That's a worthwhile observation.

Whatever I may or may not think of DJ, he and Axl do seem to have that rapport Axl's been looking for eversince Slash.

I always thought Axl seemed a bit distant to Robin and Bucket, and while he and Robin grew closer on stage through time, they never had that certain sense of camaraderie in their performance which fueled the original lineup. DJ appears a very different kind of person than Robin or Bucket, and Axl does seem to mesh with him better. I'm talking interaction as how it presented itself across tours, not musical ability, btw.

Funny to notice that when Axl finally seems to have "Mr Right" as a Slash replacement (we might as well stop kidding ourselves, that's the part the man wants fulfilled), Slash now seems to have a vocalist he can depend on and form a lasting bond with. Talk about a balance of terror - if Axl and Slash ever again share a stage, they both have someone to fall back on.

Can either newcomer elevate his counterpart to the mythical heights of the old band? Time will tell, on the other hand, a reunion would have that same baggage, and then some.