Nobody in Cleveland much cares for Axl Rose

Last night, Guns N Roses were officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Some of the band turned up, but Axl didn't.

How did that go down?

Boos rang out from some of the 6,000 in attendance early in the evening when Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, asked the crowd "who was missing" as members of Guns N' Roses were up on stage accepting their award.

I imagine if there'd been a moment when Axl had been wondering if he'd done the right thing when he stayed away, those doubts would have vanished faster than GNR's dignity when they had they guy with chicken bucket on his head.

If I've understood the scenario correctly, the people at the Hall Of Fame have decided that Rose created one of the seminal rock acts in music history, and wanted to show their appreciation of that work by, erm, booing him for not schlepping over to Ohio on a cold Saturday in April for them to tell him how great he is.

Surely not going to the Hall Of Fame bunfight is exactly the sort of anti-establishment bullshit the Hall Of Fame is supposed to be celebrating?

[UPDATE: Fellow inductees Rod Stewart and Adam Yauch also had better things to do. Oddly, their non-appearance wasn't turned into a circus.]

Axl Rose makes a lot of fuss about something unimportant to him

When asked why he accepted an OBE, John Peel would say that part of the reason was that he didn't want to be the sort of bloke who stood in the pub going "you know, they offered it to me. I turned them down."

Something to think about as Axl Rose writes a long letter explaining why he won't go to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony this week:

Speaking about why he has made this choice, Rose wrote: "This decision is personal. This letter is to help clarify things from my and my camp’s perspective. Neither is meant to offend, attack or condemn. Though unfortunately I’m sure there will be those who take offence (God knows how long I’ll have to contend with the fallout), I certainly don't intend to disappoint anyone, especially the fans, with this decision."

He continued: "Since the announcement of the nomination we’ve actively sought out a solution to what, with all things considered, appears to be a no win, at least for me, 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' scenario all the way around. In regard to a reunion of any kind of either the Appetite… or Illusion… line-ups, I've publicly made myself more than clear. Nothing's changed."

The option of simply ignoring the event and not drawing attention to it seems to have passed Axl by. Although then, of course, there would have been no publicity for his oh-so-antiestablishment not going to a party.

Guns N Roses more fun as targets than musicians

"Here's the deal: One more bottle and we go home."

Axl Rose offered the deal. The Dublin audience took it up, and continued the bottle-hurling.

In the end, though, the band returned and played a set which didn't end until 1 am. Which is a bit ironic, since the original bottle-throwing was sparked off by the band turning up an hour late.

Reading - Leeds was great, says Mr Reading-Leeds

As is now traditional, the organiser of the festival must have his post-fest interview to declare how well everything went. Melvin Benn has, thus, proclaimed Reading-Leeds good.

And, given the way Leeds used to always end in a pitched battle and burning trash, the organisers probably do deserve credit for having turned things around. Nowadays, it's just the bands who are causing trouble:

Last night at the Leeds Festival Axl Rose slammed the festival organisers, saying "This war ain't over". Benn had cut the band's sound at Reading to prevent them from breaking the noise curfew.

Benn played down the feud, saying: "I'd definitely book them again but I don't know if they'd come and play. I doubt I'll be getting a Christmas card from them. It's not personal, I think the band are great. Why would I make it personal?"

It's not entirely clear how Axl intends to pursue his "war"; or, indeed, if he'll even remember he's at war this morning. Shouldn't he really be at war with the licensing authorities rather than the festival anyway?

Benn was pleased with how professional the Libertines were:

"Anyone coming into this festival that just read press would have thought thought The Libertines were going to be the issue but they were professionals," he said.

He added: "They were just fantastic. It was the real deal and they made the effort. Whether it's got legs for the future I don't know. What they have done is knock their heads together and gone, 'Let's put great shows on'. They may all walk away from each other again, if they do I expect they'll walk away very happy because they've really hung out again.

I suspect "professional" is the key word here; watching on TV the set came across as very highly-polished, like something a Libertines tribute band might do. In the reuniting, they lost something of their soul. The Likely Lads have become Mike And Bernie Winters.

Axl Rose instructs his lawyers

Axl Rose has launched a lawsuit which, besides much else, seems to construct a conspiracy theory claiming his ex-manager has tried to force Guns N Roses to reunite. How would that work?

What [Irving] Azoff wanted, the rocker says, was the reunion of Guns N' Roses. To execute this, he would sabotage Rose and his new band so that Rose would have no option but to reunite.

According to the filing, "Upon realizing that he couldn't bully Rose and accomplish his scheme, Azoff resigned and abandoned Guns N' Roses on the eve of a major tour, filing suit for commissions he didn't earn and had no right to receive."

Further, Axl says the botched tour cost him money in production startup and rehearsal expenses. Claiming breach of fiduciary duty, constructive fraud and breach of contract, the singer wants at least $5 million in damages.

The Rose lawsuit is a riposte to Irving's good-luck-with-that attempt to claim a large slice of the earnings from a tour - Irving claims Axl violated an oral agreement to shovel over 15% of the take from it.

You'd have to wonder at the business skillz of a man who hangs his potential two million dollar payday on an oral agreement, wouldn't you?

Rose brings the Ticketmaster merger into the expensively-staffed row as well:

Azoff, is CEO, director and majority shareholder of Front Line, whose roster of artists include the Eagles, Neil Diamond, Jimmy Buffett, Christina Aguilera and John Mayer. In 2008, Front Line was acquired by Ticketmaster.

You've got to love the way people will now throw Ticketmaster into the mix as there's just an aura of evil clinging to them.

The good news for lawyers is that both sides have so much money they can probably keep this battle going for years.

[Thanks to Mike E for the story]

Axl Rose issues dull statement denying issuing earlier dull statement

I admit it. I snickered a little at the Axl Rose statement about nothing much happening at LAX airport.

Now, though, Axl is even more angry than he says he wasn't, issuing a statement which says he never issued any statement:

"Axl Rose denies releasing press statement regarding rumored LAX incident," read the new statement on the band's official MySpace blog. "I did not release any statement or authorize either any statement or anyone to release a statement regarding anything at any airport anywhere," Rose explained, apparently referring to a statement issued on Thursday by a Los Angeles-based publicity firm that blamed the LAX scuffle on an "unruly group of paparazzi." A spokesperson for that firm could not be reached for comment at press time, and though the original statement is still on the band's MySpace, the name of the firm has been removed from it.

"We had recently began working with newer individuals in management in relation to our current Asian tour in support of our Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy in addition to [manager] Irving Azoff's though as it happens we are once again touring Asia without management of any kind," the new blog entry says. "Imo this nonsense may be some type of manufactured or publicity stunt."

We're expecting a press conference around 3pm EDT on Wednesday when Axl Rose announces his sudden discovery that nobody actually gives a hoot about any of this. He's due to appear on Letterman shortly after Christmas plugging his new book 'Does All Of This Make Me Seem Ever More Faintly Ridiculous?'

Norma Desmond is 72.

Axl Rose issues dull statement about having his photo taken

Do you really need to stick out a release when you've been quite near a scuffle?

“Axl Rose, lead singer for the legendary rock group Guns N’ Roses, was unhurt last evening when he was accosted by an unruly group of paparazzi at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

“At the time of the incident, Mr. Rose was en-route to Taipei, Taiwan, to kick-off Guns N’ Roses’ tour of Southeast Asia including shows in Taiwan, Korea and Japan.

“Mr. Rose, who was about to enter a security checkpoint at LAX when the altercation took place, was approached by a group of unchecked and unruly photographers who became aggressive with the singer and female members of the traveling group.

“Mr. Rose was not injured during the unprovoked attack and was able to board his flight without further incident.”

It doesn't actually include the words "during the occurrence, a carton of milk was upended and Mr. Rose's hat was knocked from his head", but this seems to be the area of incident we're in.

Guns N Roses sued in copyright case

Reuters is reporting the launch of a lawsuit by two indie labels against Guns N Roses:

Two independent record labels sued U.S. rock band Guns N' Roses for $1 million, claiming the group used portions of two songs by a German musician on their last album "Chinese Democracy."

Guns N' Roses and Universal Music Group's Interscope-Geffen A&M label were sued by British label Independiente and the U.S. arm of Domino Recording Company, who own the licensing rights to songs by German electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss.

We'd normally mumble about this sort of thing, but - just in abstract - if there was a million dollars you could give to either Domino and Independiente or to Axl Rose, there's no question who would do more good with the money.

Rumours that Rose intends to counter-sue Schnauss for taking too long to produce the work for him to plagiarise cannot be confirmed at time of publishing.

Guns N Roses leaker gets his sentence

A heavy-handed sentence for leaking Guns N Roses' album 'Chinese Democracy' has been handed to Kevin Cogill, as the RIAA would hope for:

A federal judge has sentenced a man who pleaded guilty to leaking part of the Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" to a year's probation.

Blogger Kevin Cogill (KOH'gill) will also serve two months of home confinement, subject his computers to government scrutiny, and record a public service announcement for the Industry Association of America [sic].

The prosecution had wanted him to go to prison - prison - but presumably because he didn't force anybody to listen to the godawful record, the courts decided to just be a little over the top.

What's the point of the PSA? "Hello... I'm someone you don't know. I did a bad thing, and now I'm warning you not to do it, otherwise you might end up pretty well known, on TV and everything. And you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"

The rationale for the legal action was that Cogill's work reduced the number of people interested in buying the record. By which measure, the way Axl Rose killed any interest anybody might have had in buying the record, through making it so awful, should leave Rose looking at 20 to 25 years.

Axl Rose: Pepper spray

Axl Rose is hoping that people don't think he's the sort of bore who would instruct his lawyers to go after Doctor Pepper, oh, no:

Answering questions on fansite Heretodaygonetohell.com, Rose distanced himself from the legal dispute, although he said he supported his lawyer.

"Sure [I agree with the letter being sent], but the actions taken so far had nothing to do with me and I was taken off guard as I had specifically told our team, 'Who fucking cares?!" he revealed.

He added: "Right now we have a record to deal with. My feelings are after their public response. It was cute. Maybe the guy who got it rolling originally meant well, but it turned out sour and maybe it's just me, but he seems like maybe he wants a bit too much attention so..."

Yeah, Axl, you're so clearly talking about word make form your mindy-head has thoughts to create about.

No Rock's highly-trained team of logicians have been trying to extract the sense from "I told them I didn't care, they sent a letter that was nothing to do with me, I totally support what they did despite having told them not to" - they hope to have a response to if he's a humourless douche or not by the end of the week. The second paragraph, though, they have deemed to be too dangerous to attempt to parse.

The record company might think differently, Axl

Axl Rose has suggested that, you know, there might be a Chinese Democracy sequel in the works:

"For now we'll concentrate and keep our focus on this album but I will say I've always thought of it as a double," he said.

Given the gestation period, and costs poured in to the first record, resulting in sales in the high dozens, Axl has probably yet to float a business plan on this one.

Most of Axl's audience have died in the last two decades, then

Whew. The early feeling was that Guns N Roses sale was poor: but a first week of 261,000 in the US? That is pretty bad. You have to wonder if the 'one store only' strategy is now looking a little ill-advised.

Gordon in the morning: No promo

Gordon Smart does some reporting today: Record label bosses are, he says, annoyed with Axl Rose:

RECORD label bosses are fuming after GUNS N’ ROSES frontman AXL ROSE went missing for two months – costing the band a No1 album.

The suggestion is that Rose somehow failed to help getting the news out about the record:

Bosses at label Geffen are blaming unpredictable Axl for the disappointing sales after he went AWOL for two months before the release date.

Despite all the effort put into one of the most extravagant rock albums of all time, staff could not contact Axl to get him to promote his rock epic.

This seems a little strange - admittedly, Rose might not have made himself available for Saturday morning's kids TV, but it's not as if Chinese Democracy was under-promoted in any way. There can't be many people left on the planet who were unaware of the record's imminent release.

And given that it took Rose the best part of two decades to deliver the record, did Geffen really expect to be able to control a process over which they've had little control so far?

Anyway, it's unlikely that anyone in the US is that bothered about the UK sales:

But they lost out to THE KILLERS’ Day & Age in Sunday’s UK album chart rundown — with BRANDON FLOWERS’ group notching up sales of 200,000 during the week — 80,000 more than Guns N’ Roses.

It's the US figures which will really be of interest to Geffen - and boy, does Smart make them sound bad:

Chinese Democracy’s first week US sales are between 300,000 and 500,000. Yet their 1987 debut album Appetite For Destruction went on to sell a staggering 28million, so they have a long way to go with their new effort.

It's sold 28 million, yes. But over 21 years, from a start being released into a very different market for music, not available solely through a single store. And when people cared about Guns N Roses.

Is anyone really thinking that getting Axl onto Letterman to let people hear one of the songs would have managed any more sales? On the contrary, the fewer people that heard the record before purchase the better - something Geffen seemed to accept, as it was so heavy-handed about slapping down that early leak.

If there are staff at Geffen who really think there were more sales in a clapped-out band's disappointing punchline, then they might want to think about following Rose off onto a much-needed holiday.

Axl Rose has some cloudy issues with Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper, you might conclude, has made good on its promise to provide all of America with an unpleasant pop to mark the release of Chinese Democracy - you could get a voucher to turn into a drink. All a bit of harmless fun, right?

Not according to Axl who had instructed his lawyers. TMZ reports:

Rose is accusing Pepper of profiting off the Guns N' Roses name, after the soda company's website malfunctioned during their free Dr Pepper giveaway on Sunday. The 20 oz. handouts were a promise made by Pepper if "Chinese Democracy" ever hit the shelves.

Axl's lawyers are demanding full-page apologies in four major newspapers, an extended period of time to collect on the free suds and payment for unauthorized use the G'N'R name.

Apart from being utterly, utterly humourless, it's a bit puzzling - if Rose is annoyed that Dr Pepper somehow misused the good name of Guns N Roses in their promotion, why does he want the promotion extended?

And given Buckethead's appropriation of KFC's buckets in an earlier iteration of Guns N Roses, does Axl really want to get into a brand-ownership cock fight?

Guns N Roses leaker to remain out of jail

The not-at-all-heavy-handed arrest of Kevin Coghill, the first (although almost certainly not the last) person to allegedly to share Chinese Democracy over the internet looks like to be resolved without anyone going to prison. Coghill's brief is predicting a deal will lead to probation, although community service trying to remove traces of Axl Rose from the internet would surely have been more apt?

Guns N Roses comp: I wonder if Gordon will enter?

Guns N Roses are barking up the interest in their new album by running a competition with a special prize:

Guns N' Roses are offering fans the chance to hear their new album Chinese Democracy before anyone else.

Apart from, you know, the people who already have copied off the internet. Apart from them. But you'll always have the knowledge that you're the first person to legitimately hear the record, not counting the band, their entourage, the label, the marketing team, the chaps at Best Buy who okayed the exclusive deal, and anyone who happened to be around during mastering. Apart from them.

What do you have to do?

To hear the long-awaited album, fans have to show off their top skills in an air guitar competition.

Those wishing to enter should upload their "craziest, most inappropriate air guitar" performance to the band's YouTube channel.

Isn't all public air guitar inappropriate? Isn't this only a step away from asking people to send webcam footage of their best masturbation technique to the band (you can have that one for free, Akon)?

Roses bloom without May

During the long, long birth of Chinese Democracy - as part of the throwing of everything at the wall stage - Brian May stepped down from his traditional perch on the roof of Buckingham Palace to record some bits.

May's work, recorded back in 1999, hasn't made the final cut. May, for once, isn't raging, but quietly accepting of his fate, blogging:

Well, it is a shame, perhaps ... I did put quite a lot of work in, and was proud of it.

But I could understand if Axl wants to have an album which reflects the work of the members of the band as it is, right now.

I do have mixes of the tracks with my guitar on, work tapes at the time, but they will remain private, out of respect for Axl.

That would be mutual respect, of the sort where you don't bother to tell someone that you've dumped their work from an album and leave it to someone sneaking a peek at the credits on an early copy of the artwork, of course.

America prepares for a massive disappointment

It's even more official than it was when Best Buy stuck it into its online store: A press release confirms that Chinese Democracy is about to fail to live up to the hype:

MINNEAPOLIS, October 22, 2008 – Best Buy and Geffen Records announced that one of the most highly anticipated albums of all time, Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy, will be available beginning Nov. 23 at Best Buy and BestBuy.com on CD, vinyl, and digital downloads. The title track, the first single from the album, was released to radio today, October 22. Chinese Democracy is the first album of new material from one of rock’s most influential bands since the 1991 simultaneous releases of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.

Has anyone actually been anticipating it? Wasn't the fun of the wait the belief that it would never show up? Isn't the actual release of the record like the winner of the New Statesman's competition to write an ending which ruined the foregoing story - "enter Godot".

Still, even if it is by definition an anti-climax, that's not going to stop the overselling:

“The release of Chinese Democracy marks a historic moment in rock n’ roll,” said co-managers Irving Azoff and Andy Gould. “We’re launching with a monumental campaign developed by Gary Arnold and the Best Buy team that matches the groundbreaking sound of the album itself. Guns N’ Roses fans have every reason to celebrate, for this is only the beginning.”

It's only the beginning. Yes, there's every chance another album will be along in another 17 years. I'm not entirely sure 'only being available through America's mumbled answer to Dixons' is considered such a brilliant idea; perhaps they figure that Best Buy is the only store whose staff are unlikely to rip the CD to the web as soon as it turns up.

“Chinese Democracy is one of the most highly anticipated albums in music history, and Best Buy is thrilled to deliver this explosive and previously elusive release to Guns N’ Roses fans. Longtime fans will be rewarded for their patience and loyalty to this great band, while a new generation of fans will be blown away,” said Gary Arnold, Senior Entertainment Officer for Best Buy. “Axl Rose is one of the most dynamic and gifted writers and performers in modern music. Best Buy is excited to work with Axl to make the release of Chinese Democracy THE musical event of 2008!”

The guy from the shop is excited! Damn, he's pumped. Thank god someone hunted down that "previously elusive" album, discovering its hiding place somewhere between Axl's inability to work with colleagues and a general can't-be-arsed-ness.

But what's with Best Buy having an entertainments officer? I know 1980s holiday camps did; and Student Unions presumably still do. But a shop? With an officer? Does he have a whistle? Is his department rounded off by a pair of identical twins, a refugee from Russ Abbot's madhouse and a punch and judy man who hates children?

“Guns N’ Roses is THE premier American rock band,” commented Steve Berman, President, Sales and Marketing, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. “Partnering with Gary and everyone at Best Buy to release one of rock’s most anticipated and legendary albums is truly a moment in music history. We’re thrilled to be able to announce that Chinese Democracy is coming, it’s coming this year, and it’s coming to Best Buy.”

It's almost as if the label is more excited at the idea of being in a partnership with Best Buy than having the record to sell. Understandable; Guns N Roses records come round every 17 years but a chain store getting excited about selling a CD? That is something unusual.

Axl Rose has a sense of irony, it turns out

According to the latest informed rumours, Guns N Roses are thinking of bringing Chinese Democracy to the market through an exclusive deal with a retail chain.

Wal-Mart are leading the bidding for the role - fitting, of course, since most of their stuff is made in China and their approach to their staff and customers pretty much apes that of the Chinese government to democrats.

Best Buy are also taking part in the talks, but WalMart makes more sense - people could pick up their free Dr Peppers while they're there.

Chinese Democracy: First release

In a move which is either an audacious start to an album lead-in campaign, or a sign that there aren't any tracks strong enough to release as singles, the first official fruits of the Chinese Democracy sessions are getting a release on the Rock Star 2 game soundtrack.

Shackler’s Revenge will be one of the songs you can add to as a musician (if you accept that when you make Mario go round in his little cart, you are in some way driving.) Typical: after fifteen years, you still have to finish the bloody song yourself.

The deal is being read as signs of an autumn release for the album (perhaps only for the Wii, though.) That sound? It's buttocks tightening in Doctor Pepper offices.