Remember Axl Rose? He’s hoping you do, so he’s agreed to come on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show for a rare television interview.
The Guns N’ Roses rocker is promoting the upcoming Guns N’ Roses shows that will open at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas beginning on Halloween and running for 12 dates through Nov. 24. Rose will be on the Kimmel show on Oct. 24, but not really live, since Kimmel broadcasts his interviews on a one-hour tape display.
1. The Band is Still Touring
Guns N’ Roses has been out on tour a lot in the past few years. Well, it’s not the original band, but Rose is still there. Too bad Slash and the rest of the guys aren’t.
2. A Lot Rides on the Interview
Axl Rose hates doing interviews. He’s been burned over the years doing them, and he comes across like a douchebag when he talks. But this time around, the band is depending on him and the Vegas Hard Rock shows. Ticketmaster shows that the tickets aren’t going fast, an unusual thing for a Vegas show, where famous names tend to sell out shows, so frankly, the band needs the publicity.
3. Guns N’ Roses Inducted Into Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame Without Him
Rose opted to not attend the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, as the boys he plays with now aren’t the boys he was nominated with. No biggie. Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Steven Adler performed with Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy in Axl’s place. That’s the thing once your songs are big enough; you can always find someone who grew up singing them.
He cited issues like the “endless amount of revisionism” of the band’s history and “the greed of this industry.” Uh, yeah, whatever. They did fine without you.
4. This is His First Live Interview in 20 Years
That’s right, 20 years. Almost as long as a lot of rockers have been alive. Hey Axl, you’ve become one of the old guys. How does it feel?
Lookin’ 4ward 2 Vegas shows @ the Hard Rock from Halloween to Thanksgiving! Exciting watching the show come 2gether!!
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) August 23, 2012
5. Will He Even Show Up?
Rose has never been good with hitting deadlines, or for that matter, performing on live TV. The band better make sure someone’s around to drive the fella in and pour him into his seat.
6. “It Gets Old Being the Outlaw”
After he skipped the Hall of Fame concert, he issued a confusing apology to his fans, including the “outlaw” phrase. The thing is, Rose has made a career out of being the “outlaw”, but really, the outlaw act wore thin back in the 90s. What are you rebelling against, Axl?
7. People Still Want to Know: Do You Hate Slash? He Hates You
Guns N’ Roses was one of the top bands of the 1980s and 90s, and Rose was hot, hot, hot. Welcome to the Jungle was used in a slew of movies, and Paradise City, Sweet Child O’ Mine and November Rain still sound great. Truth is, this guy can really sing. But he’s never talked much, so it should be interesting to hear what he has to say. Will it be a cautionary tale of the excesses of sex, drugs and rock and roll? Can he talk? Does he still hate Slash?
8. Okay, He and Slash Still Hate Each Other
In his first print interview in nine years at that point, Rose talked in February 2009 with Billboard’s Jonathan Cohen, saying that basically hell will freeze over before he plays again with Slash. And as recently as this year, he’s still hating on Slash. A guy at a show in June was told to take off his t-shirt because it had a picture of Slash on it.
“I believe they asked me to do this because Axl Rose has some problem with Slash and if he saw me wearing the shirt he might have stormed off stage.”
9. The New Show is Called Appetite for Democracy
Catchy huh? Remember that debut album a long time ago in 1987? It was called “Appetite for Destruction.” Then, a few more albums came out that were also big. That all came to a grinding halt in 1993, when Slash and Duff were on their last album with him. Then one year, two years … lots of changes … then 10 years later, there was “Chinese Democracy.” It came out to a lot of pent-up hype, and then fizzled away in clearance bins all over the country.
10. He’s Open to Playing With the Other Guys, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan
I could see doing a song or so on the side with Izzy or having him out [on tour] again. I’m not so comfortable with doing anything having more than one of the alumni. Maybe something with Duff, but that’s it, and not something I’d have to really get down into, as I’d get left with sorting it out and then blamed on top of it. So, no, not me.
Yeah, right, that’ll go over well, since he blew them off at the Hall of Fame concert.