Guns N' Roses/Axl Watch

[muthagoose]

Axl Rose still claims that "Chinese Democracy" will be released this year

GUNS N' ROSES' long-awaited new album, "Chinese Democracy", is still on track for a 2006 release, the group's frontman, Axl Rose, told MTV's John Norris backstage at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, which were held Thursday (August 31) at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Axl, who introduced THE KILLERS' debut performance of their new single, "When You Were Young", stated that GUNS N' ROSES will kick off a full U.S. tour around October 24. Watch John Norris' entire three-minute interview with Axl Rose at this location.

Click here to see photos of Axl backstage at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards www.mtv.com/overdrive/?name=special&id=1539535&vid=104872

GUNS N' ROSES has lined up a number of U.S. dates in September, including an appearance at KROQ's Inland Invasion 2006 on September 23 at the Hyundai Pavillion at Glen Helen in Devore, California.

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES, ALICE IN CHAINS 'Inland Invasion' Performances To Be Webcast

AT&T Blue Room will stream KROQ's Inland Invasion concert — featuring performances by GUNS N' ROSES, ALICE IN CHAINS, PAPA ROACH, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ATREYU, BUCKCHERRY, and BUCKCHERRY, among others — this weekend.

[n]The live stream will begin at 2:00 p.m. PST on Saturday, September 23. [/b]

KROQ's Inland Invasion 2006 takes place at the Hyundai Pavillion at Glen Helen in Devore, California.

To watch the performances, go to this location the day of the show:

blueroom.att.com/events/inlandinvasion.php

[muthagoose]

AXL ROSE Sued By Art Broker

The Associated Press reports:

An art broker has filed a lawsuit against Axl Rose, claiming the rocker backed out of a deal to pay $2.36 million for an Andy Warhol portrait of John Lennon.

Acquire d'Arte, in a lawsuit filed Sept. 11 in Los Angeles Superior Court, said it negotiated with a New York art gallery and was able to lower the price of the artwork from $2.65 million to $2.36 million for Rose.

But after agreeing to buy the portrait, the GUNS N' ROSES frontman paid only $1.21 million, according to the suit. Rose's manager and attorney told the broker that the rocker would not pay the remaining balance because he didn't have enough money and "the painting was not worth the price he had agreed to pay," the lawsuit stated.

Rose's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, said some of the deal's terms and conditions may have been misrepresented to his client.

"It's my opinion that Axl Rose is the victim of some fraud or misrepresentation here," Weitzman said Wednesday.



Acquire d'Arte was seeking $1.15 million in damages.

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES - BALTIMORE SHOW ANNOUNCED...

This is currently listed on Ticketmaster.com:

Guns N' Roses
1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD
Mon, Nov 13, 2006 08:00 PM

US $39.50 - US $75.00

Onsale to General Public:
Sat, 09/30/06 10:00 AM EDT

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES Frontman Gets 'Mav Himself' Kicked Out Of California Concert

A video clip of GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose stopping the band's performance halfway through the song "Sweet Child O' Mine" on Thursday, Sept. 21 at the Warfield in San Francisco in order to have an unruly "Mav Himself" removed from the premises has been posted online at YouTube.com.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HuEwWtApk

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES: More U.S. Dates Announced

GUNS N' ROSES has added three more U.S. dates to its itinerary, including one in November (Huntington, WV) and two more in December (Everett, WA and Portland, OR). Tickets for both Canadian dates will go on sale September 29 while tickets for the three U.S. dates will go on sale September 30. The band's schedule is now shaping up as follows:

Oct. 05 - San Diego, CA - iPayOne Center
Oct. 20 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena
Oct. 24 - Sunrise, FL - Bank Atlantic Center
Oct. 25 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
Oct. 27 - Estero, FL - Germain Arena
Oct. 31 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
Nov. 03 - Huntington, WV - Big Sandy Superstore Arena
Nov. 08 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
Nov. 13 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
Nov. 15 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Nov. 17 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
Nov. 24 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
Dec. 10 - Everett, WA - Everett Events Center
Dec. 11 - Portland, OR - The Rose Garden Arena
Dec. 13 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
Jan. 10 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
Jan. 11 - Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena
Jan. 13 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center

GUNS N' ROSES last week postponed the U.S. dates that were to take place between September 27 and October 5. The dates have been moved to fit into the main body of the tour, which starts on October 20 in Jacksonville, FL at the Veterans Memorial Arena.

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES: More Tour Dates, Opening Acts Announced

GUNS N' ROSES's management, Sanctuary Artist Management, has issued the following press release:

Hot on the heels of their sell out shows last week in Las Vegas, San Francisco and KROQ's Inland Invasion in Los Angeles GUNS N' ROSES announce the first leg of their "Chinese Democracy" North American Tour.

The tour, which will kick off on the 20th of October in Jacksonville, Florida, finds the band in top form having spent the summer in Europe playing to 700,000-plus people over 32 shows in 18 countries, making it one of the biggest tours of the year on the continent and in the U.K. Concert-goers were not let down as Axl Rose and his bandmates Dizzy Reed, Robin Finck, Richard Fortus, Tommy Stinson, Chris Pitman, Brain and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal burned through classics such as "Welcome to the Jungle", "Paradise City", "Nightrain", "Mr. Brownstone", "November Rain" and "Sweet Child O' Mine" as well as highlighting soon to be favourites from the forthcoming "Chinese Democracy" album.

Just this week, the Hollywood Reporter's concert review of KROQ's Inland Invasion observed, "when headliner GUNS N' ROSES took the stage everything old became new again — and everything new on the bill, just couldn't hold a candle in comparison... the night belonged to GUNS N' ROSES!"

Axl Rose commented, "We had an amazing tour in Europe this summer and last week's shows here in the U.S. were great. It's been a long time getting here but we look forward to coming to your town and having a lot of fun."

Sebastian Bach, who has been guesting with GUNS N' ROSES on "My Michelle", will open the entire tour with the "special guest" slot going to a number of great bands, starting with PAPA ROACH for the dates through the 3rd of November. The shows have been planned to cater to a GUNS N' ROSES rock n' roll party atmosphere with Sebastian hitting the stage every night at 8 p.m. followed by the "special guest" at 9 p.m. and GUNS N' ROSES shortly after 10 p.m. and lots of great music in between.

THE NEW WEBSITE...
GUNS N' ROSES are also delighted to announce that they have partnered with Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLB.COM) to provide their fans with premium ticketing opportunities and up-to-the-minute information on the tour and the band's other activities via gunsnroses.com which will be launched as of tomorrow.

As for GUNS N' ROSES' forthcoming "Chinese Democracy" album, the only comment at this time is that there are 13 Tuesdays left between now and the end of the year.

The itinerary for the "Chinese Democracy" North American Tour is as follows. Tickets for most dates go on sale on the 30th of September with up-to-the-minute information and pre-sales available now at gunsnroses.com.

Oct. 20 - Jacksonville, FL @ Vets Memorial Arena
Oct. 22 - Nashville, TN @ Gaylord Entertainment Center
Oct. 22/24 - Sunrise, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
Oct. 22/25 - St. Petersburg, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
Oct. 22/27 - Estero, FL @ Germain Arena
Oct. 22/29 - San Juan, Puerto Rico @ Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
Nov. 02 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
Nov. 03 - Huntington, WV @ Big Sandy Superstore Arena
Nov. 05 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
Nov. 06 - Portland, ME @ Cumber County Civic Center
Nov. 08 - Worcester, MA @ Worcester Centrum
Nov. 10 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Nov. 13 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner
Nov. 15 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Nov. 17 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank
Nov. 18 - Quebec @ Colisee Pepsi
Nov. 20 - Halifax, NS @ Halifax Metro Centre
Nov. 24 - Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Nov. 25 - Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 27 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
Nov. 29 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
Dec. 01 - Ames, IA @ Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 02 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Dec. 04 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Dec. 06 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
Dec. 07 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
Dec. 10 - Everett, WA @ Everett Events Center
Dec. 11 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
Dec. 13 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
Dec. 15 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Coliseum
Dec. 17 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre
Dec. 19 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre
Jan. 10 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena
Jan. 11 - Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
Jan. 13 - Reno, NV @ Reno Events Ctr
Jan. 16 - San Diego, CA @ iPayOne Center

[mavhimself]

what will happen first: axl no-shows and starts a riot leading to the tour's cancellation or 'chinese democracy' gets released?

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES: 'Chinese Democracy' Release Date Announced?

RollingStone.com reports: "From the annals of We'll Believe It When We See It: A friend of ours with a retail source has told us that the long awaited GUNS N' ROSES album, 'Chinese Democracy', has gotten a firm release date of November 21st. Under normal circumstances we'd laugh at such an assertion — after all, this album has reportedly cost more than $13 million and has been 'due out' since 1998. But whenever somebody has actually managed to get Axl to speak in the past few months, he's said it's coming out before the end of the year. Plus, there was that GN'R tour announcement the other day that alluded to a release date some time in the next two months. Dare to dream, folks. Dare to dream."

[muthagoose]

[muthagoose]

AXL ROSE Says CHRISTINA AGUILERA Is 'One Of The Greatest Vocalists Of Our Time'

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose has proclaimed pop star Christina Aguilera to be "one of the greatest vocalists of our time," according to Blender magazine. Speaking to the publication for its November 2006 issue, Aguilera shared the following story from the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place August 31 at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City: "Axl Rose was backstage in the greenroom at the VMAs, right near my glam squad, and I heard that he made everyone in the room quiet down so he could hear my performance. When I met him backstage, he shook my hand and said, 'You are one of the greatest vocalists of our time'. Isn't that sweet? Because in my day, GUNS N' ROSES were, like 'it.'"

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES: 'Collector's Box' DVD To Receive U.S. Release In January

Chrome Dreams has set a January 30, 2007 U.S. release date for GUNS N' ROSES' "Collector's Box" , a two-disc set "which tells the complete and extraordinary story of GUNS N' ROSES using never-before-seen performance and interview footage, interviews with close friends, fellow bandmates, family members, music biz colleagues, and close collaborators who know them best," according to a press release. "It features numerous location shoots, unpublished photographs and a whole host of other features. Extras include digital interactive discography, interactive quiz and 'Did you know?' section."

"Collector's Box" was originally released in Europe in June. More information is available at Amazon.co.uk.

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH 2006 ROLLS ON... CODE ORANGE!

More Juicy “Chinese Democracy” Tidbits

In the new issue of Rolling Stone hitting stands this Friday, our Brian Hiatt reveals what he’s discovered about the long-awaited Guns N’ Roses album Chinese Democracy. The article begins with this elusive quote from GN’R manager Merck Mercuriadis, in which he essentially retreads stuff we already know: “The album will come out this year. There are ten Tuesdays left before January – it will come out on one of them.” But trust us, it gets better. Highlights after the jump.

* Following Guns’ headlining gig in San Bernadino, California, on September 23rd, Axl threw a party at his mansion and played the full album in his poolroom for visitors, including his friend Sebastian Bach, former singer of Skid Row. “It was mind-blowing,” says Bach, who is opening for Guns n’ Roses on their upcoming North American arena tour. “It’s a very cool album – it’s badass with killer screams, killer guitar riffs, but it’s got a totally modern sound. The word for it is ‘grand.’ It’s fucking epic. He’s reinvented himself yet again.”

* The album includes some tracks that have been played live or leaked onto the Internet, including the poppy “Better” and the hard-hitting “I.R.S.” “There’s this one song called ‘Sorry’ that’s almost like doom metal with Axl singing really clean over this grinding, slow beat that is fucking mean,” says Bach. “I cannot get it out of my head.”

* Veteran engineer Andy Wallace, who mixed Nirvana’s Nevermind, is working on the project, according to a source close to the band. “We’re absolutely delighted with the mixes,” the source says.

* On October 24th, the band will kick off its North American tour in Miami. Two dates — November 10th in New York and November 20th in Halifax, Nova Scotia — are already sold out, according to Mercuriadis. Additional U.S. dates will be added in early 2007, and the band will return to the States in the summer as well, he says.

* Though a source told Rolling Stone that the album is due November 21st, Mercuriadis declined to confirm this. “I don’t know that we will announce a release date,” he says. “You just might walk into your record shop one Tuesday and find it there.”

-- Rolling Stone

[muthagoose]

The following item was reported by the New York Post's Page Six:

South Beach revelers have found themselves a new party pal in GUNS N' ROSES front man Axl Rose. Witnesses at Miami nightclub Snatch earlier this week said the rocker rolled in with a few tour mates from Eric Clapton's crew and stayed until 5 a.m. His debaucheries included a five-minute ride on a mechanical bull and a saucy show from his girlfriend, who spent the night dancing on poles and bar tables. The next night at his concert in Fort Lauderdale, Rose told the audience, "I don't remember where I was . . . but I know it had something to do with a mechanical bull."

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH 2006 Coverage Rolls On...

SEBASTIAN BACH Comments On GUNS N' ROSES' Portland Concert Cancellation

Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach, who is currently touring North America as the opening act for GUNS N' ROSES, has commented on the cancellation of GN'R's Nov. 6 concert in Portland, Maine. In a live interview with the Hartford, Connecticut radio station WCCC which aired Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 7), Bach stated,...

"Basically what happened is that GUNS N' ROSES has a huge pyro show — anybody that's seen the concert knows that to be the case. And when the fire marshall showed up, they were not into it — they were like, 'This is too much.' Also, they have these laws up there in Maine now where they literally told GUNS N' ROSES and PAPA ROACH and us, they said any fans caught in the building smoking a cigarette will be immediately arrested, any bandmember on stage with a beer in his hand will be escorted out of the venue and taken into jail. And it's like,' Dude, it's a rock concert. It's a ROCK show.' Basically, it felt like they didn't want the thing to go down. And I read on Blabbermouth where it said 3,000 tickets were sold for the show, which was a 5,500 seater. And I'm like, dude, it's Portland, Maine. After 15 years, the guy's [Axl] never played there — that's not unexpected, like, to come back into town… I think that there's a real peculiar thing about human nature where people really appreciate people only after they're dead. It's like Dimebag Darrell — we all agree that he's the most legendary guitar player ever, right? A friend of mine. Nobody really mentions the fact that when he was playing the night he died, there was probably 150 people in front of him. He was at the Alrosa Villa, which is a complete dump. And then he died, and now it's like, 'Dimebag's my hero. Oh, my God… He was more important to me than anything. I'm the ultimate…' It's like, 'Where were you when DAMAGEPLAN was touring?' So here Axl's like, 'Oh, you only sold 3,000 tickets.' That's after 15 years. We've got a sold-out Madison Square Garden the day after tomorrow. So, for me, it's like… Dimebag used to say, 'Those are the highs and lows of rock and roll.' So, for me, if GUNS can't do their whole show… It's like KISS wouldn't show up without doing their whole show. If you're coming into a venue with a concert and a production, then you wanna give the full show. But it wasn't for tickets, because that [3,000 people in a 5,500 seater] would have looked pretty good, actually."


GUNS N' ROSES Manager: Portland Cancellation 'Had Nothing To Do With Pyro Or Ticket Sales'

GUNS N' ROSES' manager manager Merck Mercuriadis and the band's lead singer Axl Rose have issued a statement in response to an overwhelming number of negative posts on the message board of the GN'R fan site Here Today… Gone To Hell! regarding the cancellation of the group's Nov. 6 concert in Portland, Maine. Their statement reads as follows:

"I [Merck] normally do not respond on [Here Today… Gone To Hell!] but a number of your posts have been brought to my attention today and I feel it is right to take the time to dispel the negative speculation through a statement of facts:

1. The show in Portland was cancelled last night because the fire marshall made it impossible for us to believe we could do our show without putting at risk the safety of the fans and the band. They made it clear that they intended to harrass our fans, crew and the band through enforcing rules and regulations that are 200 years old to an extent that has not been applied to other artists and that we believed would make the gig a potential time bomb that would explode. Our production manager Chris Gratton is a seasoned pro who has worked with everyone from KORN to R KELLY and has terrific relationships with fire marshalls and authorities all over the world. This is the first time he has ever come to us and said this is a dangerous situation and these people intend to use their authority in a negative way against our fans, our band and our crew and I need you to do something about it.

"The cancellation had nothing to do with pyro or ticket sales. Putting our fans, band and crew first cost $200,000 [Monday] night so we did not make the decision without great thought and care and it was made in consultation with our agents and our promoter both of whom lost money as a result and both of whom supported our decision 100% as they too could see that the authorities were more than overzealous in their approach. For all of you to be speculating without any knowledge or credible information that the responsibility for this is Axl's or the band's is nonsense. This band has performed more than 50 shows this year without incident and had every intention of performing last night. They did not perform because we — the professionals around the band — stopped them as we did not feel it was safe for them or for the fans. We take our responsibility to the band seriously and we take our responsibility to the fans seriously. Now if you want to vent your spleens about this do it to the people responsible i.e. the fire marshalls. We named them for a reason. They are the reason why the Cumberland County Civic Center did not rock [Monday] night.

2. I see a number of people flaming [online site] moderators for removing posts at our request. I understand that you feel that we are using our influence to censor you. We are not. If someone wants to express their opinion or critique the band and its performances, recordings, actions etc. that does not bother us but when you spread lies and disinformation about everything from ticket sales to release dates to how Pollstar calculate their chart we will use our relationship with Jarmo [moderator] to shut you down because you cause chaos and confusion and you try to take something good and turn it into something ugly. When GN'R gets on stage every night for two and a half hours, it is a positive force. The thousands of fans who are there every night lose themselves and have a great time. That is what rock 'n' roll is all about but unfortunately the 300 of you that aren’t even at the gigs spread a negativity that does not reflect the reality at all as evidenced by the original thread on the Meadowlands show. We were there. We saw 11,000 fans having a great time. We had a great time. For the people in the room it was a great night but it wasn't to be for those of you at home sitting around your computers.

3. Ticket sales. GUNS N' ROSES have sold almost 200,000 tickets already for this run and we still have 7 weeks to go. We have sold almost 50,000 tickets in the New York area alone this year between Hammerstein Ballroom, the Meadowlands and Madison Square Garden on the back of one interview with Ed Trunk and before the album has come out. Most bands do not go to Portland, Maine because it is what the music business calls a 'soft market' but we had a lot of letters from fans in the area and we were determined to play there regardless of whether it was 'only' 3500 people. We are doing something positive in a negative world. If you are with us fantastic. If you want to live your live in an adverse way stay at home.

4. This is from Axl: I would like to apologise to all of the fans in Maine for the show not happening last night. It was important for us to play there and it is a shame that what should have been a great night for all of us was not possible due to the actions of two people. I agree with and ultimately take responsibility for the end decision not to jeopardise the safety of the fans, the crews, the bands and myself as a result of the methods of these particularly draconian authorities. We are not trying to get away or get out of anything or pull a fast one by combining ticket sales as has been speculated. There are reasons that I have not spoken more about Montreal and Philadelphia that have been extremely complicated and are not legally resolved behind the scenes to this day and could have possibly jeopardized the future of GUNS N' ROSES.

"We have chosen to take the public heat for these events in order to have another shot at the future today with a new album. The professionals around me felt that Portland was a potentially explosive situation that could have had a somewhat similar result based on the behaviour of the two aforementioned fire marshals (it's not my 1st barbeque!) had the fans been given entry to the building and the show started. In respect of these opinions, our fans, the people of Portland, and the bands scheduled to play with us that night, unfortunately the only sensible decision was not to take that chance. We hope to find another way to play for you in the future. Thanks for even trying to see us. It sincerely is much more than appreciated."

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH 2006 Continues... GUNS N' ROSES Balked At Alcohol Ban

Elbert Aull of the Portland Press Herald reports that GUNS N' ROSES and state fire marshals disagree on who is to blame for the rock band's decision to call off its show at the Cumberland County Civic Center Monday night (Nov. 6).

The band, through a press release issued Tuesday, blamed the decision on a pair of overzealous state fire marshals.

Nelson Collins, supervisor of licensing and inspections at the State Fire Marshal's Office, said he was doing his job when he let band managers know performers wouldn't be allowed to drink alcohol out of bottles on stage.

Collins said GUNS N' ROSES' management objected.

GUNS N' ROSES canceled its performance at the civic center at 5:30 p.m. Monday, 2 1/2 hours before the show was scheduled to begin.

The decision angered fans, many of whom blamed the band's lead singer, Axl Rose, who has called off shows before.

Collins and another fire marshal, Robert Cadigan, "made it impossible for the band to perform their show to the usual high standards that their fans deserve," according to a press release from the band's management agency.

The statement implies the two attempted to subject GUNS N' ROSES to rules that were not applied to CLAY AIKEN and GREEN DAY, two acts that have recently performed at the civic center. The management agency did not identify a specific rule it thought was unfair.

Collins said he believed a prior dispute over the band's pyrotechnics show had been settled and the alcohol restrictions were the main issue before the show.

He said GREEN DAY agreed to the alcohol rule and CLAY AIKEN did not have a pyrotechnics show, so fire marshals weren't needed at his performance.

It is illegal for entertainers to drink alcohol while they work in Maine, Collins said. The fine for violating the rule is $250, he said.

Collins said fire marshals, who would report alcohol violations at a concert, haven't had issues with bands objecting to the law in the past.

He said he tried to convince the band's management during a midafternoon meeting Monday to have the musicians limit their alcohol consumption to backstage. He said the band's managers balked at the idea.

Rose was not in Portland for the discussions between inspectors and the band's managers, Collins said. He travels by plane while on tour and wasn't scheduled to arrive in Portland until Monday night, civic center General Manager Steve Crane said during an interview a little more than an hour after the cancellation.



Will Axl Speak with Live-Metal.Net? Only time will tell. I for one applaud Axl on not giving into "The Fun Police" and taking a stand for concert goers "Right To Drink".

[muthagoose]

SUICIDE GIRLS Burlesque Group To Open For GUNS N' ROSES

According to SuicideGirls.com, the the tattooed and pierced rock 'n' roll chicks from the SUICIDE GIRLS post-feminist version of a burlesque group will open for GUNS N' ROSES on the following dates:

Nov. 13 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
Nov. 15 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Center
Nov. 17 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
Nov. 18 - Quebec, QC - Colisee Pepsi
Nov. 20 - Halifax, NS - Halifax Metro Center
Nov. 24 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
Nov. 25 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 27 - Des Plaines, IL - Allstate Arena
Nov. 29 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
Dec. 01 - Ames, IA - Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 02 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Dec. 04 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
Dec. 06 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
Dec. 07 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Dec. 10 - Everett, WA - Everett Events Center
Dec. 11 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena
Dec. 13 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center at Fresno
Dec. 15 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena (formerly Oakland Arena)
Dec. 17 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre
Dec. 19 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre
Dec. 20 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre

[muthagoose]

GUNS N' ROSES Frontman Performs At MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION Gala In NYC

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose performed Saturday (Nov. 11) at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research fundraising dinner at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, titled "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's..." Martin Scorsese and Muhammad Ali co-chaired the event, which was slated to feature additional performances by Sheryl Crow and Rob Thomas.

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH ROLLS ON...

AXL ROSE Comments On MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION Dinner Appearance[/color]

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose spoke to People magazine about his appearance Saturday (Nov. 11) at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research fundraising dinner at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, titled "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's..." Rose reportedly performed "Live and Let Die", a cover of the PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS track, with THE BEATLES tribute band THE FAB FAUX at the event, which was co-chaired by Martin Scorsese and Muhammad Ali.

Why the performance? "Michael had asked," Rose told People. "We actually used a sample of Michael J. Fox from [his film] 'Casualties of War' in one of our songs that will be on the new album. So I felt, one, I've always been a fan of his. And I also feel for the guy and his situation. I'm for stem-cell research, so I just thought it would be wrong not for me to come when I was asked."

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH 2006: You Source For Chinese Democracy...

New GUNS N' ROSES 'Chinese Democracy' Track, "Better", Featured In HARLEY-DAVIDSON TV Spot

GUNS N' ROSES has reportedly licensed music to Harley-Davidson for a TV spot entitled "Black Sheep". The standard version, which launched nationally on October 8, features the track "Paradise City", while the alternate version, launching late October, premieres the new, previously unreleased GUNS N' ROSES track "Better" from the band's new album, "Chinese Democracy", which will hit stores later this year.

According to a press release, the "Black Sheep" spot is shot in black and white (similar to the overall "Live By It" campaign) and uses the well-known metaphor of black sheep to show the rebelliousness and individuality of Harley-Davidson riders. The spot closes on a motorcycle rally scene, the Harley-Davidson logo and the "Live By It" tagline. To give the spot another layer of attitude, Harley-Davidson approached GUNS N' ROSES and requested to use the song "Paradise City" as the background music track. GNR frontman Axl Rose viewed the spot himself and quickly agreed.

This is the first time GUNS N' ROSES has agreed to license one of their songs for a commercial.

A video clip featuring the premiere of "Better" is available at this location:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnitjMMj_LQ

To view the Black Sheep ad, check out: www.harley-davidson.com

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH 2006: The Complete Coverage You Need... For Chinese Democracy!

Label: No Indication GUNS N' ROSES' 'Chinese Democracy' Will Be Released This Year

Despite GUNS N ROSES frontman Axl Rose's insistence that the band's long-awaited new album, "Chinese Democracy", will surface before the end of 2006, a Universal Music Canada spokesperson told Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun this week that "We have no indication that a GUNS N' ROSES record will be released this year."

The New York Times reported in an article last year that Rose had been working on the album in fits and starts since 1994 and racked up $13 million in production costs.

[muthagoose]

AXL WATCH 2006 CONTINUES... THE COUNTDOWN TO CHINESE DEMOCRACY...

"VIEW FROM THE SIDE OF THE STAGE"

This article, "View From The Side Of The Stage" appeared on the bands recently updated website, web.gunsnroses.com/, but was removed later the same day and no explanation or comment was ever given on why.

A little background on Del James...

Del James is an American musician, writer, journalist and artist mostly renowned for writing the short story that inspired the "November Rain" video by hard rock band Guns N' Roses.

"The Language of Fear" is the first book by author and journalist Del James. It has 339 pages and is a collection of short dark fiction stories released in 1995 by Dell Books, a division of Bantam Doubleday Publishing, part of the "Abyss" line of psychological horror. It features an intro by W. Axl Rose and the short story entitled Without You, which inspired the Guns N' Roses videos Don't Cry, November Rain and Estranged.

Del James was born in New Rochelle, New York, on February 5th, 1964, and raised in Mamaroneck, New York. It appears that his real name is Adalberto V. Miranda according to the ASCAP database.

He moved out to Hollywood, California, in 1985. During his first weekend in Hollywood, Del hooked up with Wes Arkeen and the members of an unsigned group called Guns N' Roses. To this day, Del still works closely with W. Axl Rose and the current lineup of Guns N' Roses.

For the past few years, Del has been working on a novel entitled A Celebration of Pain. He has co-written songs with groups like Testament ("So Many Lies," "Return to Serenity," "The Ritual" and "Dog Faced Gods"), The Almighty and, of course, Guns N' Roses, including "The Garden" and "Yesterdays" from their Grammy nominated Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums.

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VIEW FROM THE SIDE OF THE STAGE
By Del James

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-*** 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 **** 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' ****in 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 ***. 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.

PS I think i edited all the swears.

[muthagoose]

"Better" version of Harley Davidson Ad rumored to debut this weekend...

The Harley Davidson ad that features the new track from Guns N' Roses entitled "Better" is heavily rumored to debut this weekend. The ad could air as early as Saturday during the Ohio State vs. Michigan game, The Nextel Cup on Sunday or during the football games on Sunday.

Many fans consider the airing of this commercial to be a huge sign that "Chinese Democracy" will receive some type of release this year.

So you know what you are looking for, a video clip featuring the premiere of "Better" is available at this location:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaKffKwyneY

Only a 6 Tuesdays remain 2006...

Axl and his management maintain that the album will be released in 2006 despite the statement from their label saying they have seen no signs from the band of the mythical the album.

Possible release dates...

November 21, 2006 (regarded by many GNR fans as the official release date of the album)
November 28, 2006 (regarded by die hards as the fall back date to the previous week)
December 5th, 2006
December 12th, 2006
December 19th, 2006
December 26th, 2006 (a late Christmas present from Axl?)

Have no fear, this dedicated reporter will be in the field on each day to deliver the latest developments on the most anticipated album in rock history!

[muthagoose]

As the world waits for Chinese Democracy...

Guns N’ Roses has announced a release of a new DVD on February 5 2007 called Guns 'N' Roses - Live In Chicago.

The disc was recorded in Chicago’s Allstate Arena and tracks will include Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone, Live And Let Die, Attitude, Its So Easy, Wild Horses, Patience, Double Talkin Jive, Civil War, Welcome To The Jungle, November Rain, You Could Be Mine, Godfather Theme and Coma.

[Chick-O-Stick]

I just wondered if you thought, since it didn't come out today, if it might next Tuesday? Or perhaps 12/5 or 12/12 or 12/19 or 12/26? OR.....never.