'' and a number of other emotional problems." (Chicago Sun-Times, 12/11/02)
"[A GNR spokesperson] wouldn't give any details surrounding the reasons that Clear Channel and Guns N' Roses ended their tour affiliation, but did say GN'R is very much intact.
The band and its members, vocalist Axl Rose, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Brain, bassist Tommy Stinson, guitarist Robin Finck, et al, are currently on vacation.
They will return to the studio in January to put the finishing touches on Chinese Democracy, which the band is releasing in the spring." (Yahoo, 12/20/02)
#290 Re: Management » New Design...... » 879 weeks ago
It works on Firefox for me now.
