DCK wrote:

If they'd slammed into the VMAs with a one-two punch of Better and There Was A Time, instead of fucking around with old songs, and then released them as a double A-side a week later, with videos in rotation on MTV.

Yeah, why didn't they? Though I'm sure there would have been plenty of people bashing them for it. The nerve of coming on VMA with the name GNR and play some songs not one soul had ever heard before. In fact, I doubt MTV even would have said "yes" to it.

They would've conquered the world again.

Seriously don't think so. Been on a better approach all togheter? Sure. Major-super-big-band? Never. Not even if they topped AFD would it have happened.

(did this last negative comment make me be more like bono?)

Just rewatched the 2002 VMAs; whatshisface who does the intro is amped up, going on about how MTV had been asking GN'R to appear for the last four years. Axl could've come out and played whatever the hell he liked; people were excited for the potential of the new band then. Yeah, there were people who were saying, "Blah, isn't Slash," but if Axl had delivered a killer performance, with Buckethead doing the TWAT solo, the haters would've been well and truly silenced. I still think that the 2002 VMAs did untold damage to New GN'R.

At least opening with Better would've meant that Axl wouldn't have been out of breath; I'm pretty sure it was the Jungle scream that left him winded...