The specifics of the SA dates should be confirmed next week. GNR seems to be intent in touring there in March-April '10. If some people can't wait for more than two days before starting to make their plans for the next four months, that's their issue, not the bands. However, I do hope the real dates actually do get posted next week. GNR's had a rotten track record when it comes to confirming tours and the sooner they move away from this pattern, the better.

Axl gives a semi-coherent answer to the setlist:

"I mean, at the end of the day, it really depends on, well, for a bit of the nostalgia thing, you have the songs that we're playing a lot of the old material. For new excitement, you have the performance of these particular players, but at the end of the day, it's also really gonna stand on the new songs when we put out a new record, and if that's considered relevant or not, *and* if that's considered not selling out, just to be relevant." - Axl, 11/22/02

"This show is someone that is designed to be growing, over the next couple of years, its like this is the start of something but remember, we will be putting out a record, and about a year of so after that we'll be putting out another one, so they'll be a lot more material added to the set with a lot more things going on. This is the beginning, and we need to be showing people a lot of the older material, but it will grow." - Axl, 11/08/02

"And when we do drop the record, the plan is to drop the record, have a bunch of extra tracks... About a year or so down the road, drop another record, and drop a third record. This is a three-stage thing, we'll be touring for a reaaaaaal loooooong time... [...] We've been collecting lots of songs, so there won't be lots of time off. We'll just keep touring." - Axl, 11/22/02

The funny thing is that while seven-year old comments might not be too valid anymore, Axl seemed willing to get the album out of the way in order to tour.

One year off, no new album.

Reason? No external demand.

Reason for no external demand? Go figure.

Noli, obsecro, istum disturbare.

Reminds me of the times not too long ago when I had my fun with Evangelical missionaries, who were foolish enough to lecture a former Sunday schooler/Neo-Heathen about Jesus. Once those poor saps admitted to read not much aside the Bible, I instructed them on the fact that Milton's Paradise Lost, Dante's Divine Comedy and Goethe's Faust are all actually deeply theological texts and offer supplementary information on the Devil, Hell and all the other interesting things the old book omits.

It's generally fun for the opening five to ten minutes, after that they usually submerge into deep denial, as if someone'd really know their shtick better than themselves. Much like Stolat; call her out for being a fraud with the simple premise that the facts she does share are way off, and the evidence she provides is dodgy at best, while everything of relevance is left behind tiresome excuses for 'privacy' and 'respect'.

Most of those who truly hang out with some shakers and movers in the society remain very quiet of that part of their lives for two simple reasons. One, you're granted access to information the general public doesn't know about - some of which for a reason which'll make itself apparent as you go. Two, boasting with connections to certain people might raise an eyebrow or two in your peer group, and you might find yourself caught red-handed after divulging one thing too many and narrowing the blame down squarely to yourself.

The last thing is, if you're friends with someone famous, you should treat that person as a friend in all occasions. Telling about your friends private matters and boasting to know him/her gives out a pretty lecherous impression and undervalues the meaning of friendship at it is.

Just my $0.02.