Get Baz, blow the dust off those songs written with Izzy before Scott came aboard, have Izzy write the lyrics and release it as the third studio album. It'd actually give a good idea what the UYI-lineup might sound today, given we'd be lacking some of Axl's characteristics. But I would like the idea of Baz doing Izzy/VR songs, some GNR covers and Scott's material like Messages.

Milk every other GNR connection to death and the record sales will be boosted by the prospect of a pseudo-reunion.

Cover My Michelle and...

I do want to see Finck with NIN in Europe.

However, this may also be a temporary solution for Trent. While wrapping up the tour last year, he spoke about exploring new avenues for the live shows.

"The idea of five guys playing loud music two hours, while it's the culmination of fine tuning over a lot of years, has got to change once finances come into play, especially performing in markets outside of the mainland U.S. I want to whittle things down." - Starbulletin

By now, there was supposed to be a new lineup or a "new configuration" for NIN Live. Instead, Jeordie White return to Manson after getting fed up with Trent (now that's a first) and Aaron North was replaced by Robin. Otherwise, the live band remains the same. Trent toured the US last in late '06, six months before the release of Year Zero. Therefore, I'm sort of worried that Trent postponed the final kiss-off of a traditional five-piece live band in order to do one more US tour, a one final hurrah with Robin, his dearest lead guitarist.

NIN may go on to Europe in '09, but I'm not all that certain who'll go with Trent and what sort of a performance it'll be.

Werd.

Robin's the man when NIN Live is concerned. I really would've wanted to see him last year alongside Trent, Josh Freese and Jeordie White (now happily back with Manson - funny how certain groups begin to be reunited). Instead I got Aaron, who didn't kill the mood but didn't exactly "piss on Robin's shoes" either, no matter what Trent tried to tell us back in the day.

Been listening to Ghosts I-IV recently, and some guitar parts ring so much like Robin, it was eerie to read he's now back with Trent. I hope Robin makes it to Europe with NIN, as I so want to see him back in the saddle and blazing March of the Pigs.

Really, if I sound like I'm none too shocked, I'm not. Robin could've patched up with Trent and done some touring without compromising GNR a long time ago. Now, Trent's released his most exciting album since The Downward Spiral and I really feel like Saikin observing the recent VR melodrama.

I love Robin, regardless which band he's in. However, I seriously doubt he would've copped out on Axl this late in the game, having stood by him through thick n' thin. Axl and his management obviously knew about the situation beforehand, as Robin's a contract player. Either he let the renewal option lapse in favor of Trent or all parties worked an agreement for Robin to have the best of both worlds.

I'd wait for a comment from Irving Azoff before jumping into too drastic conclusions. Come ol' boy, this is your first on GNR damage control! Show some of that professionalism!

Suddenly, Slash being an icon is a problem for Scott. Not so last month!

"We've just learned how to make it work. You can't get around the fact that [in VR] there are four large egos, including mine. However, I think everyone looks to me as the leader, creatively. The guy that comes up with the video concepts, the album and visual ideas. [...] And then Slash. He's a walking billboard. You see Slash walking down the street with his hat on and his glasses and, you know, he's Slash." - Scott, 03/02/08

In his rebuttal to Matt last week or so, Scott said it himself: "It's a shame'¦ we were a gang."

Pot, meet kettle.

Maybe, but the word back in '03 was that the choice on the VR frontman ultimately came down to Scott and Baz, so I'm thinking that's what Scott might've alluded to.

Also, I found this to be rather funny in the light of recent events. Remember, this was before Rock Star: INXS was even shot.

"So you wanna be a rock & roll and TV star? The former members of Guns n' Roses might just have a job for you. Guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum and newcomer guitarist Dave Cushner are holding tryouts in Los Angeles to replace Axl Rose -- who splintered the original combo in the Nineties -- and VH1 is filming the proceedings for a new show.

"I was on my way to rehearsal and thinking about all these reality shows," says Slash. "I thought, 'You know what would be fucking cool? To show a band as it goes through all this bullshit.'" The band had placed ads in everything from local circulars to Rolling Stone, reading, according to Slash, "Unnamed artist looking for singer-songwriter somewhere in the realm of early Alice Cooper/Steve Tyler, the harder-edged side of McCartney and Lennon."

"We were getting between 200 and 300 CDs a week," Slash says. "We listened to every single one of them. You have to, because you never know. That one that you throw away could be the shit." In all, more than 500 singers sent demos, and the band has so far auditioned about fifteen of them. Only one finalist, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, knew the band beforehand, but he doesn't necessarily have the inside track. "He's busy on Broadway, isn't he?" jokes Sorum. "Seriously, we haven't found the one yet."

"I absolutely love [Sebastian]," says McKagan. "He's amazing, but we've just got to be really careful with who's going to front this thing."" - RS, 02/16/03