Sebastian Bach In Defense Of Axl W. Rose
Guns N' Roses are swinging through NYC tonight, playing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, and we've been both shocked and psyched that Axl's been able to hold it together and actually turn up at his gigs. But then, there's that small matter of the "band" cancelling their 11/6 show in Portland, Maine. Just like old times! No riots ensued, which of course is good news, but someone's got some 'splaining to do. So who better fit to be an apologist than tour opener and Rose-sycophant Sebastian Bach? He's bound to be colorful. Well as luck would have it, Blabbermouth transcribed Bach's interview with a Connecticut radio station on 11/7.
Basically what happened is that GUNS N' ROSES has a huge pyro show — anybody that's seen the concert knows that to be the case. And when the fire marshall showed up, they were not into it — they were like, "This is too much." Also, they have these laws up there in Maine now where they literally told GUNS N' ROSES and PAPA ROACH and us, they said any fans caught in the building smoking a cigarette will be immediately arrested, any bandmember on stage with a beer in his hand will be escorted out of the venue and taken into jail. And it's like, "Dude, it's a rock concert. It's a ROCK show." Basically, it felt like they didn't want the thing to go down. And I read on Blabbermouth where it said 3,000 tickets were sold for the show, which was a 5,500 seater. And I'm like, dude, it's Portland, Maine. After 15 years, the guy's [Axl] never played there — that's not unexpected, like, to come back into town… I think that there's a real peculiar thing about human nature where people really appreciate people only after they're dead. It's like Dimebag Darrell — we all agree that he's the most legendary guitar player ever, right?
A friend of mine. Nobody really mentions the fact that when he was playing the night he died, there was probably 150 people in front of him. He was at the Alrosa Villa, which is a complete dump. And then he died, and now it's like, "Dimebag's my hero. Oh, my God… He was more important to me than anything. I'm the ultimate…" It's like, "Where were you when DAMAGEPLAN was touring?" So here Axl's like, "Oh, you only sold 3,000 tickets." That's after 15 years. We've got a sold-out Madison Square Garden the day after tomorrow. So, for me, it's like… Dimebag used to say, "Those are the highs and lows of rock and roll." So, for me, if GUNS can't do their whole show… It's like KISS wouldn't show up without doing their whole show. If you're coming into a venue with a concert and a production, then you wanna give the full show. But it wasn't for tickets, because that [3,000 people in a 5,500 seater] would have looked pretty good, actually.Dude, ROCK show or not, he's totally right about one thing, and that truism comes in two words: Dimebag Darrell. Respect.
Posted at 8:29 AM
Tags: Guns N' Roses
they arrest an artist for having a beer on stage? wow.
in communist russia, beer drinks you
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as much as Chubby Magoo and the Guys who Aren't Slash, i totally understand not wanting to play, just to avoid the terrible experience that would surely go down under those circumstances.
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dimebag darrell IS the most legendary guitar player ever. fuck that hendrix dude.
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That's why most hard rock/metal/butt rock acts play in Lewiston, Maine not Portland Maine. Lewiston is much more friendly for idiot rawk, bra.
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um, also? It's W. Axl Rose. W as in William. His first, not middle, name.
Thank you. That will be all.
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How is Guns N Roses idiot rock, um, bra? Because YOU don't like it?
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"It's like Dimebag Darrell — we all agree that he's the most legendary guitar player ever, right?"
I smell irony.
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I doubt it's irony since Bach was REALLY close friends with the Pantera guys. He's in damn near every Pantera home video.
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They are a little touchy about pyros and smoking after 150 people died in a RI Great White show fire.
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True GNR rocked. This version of GNR is most definitely idiot rock. I won't call you bra because that's just too stupid.
By the way, when is Sebastian Bach ever going to learn to keep his fool mouth shut?
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It was the fire marshalls that drove Axl to cancel the show, but, it was not about pyrotechnics however. The fire marshall mentioned a "no drinking on stage" law on the books in Maine to GnR's management, Axl's reaction was to cancel the show, before he even arrived In Portland, leaving 6500 fans (not 300 as reported) out in the cold. Other performers still drink at Portland, Maine concerts, I saw Chad from Nickelback do it in September. Chad stepped behind a curtain to be "offstage" and take a swig of beer. Perhaps Chad even paid the petty $250 fine for drinking on stage. Axl could have maintained his 24/7 drunken state in Portland if he had a normal personality, but instead he flipped out as he usually does and cheated his fans, cost his bandmates and opening acts a bunch of money .... No respect for himself, his fans, his bandmates, his opening acts, I'm truly amazed that promoters, and fans, still take a chance on this train wreck of a human being in 2006.
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Axl has always refused to conform to the rules subjected to rockers. Like when pussy interviewers would edit expletives in articles (Get In The Ring, Use Your Illusion II). So when authorities tell him how to go about doing his concert of course he's not going to do it.
Isn't that why we are all proud to be a fan of his, cause he will extend his middle finger, when maybe he could have gone behind a curtain for a drink. But don't we all get pissed when we have to conform to bullshit, then we get arrogant and pretty much don't give a shit about what we are doing.
The Guns may have changed, but at least by your actions Axl we know you are the same guy!
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Hey, Ben? Only insufferable little kids use the expression 'butt rock', brah. 80's hair metal is called 'cock rock'. You might have heard of this expression if you were born some time before 1995, although if you were older than 13 you'd probably have less shitty taste in music and wouldn't confuse Guns N' Roses with 'cock rock' anyway. And drp80, it's amazing how you've got such intimate insight into the band! Were you there when the fire marshal told Axl he wasn't allowed to drink beer onstage (something he didn't do ONCE at any other date on the rest of the fully completed tour and surely had no desire to do in Maine either, especially not enough of a desire to cancel a show because of it) prompting Axl to throw a hissy fit and canceled the show? Oh, you weren't? You have no idea what actually happened? You have no idea if Axl cost the opening band and his band members any money (which he didn't)? You don't like Axl Rose so you're just talking out of your ass? Oh, OK. Thanks for clearing up the confusion. The fire marshal refused to let them follow through with their stage show so they canceled. This was the official report from everyone, the venue, the band, everyone, until suddenly the fire marshal, who didn't want to take responsibility for refusing to let the band perform their stage show, tried to blame it on the 'no drinking on stage' thing, figuring it'd stick because G n' R was known for their excessive drinking. Unfortunately for him, the excessively drunk members of G n' R are long gone and 'drinking onstage' was completely irrelevant for anyone in the band at the time of the show. This is why the rumor was shot down immediately. Instead of relying on already squashed rumors to fuel your little Axl hate fantasies, why don't you grow up and try to make sure you're actually telling the truth before going on some spiteful little rant?
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