I think the truth of it is somewhere in the middle.

Usually professional musicians are recruited through connections. However usually those recommendations are only made if the person has adequate talent. You don't get a job from word of mouth as a muso if you sucked at your last booking.

Bumble is a good example: He got the job cos Joe Satriani gave him the nod. Why did Joe do that? Cos Bumble is a freak talent and Joe knew it. Why did anyone care what Joe thought? Because Joe is a freak talent.

So a connection alone doesn't mean you have no talent.

That said - I can also see Smoking's point - that despite whatever recommendations - some players made the cut for the exceptional sound. They wanted matt because he was a heavy hitter. They wanted Slash because he has that unique sound. They wanted Bucket because he's a monster player.

So there is also an extent where if you are not a unique player then anyone of a certain level of ability who had the right connection would get the nod.

I think this is true of Frank, it's probably also true of richard even though he's def a fantastic player, and I actually think it's probably true of Adler too....Adler is great...but had Slash been highschool mates with another adaquate drummer it would have been that guy.

It comes down to replicability. You can replace Adler easier than you can replace Slash. You can replace pitman easier than you can replace Axl. It doesn't mean the replacement players  aren't pro musicians with great skills. But some people are on another level.

Regarding Batman's fighting - to me it relates to the major themes and the ending:

yeah if i can only choose one from my list it's going to be Anastasia....raspy axl on that would break the internet.....

I respect Frank for the time he injured his foot in Melbourne but finished the gig anyway.

That said he does not have anywhere near the chemistry with Slash and Duff that Matt has.I'm not saying he's a bad drummer, he's surely not, and he does a reasonable compromise job of mixing the style of Adler/Sorum/Brain and a little bit of his own.

But that's also the problem, he's the DJ ashba of drummers: He's there to place hold for the guys who really made the GNR drum sound.

That's why it no longer suits - we're back to the authors of the sound not those who mimicked.

I don't mind LALD as it's really a UYI era cover even though it never left and really sort of brings back classic GNR style and era to me.....

but The Seeker is the least interesting of all the covers they've ever done to me.

It's not that it's bad, it's just not really interesting and it's been done too much for it's entertainment value, and there's so many better options that would be interesting to hear in Axl's voice.