Today’s Twist In The Axl Saga: Reality TV?
I have a hard time imagining Mr. Rose is into this kind of thing, but “a major music-oriented television channel” (do they still have those?) is allegedly trying to get Guns ‘N Roses to do a reality TV show chronicling the creation and release of Chinese Democarcy. I’m sure his label would be ecstatic, as it not only would serve as great hype but relieve some the financial burden of spending fifteen years working on a single album. “There is a lot of footage to choose from,” said someone who may know something. “Some of it is incredibly personal and revealing about Axl’s life.” So when will see this this footage of Axl sitting around his mansion in slippers, eating Funyons, and wondering if industrial is still the future of rock?
According to sources at Geffen (Rose’s music label) a version of “Chinese Democracy” has been finished and delivered to the label. But there are still outstanding issues between the singer and the label, not the least of which is a recording cost for the project which (depending on who you believe), has reached between $11 and $15 million. Another stickler is the digital rights for the tracks, along with some proposed “bonus” tracks Geffen would like to release digitally.
This reality show project would be part of a larger effort to build buzz for an album which faces a number of promotional hurdles. Rose’s recent concert appearances have been erratic at best, and many fans of the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup are going to require some persuasion before embracing this new sound. Rose is also not an especially “journalist-friendly” preformer, making promotion for the project even more difficult.
…According to the network source, the deal for the show is “close, but not signed.” Part of the holdup seems to be the timing, as the particpants want to integrate the show into a timeline with the leadup to the album’s release, along with the announcment of a limited number of concert dates.
Wait, Chinese Democracy has only cost $15 million so far? Hollywood spends that much to get a shot of Nic Cage standing on a rock! I thought dude was supposed to be livin’ wild and decadent! I’m bummed.
Is Axl Rose headed to Reality TV? [AllYourTV via Blabbermouth]
