Lose Your Illusion: Axl Rose And The End Of Guns N’ Roses?
In the aftermath of Reading, Leeds, and Dublin shows, Mick Wall weighs in on Axl Rose and the future of Guns N’ Roses .
Axl Rose goes on stage so late it causes the show to be curtailed. Axl Rose blames everybody except himself. Axl Rose fans go home angry and bitterly disappointed.
Um, is it just me or do those last three sentences induce a feeling of déjà vu? I mean, we really have all been here before, right? So many times, in fact, you begin to wonder if Axl isn’t just enjoying some sort of cosmic joke no one else is weird enough to get.
Even the most ardent Axl fans (a rapidly swindling band of naysayers) must surely admit after these latest episodes in Reading and Leeds that the whole sorry saga went way beyond the realms of ‘boring’ centuries ago, passed through the nebula of ‘unacceptable’ even before Slash and co walked out, and now resides inside a file marked ‘mental’.
And yet… I can’t be the only one either that finds the continuing war Axl seems to be waging against himself – and make no mistake, he’s the one that suffers ultimately, as he sits up all night furiously surfing the internet for mentions of his name, as insiders tell me he does – utterly compelling.
See the pictures of Guns N’ Roses from Reading
Me and Axl are about the same age. We grew up in a world where rock wasn’t just some pre-packaged item on a virtual shelf you could instantly download and try on for size. We came of age in a time and place called the 1970s when rock really was considered the last refuge of the outlaw. You didn’t join a band to make a million bucks. You did so to shake things up. Freak out the straights. Fight the man. Fuck all the rules until they bent so far backwards they broke in two.
It could be argued that when Axl refuses to come onstage until he’s good and ready, tells anyone who tries to impose their will on him to fuck off – including his own band, record company, managers, whoever – that it’s a simple manifestation of the philosophy he and I and a whole generation of others like us grew up believing in. That rock was something you needed to have the right juju to conjure up. Some found it through drugs, sex, black magic, or combos thereof. Whatever gets you through the night, as we used to say back in the very long day and even longer night.
The trouble is, that was then and this is now. And it’s one thing to want to sex-up your act, recharge the vibe, so that you can bring it to the people when you finally hit the stage. But when the magic backfires and all you do is piss off the ones that love you most – the fans – then something is very badly wrong.
There’s a reason Axl didn’t make it to the stage on time in Reading and Leeds and it’s got nothing to do with the spirit of rock’n’roll rebellion – or taking a nap or any pre-show deal he now says he made, as reports have suggested. It’s the same reason, in fact, that Chinese Democracy took 12 years to make and reportedly over $13 million. I think you know what I’m talking about.
Let’s hope Axl feels better one day soon. Or better still, calls Slash…
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HAHAHA thats so true seen them twice and whoever wrote this page is a literacy genius. To put things in such a perfected image in such a deep and meaningful way, and yet so true and hilarious is incredible.
I have to agree with him – Reading and Leeds was Axl’s big chance to show the UK that he could change…and he blew it. As much as I love them, and as much as I have defended them on various threads and said I’d like to see them and everything, Mick’s hit the nail on the head here. And I have to say, Axl’s shenanigans over the past few days have ever closer steered me towards joining the people who call out for a classic lineup reunion – which I guess I’ve been in denial about.
Axl, if you DO search for every reference about you on the web every night, and somehow you stumble upon this article and bypass that it’s written by Mick Wall and read the comments, hear the plea that the majority of people have been shouting at you for the best part of a decade:
Either take a look in the mirror and sort yourself out and show that the GnR of today isn’t a joke or end it as amicably and maturely as you can.
His turning up late is as original as doing an encore these days. Can’t believe Melvin Bragg said he’d still have him back, he did this to Mean Fiddler in the early ’00s at Leeds and Reading too, but good on Melvin for cutting the sound! There are better people to spend your money on today, the legend has long gone on this one!
Axl is just a proper wanker. Saw them at download in 06. and even then he was moaning about all sorts, most memorably that the stage was slippy. haha. get a life you rich fat bastard! (Oh, and i would love to see guns n roses reform with myles kennedy at the front, that guy has everything axl has and more. he made sweet child o mine sound better than the original!)
The fact is the guns should of given up after Use you illusions. Everything thereafter was shite. Can’t Axl just be with the fact that his band wrote 1 of the must influential albums of all time wit Appatite? That and slash’s solo stuff pisses all over anything Axl and co have done
To be honest if this is what he’s like now I don’t want a reunion. Don’t forget that he wasn’t much different in the mid 90’s when Slash and Duff were in the band. I mean, why did they leave, again? Because he was a fucking asshole. And still is… I’m almost glad a reunion ain’t gonna happen because he would surely ruin it. I’d rather just go see Slash again. Anyone who saw him at Download will know that he and his band can really put on a show and have respect for their fans.
the only time anyone pays attention to you is when you write about Axl, and when you do, you are wrong. case and point, your book! there were so many untruths in that thing you should of got sued for it! you owe your career to Axl Rose! Admit it!
Hmm. Axl or Mick Feckin’ Wall?
I know which side I’m on and it isn’t the guy who is pissed off because his dad gets more pussy than him
PS Chinese Democracy pisses all over UYI 1 and 2 and Velvet Revolver were overrated. I am well aware that plenty of you will disagree and I don’t give a damn.
I’m getting bored of all these Axl hate articles. Why can’ t people stop hating and realise that this is how Axl is? He is a cunt but I absolutely love him. He kicked ass at Leeds and I can’t wait to see GNR in Manchester. They are still very tight musically and put on one hell of a show. So can all of the haters please stfu, because whether you like it or not, there are loads of fans who still love Axl and GNR, and your bitterness and hate won’t change that.
I think Axl should go on a diet and retire the name of Guns N Roses. Then he should learn to tell the bloody time!!!!! lol
i still love axl and i did like chinese democracy. but personally i think this new/ever changing line up has got boring now. it’s time for him to make a few calls to slash, izzy, duff and stephen or matt. hell maybe even gilby!
I seriously can’t get over how fat he looks!!! Looks like he does have a really big Appetite, ( For Destruction!! ;P)
But really. FAT! :O
I think that sort of behaviour should have stayed in the 80’s/90’s things are different now. Axl should realise he is’nt hot property anymore. Just because you have one s*** hot album (AFD) and slowly decline until no one can take it anymore, you should realise to pack it in there and then!
Never have I seen anyone drudge up their past, thinking that they are still king of the world.
Axl needs to realise this before everyone classes him as the joke he has become.
I mean what next?? Vince Neil getting charged for drink driving?………..Oh wait……
Welcome to the buffet! We got chicken wings!!
Dear Axl Rose
Please fuck off. No one gives a toss any more.
Sincerely
The Entire Universe.
haha, Rob well said…
those who want the Gun’s n Roses wth Myles Kennedy may just get their wish, there is rumours that he is gonna be the singer on the next velvet revolver album
was so disappointed that he put on a bad show at reading, i know the guy is a wanker but even so, i have been waiting to see them for like 7 years, and was a total let down… too bad i bought a t-shirt before they came on
and yeah Slash with Myles Kennedy at Download blew Axl and his band of merry men outta the water…
One great album and a couple of really good tours…now an over weight prize twat who cant sing to save his life Fuck off and never come back you overrated bellend!!!!
i remember hearing about the time skid row were on tour with gnr and they had to play for two hours in sted of 45 minutes cos axel turned up 3 hours late and when asked why he was late his answer was “i was in the shower” this man clearly does not give a shit about his fans he must think he can walk on water, and that we the paying public should feel blessed to have to wait 15 years for a shit album and over priced -over delayed gigs,i think we should stop giving this sad little fat egositic wank rag ginger(sorry read heads) our time and money and just stick to the classic gnr that we feel in love with in the first place ,
This whole sorry saga could be ended in an instant by Axl having the balls to start calling his band ‘The Axl Rose band’ and putting the Gn R name to bed.
Then see how many tickets you sell to muppets stupid enough to go along. A Gn R reunion would be awful, just imagine Axls ego inflating even further. what a waste of his talent, what a twat.
The GNR name is just a cover for axl and his shitty band to such every last drop of money out of the GNR franchise.
The current lineup can be likened to covering a dog turd in sprinkles. Everybody knows its a dog turd no matter how they try and disguise it.