Hookers 'N' Blow, the band led by Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and Love/Hate will team up for a 2008 tour.
Jizzy Pearl will be performing the music of Love/Hate for the first time in North America in over 15 years, including the MTV hits "Blackout In The Red Room", "Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?" and "Spinning Wheel".
Dizzy Reed of Guns N' Roses will also be on the bill with his ultra-fun side project Hookers 'N' Blow, who will be performing a mix of covers as well as, for the first time new music from Reed, including songs off "The Still Life" soundtrack, which he recently scored.
Hookers 'N' Blow / Love/Hate tour dates:
Mar. 28 - Myrtle Beach, SC - The Sound Garden
Mar. 29 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11 Tavern
Apr. 03 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place
Apr. 04 - West Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Apr. 05 - Philadelphia, PA - [to be announced]
Apr. 11 - Palmer, MA - Crossroads
Apr. 12 - Fitchburg, MA - The Compound
Apr. 13 - Farmingdale, NY (LI) - Crazy Donkey
Apr. 15 - New York, NY - [to be announced]
Apr. 16 - Akron, OH - Barfly Akron
Apr. 17 - Detroit, MI - [to be announced]
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/dizzynjizzytour2008.
Source: Blabbermouth
Friday, February 1, 2008
Hookers 'N' Blow, Love/Hate Tour Dates Announced
Axl Mentioned In Stephanie Seymour Tribute
The Telegraph reports: Katie Grand, editor-in-chief of influential British fashion magazine POP, pays tribute to a catwalk maverick. The entire current issue is devoted Axl Rose's former girlfriend Stephanie Seymour. A few excerpts:
At 14, the Californian girl known as Daddy Longlegs entered the Elite agency's Look of the Year contest. She didn't win, but two years later she was living with John Casablancas, the head of Elite. Not long after splitting up with him, she had a fling with Warren Beatty, who was cool back then.
Then there was her three-year affair with rock's wild man, Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses and she appeared in the band's videos for November Rain and Don't Cry. There were rumours that the wedding that took place between her and Axl during the former was - unbeknown to her - legally binding. Whatever the status of that union, in 1994 she married the art-collecting, racehorse-breeding publisher Peter Brant, with whom she has had three children.
Click here to read the full article.
Source: The Telegraph
LAist Interview: Marc Canter - Best Friend of GN'R
LAist recently got the opportunity to sit down with Marc Canter, author of "Reckless Road; Guns n' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction." Not only is he still best friends with Slash, but his family owns the infamous Canter's Deli on Fairfax. Over a cup of coffee and some delicious treats from the bakery, we talked with Marc for almost three hours about L.A. in the 80's, his amazing collection of memorabilia, and the rise of one of the best rock bands to come out of Los Angeles.
LAist: So how did this all start?
Marc: I grew up as a big Aerosmith fan. I decided that I would document Slash the way I would document Aerosmith because I saw he had the talent and everything else. I always knew he would make it as a guitarist, I would tape record the performances even before GNR, just because I wanted them. If he goes and plays a party, he’ll play and it’ll be gone, so if you record it, you’ve got it.
So for a dollar, you put a tape in, you got it. Taking pictures was just a fun thing that I learned how to do. I saw how it started to mold especially after we met Axl, and I saw more of the same coming from different sources. Then I knew if that if they would stay together they would make it. Now I got stuff or myself and for the world, because I wish someone would do for Aerosmith.
LAist: So did the guys consider GN'R a metal band?
Marc: They considered themselves an Aersomith/ Zeppelin / Stones type of band just doing their version of that. Slash has these dimensions that he can see, like 12 bars into the future. The first time you hear the lead from Welcome to the Jungle or Paradise City, it’s the same as the record. How could that possibly be? He would hear the song and come up with a solo just like that. It would end up being on the record the exact same way as the first. His guitar sings. There’s something about the sound; some people thought it was a special amp. Twice he played here (at Canters) where he just came up and plugged in with the band. Within 15 seconds he’d warm up and you’d hear that it was Slash. But it wasn’t him that made the band. You needed everyone involved to make what it was. You know they were young 21-23, living on the streets, some of them angry, tough, so they had things to write about. Not only did they have talent, but they had the lyrics. Later, they weren’t writing about the hard times on the streets so you lost something just based on the fact that they have houses and aren’t writing in the same room.
LAist: So were you into the partying scene with the band at all?
Marc: Not at all. Slash was always a drinker; there were a couple of them fooling around with stuff that they shouldn’t have. I mean once you fool around with them you’re married. They took a dark path down for a while. The funny thing was, whatever Axl experimented with, he was done with in 4 or 5 months. By June of 86, he was completely done. He just did it because everyone else was doing it. So it wasn’t like they were a bunch of drug addicts, but they did go out and have a good time.
LAist: I know that you were around all the time documenting the group, but how did the band deal with the real media?
Marc: They dealt with it. But for me, after they made it big, I still recorded their shows. Right around when they started touring with Metallica was when I stopped. I had what I wanted and the band had been captured. I just wanted to watch and enjoy the show.
LAist: Well being a young person born and raised in LA, its really great to be able to see what the scene was like.
Marc: It was totally an exciting thing because they started their own scene. Suddenly everyone started looking like they did. Everyone had that glam going on while they played rock and roll. There were always flyers all over the street. It just kind of took off. I mean at the time they had very little air play. But then MTV was ready to play Welcome to the Jungle one time at like 4 in the morning on a Sunday night, and the switchboard blew up. All the sudden Slash calls me and says that they’re in the top 10! Jungle stayed in the top 10 for months, then Sweet Child o’ Mine came out, and they showed what they could do as a rock band as well as show their softer side, which went onto the radio and TV. That’s what set them a mile ahead of everyone else. We have another Zeppelin, we thought, not just some band that would make one album and then disappear.
LAist: Which is what some of the Geffen people were starting to see, at this point.
Marc: Yeah they were late though, I saw that they had what it took at the first Street Scene when they were opening up for Social Distortion. Nobody knew who they were, they came there with makeup and so forth, looking like the New York Dolls. People were spitting on them, throwing beer, but they maintained the stage. They only played 4 or 5 songs but they finally broke through. That was when I saw the power of the band. Every time I saw them play I would get butterflies in my stomach. However, every time I went to a show to take pictures, you lose a little something.
LAist: So you basically made a sacrifice for all the fans. We should be thanking you for it!
Marc: At the time I didn’t see it that way because I couldn’t believe no one else was taping the shows. I just didn’t let it go. There was only one show that I missed. (Points to a map in the book) And this map will be online, where you can roll over the different spots and look at the history. The whole point is that I want this book to be relevant 100 years from now.
LAist: Well now that Velvet Revolver is around, are you doing the same sort of thing?
Marc: In terms of the book, I didn’t want to mention Velvet Revolver because I didn’t want to take the reader out of the moment. I mean I may mention that the band ended up in VR or something, but this book is mostly about the rise of the band, and mentioning VR would sort of take you out of the time capsule. So you know I’d take a few shots of the Whiskey even though it would say Velvet Revolver on the sign, but I didn’t include it in the book. But in terms of the Strip, I do have some great shots of Axl sleeping under the stairway at Tower Records (on Sunset, where he worked) Every now and then he’d crash there when he didn’t have a place to stay.
So for the website for the book, we’ll have about four photos from each show going up there. I think this will change the way people read, you know, if they can get more immersed in the content than they already are. I think when it gets out and it goes big, it’ll be like a Time magazine story, just based on the blending of books and internet.
LAist: Especially now in LA, there’s a huge nostalgia for that period.
Marc: Right. Everyone that sees the book goes crazy! I took it to Book Soup one time and the owner wasn’t there. I just said I wanted to give you 5 or 6 on consignment, and if you sell them, just buy more. I was there for 1 minute and someone flipped through it and bought it!
LAist: No way!
Marc: So we have a few to sell here at Canters. We sold 10 books on Christmas day. Now for me it’s like a little project. I can stand near the register and see what kinds of people flip through the book and eventually they’ll just spring for it. I get a pleasure to watch somebody come here and unexpectedly walk out with a book. The people that come in have no idea that they’ll leave here with a book. That’s the way I know I completed my goal. All the hours and hours and hours I spent doing this book, that’s the best reward.
So people now see Slash’s book where he thanks me, and it points to my book and that’s how people start knowing about it. You know its marketing itself. And I have a Myspace and everything, and people email me and tell me how much they love the book. So it makes my endorphins race in my body when something like that happens. Its my drug to make someone happy. It makes me happy when I look at it, so knowing that it makes other people happy is my drug. I get chills when I hear this stuff.
You can check out more from "Reckless Road" at Enhanced Books.com.
Read the entire interview here.
Source: LAist
Metal Mike: "GN'R can totally turn rock around"
Michael O'Brien of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak (Painmuseum, Halford, Sebastian Bach). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:
On touring with Guns N' Roses for nearly a year:
"I think it has to do with us really liking what we do because it's our excitement. You've seen the fans and in L.A., L.A.'s seen everything so when we play our shows and the fans are so into it we get excited by it. We're kind of like a bunch of little kids who can't wait to go and play really! Sebastian's [Bach] like a 14 year old boy who never grew up. We just don't really know anything else. There's nothing else I would really want to do outside of it so for me it's just like this is how I keep going you know?"
...
"Guns N' Roses are one of the greatest bands of all time. They are a band that is capable of totally turning rock around. Even though now heavy metal and hard rock are really big they could be responsible for making things big. They have a huge dedicated fan base. The other thing that has blown me away about them is that the kids are so young you know? Most of these kids weren't even alive when 'Appetite for Destruction' came out!"
Read the entire interview at The Metal Forge.
Source: Blabbermouth
Slash Worried About Hall Of Fame Induction
The November Rain hitmakers will become eligible for induction in 2010 - but guitarist former Slash fears a Van Halen-type mess.
The rocker and former Guns 'N Roses stars Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum joined forces with Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar to pay tribute to Van Halen last year when the band themselves failed to show.
Eddie Van Halen was in rehab and frontman David Lee Roth refused to perform with his successor, Hagar.
And now Slash fears his old band's big night in two years time could become be another classic anti-climax.
He tells Billboard.com, "I never even thought about it until we had to do that. Somebody asked me, 'Do you think you guys will be able to show up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (induction ceremony) in five years?'
"I was like, 'Oh, I guess we're eligible.' It never dawned on me before then. If this comes up, I'd hope we'd be mature enough to get up and do that, but I have no idea."
Slash, McKagan and Sorum currently perform together in Velvet Revolver while Guns 'N Roses frontman Axl Rose is famously estranged from his former bandmates.
Source: Starpulse
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Appetite For Destruction - Defiant and Deconstructed Review
-Lonn Friend, from "Life on Planet Rock"
In July 1987, the music world was introduced to a band of a rag tag group of musicians who consisted of two guitarists with fuel injected talent, a rhythm section that pummeled your ear drums and a lead singer who was possessed with feral untamed determination who shook the music industry to its foundations. All of this gelled and created a hard rock architecture that has been modeled and copied hundreds of times since but has never been topped. Like a tornado sweeping up everything in its path, the debut album from Guns N' Roses, 'Appetite For Destruction' landed twenty-years ago in a gust of X-rated gale force so crushing that the paths they destroyed are still felt.
'Appetite For Destruction' is nowhere near as ambitious as their follow-ups, 'Use Your Illusion I and II" but it is a once in a generation album that is dark, dreary, grandiose, maddening, rumbling, ethereal and jolting. There's no blueprint for an album of this stature, it could only come about through a deviant birth. The hot-blooded youthfulness aligned with the feeling of fire and desperation in your veins is embodied within these twelve compositions. What made Guns N' Roses so intriguing is you felt this was a passionately precocious band that was ready to erupt at any second. We were mesmerized by their penchant for obliteration. Their lack of inhibition worked to their advantage, only Nirvana cared less. They walked a fine line where women lusted after them and guys wanted to embody them right down to the top-hat and headband. I am not sure if there has ever been a more unforeseen commercial juggernaut than 'Appetite For Destruction' which became the foundation for every hard rock and metal album released in the last two decades. But none of these albums which followed 'Appetite' had the aura of danger or mystery that encircled it. We've all seen the "Behind the Music" episodes where an A&R executive pats himself on the back and they say something along the lines of "From the moment I saw them I knew they would be the biggest band in the world". What they don't show you is the list of artists they felt the same way about but drifted into obscurity quicker than you can say "Nightrain". Tom Zutant said such a thing on the Guns N' Roses "Behind The Music" a few years back and while I am sure he felt that way deep down inside, I somehow doubt he really envisioned this album selling sixteen-million albums ( and that's just in the US). No one could have foreseen these five misfits erupting and leaving ramifications from their destruction which can still be felt two-decades later.
'Appetite' was not on most people's radars until mid-1988 when "Sweet Child O' Mine" soared across the radio and MTV breaking barriers and exhibiting to the world that a rock ballad could have balls. Here is what makes the success of Guns so staggering; they broke every rule in the book and is specifically why this album still feels authentic, genuine and truthful two decades later. 'Appetite' is much like the first person you fall in love with; you may have prettier, smarter and more loving ones later in life…but you never forget your first love and in some ways we measure every relationship we have for all eternity to this first love. Much the same could be said about 'Appetite' as rock fans have heralded new genre's of metal and artists over the years, but do you listen to any of them as much as Guns N' Roses? Probably not. The twelve songs that encompass 'Appetite' surge from one to another like hemi-powered drones on a Jersey highway and rumble like an apocalyptic earthquake. The chaotic narrative is broken into two distinctive sides and it's essential that these songs penetrate your senses in running order to fully clench the brilliance that is 'Appetite For Destruction'.
The opening line of this masterpiece is an ambitious artistic statement but even more prevailing than the lyrics is the coupling of Slash's revelatory teasing guitar riff and the Axl's opening bleating screeching howl that initiates a thunderous wall of primal sound unlike any other in the rock pantheon. "Welcome To The Jungle" would be the song that launched a metal revolution that stands unmatched in the two-decades since its release. From the sleazy "Jungle" we're taken on an epic journey to the raw gusto of "It's So Easy" led by the most simplistic but essential bass intro ever laid down on record. Rumors were abound that Slash sang the vocals because no one could believe the monotone delivery was really Axl's. The pulverizing "Nightrain" accentuated by Adler's cowbell opening raged with metallic fury before moving onto the belting "Outta Get Me" before the rhythmic addictive minimalist swagger of "Mr. Brownstone" which makes your veins ache for a fix before climaxing with the relenting surreal and dreamlike anthem "Paradise City" which serves as a remedy for the torture and obliteration of the preceding five songs.
The rudimentary supremacy of side one detonates your senses in a way few albums can match, but it's the flip side I find transfixing with its infuriating look at love which finds the Guns romantic, jealous and yes…briefly optimistic. Side two opens with an endearing medley of rebellious proclamations of love initiating with the achingly, brutal and belting "My Michelle" which has a saccharine chorus and viciously penetrating verses that swaps between the sweet and sour. Obsessive fervor takes us over on "Think About You". At its core, there is a romantic sincerity to this song and while it may not seem as vital as the other eleven tracks, it's a power pop anthem that prompts you to think of Joey Ramone's voice; "Think About You" is the greatest song the Ramones never recorded.
The languid and gorgeous "Sweet Child 'O Mine" may be the most unlikely number-one single ever recorded. Where's the piano, the big epic chorus accentuated by a string section and a phrase like "Baby I Need You"? All are absent in this achingly emotive love letter. When Axl gently belts "She's got a smile that seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories" we know EXACTLY what he's singing about, we can feel it and we immediately begin to think a specific time, place or person. There is innocence to the song that truly puts us in a place and time where the world stands still. This is why 'Appetite' has sold sixteen-million copies. How often can you find a song that encompasses the emotional complexities of love? Virtually never. The luminosity of "Sweet Child 'O Mine" is that after Slash's blistering solo they chant "where do we go now". Unlike other bands of the time that provided us the happy ending, GN'R wasn't going to tie anything up in a nice bow, but are asking a tough question of love. What happens when you get the girl and you realize that it's not what you thought it would be? Love is a feeling that can not be defined and is much more convoluted than anyone could ever imagine and one whose journey lasts far longer than a six-minute song.
The unanswered questions of "Sweet Child" segue into thorny emotional fervor on the final three songs on 'Appetite' which deal with a covetous and scorned lover who retreats from their inner emotive self and heads down a path of annihilation on "You're Crazy". Moments earlier Axl was singing from his heart and here he's launching into an assault on someone who has wronged him. Love has turned into raging fury. Moments earlier, GN'R were drowning in their own romantic sincerity and sentimentality but there is a immediate jolting transition which can be heard on the titanic fuzz of "You're Crazy", a anthem in which they are vilifying a former lover. Instead of emotional fervor, they're unleashing introverted emotions like an eruption. The final suite of 'Appetite' is about deconstruction and destruction. After an initial feeling of being saved by the potential of love earlier on side-two, the Guns are now determined to be scorned and ready to destroy the world and everything in their path.
On the album's penultimate track, "Anything Goes" you can hear the acrimony and vivid chaos continue where a hunger is unleashed; the narrator is no longer proclaiming love but is walking to the swaggering beat of their own drummer. They dueling guitar solo on this song is just stupendous. Slash and Izzy, twin sons from different mothers, find a way to channel the anger, frustration and feeling of revenge into a mind-boggling solo where they trade licks as if they trade off twins during a date.
The concluding song, "Rocket Queen" is a proclamation of independence. The ills life offers are led by a bare-knuckle drum beat that is demonic. The ideals of love have been slashed and no sugar is left on the lens for the listener as Axl displays his velveteen rasp, howl and swagger.
The lyrics speak of their naivety while simultaneously proclaiming their independence and ultimately their appetite for destruction. Just when you think apocalypse is fleeting moments away, they pull a 180 and "Rocket Queen" switches gears from a disorderly and disparaging tale into a melodic decree of love. Side two embodies the sweet and sour life has to offer. It's grueling and taxing, but beneath all of the anger, aggression and rebellion is romanticism which can be summed up on the last lines of "Rocket Queen".
Say you'll always be there
All I ever wanted
Was for you
To know that I care
How could an album so deeply rooted in chaos and destruction end on a positive note? Call it eternal hope. In 1982 Bruce Springsteen released an acoustic home demo as an album, 'Nebraska'. What Springsteen did with the characters he threw in the car on "Thunder Road" and "Born To Run" and found out where they were seven-years later and he did not paint a pretty picture, in fact some would say it is a bone chilling cold album full of desolate tales. However, the album's final track is entitled "Reason To Believe". Despite the disappointments and desperation of life…he found a glimmering ray of hope, it was a small one but sometimes all it takes is a spark to start a fire. This is exactly what the end of "Rocket Queen" is all about. Beneath the acrimony and drama there is a hopeful romantic in all of us. Many people may focus on the big radio hits, but the brilliance of 'Appetite For Destruction' is encompassed in these final lines.
Whether its aggravation, angst, jealousy, love or hope we find ourselves in these songs and hopefully let Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff and Steven bang the anger and aggression out for us so we can take that next step in life…into the jungle where we'll hopefully not just survive but find internal peace of mind in our own "Paradise City".
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and can be found at The Screen DoorGuns N' Roses Classic Mistaken For Death Threat
The Associated Press reports that a school custodian's impromptu after-hours karaoke performance prompted a police response when a teacher thought she was being threatened over the loudspeaker.
State police say a teacher at Booth Free School in Roxbury, Connecticut barricaded herself inside a classroom Wednesday when she mistook someone singing a GUNS N' ROSES song over the public address system for a threat.
She was working after hours and thought no one else was in the building. Then she heard someone say over the loudspeaker that she was going to die.
Six troopers and three police dogs showed up and found three teenagers, one of them a custodian at the school, who had been playing with the public address system.
Police say one of them sang "Welcome to the Jungle" into the microphone. The song contains the lyrics "You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die."
The teenagers were cuffed on the ground for about 15 minutes while police investigated. They were released after being questioned and state police Sgt. Brian Ness said they did not realize the teacher was in the school and will not face charges.
"These things happen," Van Ness said. "Luckily it was humorous. You kind of have a gut feeling. As soon as we got there, we spoke to the three kids. They understood."
Slash Dismisses GNR Reunion Again, Plus Working with Dylan
Metro.co.uk: You've worked with a variety of famous musicians. With whom did you get on best? * Slash: I really got on great with almost all of them. Michael Jackson's record was a special moment, so was working with Iggy Pop, Lenny Kravitz and Ray Charles. A not-so-great one was with Bob Dylan. That was a huge learning experience. I was recommended for a guitar solo on his track "Wiggle Wiggle" during one of his darker periods in the late 1980s. I put a solo on there that I was quite proud of and put an acoustic rhythm track underneath it. When I heard it, only the acoustic track was there. Apparently he took the solo off because it sounded too much like GUNS N' ROSES.
Metro.co.uk: Will you ever work with Axl Rose again? * Slash: I always say "never say never" but it's not going to happen in the foreseeable future.
Slash Searching for Missing Inlaw
Padilla is now 43 years old and was known to wear a gold chain with a medal bearing an Indian head - and Slash is urging anyone who knows of his whereabouts to email searchforivan@yahoo.com.
Slash and Hudson were married in 2001, and they have two children together.
Out of Patience, Give Us Chinese Democracy!
To set the record straight, I don't know anyone in Guns N' Roses and I don't have a personal contact at Universal Music. However, the same rumors appear to be popping up continually and it evolves around how to market the album and since Universal has sunk a large amount of money into this project already, there are rumblings that they are unwilling to set aside large amounts for promotion since they have yet to recoup their initial investment.
The first Guns N' Roses album in fifteen-years is a story in itself and this alone should be enough to sell copies out of the box, however, Universal apparently is holding the album hostage until some kind of agreement can be made. One of the things I keep hearing is that the label has "reportedly" spent $14 million in expenses for this album. Now, granted, I believe the 'Greatest Hits '87-'94' was released specifically to recoup some of these costs and that particular album has been a consistent and constant seller ever since (selling over 3 million copies) but let's say hypothetically that Universal wants to find the easiest way to recoup this $14 million, while simultaneously getting this album into the marketplace. Here are three simple, effective and profitable ways to recoup your investment, while allowing Axl Rose to release 'Chinese Democracy'
This melody inside of me, still searches for solution
-"Better"
Option #1-The Digital Release
My advice would be to go the Radiohead route and release the album digitally first. This is the easiest way to avoid having the album leak early from the pressing plant. Whether it happens two days before the album's release or two months, the key is to unleash it before it can be found everywhere for nothing. Now while Radiohead's model was admirable, it appears that many chose to not pay anything for the album. For the Guns record, why not institute a $3 charge for the album. But here is the kicker. Charge $3 for a mid level MP3 rip (192 or better) and do not release it until you have secured two million downloads. Some people are so fanatical about wanting to hear this album; they would potentially order multiple digital copies just so they could get their hands on the album sooner. For those of you in the music industry reading this, I am well aware of the irony of my idea since Universal Music appears to be doing everything in their power to not embrace the digital revolution. In some ways, I may as well be talking to a lifelong vegan about the nutritional value of a Superdawg Hot Dog and Al's Italian Beef (it's a Chicago thing). However, I believe this is the quickest road to profit.
My editor even thinks I've gone off my rocker and suggested a $5 price. However, as Trent Reznor recently found out with the Saul Williams produced record, $5 may be a bit too much. [No offense to Sal, but he is no Axl - ed] We have an entire generation of people who feel music should be free and even if they are wrong, you must play into what the market will allow and based on my observations, $3 is the magic number. My theory is that you want to get your customers in the habit of paying for music and pricing downloads too high, will frustrate them. Make it affordable so that you build trust and an ongoing relationship. I sincerely believe Universal could acquire 2 million downloads at $3 a pop in a very short period of time. Since they've cut out the middleman, processing packaging, etc this would largely be pure profit. Most importantly, there would be rampant anticipation since the album had not leaked.
Total Revenue: $6 million
Option #2 –The Box Set
There will always be those who crave and will want the physical product. This is inevitable. The key is to provide them with the ultimate product. Think of being a car salesman and having a wide range of lines and vehicles. While I believe music in the future should be affordable, cheap and available in bulk, the key will be to market to the select die-hard fans. Radiohead did this with an $80 box set that included not just a physical CD, but a second CD of outtakes, a vinyl copy of the album and extensive packaging. For Guns N' Roses, the contents of this package could be exhaustive and maddening at the same time. Considering that it's taken years to bring 'Chinese Democracy' to fruition, I doubt Axl Rose would be willing to put alternate versions of songs out there. However, why not include a full concert DVD from the last tour? How about a short book written by Del James about the "Making of 'Chinese Democracy'"? Why not throw in a vintage Guns N' Roses concert on DVD to lure the fans to buying the more expensive set (although I believe this is highly unlikely).
The options are limitless; Include a concert ticket with every box purchase, offer an exclusive code that gives you access to a Pay Per View screening where Axl would give his first sit down interview, follow the interview with a live performance of the entire album. A Pay Per View could pull in a separate stream of income and it would allow Axl and the rest of the band to present the album they want. They wouldn't have to abide by the rules of MTV, NBC, of E!; they could write the book themselves. Promote it as a once in a lifetime event where Axl is interviewed by someone he knows, respects and is comfortable with. Allow him to dictate the proceedings as he needs to because he's the artist and the gestation of this album has been immense and he deserves a platform to showcase his art the way he wants. Not to mention, but the windfall from just 100,000 potential buying customers would add to the coffers.
The moral of my story is that if they deliver a stellar and unique package, aside from a potential Pay Per View, the fanatics will buy it. The revenue from a special box could reign in more money than a stand alone CD release. Include the CD, a DVD, a book, a reproduction of the original 'Appetite' album cover and a few other bonus items and a set like this could retail for approximately $65. Limit worldwide distribution of these boxes to 125,000. The total gross for this package would be $8,125,000.00 and if the $14 million budget for 'Chinese Democracy' is true, it immediately puts Universal in the black and this would potentially be before a Pay Per View or physical CD release or even a tour. Total Revenue Combined from Options #1 and #2: $14,125,000.00
#3-The Physical CD
Once you get the download out of the way, send the album to stores. Include a live DVD of the entire album from the Pay Per View show, exclusive web content and assorted contests of vintage Guns N' Roses items and access to potential future live shows. This will make even those who bought the pricey box set want to buy it again. Once again, don't inflate the cost, make it affordable. When the 'Greatest Hits '87-'94' was released in 2004, most retailers were selling it at $7.99 and I believe this was one of the prime reasons it has continued to sell well over time.
These three options combined should easily put Universal back in black, give Axl Rose the drive to bring these songs to the world, get back on the road and will eventually open up the chances for more music in the not too distant future (Sebastian Bach alludes to the potential of two more albums in under three-years).
'Chinese Democracy' has been a decade plus in the making and despite what the cynics say, there are millions who want…no scratch that…NEED to hear this album and the key to its success is to deliver it to the masses in an favorable manner which will appeal to not just the longing and patient fans, but to the casual listener as well. Promotion should be a no brainer as any news magazine on television or in print would kill for an exclusive interview. However, I believe the album will sell itself, Universal just needs to think outside of the box and unleash it on a world that is beyond ready for it. The reason that 'Appetite For Destruction' sold sixteen-million records is because of its unabashed honesty. It cemented the band into an entire generation's consciousness. There are millions of lost souls out there looking for that next record that will open new worlds to them and help them seek refuge from a world that is at times far too real for our own liking. But albums like 'Appetite For Destruction', 'Use Your Illusion' and hopefully 'Chinese Democracy' help you deal with your grief, provide a ray of light and reminds us that the fight that life can be is worth fighting.
A broken heart provides the spark for my determination
-"Better"
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and can be found at The Screen Door.
Four GN'R Songs on All-time Best List
"All top three songs came out in the early '90s at a time when Albania's wild communist regime collapsed, and people were free to listen to foreign music without risking prison and persecution," explains poll creator Igli Gjelishti.
Other rock songs from the top ten include Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune", Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and The Eagles' "Hotel California".
1. Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
2. Scorpions - Wind Of Change
3. Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry
4. Deep Purple - Soldier Of Fortune
5. Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
...
17 Guns N' Roses November Rain
25 Guns N' Roses Sweet Child O' Mine
43 Guns N' Roses Knocking On Heaven's Door
To see the complete list, go to this location.
Bullet For My Valentine Singer on Touring With GN'R
Revolver: A good deal of your touring in support of "The Poison" included dates with older, more established metal bands. Was that exciting?
Tuck: Yeah, it means a lot. It's something you never think of when you join a band as a teenager and you look up to these people as complete fucking gods. To even know that they know who we are is fucking amazing. It still hasn't sunk in that we've done something like that. They know us personally and are calling us by our names.
Revolver: How has that changed your ideas about who or what a rock star is?
Tuck: We've kind of seen what to do and what not to do if you get to that level. When we were on tour with Guns N' Roses, that was a prime example of how not to fucking act on tour. Then with Maiden and Metallica it was the complete opposite. They made us feel so welcome, and anything we wanted, they were more than happy to give us. It was nice to see that though they've established godlike myths about them, when you actually get them one-on-one in a room, they're just Mr. Average. It was inspiring to see that our heroes weren't dicks.
Revolver: One thing that unites acts like Metallica and Guns N' Roses is that they play to incredibly varied audiences. It's not just kids who know everything there is to know about the history of metal. Does establishing that kind of following appeal to you?
Tuck: That'd be cool, yeah. We've had our fair share of something similar, which is playing in front of people who really don't understand what's going on in modern metal. The Maiden experience, for example — there were 40- and 50-year-old men with mullets and denim jackets, you know? It was mad to see how out of touch some people are with modern rock music.
Revolver's entire interview with Matt Tuck can be found in the magazines' March 2008 issue, available on newsstands now.
Beta Lebeis: "Album was finished before Christmas"
She added: "Everybody knows that."
Lebeis said Axl is currently "in negotiations" with unspecified parties to arrange to album's on-sale date.
However, Classic Rock believes that Chinese Democracy may not be 'released' in the traditional sense - at least not initially.
We suspect that GN'R may follow the Radiohead route of pay-as-you-like downloads. But we stress this has not been confirmed.
Another source close to the GN'R camp also suggested that Chinese Democracy may gain a conventional release in late summer, with a view to it becoming "a big Christmas album".
Stay tuned for the full, unexpurgated story behind Chinese Democracy in the next issue of Classic Rock, on sale on February 6!
Taken By Trees Covers Guns N' Roses
No, us neither. But that won't stop Taken By Trees. The band, which features Victoria Bergsman, formerly of The Concretes, will drop a version of Sweet Child O' Mine off Appetite For Destruction Feb. 19. The song's available digitally through iTunes, and will also turn up as a 7-inch single on the band's merch table.
Former Guns N' Roses guitarist returns with Velvet Revolver tour, book
Ironically, the name of your latest album, “Libertad,” is Spanish for “freedom.”
Yeah, maybe that’s it. Maybe Japan is turning Communist. It’s a drag. We have a huge fan base there that are being denied concerts and whatnot.
There are three former members of Guns N’ Roses in Velvet Revolver, including yourself. As far as the dynamic of Velvet Revolver, how do you think it is different from Guns N’ Roses?
It’s just a different band, that’s the only way I can answer that. It’s a rock band, and there’s a lot of similarities to any of the rock bands I’ve been in. But it’s a whole different group, really. I found that in most of the rock bands I’ve been involved with, the approach is pretty similar. You get together and listen to different ideas. It’s a little bit more smooth sailing and a little bit faster in this band than it was in my last band.
Last year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Sammy Hagar referred to you guys as the best rock ’n’ roll band left on the planet. Do you guys see yourselves that way?
This is definitely one of the few real rock bands out there, as least that is getting played on the radio. The whole sort of rock ’n’ roll spirit, and that whole energy and that vibe of living on the edge, is just rare among new groups. It’s just the way it is.
Was “Libertad’’ easier to make, because you already had one album under your belt?
It was a lot of fun to make. It was definitely one of the more pleasurable recording experiences. The camaraderie between the guys in the band and producer Brendan O’Brien was awesome.
So does this look to be a pretty big year for the band?
It’s been great so far. We’ve done a lot of touring. We’re definitely not going to tour as much as we did on the last record. That almost killed us. We were out for 2-1/2 years. In April, we are going to start working on the next record.
Any other projects you are working on?
Yeah, there’s a couple of things here and there. There’s a couple of recordings I have going on. I don’t really talk about that stuff until it’s out.
Any dream projects you are looking forward to?
I have a solo record that I’m looking forward to doing. But I’m not going to do it until the Velvet Revolver record is done. That will be in the next year or two.
Slash, Bill Gates show off their licks together on ‘Guitar Hero III’
I see that you were at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas this month with Bill Gates, and that he was showing off his prowess on “Guitar Hero.” How do you think he did?
He seemed proficient enough on “Guitar Hero.”
And he had the right stance and everything?
No, unfortunately Bill Gates will always be the computer nerd. I don’t think he will ever have the right stance on guitar. But it was great meeting him, and it was fun hanging out with him.
I understand that you are a big fan of the game.
I got turned on to it in the back of a tour bus last year. I got hooked on it. So when they asked me if I wanted to be involved in the new “Guitar Hero” and to do something that “Guitar Hero” basically had never done before, which was to take a real musician and actually insert him in the game, I was over-the-top excited about it. And it’s turned out really good.
What excited your about the project?
It’s just a cool game. It’s one of the cooler video games. It’s definitely unique, and it involves music, so it’s right up my alley.
Are you afraid though that kids are so hooked on the game that they never want to pick up a real guitar?
A lot of kids, believe it or not, are going from “Guitar Hero” and wanting to play a real guitar, more so than if they never have been exposed to it.
Gibson Tuning Up New Slash Guitars
To prep for the launch of the new lines, Gibson is taking the company's current Slash-branded guitars off the market to create more hype around the new ones.
Why eight? "Price points," says Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "They're going to go from cheap to high-end custom, personally signed by Slash."
The Slash series will appear in stores March 15, and the guitarist and Juszkiewicz already are plotting a big stunt around the street date.
Juszkiewicz is planning a market strategy similar to the Gibson Robot Guitar, the first guitar with robotic self-tuning technology, which received Best of Show honors at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. Juszkiewicz likens it to blockbuster movie marketing. "Make the demand by promotional marketing campaign and deliver a limited amount to your top retail chains so they will know the product will move off shelves," he says.
The Robot Guitar, which was released in December, sold out in two days globally at a price point of about $2,500.
"It's like fashion or trends," Juszkiewicz says. "Consumers want it, and then they want something else."
And like a blockbuster sequel, Gibson is going with two versions: a new, less-expensive Robot will arrive this year.
Gibson's retail strategy is big business. Like the demise of mom-and-pop record retailers and the rise of big boxes such as Best Buy and Target, Juszkiewicz predicts the same for the musical instrument market. In fact, he is distributing less and less to mom and pops and going with big guns like Guitar Center. "We are reducing our distribution and delivering high margins to our main channels like Guitar Center. We have two masters: the consumer and the big retailer."
Gibson has had a presence at CES for six years. This year the booth featured performances by Peter Frampton and Kevin Costner. Juszkiewicz says he devotes time and money to CES to build the Gibson brand. "People pay a premium for the right brands," he says. "We want to be an even bigger player in the electronics space."
Also on tap for this year is a new Jimmy Page guitar. "The ink is still drying on the deal," Juszkiewicz says. "It's going to be a special guitar."
Eddie Trunk Comments on GN'R Rumours
"...I hear the new G&R CD is actually done, but the delay in release is not the bands issues but the label. There is so much money tied up in this record that in todays business it will be virtually impossible to be profitable, meaning the label might want to sell it off but can not find a buyer since nobody buys CDs anymore. Problem might not be Axl this time around and might keep this CD in limbo for more years to come. Hopefully it gets resolved..."
Axl ranks 3rd as Craziest Pop Star Ever!
Case History: Rose developed a loathing for authority as a child after his stepfather hit him for singing along to Barry Manilow's "Mandy." Despite achieving global rock hegemony with 1987's Appetite for Destruction, all was not well in this redneck intellectual's jungle: He claimed Courtney Love tried to possess him at 1993's MTV Awards, and he's still working on the follow-up to G n'R's album of punk covers, The Spaghetti Incident?
Craziest Moment: After marrying Erin Everly in 1990, Rose bought a house in the Hollywood Hills and had two topiary elephants delivered by helicopter. The couple never moved into the property.
He's So Crazy: "I'm trying to have a happy life here — why do I keep getting in my own way with it? What's going on here?"
GNR Finish CD??
We don't know how much stock to put into third or fourth generation rumors, but the word on the street is that Axl has turned in the CD to Geffen at long last but no release date is in sight because Axl and the label can not agree on the marketing of the album.
Are we closer to Chinese Democracy? We have no idea but we are hopeful. We have yet to hear back with the official denials or "no comment" from the GNR or Geffen camp but we'll keep you posted on what we hear officially or hearsay. Again this is all but rumor at this point , besides rumors are more fun than official news anyway.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Robin Finck, from Nine Inch Nails to Guns N' Roses
Robin Finck, is a guitarist who has been a member of many bands including Nine Inch Nails, and currently Guns N’ Roses. His nicknames include Finck, Queenie, and Ratt Finck.
Born on November 7
, 1971 in
In November of 1987, Finck reportedly attended a concert headline by Motley Crue. The opening band for the concert just so happened to ironically be, Guns N' Roses. Finck graduated high school in 1990; he would go on to play with several unsigned bands in the
Although his intentions were to attend college, Robin never did, though he did attend Berklee for some summer workshops in music. Instead of college he dedicated most of his time and efforts to his band(s), or hanging around
Robin moved on and joined 'The Hookers' and 'Heroin' (also known as 'Impotent Sea Snakes' (ISS) when in drag). Still living in Atlanta Finck worked security at the Masquerade, a large club where ISS and Heroin frequently played.
Upon being asked to do so, Robin auditioned for Nine Inch Nails and was accepted into the group shortly thereafter, in late 1993, replacing former guitarist Richard Patrick. Robin’s first public appearance with NIN was at show in
Finck then toured with Nine Inch Nails on the Self Destruct Tour from March 1994 to February 1995. Finck returned to play with the original line up of Sik Dik, now known as Cosmic Fuk, in November 1994, for one gig.
The Goodies, who included Michael Allen, had just performed in a local club of
The famous Nine Inch Nails Self Destruct Tour reached its peak when the band performed, to critical acclaim, at Woodstock II on August 13, 1994.
In December of '94, the band had an accident on their way to
Soon after Dissonance Tour was completed in October 1995 Robin signed on as a musical director for Cirque De Soleil, he would keep this job for the next two years. Finck is know for playing on the original tour of Quidam, a show produced and performed by Cirque De Soleil. Quidam kicked off its North American tour in
After 18 months of working in the Circus band Robin received a call from Axl Rose, inviting him to the studio. After 8 weeks Robin left the circus and began playing and recording with Rose, drummer Josh Freese, and bassist Tommy Stinson. The band worked laboriously for many months, with little to show for their hard work. Days after his contract ran out on August 1, 1999 Finck officially left Guns N’ Roses, almost 2 years after joining it.
Just months after his departure from GNR Robin rejoined the Nine Inch Nails touring band as their Fragility Tour began. This tour would continue from November, 1999; until July of the next year. Guns N' Roses released its original song since 1991's Use Your Illusion albums with the release 'Oh My God' in November, 1999. The song included Robin on guitar according to Axl Rose, though Robin would deny his involvement.
On October 27, 2000 Robin Finck was officially announced as a guitarist in Guns N’ Roses, signaling his official return to the band. Months later on January 1, 2001 the new GNR line-up played their first gig at the House Of Blues in
A Guns N’ Roses European tour, scheduled for May of that year was postponed and ultimately cancelled in November. The band played more shows in Asia and Europe in August before touring the
Guns N’ Roses went into hiatus in 2003 and much of 2004. Reportedly the band was recording material once again. A scheduled date to play Rock In Rio 4 in May 2004 was cancelled; with a statement issued by Axl Rose that guitarist Buckethead would no longer be a part of the band.
Also during 2003 Robin was credited as one of the writers for 'My Birthday Party,' a show involving acrobatics, storytelling, music, acting, and clowning. The show included former Cirque De Soleil acrobats and actor Viggo Mortensen, it was preformed at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in
LedzAerial, a physical, sensual, thrilling journey through the psychedelic and elaborate music of Led Zeppelin, premiered in April 2003 at The Key Club, located on Sunset Bd, LA. The show was followed by a tour which featured many people including Robin, Bianca Sapetto, Judith Flex (she created the show), Tim Alexander, Ana Lenchantin and Russ Stark. On February 28th 2006, a new version of the show was performed at the Key Club and Robin was credited as "Robin Fincke- guitarist Guns N' Roses, NIN." The show continued but Robin rejoined Guns N' Roses.
On Sunday June 8, 2003, Robin launched his official website robinfinck.com, the site showcases his talent as a writer, photographer, and artist. It also gives fans a glimpse as to what an interesting person he is and how diverse his tastes are.
In early 2006 Robin attended Quidam's tenth anniversary celebration, with original performers from the show.
In February 2006 several leaked Guns N’ Roses songs surfaced on a GNR fan site. One of these tracks, 'Better,' credits Robin as its major songwriter. The band resurfaced in May, playing four sold out shows at
