As if the instant denouement that greeted Guns N’ Roses long-in-the-works Chinese Democracy wasn’t sad enough, now comes the news that German electro-gaze composer Ulrich Schnauss is suing GNR frontman Axl Rose, along with Interscope-Geffen-A&M and a few people who have been associated with the Guns brand in recent years, for copyright infringement. Schnauss and two labels that distribute his work claim in the lawsuit that the track “Riad N’ The Bedouins” ripped off not one but two of his compositions, and as a result they want a million dollars in damages. Clips of all three tracks, after the jump! More »
Last week, news that Guns N’ Roses might rouse themselves from their long slumber and tour Asia later this year lit up the Internet, and Universal Music Japan even got into the act by posting Japanese tour dates on its Web site. What does newish Guns recruit Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal have to say about all this? According to a post on his forum, it could be summed up in three words, two of which are “I” and “know.” More »
Yesterday there was scuttlebutt that Axl Rose and whatever band of merry men he decides to call Guns N’ Roses would be hitting India in November, and while those reports seemed sketchy and are still completely uncorroborated, there’s a somewhat-more-confirmed itinerary for the band in December: GNR will allegedly hit Taiwan, Japan, and Korea then. And by “somewhat-more-confirmed,” I mean that the shows actually have a commercial! It’s after the jump. More »
Like the Timex Social Club, I spend a lot of time lamenting the rumors that surround me every day. How do they get started? And where do they get crazy? In Truthmonger, I’ll try to suss out the kernels of truth in the rumors that are taking up airspace in gossip columns, blogs, and our tips inbox.
THE RUMOR: A mysterious Indian company called “Rhapsody Inc.” is bringing Guns N’ Roses to India for a tour that will kick off in November, nearly a whole year after the release of Chinese Democracy.
TRUTH THRESHOLD: Better late than never, right? Well, in this case, “never” might win out. More »
Another interview with formerly reclusive Guns N’ Roses mastermind W. Axl Rose has debuted on the Internet, and this one is kind of a doozy: It’s a lengthy chat that appears on AOL’s Spinner between Axl and his longtime confidant/road manager/video–trilogy inspirer Del James. If you think that the end result isn’t an interview as much as it is a series of questions designed to allow Axl to get some long-gestating beefs out into the open, well, you’re right!
Yesterday, bassist and emergent finance pundit Duff McKagan told Rolling Stone that his somewhat-supergroup Velvet Revolver was “weeks away” from announcing its new singer, after a lengthy search that attracted demos from some 400 hopefuls who were, for whatever reason, interested in being the next Scott Weiland. Said Duff of the pick: “It’s not like Chris Cornell or one of those guys… We just want someone that fits. It can’t just be good. It has to be amazing or we won’t do it.” I guess “better than Audioslave” is a pretty low bar to want to leap over, but good on the VR guys for at least trying. Five people who definitely aren’t in the running, after the jump!
In his first interview with a U.S. publication (and not a message board in some nine years, Axl Rose engaged in an e-mail chat with Billboard‘s Jonathan Cohen in which he talked about his frustrations with his label (“at least in regard to the U.S., for the most part I don’t look at it like we have a record company”), the media, the leaks of rough Chinese Democracy mixes over the summer (“Having someone jeopardize your efforts so cavalierly is pretty much a nightmare”), and the difference between then and now (“It was just as ugly in old Guns, regardless of our success”). Speaking of the old days, he also noted that he’s willing to work with Izzy again (yes!), and maybe do some sort of one-shot deal with Duff. And there’s more! A rundown of the juiciest bits after the jump.
As you may have gathered, I’m raring to close the book on 2008, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t run down some of the site’s highlights during what was a pretty dreary year overall. After the jump, behold a pretty subjective top 12 of the year (thanks to our technological limbo I can’t run any sort of numbers, but I think this list accurately captures the best moments we’ve had during a long slog of a year). And of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank all of you for coming back, reading, commenting, and pointing out when I get shit wrong (which is too often). If you think I got this list wrong, feel free to abuse me with compliments in the comments section!
I was never much of a Star Wars fan, so the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments that accompanied the forever-awaited release of The Phantom Menace passed by me at the time. But when I finally sat down with Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy—a long-awaited follow-up to a cultural moment that, for better or worse, defined my adolescence—I finally got what my Star Wars friends were all up in arms about, namely the casting of a newer, harsher, and daresay aged light on a once-cherished talisman.
OK so this is pretty much the perfect Idolator… More »
