The fact we're not naive enough to expect anything different after 30 years is part of what I mean by it's a con.....basically they don't care what the consumers and fans want, or what would be good artistically or about anything other than what brings them in easy money for as little work as possible...

No harm in artists making some coin...but you can feel the contempt anyone who wants them to actually be a band....it's been palpable for years....at least they're doing something huh?

I'll be ok with it if they do something after this tour..like that Ac/Dc album...or a new record...or hell put out silkworms that they last played live 15 years ago...or maybe that TIL remix where he had the awesome voice....anything really....but if it's a 3 year break...then another 2 year tour playing the same set again except with ever diminishing skills at some point you just have to wonder...

Yeah it's interesting when you watch it back.

I think a lot of us gave it a pass because they had waited for Axl and Slash to reunite most of their lives, and also because it sounds good compared to 2012-2013 era Axl which was his absolute low point.

To me it has highs and lows. There's enough problems that I can't forget them and I can't think of it as the best modern shows, but there's also enough great bits that I don't send it to the Ashba bin either.

To me the best vocal stuff in this tour has been Houston 2016...but even it isn't up to the past.

It's true.

That's the sad bit about a lot of this.

This isn't a master plan like in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It's more like someone gave Randal in Clerks the day off work.

They have no plan, no agenda, they just wing it, and when something seems kinda fun they do it.

Slash rejoined because he lost money in his divorce and he's figured out while he can be the go-to-guitar icon of his generation he will never do anything on the level of GNR again and the legacy was getting ruined with cover artists.

Axl invited him back because the con was starting to wear thin: He's coasted just having fun and pissing people off for 30 years based on what he did in 87-92, he's lived the life, but now his voice is finally starting to go for real and he's driven the fake band from Stadiums, to Arenas, to Theatre's. He doesn't have the vitality or the voice to reset now. Only play left to live large to death was to fix things with Slash...because with Slash back the legitimacy of his band would largely be restored to casuals and business types, and he can hide his damaged voice around some other star power.

Neither of them thought it would work enough to make a real plan. Neither of them wants to risk pissing off the other with the thing that started a bunch of their fights in the first place: New Music.

So we limp on. When a bucket list item pops up for Axl - like Ac/Dc he does it, meanwhile just enjoy what's left...slash will play shows until he dies so he just goes with the flow...

Meanwhile a reunion album, AFD30 and anything else sits in limbo as it doesn't suit the real master plan: have fun, take it easy, and secure your last mountain of cash because Dorothy is walking towards the curtain...and after 30 years the con is almost up...

Thanks to Gibbo who linked me this stuff...here's GNR going "I Feel Good" today....

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYcdFBlhLtv/

or for those who prefer raspy Axl...when there was hope of a future before the dark times before the empire....here it is in 2006:

Didn't fortus do the solo in the 2006 performances or was it bumble I forget?

I remember Axl did it on a number of nights with a lot of rasp...was good stuff.

This is controversial but personally I never cared much for the bucket solo - I think the song would have been improved with a Slash blues solo sort of like Yesterdays or something in that place. So i'd like to see Slash play it...although I guess even Slash there these days would do a version of the bucket one like he does with TWAT....but still....

I didn't think scott bailed out...I think he was fired because his drug problems were fucking up the band...including causing VR to cancel their liberdad Aussie tour.