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Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
Just over a year ago, the band played the Troubadour. Axl, Slash and Duff on stage together for the first time in decades. This site was the most active it had been in years, various posters from yester-year making a return. Coverage of the band at an all time high since the 90's. The band went on to play stadiums around the world in front of massive crowds.
It wasn't a new album, but it was what most of you wanted right? Axl and Slash putting everything aside for the chance to get paid ridiculous amounts of money and I guess their legacy.
Then... the forum just kind of went back to being empty. Everyone that returned, vanished swiftly. This isn't the worst period in Evo/ROVs history (there was one worse period that's best forgot), but it's like the story had climaxed.
In fairness what is there to look forward to? You can't talk about a possible reunion anymore and Slash's return almost certainly consigned the vault we never heard to the depths with no conceivable chance of it ever seeing light.
Sure there wasn't many interviews (there were a few involving Axl/Duff ect. that never got posted here with plenty of mainstream coverage), but there was plenty of talking points in relation to for example the attendance figures/revenue and money the band that I put in the Nightrain thread and kept up to date... no one seemed to care though.
I in the end at one point had to take a break mid point through the tour from posting the concert threads. I was gone a few days, what happened? No one posted a discussion for the next show, then the next one. Eventually a thread popped up for a random show afterwards, however that was it. I personally decided if people didn't care enough, why should I bother keep posting all the set-list threads. The band played multiple legs around the world since, you'd never think if you only came here though.
Look I'm going to be perfectly honest too, there's a moderator here that spends more time on another forum and even posted articles/interviews ect. over there, but not here. Things like that happened and perhaps are best kept separate from this thread, but it seems like it's helped speed up the forums demise. Social media might have explained dwindling numbers, but it didn't explain people returning after almost a decade to just vanish again after a few shows.
This isn't supposed to be a discussion on the state of the forum!
Did you guys yourself get what you wanted? Those of you that remain that is.
What has surprised me the most is that for 95% of people, Slash and Axl truly are Guns N Roses. No one else matters. Slash and Axl standing on that stage together was Christmas morning for most of the casual and hardcore fans. The run up to Christmas is always the most exciting part. You can look forward to it for a long time , but once the presents are open and the meal is eaten, Christmas is boring as hell and it's on to the next thing.
Also, part of the appeal of GnR has always been their messiness. The drama. This touring band is tight as hell. They sound good. They aren't interesting. Even Axl fucking Rose is a tamed beast. Slash, who has always been pretty open with fans and press, is completely mute. There is no transparency. What you see is what you get and what you get is the same thing every show. What is there to talk about?
That being said, if you had told me in early 2016 that now, in the midst of a summer where this band is touring the world, people would have lost interest and all the boards would be dying I would not have believed you.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
That being said, if you had told me in early 2016 that now, in the midst of a summer where this band is touring the world, people would have lost interest and all the boards would be dying I would not have believed you.
It's really surprising, but then reading the rest of your post it starts to make sense to me.
To me this tour seems to be about the casual fans. It's for people who missed the UYI tour. Of course the shows are great - it's Axl, Slash and Duff.
However for people like me it's a little frustrating. Axl sounds good some nights but I can't shake the feeling they waited until he was starting to struggle to do this - this stuff 7 - 10 years ago would have been mind blowing performances. It's still awesome...but it's not the greatest thing of all time like it probably would have been back then.
People like me notice the small things like the drumming but then I accept the masses out there don't give a shit.
Then there's the lack of new material. Most of these big reunions have some kinda come back single or album. Van Halen, Ac/Dc, Motley, Soundgarden...the absence of that sort of cements the feeling that it's just a victory lap before the end...and makes there less to talk about.
So as you said I just dont have much to say day to day about it.
Despite all that I'm still sort of hopeful they could do something else. Axl has albums worth of half done stuff. Slash can record an album in like 2 weeks. Axl can still do that Ac/Dc scream. In the studio they could still rock my world....you wouldn't place a bet on them doing it any time soon...but then you never know with GNR....
- dalethirsty
- Rep: 20
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
Also, part of the appeal of GnR has always been their messiness. The drama. This touring band is tight as hell. They sound good. They aren't interesting. Even Axl fucking Rose is a tamed beast. Slash, who has always been pretty open with fans and press, is completely mute. There is no transparency. What you see is what you get and what you get is the same thing every show. What is there to talk about?
i hear ya, but it's kinda refreshing to be in the middle of a gn'r world tour and not be worried about it self-imploding at any moment.
then again, it's hard to have guns without that element.
in any case, i'll be at the detroit show later this year and i can't fuckin' wait. but if they come back again next year without at least a new single... i'll catch it on youtube later.
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
zelfitz wrote:That being said, if you had told me in early 2016 that now, in the midst of a summer where this band is touring the world, people would have lost interest and all the boards would be dying I would not have believed you.
It's really surprising, but then reading the rest of your post it starts to make sense to me.
To me this tour seems to be about the casual fans. It's for people who missed the UYI tour. Of course the shows are great - it's Axl, Slash and Duff.
However for people like me it's a little frustrating. Axl sounds good some nights but I can't shake the feeling they waited until he was starting to struggle to do this - this stuff 7 - 10 years ago would have been mind blowing performances. It's still awesome...but it's not the greatest thing of all time like it probably would have been back then.
People like me notice the small things like the drumming but then I accept the masses out there don't give a shit.
Then there's the lack of new material. Most of these big reunions have some kinda come back single or album. Van Halen, Ac/Dc, Motley, Soundgarden...the absence of that sort of cements the feeling that it's just a victory lap before the end...and makes there less to talk about.
So as you said I just dont have much to say day to day about it.
Despite all that I'm still sort of hopeful they could do something else. Axl has albums worth of half done stuff. Slash can record an album in like 2 weeks. Axl can still do that Ac/Dc scream. In the studio they could still rock my world....you wouldn't place a bet on them doing it any time soon...but then you never know with GNR....
I do think that 10 years ago was the ideal time to have a reunion, especially in terms of Axl's performance. He was just in better shape back then. Probably 10 years ago we would have had a better shot at Izzy too, being that he reached out to Axl around that time and traveled with them in Europe. Izzy was going through an extremely prolific songwriting period as well which might have encouraged new material since I think Axl in a room writing with Izzy was always much more likely than Axl in a room with Slash. Steven was never going to happen. But yeah the drumming is ...not so good.
I don't believe we will get new material. This used to be a great band that happened to make a lot of money, now it's a corporation that puts on great shows. That, in a nutshell, might be why the boards are dying. Bands are fun to talk about , corporations are boring.
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
zelfitz wrote:Also, part of the appeal of GnR has always been their messiness. The drama. This touring band is tight as hell. They sound good. They aren't interesting. Even Axl fucking Rose is a tamed beast. Slash, who has always been pretty open with fans and press, is completely mute. There is no transparency. What you see is what you get and what you get is the same thing every show. What is there to talk about?
i hear ya, but it's kinda refreshing to be in the middle of a gn'r world tour and not be worried about it self-imploding at any moment.
then again, it's hard to have guns without that element.
in any case, i'll be at the detroit show later this year and i can't fuckin' wait. but if they come back again next year without at least a new single... i'll catch it on youtube later.
Oh, I agree that it's nice that things are going smoothly. It's nice that they are able to come out and prove the critics wrong. I just meant in terms of things to discuss, the lack of drama and relative silence from the band really aren't giving us much to talk about.
I really, really wish that the band was open to giving interviews and/or allowing in -depth articles. I understand the hesitation and they have proven that they don't need to do it to sell tickets, which is their primary goal, but this thing could have had a much bigger cultural impact than it has. And a little transparency and reaching out might have made the hardcores a little happier.
- dalethirsty
- Rep: 20
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
part of me wonders if they had a huge promotional campaign ready to go, but tucked it away after they tested the waters and realized this thing could self itself on its own.
the cancellation from axl on kimmel would support this, but it's pure speculation.
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
What you see is what you get and what you get is the same thing every show. What is there to talk about?
Great point.
I know some people like to watch every show on youtube. I'm not one of those people. I didn't even do that with Soundgarden and they were busting out deep cuts from hell....even playing B sides for heavens sake.
Without new interviews, new music, etc......the well runs bone dry. The only people to get excited are those who have a show in town.
This was marketed in an unconventional way. It started out like it was going to be the musical event of the century(literally), yet it quickly morphed into the biggest event coming to (insert town here). Its a tour that's selling out everywhere yet at the same time flying under the radar.
- dalethirsty
- Rep: 20
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
once the tour wraps up... where do they go from there?
is there any chance that in 2019 we see dj ashba back in the band with stinson on bass? or is this gnr's farewell tour? axl half-assing his vocals most of the time would suggest he's saving his voice. but for what -- a record, or so he can keep touring?
with all the money he's raked in this tour.... i really don't think he'd see a need to wheel a cover band back out there again, but who even knows at this point.
i do agree that this tour has been slightly underwhelming. it seems like axl & slash both get a huge sedative injection right before hitting the stage; the energy just isn't there most of the time. they sound great, but it's lacking something. there's no edge, no mystery.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: One Year Later - Did you get what you wanted?
I think Axl will record with Ac/Dc at the end of this tour and then tour with them late 2018.
Not sure how Slash will spend that time.
If we get new GNR my guess is after that.
