Have kicked / dropped more things bad for my health you could shake a stick at, this includes various bevarages, other sorts of, ahem, substances and people. Not trying to brag, but I reckon I can offer something of a peer opinion.

Once you're hooked, it takes a long while to get out.

I don't mean cutting off the daily use. You can go cold turkey on alcohol (or whatever you're having) and begin to heal your body. After a while, you start getting better. During the first month, you should start seeing some positive results and the back-end of the mental addiction should wean off.

But after that, there's the doubt that lingers into your head every now and then. Whether you should do just one, after all, you've successfully kicked. One doesn't hurt. That's the part that sets the pace for you; you can strive for a healthier existence, but after that, it's all about maintaining a more positive life-line.

We've all been there, and that's a long road. But it's doable, particularly if you know the alternative.

You don't quit once.

You quit every day all over again.

Be strong, dude. It's a better world you're coming back into.

Not taking a stand as to whether it's real or not (obviously), but I can tell you one thing.

My experience in the music industry has shown me that the truth is often stranger than fiction.

I can only imagine the level of insanity that would go into a band operating on GNR-level, particularly if they appear as mismanaged as GNR.

===

Dougie also forgot to mention that while busy promoting Axl's career, he got a pretty lucrative promotion for himself.

"Sanctuary today continued its expansion in the United States music market with the announcement that rock superstars Guns N' Roses and their long time manager, Doug Goldstein, are to join the Group.

Goldstein, who has been with the band since its first album and over its 75,000,000 record sales, will become Co-President of Sanctuary Music Management based at the company's new Los Angeles offices which are due to open in mid-May." (Dust N' Bones mailing list, 04/24/01)

The negotiations likely happened in early 2001, possibly after RIR3 and the recruiting of Tom Zutaut. By hindsight, it would've been a good business move to get more muscle behind Axl on a management level. The album could've come out in somewhere around late 2001 / early 2002 and Sanctuary started planning the US tour with Clear Channel soon after the merger took place.

It's safe to assume that Merck moved in because of the RIR3 appearance and the hype factor around CD. He wouldn't have probably done so if he would've known that Tom Zutaut was already busy in the studio, trying to pull the album together despite Axl.

Just goes on to show there's always big business surrounding GNR and regardless of the letter, money has the power to make people a bit funny in the head.

Gene Simmons is living up to his stage name and thinks he can make a Faustian deal out of everything.

Doc has other bands under his wing, but not one comparable to the name value of KISS. GNR is big enough to challenge KISS in terms of recognition and because of this, Axl has every right to demand equal dedication from Doc.

This likely threw the KISS boys off a little. Azoff has managed The Eagles since whenever and Merck had Morrissey and Elton John during his GNR trip. KISS respond to Doc the same way Axl was with Doug Goldstein - Dougie had other clients (incl. Zakk Wylde), but none as big as Guns.