2016.06.07 - China Exchange - An Evening With Axl Rose
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2016.06.07 - China Exchange - An Evening With Axl Rose
by Soulmonster Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:53 pm
Last edited by Soulmonster on Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:03 am; edited 1 time in total
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Re: 2016.06.07 - China Exchange - An Evening With Axl Rose
by Soulmonster Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:27 am
Transcript from sanity_lost at mygnrforum:
China Exchange Transcript:
0:28
Interviewer: Listen, I am sorry, Axl was absolutely punctual leaving the hotel, but traffic [destroyed] us. And so we were a bit late. But, anyway, I just wanted to say it is a huge honor for me and the China Exchange to have Axl today. He tells me it is the first time he has appeared in public without his boots. So don't look down.
Axl: My…uh...my cast thing. Not my shoes.
0: 56
Interviewer: Now, I don't know very much about rock music, I know a little bit, but not enough, so I am going to allow, perhaps, some of you to ask him questions about music. I am just going to ask him ordinary things like what he likes, what he regards as tender. I have this image of you as not the gentlest man on earth-
Axl: Ha
Interviewer: But surely there must be moments when you want to touch tenderness or when you meet tenderness… one of those moments, I mean, can you remember the last time you felt something was rather nice and gentle.
Axl: Well…uh…okay… I had no idea what to expect coming here or what this is I was asked to do this afternoon. I don't know why any of you would want to come here…
Interviewer: By the way there are about a thousand people on the waiting list so you are very, very lucky to be here. But anyway, I wanted to ask you one or two questions that you normally might not be able to relate on stage as a performer.
Axl: Um… when you talk about tenderness that's kind of like sensitivity or something-
Interviewer: love?
Axl: Yeah, and well, I like- I love animals and I have all kinds of different animals and... I like the way that sometimes an animal will know if… say someone else in the house is sick or something, the animal stays by that person.
2:35
Interviewer: You have dogs and cats?
Axl: Dogs and cats and-
Interviewer: How many dogs, how many cats?
Axl: wolves and birds
Interviewer: [???]
Axl: A couple wolves, a couple- what five or six- had five or six birds [chain, of what, Chihuahuas]
Interviewer: So you regard somebody who cannot answer back as being probably the gentlest class of things you can encounter.
Axl: No, no, what I mean though is, um, say like with cats, if you do not keep yourself open to some degree to being sensitive they're not going to be around you. So if you want to be friends with your cat you'd have to be more sensitive than the world may make you or you make the world.
3:23
Interviewer: I know I am asking because on the stage you never stop. You sing, you play, I mean there is just one huge… as far as I am concerned, you're a Van de Graaff generator, maximum lightning… thunder and so forth. So I want these people to understand, when you finish and when you go home and you've had a good sleep, when you wake up are you like normal people who want to have a coffee and just stretch yourself and have a shower and bath?
Axl: Yeah.
Axl: Yeah, but, but-
Interviewer: Now we've proved he's normal.
Axl: But, it is like feeling like, you know… when a tour leg ends it at times it takes a while to decompress it feels like [indecipherable because interviewer speaks over him]
Interviewer: I know… I mean, there are moments when we know you went reclusive. I mean, did you mind that, did you enjoy the period when you didn't want to see anybody and you were on your own?
Axl: Well, actually, I just didn't go anywhere where there was like paparazzi or anybody, you know, who cared or really recognized me. I went everywhere else. I just didn’t go…
Interviewer: People didn't recognized you?
Axl: If I went by a place with paparazzi I just ducked. And in L.A,. if you go to the Valley, no one in Hollywood cares.
Interviewer: Why didn't you wear something different or disguise yourself.
Axl: Well, I did.
Interviewer: And still they never recognize you.
Axl: Well, no I didn't… I would just look stupid if I went in Hollywood that way. It wouldn't work. When we first hit I left a hotel in New York and I was in a cab and I had a jacket pulled over my head and there's a guy in a garbage truck going "Yo, Axl!"
Interviewer: Was it a convertible or was [???]
Axl: I don't know how he did that.
5:17
Interviewer: But I think people know roughly where you are. They now chase you around. And now, let's go back to music because that is your life. We talked a little bit in the cab about lyrics. I said to you that you are one of those people who got wonderful lyrics and not just the music itself but the lyrics fit. And it is important to you because I know you read a lot and that is why you relate to words. Would you say that you regard lyrics and your music as being incredibly important together?
Axl: Well, I think that would dep- it depends on the song, but yes I've always felt that way. Bernie Taupin is my favorite lyricist and when Elton asked me to induct him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I took it upon myself to induct him and Bernie as a writing pair. It is my understanding it is the only award Bernie has ever gotten and he was pretty happy. [?????]
6:25
Interview: Classical Music. Do you ever listen to Classical Music?
Axl: Yes. But not like…I guess the word formally or something.
Interviewer: So at home when you listen to music. Do you listen to your own music or other people's music?
Axl: Only mine.
Interviewer: But it took you 13 years to join AC/DC so you must have listened to a little bit of AC/DC.
Axl: Yeah, I mainly listen to the music that’s playing during movies. I like the soundtracks.
Interviewer: Which film? Which soundtrack? Classic?
Axl: It just depends. It can be anything. It can be the theme to the Pirates of Caribbean or it can be-
Interviewer: Gladiator.
Axl: Gladiator and Equalizer and stuff like that. They are all different styles.
Interviewer: Have you ever wanted to-
Axl: I like the blend of orchestra with modern instrumentation.
7:23
Interview: Has anyone asked you or have you thought about wanting to writing for a film?
Axl: Yes… No, I haven't been asked, it is something I wanted to do and it was kind of, more like, really hard not to just go in that direction. Forget about Guns n' Roses.
Interviewer: You would be interested?
Axl: I was more interested in that than in staying in Guns n' Roses.
Interviewer: If someone asked you to write the theme music?
Axl: It would have been easier- and more fun.
Interviewer: If someone asked you to write music- theme music for Pride and Prejudice. [????] have a pretty violent relationship with that.
Axl: Yeah, yeah I would.
Interviewer: I think you could jazz it up a bit. [????]
Axl: I have a lot of respect for people that do that. On Chinese Democracy most of the Orchestration on that is kind of like three electronic orchestras and two real orchestras. One's Marco Beltrami, one's Paul Buckmaster- who did a lot of Rolling Stones and Man Across the Water Elton John stuff and we blended all of those orchestras together. It was like I did an electronic one, Chris Pitman and Dizzy Reed both did theirs then we would blend those and blend them with two real orchestras. So it's like a five hundred piece orchestra that [indecipherable as interviewer talks over him].
Interviewer: Have you thought about bringing an orchestra on to stage to perform live.
Axl: Maybe for a show or something. We did it years ago when we made a video for November Rain but on a tour? Not as of yet, no.
9:12
Interviewer: And Chinese Democracy? That is, I heard, been banned from playing in China.
Axl: Ha! I think the foreign minister…the minister of… something… He said people don't like that music because it is too loud.
Interview: I would love you to be able to go to China and meet the Minister of Culture I think that would be-
Axl: But my thing with China itself isn't about… With the term Chinese Democracy it isn't- wasn't about trying to tell them to have a democracy or anything like that. I'm not… really a… I don't really have an opinion of what type of government they should have. My thing is that I went and stayed there for about three months and everywhere I went the people are so shielded from what's going on in the world. And if you stay in the hotels there… you're from western society or something you don't realize that the stuff you're seeing on TV the average person isn't seeing. They aren't seeing that version of CNN or whatever. But the biggest thing to me was that… everywhere you went people were scared. They were frightened for their lives to have an opinion that deviates from the government's about the simplest thing. Things we take for granted you know, sitting in a car and someone going "Oh what Obama did today" if you say "Oh, I don't know about the… communist party is doing…" Your translator all sudden is terrified and for good reason. And that-
Interviewer: [???? Talks the same time as Axl]
Axl: - I don't feel that- I feel that that is wrong. It is not right for anyone.
Interviewer: Are there other countries you feel more as the same. Kind of, censorship, top reign of terror.
Axl: Yeah, well, I mean, I think that we know that with say, the Tailban and things like that or there'll be places in Africa. Expressing your views in some of Egypt and Saudia Arabia.
Interviewer: [???}
11:24
Axl: No. But I do feel that people should be free to have their opinions and develop their thoughts and to move forward rather than have someone just completely dictating.
Interviewer: Alright well- look listen
Axl: But speaking as a dictator…
Interviewer: You love being a dictator.
Axl: No.
Interviewer: I am sure you do.
Axl: No, no, no.
Interviewer: You always have your way.
Axl:
Interviewer: When was the last time you did not have your way?
Axl: Thirty years ago when the rest of the band was all on heroin. And they realized that the- this woman interviewing us for some tiny little rock magazine was more interesting in interviewing them than me Izzy said I was a demon. You know like the Ayatollah, because I was the big enemy at the time and then it just stuck
Interviewer: Well anyway that said a lot.
Axl: [?? ] power struggle.
12:20
Interviewer: Now listen we [???] start some questions but they've got to be intelligent and if Axl doesn't-
Axl: Ha!
Interviewer: -want to answer it- [then] I'm going to go to hell -and that is what I mean. Now who dares ask a question… alright-
Axl: That is a big watch.
Interviewer: [??] in the back. Good question otherwise you will be passed over.
12:40
Audience: Axl, how do you manage to keep your voice in shape and has it changed in the last ten years- like what you do to keep it so good?
Axl: I do a lot of vocal exercises and actually on this particular tour I brought my voice coach out with- that I hadn't worked with in like twenty years. The Brian Johnson Back in Black stuff is really demanding, you know, sing it wrong and you might not be singing again. So…
Audience: you sound good.
Axl: Thank you
Interviewer: The next one. In front. Who was going to ask a question? Alright go on. That man, looks like.
13:25
Audience: Hi there. Big fan. Did you ever feel that your voice was- your voice is obviously a natural fit for rock and that kind of genre, but did you ever feel that you want to branch out a bit more maybe collaborate, maybe join a jazz band, who knows?
Axl: I like Frank Sinatra. I like a lot of Elvis, I like a lot of 70s Elvis though as well. I like a lot of different styles of things. I don't know about a jazz band. It really just kind of depend on the song. For a while, like with Chinese, I was trying to get my voice a lot clearer. I feel like that maybe fans didn't… necessarily respond to that so much as well, sometimes, at shows and things but I think it was very good for me to be even better at what I am doing right now.
Interviewer: There are a couple questions here. Yeah, go on.
14:25
Audience: Hi Axl. Do you-
Interview: Shout it out.
Audience: You making any new music? [The minute?] Are you working on new stuff?
Axl: We are working on new stuff. But, I don't know. Like I said a long time ago, "I don't know if soons the word" but I got a lot of stuff together and I've played some stuff for Slash and Duff and they like it and they might be on it, we don't know. [We talked about..] Angus and I are talking about working together. So we will see.
Audience: Have you any thought doing a solo album?
Axl: No, not really. Unless it were say like instrumental sound track stuff.
15:05
Audience: Hey Axl, how you doing? Yeah, I just wanted, what do you think of Spotify? Do you think it is ruining music industry? What are your thoughts on that?
Axl: No I don't think it is ruining the music industry. But I feel like with… I feel like with Youtube and things like… like with Google and Youtube that it's really changed things for the artist and they… y'know the government's just stepped out of the way. They lobbied very hard to pay as minimal royalties as they can and I don't thing that is right.
Interviewer: People stop-
Axl: [It's ??] giant.
Interviewer: People stop videoing please. It is very disconcerting. Let's just enjoy the conversation, okay. This is a rare opportunity for you. Don't record it. Enjoy life [??]. No point going home and watching your stupid video. Enjoy it now as is. Okay. No more photographs or videos.
Axl: It's fine. It's fine. I'm fine.
Interviewer: [????]
Axl: I like your sunglasses.
Interviewer: You will grow up. Like it, Love it. This moment you will always remember.
16:15
Audience: Massive fan by the way. Saw you on Saturday. Amazing.
Axl: Did you have fun?
Audience: Yeah. Is there anything band present, past, whatever, that you would like to perform with?
Axl: To join? Well, I never thought about this. And when I thought about with this the day I read about Brian was that… the band was going to be in trouble. And No matter what happened. If they cancelled… if they had to cancel the tour they were going have a lot of problems with fans… A lot of problems with legalities just natural business stuff behinds the scenes forever. Then I thought yeah and if they postpone it whatever then find someone else- wait a minute. Find someone else? Fuck that. So, it was, but is also that Angus is my biggest influence [for moving around] I wanted to help. I just want to help him.
17:40
Audience: Hi Axl. Massive fan. I wanted to say, thank you for all the great music you've done over these years it helped me get through a really bad place in my life.
Axl: I'm glad it's helping. The very little big of music that I've done.
Audience: Every song is [???]
Axl: Thank you.
Interviewer: Do you remember the question?
Audience: Yeah, sorry. How do you see yourself as now. As in yourself in as a person and how you saw yourself back then. Because back in the day, obviously how the media portrayed you- stuff we've seen you- very rautious very aggressive and now, now I'll see you now, how in recent times you seem more open, more relaxed, more in a better place.
Axl: Well part of that then also is… was just being young and part wild and part of it to be rock and roll. When we'd go to MTV they'd ask us to tear their set apart. Then there was everything that was said. And England is one of the craziest places for that because the media here will just write anything to promote you in a way. They said I ran over my dogs then I ate them. Long before Dep ate his I ate mine. They said all kinds of crazy things back then.
Audience: You feel-
Axl: And then after we were successful then there was a backlash- that just never really got out of…
Audience: [You feel that ] place now that you are all good with your former band members or current band members now Slash and Duff.
Axl: We are getting along really good and stuff. I think they came to the AC/DC show-
Audience: I seen the footage, it was like a quick clip, of when you were… was it the Troubadour?
Axl: Yes
Audience: The first one you did back. It was so nice just to see you in the black and white footage of you walking to stage [??] Slash and the guys just laughing.[???]
Interviewer: Alright. Let his man who dressed liked me [???] you know who this person is. Now I promise you, you know Axl Rose [???] what band he played in here two nights ago.
Audience: Now let me just say it-
Axl: I like your socks. He's got some really bright socks.
Interviewer: Ask the question anyway.
20:25
Audience: What I was going to say was I was lucky to see Axl almost twenty five years ago performing at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. It was a great event and I wondered if you could talk, perhaps, maybe a little bit about the event or, perhaps, I know you were a fan of Freddy, perhaps influences like Freddy on your career as a musician. I am also a fan of Skid Row and you are a friend Sebastian Bach, I wondered if you'd be doing anything, perhaps, more with him in the future in terms of collaboration.
Axl: On that, I don't know. We’re friends, I mean if the occasion arises and he'll probably get up on stage with us somewhere. With Freddy. Queen just has always been my favorite band and Freddy was like, the greatest singer in probably ever, is the way I look at it. The other thing about Queen for me was that It… they embraced so many different styles and approaches. You were talking about tenderness- there is that… which is funny, with AC/DC you don't find that much in Brian's work in AC/DC, but what I liked also about Bon's old AC/DC was, as aggressive as that music was he would talk about having a broken heart or something like that so it made it okay for guys to feel and let some of it way…
Interviewer: there's a lady [???]
Axl: She is going everywhere.
22:10
Audience: Mr. Rose, hello. Would you be interested in working with children's charities in London.
Interviewer: [???]
Axl: It is possible yes.
Audience: ???
Axl: sure.
Interviewer: let's have another woman
22:30
Audience: Which Guns n' Roses song means the most to you to perform or you like to perform most.
Interviewer: It's a very clichéd question.
Axl: No, no, no. I don't know. Right now I like performing the Chinese Democracy stuff the most. But it was really good doing the song Coma. I knew it would make Slash happy, it would make fans happy and since I was sitting in the chair I didn't have to worry about running around and trying to breathe.
Interview: Alright in the back
Audience: Axl, how are you doing? It's really cool having a microphone and talking to you.
Axl: Where are you?
Audience: I'm in the back.
Interviewer: Get on with it.
Audience: I am just forming a band myself and I was wondering when you first signed to Geffen Records- I think it was 1986. Was there a moment when you thought I know I am going to have this [?? did it happen or did it terrify- ].
Axl: We knew that with getting signed. We knew that- we believed in ourselves then. We were like… then we had to sit on our asses for about four months and it almost broke up the whole band because everyone dived into drugs and stuff because whatever the record company was doing to figure out who would work with us- everybody was terrified of us anyway because they all thought we were just going to die. So…we were going to leave the label because- like Slash and Izzy wanted to play- we wanted to play. We wanted to get out to New York or something. We didn't get signed to sit in an apartment at the time. But we believed in it happening.
24:15
Interviewer: Are you afraid of death?
Axl: Uh…?
Interviewer: Do you feel that you haven't done as much as you wanted yet, [???]
Axl: Umm… I don't know. I don't really think about it that way. I am just-
Interviewer: [???]
Axl: -usually just trying to survive in some way. Like when-
Interviewer: Trying to survive.
Axl: -I go on stage with AC/DC I am trying to survive not just be crushed by-
Inteviewer: Trying to survive [??]
Axl: -that band
Interviewer: Alright that one.
24:50
Audience: Hi Axl, massive fan, Appetite for Destruction is the first-
Interviewer: We will use another word rather than massive. [???]
Audience: Obliviously you've been around the world many times you've gone everywhere. What would you say were your top three moments in your whole career to this point?
Axl: Play?
Audience: Anything. Absolutely anything, anything you've seen, somewhere you've been. I mean done on the stage- anything.
Axl: Right now this is a very big undertaking for me. Not just- it's because a band's fans are like- I know how hard it is… Lots of bands don't want to open for us, they just don't want to. They don't want to deal with our fans. It is kind of the same with the AC/DC thing and AC/DC fans are very serious about their band. So that was kind of the biggest thing. Even if I sang the song right, it was finding whatever in you that's strong enough to deal with that energy of that crowd. I had no idea. I knew I could deal with mine, but that's like- that's still a lot of work, but it's also a comfort zone, a safety zone. So this was a big thing. Umm... I still got three shows to screw it all up.
26:18
Audience: [???] If you could go back in time to speak to your younger self what advice would you give? [???]
Axl: I would have tried to form my own label rather than put a record on- I just think we were too stupid to know how do it. We just didn’t think that big at the time and did not have that type of business education. And I… just think that's what we should have done.
Interviewer: I think you've done quite well.
Axl: We should have formed our own company and figured out how to distribute our own record. Then we could have…
Interviewer: You mean manage yourselves?
Axl: Yeah.
Interviewer: Alright, well, you think that is what is important [???] still very, very small.
Axl: Why, why, why?
Interviewer: Well, because you must have made lots of money, and you are saying that was- you would have done better and made even more money.
Axl: Yeah, but it's not just the money, it be the, the-
Interviewer: more in control.
Axl: Yeah, but not as a control freak. It's just to- because of the success of Appetite and like we were talking in the car, I mean after Appetite David Geffen was, to me, more concerned in selling the company rather than helping things get back in line to what we signed the contract to make an album. Had we-
Interviewer: To this day that album has sold more than any other album in America.
Axl: No, no. Rock album- I think it is third or fourth or something. There's Thriller, there's AC/DC Back in Black, we're somewhere-
Interviewer: My point is that-
Axl: Yes, but what I am saying is that we would have had a lot bigger platform to figure out how to deal with the next twenty years.
Interview: I don't see how you could have a bigger platform than what you have now today.
Axl: Yeah, but that is twenty seven years later.
Interviewer: Go on, young man. How old are you?
Audience: I'm fifteen.
Interviewer: Fifteen!
28:30
Audience: So as a young person myself I usually see a lot of people with Guns n' Roses tops and [??] and like. I've been up to a few people[???] heard the band themselves. So I just wanted your thoughts on that? I see it all the time with Nirvana and stuff like that where people wear tops even though they don't really listen to the band.
Axl: Victoria Secret models in AC/DC shirts.[???] I like it when they like to sleep in Guns n' Roses shirts.
Audience: Yeah, yeah.
Axl: I like it when they like to sleep in Guns n' Roses shirts. The promotion is good. They think it is cool. Its better they think it is cool than hate it I guess.
[29:28]
Audience: Hi Axl. Huge fan. I've read all the books. I've read Slash's book. I've read Duff's book. I've read some pretty dreadful books. But I'd really like to hear your version. Are you going to write a book?
Axl: Uh, I think so. Quite possibly, yes.
Audience: Please, please do.
Axl: But it is tough. Because I haven't figured out how to word things in a way that doesn't just look like I am being negative to everyone else or calling them a liar. You know, those were the first- Slash and I hadn't talked in 19 years and when we did talk I was like: "dude you wrote about stuff that didn’t even happen. It's just, not real."
Audience: What did he say?
30:10
Audience: And how is your relationship with Angus of AC/DC?
Axl: It's… great. I can't really explain it. I feel like… just… I feel something that… I feel protective and I feel like I do not want to let this guy down. More than almost anybody I've ever known. And I don't know why. And he is very responsive to me. They say they haven't seen him this happy, haven't seen moving around and in between songs he's started playing other stuff. I'm like 'oh I like that chord' write a song around that. So it is kind of a neat thing between musicans [???].
Interviewer: Go on. Alright okay.
30:55
Audience: I am a music journalist and I started my career with Rolling Stone magazine. I have this question I've asked artists over my [??] career. I want to ask you this question: If you had the power to create the ultimate musician which artists from the past and present would you use as building blocks and why?
Axl: Well are you talking about anything? So, I mean you could go all the way back to classical music or something like that? I think it is probably…I would say there's like Elvis… but the Beetles whatever the Beetles did- like, you can hate the Beetles, there always the "we like the Beetles or the Stones" or you can like both but also… wants to pit one against the other, but, though the Stones were influenced by a lot of other things, because of all the things the Beetles were doing it helped pushed the Stones to become the Stones. To me the Beetles were like some catalyst that made everyone else realize that it was okay to try all these other things and to work on these different sounds because of how many different ways- places the Beetles went. So I don't know, that is four people- actually five with George Martin. So if you put all that together. Maybe that and Elvis and-
Interviewer: Frank Sinatra
Axl: Beethoven
32:36
Audience: Hi, I was fortunate enough to be in Vegas for the [???] and what seemed to work really well for the reviews afterward- the chemistry with the band members was pretty amazing. How did that come about? How that come about did you come from such a difficult place to such great chemistry live?
Axl: Umm…I am a big fan of our previous line up before getting back with Slash and Duff. And we did a lot of work with that and with our drummer Frank and Dizzy and Richard. To Slash's credit, what I got to say is- he and Duff… Duff had played with the last line up a few shows. He came in and played the way we did the songs. Then going into getting ready for Vegas and Coachella they all chose to… they just worked very hard, and Duff and Slash came in and worked very hard with Frank on the rhythm. Because that is how they like to work with the drummer and the drummer having a relationship with Richard that worked really good. They liked Richard. Everyone liked each other. I didn’t have to tell Slash anything about embracing the… working on the Chinese Democracy songs or how to play them he just embraced them and worked really hard- I had no idea how they were going to sound. I've never heard him play certain ways. The last times we talked, you know, he was saying "I don’t want to work that hard, duhduhduh." So, for him to take on Buckethead and Bumblehead's part… "Bumblehead". "Bucketfoot" . Buckethead and Bumblefoot's parts. And just stepped to it on his own and work at it and liked it and enjoyed it. That helped a lot. They worked really good in rehearsals together. Sat in on it-
Interviewer: Alright. That boy there.
34:48
Audience: Alright Axl. Colossal fan.[??] I'd like to know as a musician who's not really doing quite as well as you…
Axl: Good luck.
Audience: I'd like to know what you think is different between audiences of modern day and like when you started. Like enthusiasm and like what they do at the gigs and that sort of thing?
Axl: At other people's shows?
Audience: No, yours.
Axl: Well, I will say definitely this, in a good sense. In [???] years now… When we were opening for bigger bands and then we were first starting headlining. You didn't have everybody videoing. I don’t think anyone realizes how violent it was... and it was really violent in the crowd. I don't think it was as bad as when…Woodstock with Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails or whatever got really out of hand. There were shows where there'd be a wheelchair coming on stage because they are standing on someone that fell out of it. And you have to stop the show. I got a lot of grief for stopping the shows for no reason. That was media just- somebody being…when I say media, media is somebody writing for somebody else and protected by that company and saying whatever they want whether it is true or not. And… there was just a lot of really rowdy crowds. And people like the music but they might want beat [themselves] up- I remember when we first started we'd have security looking for that. So they want to get in and get in a fight with someone and we put a stop to that pretty quick and got rid of people working for us that wanted to go beat up kids. Like a lot of cops get jobs because they can beat up people for you know… and it is legally protected. That's the way people get in sometimes for a security [gig]. It was really violent and it is not as near that now.
Audience: Better?
Axl: Yeah, a lot better
37:08
Audience: Hi Axl, gigantic fan.
Interviewer: We've had that.
Audience: Appetite for Destruction album for me is the best rock albums ever released, it's up there with-
Interviewer: What's the question?
Audience: For the more [???] minded with bands, with music in the twenty first century. What advice would you give for new bands with social media and stuff like that?
Axl: You just have to figure out how to follow your heart. I mean, I believe in being completely… what you feel is being creative, but you also have to figure out how to make a living out of it. I don’t mean like compromising. But you need to take- if someone is telling you to compromise you can take what they're say into consideration but then still figure out how to be real and do it your way. Like if someone is telling you "you need to edit this song"- Geffen was that way back in the day telling us to edit it this way and that way. Their only concern was that it was a shorter song so for advertising dollars getting airplay. But instead decide to take it as constructive criticism and maybe make a better shorter song. Which, by Illusions, we got rid of them so we didn't do any of that.
Interview: You by the microphone.
38:24
Audience: Hi Axl. Monumental fan- one we haven't had yet. I was just wondering after your injury and you got the rock throne off of Dave Grohl. How did that come up and how it helped you, you've got such a dynamic stage presence to be kind of constrained to the chair, like, was it a pain?
Axl: It came out of necessity and respect for the chair. Because whatever he did designing that chair- he said he was like high on oxy after his surgery and drew this thing- you can find the picture on the internet- but I knew he made the chair. My people were having one made- I never even saw it- and they said when they go it and cirque du soleil was building it or something and when they go it, it was horrible. One of my assistants' boyfriends said someone in this band know Grohl. But they didn't tell me so it was a surprise. I never met Dave and I always wanted to work with Dave. Then he sent the chair and came to the show and said how he missed it. In the chair at first it is strange and you have to figure out how you are doing something. People apparently liked how I was moving in it, I never felt I was moving enough. But you do start to get used to it. I had to make myself get out of it for AC/DC. They didn’t tell me to but I made myself get out of that chair. Because you start feeling as Angus said "A little too comfy". It's like- It becomes a safety zone rather than get out there and face the people in another way. When, Dave, when the chair came down I guess he was- people told me- he was in the hallway and was like "I missed this thing, I felt like an emperor."
Interviewer: Two more women… alright you go first.
40:20
Audience: Hi Axl, thanks for being with us today. One question I have is for the future is there any subject you haven't touched on in your lyrics and in your music that you would like to expressed toward [????] be it emotional or justice or something of the sort?
Axl: I haven't really given that any thought. I mean, I think that it is all kind of like right in the back of your head about how you're gonna to attack the next songs and stuff so part of me feels like I'm happy I didn't write things a year ago to something because… I feel like when I go at it now will be stronger.
40:58
Audience: Hey Axl, Ginormous fan. Have we heard that?
Interviewer: no.
Axl: Ginormous. Yeah, that’s the best one.
Audience: I just wanted to ask, now you're touring again in the States with Guns n' Roses. Are there any plans to come to the UK or extend it to Europe?
Axl: Yeah. Absolutely. We… I hope to keep this going for a quite a while. It's just really- we're right now- it's all good. I mean obviously that could just explode. But no, everything is actually good between everybody so as long as we can keep it going we probably will.
41:32
Audience: Hello Axl. Such an honor to have you here, thank you so much. Tremendous fan. But probably not as much as somebody who I wish was in this room tonight. Someone I grew up with changed overnight because of your music that you and Guns N' Roses came out with. Who, at thirteen at the time- he just changed everything- he became a musician because of you he was a massive Guns n' Roses fan but sadly fourteen years ago he passed away. So he'd be asking me if he were here or he'd be asking you what is on your bucket list?
Axl: Bucket list…umm….. I… I really haven't thought of that. It'd probably be worth doing some soundtrack-
Interviewer: You did say-
Axl: -soundtrack material or something like that. I just… I do want to put out more music with Guns n' Roses and I don't know if that has to do with Slash or not but underneath Guns n' Roses thing (?) and if he and I write something or if he wants to play on something we have it's like that'd be great. I have been working to get where things are. This isn't- the Guns n' Roses reunion isn't by happen chance or whatever… it was always looked at as a possibility but it just never seemed right or felt right.
Audience: But also, just in your personal life not necessarily musically? Is there something that you'll –jumped with a parachute.
Axl: Right now…right now I'm kind of-
Interviewer: Have you ever jumped [with a parachute]?
Axl: No. As Izzy said. Why would I jump out of a perfectly good plane? I tried to get him to in a video and he was like "not going to happen".
Interviewer: Definitely once, I think, that if you were God, that you would-
Axl: Great.
Interviewer: - want to make three quarters of the human race women and the other pizza and beer.
Axl: It is just something dumb to say on stage that's all.
Interviewer: It be the perfect world for you wouldn't it?
Axl: Yeah, it'd be pretty good. And Netflix as long as we've got Netflix
Interviewer: We are coming to the end so 3 or four very quick questions. Right you.
43:55
Audience: Hi Axl. You are a legend in your own lifetime. At least in my opinion.
Interviewer: We know that you fool.
Axl: Wow.
Audience: I was just wondering what is your recipe for a good song? Do you compose by yourself on a piano or with a collective thing with a band?
Axl: We were actually talking about that on the way. I feel that I've been most successful if I start with lyrics and melody first. That doesn’t mean always. I mean, Coma, I wrote that to the music. But... I can do that, but I feel like after Appetite I haven't really ever found a way to be back in the position of writing lyrics and melody first. It's usually the other way around. I would say that is not necessarily from other people… after old guns- or the appetite/illusions lineup broke up 'cause I would say that was more from me being in a weaker state so I worked with artists who were getting the music / the instrumental stuff strong first then put the lyrics and me to rise to that. But I think that for me, it's better if I'm putting a - unless I am intentionally writing instrumental- it would be lyrics and melody first.
Interviewer: Okay now, we are going to have one last question and it's got to be a brilliant question.
Axl: Ha! A lot of pressure now.
Interviewer: You, you don't look great.
Axl: We've got some competitors.
Interviewer: We want a really- you've asked a question already- now that lady. You look quite sophisticated.
Axl: He thought it was his.
Interviewer: If it's not brilliant-
Axl: he really thought it was his.
Audience: [??]
Axl: You've got an AC/DC shirt.
Audience: I have.
Interviewer: Show everybody
Audience: The music industry is going through a pretty tricky time. And obviously different artists seem to be dealing with it different ways. You have Radiohead self-releasing things, then you have people like Morrisey that really wants to have- belong to a label and have that security. Where do you stand on that and where to you see the music industry going into the future business wise.
Axl: Well, to me, in the late 90s to now, it's like the heads of record companies realized- and it's not just my opinion, they've said it to me. It's like I tell people- I don't get fights with people in the music industry I get in fights with people that are the music industry. They realized that for their business they don’t- why deal with a band. All they need is a star and a producer. Somebody that they feel is a star and a producer. And if they- they don't even care who writes what or how [???] or what it sounds like. They can be a genuine fans of music. Say the record company owner/president, whatever, but when it comes to their business it doesn't have anything to do with that. It just has to do with what is going to be the easiest, what is going to make the most money and work, make their company and shareholders happy and stuff like that. Which I can respect that in a sense, but as an artist and a musician and working with bands it doesn't help me, you know, at all, and I don't think it helps music. It doesn't help the bands become self-sufficient and successful. They've got to work a lot harder 'cause the labels more are worried about them making the money.
Audience: That is really sad.
Interviewer: Yes it is. But don't worry Axl [???]
Axl: Oh, now the pressure is on me now.
Interviewer: No, Listen. I want to say, it is a huge honor for Axl to come here today. I want you all to please respect this last hour. And as I said just said enjoy yourself please don't, try to imagine this is a private gathering and don't start writing things publicly about it of course you can talk about-
Axl: I didn't have anything to do with this.
Interview: And, and when Axl leaves. Please I have to stay behind because I have another man coming who is, and it shows the diversity of China Exhange, here we have Axl Rose and in ten minutes time we got Nicholas Jones who is the grandson of Winston Churchhill coming to speak about something else.
Axl: There you go, and come talk about intelligent things.
Interviewer: No, I think he's going to say something very dumb. He's very, very, very, very, very [???]
Audience: Can Axl stay then?
Axl: Wow.
Interviewer: those of you come to the first part, please come back. We've got lesser people, but interesting people coming through out the-
Axl: Did he say less of evil...or…
Interview: lesser- more evil perhaps. The point is that you are everything you see. A lot of people…are a lot of what you don't see. Those are the monsters and the demons. Listen. I don't want there to be another crush of middle class of behavior. Like selfies, okay. So please try to restrains yourself. When I finish in one minute-
Axl: He's just... we got like attacked outside so….
Interviewer: I don’t want Axl to feel that this is just another mob. In one minute I am going to ask his friends and his entourage to leave in relative non-rockstar styel.
Axl: We're fine.
Interview: Please just-
Axl: I'll sign- I'll do whatever you people want me to.
Interviewer: unbelievable
Axl: We've practiced this now.
Interviewer: I am going to ask Fernando, who is the man in charge, to say when is enough, enough. But before that will you, all of you, please join me in thanking Axl Rose for coming today.
Axl: The first time I came to London. I was with my manager Who was English, I the first time I came to London we were in his car after we left a bar I'm like "Can I have your friends number?" and he's like "why?" I'm going "because when I'm in jail with you I need someone to call.
Interviewer: Axl Rose today.
China Exchange Transcript:
0:28
Interviewer: Listen, I am sorry, Axl was absolutely punctual leaving the hotel, but traffic [destroyed] us. And so we were a bit late. But, anyway, I just wanted to say it is a huge honor for me and the China Exchange to have Axl today. He tells me it is the first time he has appeared in public without his boots. So don't look down.
Axl: My…uh...my cast thing. Not my shoes.
0: 56
Interviewer: Now, I don't know very much about rock music, I know a little bit, but not enough, so I am going to allow, perhaps, some of you to ask him questions about music. I am just going to ask him ordinary things like what he likes, what he regards as tender. I have this image of you as not the gentlest man on earth-
Axl: Ha
Interviewer: But surely there must be moments when you want to touch tenderness or when you meet tenderness… one of those moments, I mean, can you remember the last time you felt something was rather nice and gentle.
Axl: Well…uh…okay… I had no idea what to expect coming here or what this is I was asked to do this afternoon. I don't know why any of you would want to come here…
Interviewer: By the way there are about a thousand people on the waiting list so you are very, very lucky to be here. But anyway, I wanted to ask you one or two questions that you normally might not be able to relate on stage as a performer.
Axl: Um… when you talk about tenderness that's kind of like sensitivity or something-
Interviewer: love?
Axl: Yeah, and well, I like- I love animals and I have all kinds of different animals and... I like the way that sometimes an animal will know if… say someone else in the house is sick or something, the animal stays by that person.
2:35
Interviewer: You have dogs and cats?
Axl: Dogs and cats and-
Interviewer: How many dogs, how many cats?
Axl: wolves and birds
Interviewer: [???]
Axl: A couple wolves, a couple- what five or six- had five or six birds [chain, of what, Chihuahuas]
Interviewer: So you regard somebody who cannot answer back as being probably the gentlest class of things you can encounter.
Axl: No, no, what I mean though is, um, say like with cats, if you do not keep yourself open to some degree to being sensitive they're not going to be around you. So if you want to be friends with your cat you'd have to be more sensitive than the world may make you or you make the world.
3:23
Interviewer: I know I am asking because on the stage you never stop. You sing, you play, I mean there is just one huge… as far as I am concerned, you're a Van de Graaff generator, maximum lightning… thunder and so forth. So I want these people to understand, when you finish and when you go home and you've had a good sleep, when you wake up are you like normal people who want to have a coffee and just stretch yourself and have a shower and bath?
Axl: Yeah.
Axl: Yeah, but, but-
Interviewer: Now we've proved he's normal.
Axl: But, it is like feeling like, you know… when a tour leg ends it at times it takes a while to decompress it feels like [indecipherable because interviewer speaks over him]
Interviewer: I know… I mean, there are moments when we know you went reclusive. I mean, did you mind that, did you enjoy the period when you didn't want to see anybody and you were on your own?
Axl: Well, actually, I just didn't go anywhere where there was like paparazzi or anybody, you know, who cared or really recognized me. I went everywhere else. I just didn’t go…
Interviewer: People didn't recognized you?
Axl: If I went by a place with paparazzi I just ducked. And in L.A,. if you go to the Valley, no one in Hollywood cares.
Interviewer: Why didn't you wear something different or disguise yourself.
Axl: Well, I did.
Interviewer: And still they never recognize you.
Axl: Well, no I didn't… I would just look stupid if I went in Hollywood that way. It wouldn't work. When we first hit I left a hotel in New York and I was in a cab and I had a jacket pulled over my head and there's a guy in a garbage truck going "Yo, Axl!"
Interviewer: Was it a convertible or was [???]
Axl: I don't know how he did that.
5:17
Interviewer: But I think people know roughly where you are. They now chase you around. And now, let's go back to music because that is your life. We talked a little bit in the cab about lyrics. I said to you that you are one of those people who got wonderful lyrics and not just the music itself but the lyrics fit. And it is important to you because I know you read a lot and that is why you relate to words. Would you say that you regard lyrics and your music as being incredibly important together?
Axl: Well, I think that would dep- it depends on the song, but yes I've always felt that way. Bernie Taupin is my favorite lyricist and when Elton asked me to induct him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I took it upon myself to induct him and Bernie as a writing pair. It is my understanding it is the only award Bernie has ever gotten and he was pretty happy. [?????]
6:25
Interview: Classical Music. Do you ever listen to Classical Music?
Axl: Yes. But not like…I guess the word formally or something.
Interviewer: So at home when you listen to music. Do you listen to your own music or other people's music?
Axl: Only mine.
Interviewer: But it took you 13 years to join AC/DC so you must have listened to a little bit of AC/DC.
Axl: Yeah, I mainly listen to the music that’s playing during movies. I like the soundtracks.
Interviewer: Which film? Which soundtrack? Classic?
Axl: It just depends. It can be anything. It can be the theme to the Pirates of Caribbean or it can be-
Interviewer: Gladiator.
Axl: Gladiator and Equalizer and stuff like that. They are all different styles.
Interviewer: Have you ever wanted to-
Axl: I like the blend of orchestra with modern instrumentation.
7:23
Interview: Has anyone asked you or have you thought about wanting to writing for a film?
Axl: Yes… No, I haven't been asked, it is something I wanted to do and it was kind of, more like, really hard not to just go in that direction. Forget about Guns n' Roses.
Interviewer: You would be interested?
Axl: I was more interested in that than in staying in Guns n' Roses.
Interviewer: If someone asked you to write the theme music?
Axl: It would have been easier- and more fun.
Interviewer: If someone asked you to write music- theme music for Pride and Prejudice. [????] have a pretty violent relationship with that.
Axl: Yeah, yeah I would.
Interviewer: I think you could jazz it up a bit. [????]
Axl: I have a lot of respect for people that do that. On Chinese Democracy most of the Orchestration on that is kind of like three electronic orchestras and two real orchestras. One's Marco Beltrami, one's Paul Buckmaster- who did a lot of Rolling Stones and Man Across the Water Elton John stuff and we blended all of those orchestras together. It was like I did an electronic one, Chris Pitman and Dizzy Reed both did theirs then we would blend those and blend them with two real orchestras. So it's like a five hundred piece orchestra that [indecipherable as interviewer talks over him].
Interviewer: Have you thought about bringing an orchestra on to stage to perform live.
Axl: Maybe for a show or something. We did it years ago when we made a video for November Rain but on a tour? Not as of yet, no.
9:12
Interviewer: And Chinese Democracy? That is, I heard, been banned from playing in China.
Axl: Ha! I think the foreign minister…the minister of… something… He said people don't like that music because it is too loud.
Interview: I would love you to be able to go to China and meet the Minister of Culture I think that would be-
Axl: But my thing with China itself isn't about… With the term Chinese Democracy it isn't- wasn't about trying to tell them to have a democracy or anything like that. I'm not… really a… I don't really have an opinion of what type of government they should have. My thing is that I went and stayed there for about three months and everywhere I went the people are so shielded from what's going on in the world. And if you stay in the hotels there… you're from western society or something you don't realize that the stuff you're seeing on TV the average person isn't seeing. They aren't seeing that version of CNN or whatever. But the biggest thing to me was that… everywhere you went people were scared. They were frightened for their lives to have an opinion that deviates from the government's about the simplest thing. Things we take for granted you know, sitting in a car and someone going "Oh what Obama did today" if you say "Oh, I don't know about the… communist party is doing…" Your translator all sudden is terrified and for good reason. And that-
Interviewer: [???? Talks the same time as Axl]
Axl: - I don't feel that- I feel that that is wrong. It is not right for anyone.
Interviewer: Are there other countries you feel more as the same. Kind of, censorship, top reign of terror.
Axl: Yeah, well, I mean, I think that we know that with say, the Tailban and things like that or there'll be places in Africa. Expressing your views in some of Egypt and Saudia Arabia.
Interviewer: [???}
11:24
Axl: No. But I do feel that people should be free to have their opinions and develop their thoughts and to move forward rather than have someone just completely dictating.
Interviewer: Alright well- look listen
Axl: But speaking as a dictator…
Interviewer: You love being a dictator.
Axl: No.
Interviewer: I am sure you do.
Axl: No, no, no.
Interviewer: You always have your way.
Axl:
Interviewer: When was the last time you did not have your way?
Axl: Thirty years ago when the rest of the band was all on heroin. And they realized that the- this woman interviewing us for some tiny little rock magazine was more interesting in interviewing them than me Izzy said I was a demon. You know like the Ayatollah, because I was the big enemy at the time and then it just stuck
Interviewer: Well anyway that said a lot.
Axl: [?? ] power struggle.
12:20
Interviewer: Now listen we [???] start some questions but they've got to be intelligent and if Axl doesn't-
Axl: Ha!
Interviewer: -want to answer it- [then] I'm going to go to hell -and that is what I mean. Now who dares ask a question… alright-
Axl: That is a big watch.
Interviewer: [??] in the back. Good question otherwise you will be passed over.
12:40
Audience: Axl, how do you manage to keep your voice in shape and has it changed in the last ten years- like what you do to keep it so good?
Axl: I do a lot of vocal exercises and actually on this particular tour I brought my voice coach out with- that I hadn't worked with in like twenty years. The Brian Johnson Back in Black stuff is really demanding, you know, sing it wrong and you might not be singing again. So…
Audience: you sound good.
Axl: Thank you
Interviewer: The next one. In front. Who was going to ask a question? Alright go on. That man, looks like.
13:25
Audience: Hi there. Big fan. Did you ever feel that your voice was- your voice is obviously a natural fit for rock and that kind of genre, but did you ever feel that you want to branch out a bit more maybe collaborate, maybe join a jazz band, who knows?
Axl: I like Frank Sinatra. I like a lot of Elvis, I like a lot of 70s Elvis though as well. I like a lot of different styles of things. I don't know about a jazz band. It really just kind of depend on the song. For a while, like with Chinese, I was trying to get my voice a lot clearer. I feel like that maybe fans didn't… necessarily respond to that so much as well, sometimes, at shows and things but I think it was very good for me to be even better at what I am doing right now.
Interviewer: There are a couple questions here. Yeah, go on.
14:25
Audience: Hi Axl. Do you-
Interview: Shout it out.
Audience: You making any new music? [The minute?] Are you working on new stuff?
Axl: We are working on new stuff. But, I don't know. Like I said a long time ago, "I don't know if soons the word" but I got a lot of stuff together and I've played some stuff for Slash and Duff and they like it and they might be on it, we don't know. [We talked about..] Angus and I are talking about working together. So we will see.
Audience: Have you any thought doing a solo album?
Axl: No, not really. Unless it were say like instrumental sound track stuff.
15:05
Audience: Hey Axl, how you doing? Yeah, I just wanted, what do you think of Spotify? Do you think it is ruining music industry? What are your thoughts on that?
Axl: No I don't think it is ruining the music industry. But I feel like with… I feel like with Youtube and things like… like with Google and Youtube that it's really changed things for the artist and they… y'know the government's just stepped out of the way. They lobbied very hard to pay as minimal royalties as they can and I don't thing that is right.
Interviewer: People stop-
Axl: [It's ??] giant.
Interviewer: People stop videoing please. It is very disconcerting. Let's just enjoy the conversation, okay. This is a rare opportunity for you. Don't record it. Enjoy life [??]. No point going home and watching your stupid video. Enjoy it now as is. Okay. No more photographs or videos.
Axl: It's fine. It's fine. I'm fine.
Interviewer: [????]
Axl: I like your sunglasses.
Interviewer: You will grow up. Like it, Love it. This moment you will always remember.
16:15
Audience: Massive fan by the way. Saw you on Saturday. Amazing.
Axl: Did you have fun?
Audience: Yeah. Is there anything band present, past, whatever, that you would like to perform with?
Axl: To join? Well, I never thought about this. And when I thought about with this the day I read about Brian was that… the band was going to be in trouble. And No matter what happened. If they cancelled… if they had to cancel the tour they were going have a lot of problems with fans… A lot of problems with legalities just natural business stuff behinds the scenes forever. Then I thought yeah and if they postpone it whatever then find someone else- wait a minute. Find someone else? Fuck that. So, it was, but is also that Angus is my biggest influence [for moving around] I wanted to help. I just want to help him.
17:40
Audience: Hi Axl. Massive fan. I wanted to say, thank you for all the great music you've done over these years it helped me get through a really bad place in my life.
Axl: I'm glad it's helping. The very little big of music that I've done.
Audience: Every song is [???]
Axl: Thank you.
Interviewer: Do you remember the question?
Audience: Yeah, sorry. How do you see yourself as now. As in yourself in as a person and how you saw yourself back then. Because back in the day, obviously how the media portrayed you- stuff we've seen you- very rautious very aggressive and now, now I'll see you now, how in recent times you seem more open, more relaxed, more in a better place.
Axl: Well part of that then also is… was just being young and part wild and part of it to be rock and roll. When we'd go to MTV they'd ask us to tear their set apart. Then there was everything that was said. And England is one of the craziest places for that because the media here will just write anything to promote you in a way. They said I ran over my dogs then I ate them. Long before Dep ate his I ate mine. They said all kinds of crazy things back then.
Audience: You feel-
Axl: And then after we were successful then there was a backlash- that just never really got out of…
Audience: [You feel that ] place now that you are all good with your former band members or current band members now Slash and Duff.
Axl: We are getting along really good and stuff. I think they came to the AC/DC show-
Audience: I seen the footage, it was like a quick clip, of when you were… was it the Troubadour?
Axl: Yes
Audience: The first one you did back. It was so nice just to see you in the black and white footage of you walking to stage [??] Slash and the guys just laughing.[???]
Interviewer: Alright. Let his man who dressed liked me [???] you know who this person is. Now I promise you, you know Axl Rose [???] what band he played in here two nights ago.
Audience: Now let me just say it-
Axl: I like your socks. He's got some really bright socks.
Interviewer: Ask the question anyway.
20:25
Audience: What I was going to say was I was lucky to see Axl almost twenty five years ago performing at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. It was a great event and I wondered if you could talk, perhaps, maybe a little bit about the event or, perhaps, I know you were a fan of Freddy, perhaps influences like Freddy on your career as a musician. I am also a fan of Skid Row and you are a friend Sebastian Bach, I wondered if you'd be doing anything, perhaps, more with him in the future in terms of collaboration.
Axl: On that, I don't know. We’re friends, I mean if the occasion arises and he'll probably get up on stage with us somewhere. With Freddy. Queen just has always been my favorite band and Freddy was like, the greatest singer in probably ever, is the way I look at it. The other thing about Queen for me was that It… they embraced so many different styles and approaches. You were talking about tenderness- there is that… which is funny, with AC/DC you don't find that much in Brian's work in AC/DC, but what I liked also about Bon's old AC/DC was, as aggressive as that music was he would talk about having a broken heart or something like that so it made it okay for guys to feel and let some of it way…
Interviewer: there's a lady [???]
Axl: She is going everywhere.
22:10
Audience: Mr. Rose, hello. Would you be interested in working with children's charities in London.
Interviewer: [???]
Axl: It is possible yes.
Audience: ???
Axl: sure.
Interviewer: let's have another woman
22:30
Audience: Which Guns n' Roses song means the most to you to perform or you like to perform most.
Interviewer: It's a very clichéd question.
Axl: No, no, no. I don't know. Right now I like performing the Chinese Democracy stuff the most. But it was really good doing the song Coma. I knew it would make Slash happy, it would make fans happy and since I was sitting in the chair I didn't have to worry about running around and trying to breathe.
Interview: Alright in the back
Audience: Axl, how are you doing? It's really cool having a microphone and talking to you.
Axl: Where are you?
Audience: I'm in the back.
Interviewer: Get on with it.
Audience: I am just forming a band myself and I was wondering when you first signed to Geffen Records- I think it was 1986. Was there a moment when you thought I know I am going to have this [?? did it happen or did it terrify- ].
Axl: We knew that with getting signed. We knew that- we believed in ourselves then. We were like… then we had to sit on our asses for about four months and it almost broke up the whole band because everyone dived into drugs and stuff because whatever the record company was doing to figure out who would work with us- everybody was terrified of us anyway because they all thought we were just going to die. So…we were going to leave the label because- like Slash and Izzy wanted to play- we wanted to play. We wanted to get out to New York or something. We didn't get signed to sit in an apartment at the time. But we believed in it happening.
24:15
Interviewer: Are you afraid of death?
Axl: Uh…?
Interviewer: Do you feel that you haven't done as much as you wanted yet, [???]
Axl: Umm… I don't know. I don't really think about it that way. I am just-
Interviewer: [???]
Axl: -usually just trying to survive in some way. Like when-
Interviewer: Trying to survive.
Axl: -I go on stage with AC/DC I am trying to survive not just be crushed by-
Inteviewer: Trying to survive [??]
Axl: -that band
Interviewer: Alright that one.
24:50
Audience: Hi Axl, massive fan, Appetite for Destruction is the first-
Interviewer: We will use another word rather than massive. [???]
Audience: Obliviously you've been around the world many times you've gone everywhere. What would you say were your top three moments in your whole career to this point?
Axl: Play?
Audience: Anything. Absolutely anything, anything you've seen, somewhere you've been. I mean done on the stage- anything.
Axl: Right now this is a very big undertaking for me. Not just- it's because a band's fans are like- I know how hard it is… Lots of bands don't want to open for us, they just don't want to. They don't want to deal with our fans. It is kind of the same with the AC/DC thing and AC/DC fans are very serious about their band. So that was kind of the biggest thing. Even if I sang the song right, it was finding whatever in you that's strong enough to deal with that energy of that crowd. I had no idea. I knew I could deal with mine, but that's like- that's still a lot of work, but it's also a comfort zone, a safety zone. So this was a big thing. Umm... I still got three shows to screw it all up.
26:18
Audience: [???] If you could go back in time to speak to your younger self what advice would you give? [???]
Axl: I would have tried to form my own label rather than put a record on- I just think we were too stupid to know how do it. We just didn’t think that big at the time and did not have that type of business education. And I… just think that's what we should have done.
Interviewer: I think you've done quite well.
Axl: We should have formed our own company and figured out how to distribute our own record. Then we could have…
Interviewer: You mean manage yourselves?
Axl: Yeah.
Interviewer: Alright, well, you think that is what is important [???] still very, very small.
Axl: Why, why, why?
Interviewer: Well, because you must have made lots of money, and you are saying that was- you would have done better and made even more money.
Axl: Yeah, but it's not just the money, it be the, the-
Interviewer: more in control.
Axl: Yeah, but not as a control freak. It's just to- because of the success of Appetite and like we were talking in the car, I mean after Appetite David Geffen was, to me, more concerned in selling the company rather than helping things get back in line to what we signed the contract to make an album. Had we-
Interviewer: To this day that album has sold more than any other album in America.
Axl: No, no. Rock album- I think it is third or fourth or something. There's Thriller, there's AC/DC Back in Black, we're somewhere-
Interviewer: My point is that-
Axl: Yes, but what I am saying is that we would have had a lot bigger platform to figure out how to deal with the next twenty years.
Interview: I don't see how you could have a bigger platform than what you have now today.
Axl: Yeah, but that is twenty seven years later.
Interviewer: Go on, young man. How old are you?
Audience: I'm fifteen.
Interviewer: Fifteen!
28:30
Audience: So as a young person myself I usually see a lot of people with Guns n' Roses tops and [??] and like. I've been up to a few people[???] heard the band themselves. So I just wanted your thoughts on that? I see it all the time with Nirvana and stuff like that where people wear tops even though they don't really listen to the band.
Axl: Victoria Secret models in AC/DC shirts.[???] I like it when they like to sleep in Guns n' Roses shirts.
Audience: Yeah, yeah.
Axl: I like it when they like to sleep in Guns n' Roses shirts. The promotion is good. They think it is cool. Its better they think it is cool than hate it I guess.
[29:28]
Audience: Hi Axl. Huge fan. I've read all the books. I've read Slash's book. I've read Duff's book. I've read some pretty dreadful books. But I'd really like to hear your version. Are you going to write a book?
Axl: Uh, I think so. Quite possibly, yes.
Audience: Please, please do.
Axl: But it is tough. Because I haven't figured out how to word things in a way that doesn't just look like I am being negative to everyone else or calling them a liar. You know, those were the first- Slash and I hadn't talked in 19 years and when we did talk I was like: "dude you wrote about stuff that didn’t even happen. It's just, not real."
Audience: What did he say?
30:10
Audience: And how is your relationship with Angus of AC/DC?
Axl: It's… great. I can't really explain it. I feel like… just… I feel something that… I feel protective and I feel like I do not want to let this guy down. More than almost anybody I've ever known. And I don't know why. And he is very responsive to me. They say they haven't seen him this happy, haven't seen moving around and in between songs he's started playing other stuff. I'm like 'oh I like that chord' write a song around that. So it is kind of a neat thing between musicans [???].
Interviewer: Go on. Alright okay.
30:55
Audience: I am a music journalist and I started my career with Rolling Stone magazine. I have this question I've asked artists over my [??] career. I want to ask you this question: If you had the power to create the ultimate musician which artists from the past and present would you use as building blocks and why?
Axl: Well are you talking about anything? So, I mean you could go all the way back to classical music or something like that? I think it is probably…I would say there's like Elvis… but the Beetles whatever the Beetles did- like, you can hate the Beetles, there always the "we like the Beetles or the Stones" or you can like both but also… wants to pit one against the other, but, though the Stones were influenced by a lot of other things, because of all the things the Beetles were doing it helped pushed the Stones to become the Stones. To me the Beetles were like some catalyst that made everyone else realize that it was okay to try all these other things and to work on these different sounds because of how many different ways- places the Beetles went. So I don't know, that is four people- actually five with George Martin. So if you put all that together. Maybe that and Elvis and-
Interviewer: Frank Sinatra
Axl: Beethoven
32:36
Audience: Hi, I was fortunate enough to be in Vegas for the [???] and what seemed to work really well for the reviews afterward- the chemistry with the band members was pretty amazing. How did that come about? How that come about did you come from such a difficult place to such great chemistry live?
Axl: Umm…I am a big fan of our previous line up before getting back with Slash and Duff. And we did a lot of work with that and with our drummer Frank and Dizzy and Richard. To Slash's credit, what I got to say is- he and Duff… Duff had played with the last line up a few shows. He came in and played the way we did the songs. Then going into getting ready for Vegas and Coachella they all chose to… they just worked very hard, and Duff and Slash came in and worked very hard with Frank on the rhythm. Because that is how they like to work with the drummer and the drummer having a relationship with Richard that worked really good. They liked Richard. Everyone liked each other. I didn’t have to tell Slash anything about embracing the… working on the Chinese Democracy songs or how to play them he just embraced them and worked really hard- I had no idea how they were going to sound. I've never heard him play certain ways. The last times we talked, you know, he was saying "I don’t want to work that hard, duhduhduh." So, for him to take on Buckethead and Bumblehead's part… "Bumblehead". "Bucketfoot" . Buckethead and Bumblefoot's parts. And just stepped to it on his own and work at it and liked it and enjoyed it. That helped a lot. They worked really good in rehearsals together. Sat in on it-
Interviewer: Alright. That boy there.
34:48
Audience: Alright Axl. Colossal fan.[??] I'd like to know as a musician who's not really doing quite as well as you…
Axl: Good luck.
Audience: I'd like to know what you think is different between audiences of modern day and like when you started. Like enthusiasm and like what they do at the gigs and that sort of thing?
Axl: At other people's shows?
Audience: No, yours.
Axl: Well, I will say definitely this, in a good sense. In [???] years now… When we were opening for bigger bands and then we were first starting headlining. You didn't have everybody videoing. I don’t think anyone realizes how violent it was... and it was really violent in the crowd. I don't think it was as bad as when…Woodstock with Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails or whatever got really out of hand. There were shows where there'd be a wheelchair coming on stage because they are standing on someone that fell out of it. And you have to stop the show. I got a lot of grief for stopping the shows for no reason. That was media just- somebody being…when I say media, media is somebody writing for somebody else and protected by that company and saying whatever they want whether it is true or not. And… there was just a lot of really rowdy crowds. And people like the music but they might want beat [themselves] up- I remember when we first started we'd have security looking for that. So they want to get in and get in a fight with someone and we put a stop to that pretty quick and got rid of people working for us that wanted to go beat up kids. Like a lot of cops get jobs because they can beat up people for you know… and it is legally protected. That's the way people get in sometimes for a security [gig]. It was really violent and it is not as near that now.
Audience: Better?
Axl: Yeah, a lot better
37:08
Audience: Hi Axl, gigantic fan.
Interviewer: We've had that.
Audience: Appetite for Destruction album for me is the best rock albums ever released, it's up there with-
Interviewer: What's the question?
Audience: For the more [???] minded with bands, with music in the twenty first century. What advice would you give for new bands with social media and stuff like that?
Axl: You just have to figure out how to follow your heart. I mean, I believe in being completely… what you feel is being creative, but you also have to figure out how to make a living out of it. I don’t mean like compromising. But you need to take- if someone is telling you to compromise you can take what they're say into consideration but then still figure out how to be real and do it your way. Like if someone is telling you "you need to edit this song"- Geffen was that way back in the day telling us to edit it this way and that way. Their only concern was that it was a shorter song so for advertising dollars getting airplay. But instead decide to take it as constructive criticism and maybe make a better shorter song. Which, by Illusions, we got rid of them so we didn't do any of that.
Interview: You by the microphone.
38:24
Audience: Hi Axl. Monumental fan- one we haven't had yet. I was just wondering after your injury and you got the rock throne off of Dave Grohl. How did that come up and how it helped you, you've got such a dynamic stage presence to be kind of constrained to the chair, like, was it a pain?
Axl: It came out of necessity and respect for the chair. Because whatever he did designing that chair- he said he was like high on oxy after his surgery and drew this thing- you can find the picture on the internet- but I knew he made the chair. My people were having one made- I never even saw it- and they said when they go it and cirque du soleil was building it or something and when they go it, it was horrible. One of my assistants' boyfriends said someone in this band know Grohl. But they didn't tell me so it was a surprise. I never met Dave and I always wanted to work with Dave. Then he sent the chair and came to the show and said how he missed it. In the chair at first it is strange and you have to figure out how you are doing something. People apparently liked how I was moving in it, I never felt I was moving enough. But you do start to get used to it. I had to make myself get out of it for AC/DC. They didn’t tell me to but I made myself get out of that chair. Because you start feeling as Angus said "A little too comfy". It's like- It becomes a safety zone rather than get out there and face the people in another way. When, Dave, when the chair came down I guess he was- people told me- he was in the hallway and was like "I missed this thing, I felt like an emperor."
Interviewer: Two more women… alright you go first.
40:20
Audience: Hi Axl, thanks for being with us today. One question I have is for the future is there any subject you haven't touched on in your lyrics and in your music that you would like to expressed toward [????] be it emotional or justice or something of the sort?
Axl: I haven't really given that any thought. I mean, I think that it is all kind of like right in the back of your head about how you're gonna to attack the next songs and stuff so part of me feels like I'm happy I didn't write things a year ago to something because… I feel like when I go at it now will be stronger.
40:58
Audience: Hey Axl, Ginormous fan. Have we heard that?
Interviewer: no.
Axl: Ginormous. Yeah, that’s the best one.
Audience: I just wanted to ask, now you're touring again in the States with Guns n' Roses. Are there any plans to come to the UK or extend it to Europe?
Axl: Yeah. Absolutely. We… I hope to keep this going for a quite a while. It's just really- we're right now- it's all good. I mean obviously that could just explode. But no, everything is actually good between everybody so as long as we can keep it going we probably will.
41:32
Audience: Hello Axl. Such an honor to have you here, thank you so much. Tremendous fan. But probably not as much as somebody who I wish was in this room tonight. Someone I grew up with changed overnight because of your music that you and Guns N' Roses came out with. Who, at thirteen at the time- he just changed everything- he became a musician because of you he was a massive Guns n' Roses fan but sadly fourteen years ago he passed away. So he'd be asking me if he were here or he'd be asking you what is on your bucket list?
Axl: Bucket list…umm….. I… I really haven't thought of that. It'd probably be worth doing some soundtrack-
Interviewer: You did say-
Axl: -soundtrack material or something like that. I just… I do want to put out more music with Guns n' Roses and I don't know if that has to do with Slash or not but underneath Guns n' Roses thing (?) and if he and I write something or if he wants to play on something we have it's like that'd be great. I have been working to get where things are. This isn't- the Guns n' Roses reunion isn't by happen chance or whatever… it was always looked at as a possibility but it just never seemed right or felt right.
Audience: But also, just in your personal life not necessarily musically? Is there something that you'll –jumped with a parachute.
Axl: Right now…right now I'm kind of-
Interviewer: Have you ever jumped [with a parachute]?
Axl: No. As Izzy said. Why would I jump out of a perfectly good plane? I tried to get him to in a video and he was like "not going to happen".
Interviewer: Definitely once, I think, that if you were God, that you would-
Axl: Great.
Interviewer: - want to make three quarters of the human race women and the other pizza and beer.
Axl: It is just something dumb to say on stage that's all.
Interviewer: It be the perfect world for you wouldn't it?
Axl: Yeah, it'd be pretty good. And Netflix as long as we've got Netflix
Interviewer: We are coming to the end so 3 or four very quick questions. Right you.
43:55
Audience: Hi Axl. You are a legend in your own lifetime. At least in my opinion.
Interviewer: We know that you fool.
Axl: Wow.
Audience: I was just wondering what is your recipe for a good song? Do you compose by yourself on a piano or with a collective thing with a band?
Axl: We were actually talking about that on the way. I feel that I've been most successful if I start with lyrics and melody first. That doesn’t mean always. I mean, Coma, I wrote that to the music. But... I can do that, but I feel like after Appetite I haven't really ever found a way to be back in the position of writing lyrics and melody first. It's usually the other way around. I would say that is not necessarily from other people… after old guns- or the appetite/illusions lineup broke up 'cause I would say that was more from me being in a weaker state so I worked with artists who were getting the music / the instrumental stuff strong first then put the lyrics and me to rise to that. But I think that for me, it's better if I'm putting a - unless I am intentionally writing instrumental- it would be lyrics and melody first.
Interviewer: Okay now, we are going to have one last question and it's got to be a brilliant question.
Axl: Ha! A lot of pressure now.
Interviewer: You, you don't look great.
Axl: We've got some competitors.
Interviewer: We want a really- you've asked a question already- now that lady. You look quite sophisticated.
Axl: He thought it was his.
Interviewer: If it's not brilliant-
Axl: he really thought it was his.
Audience: [??]
Axl: You've got an AC/DC shirt.
Audience: I have.
Interviewer: Show everybody
Audience: The music industry is going through a pretty tricky time. And obviously different artists seem to be dealing with it different ways. You have Radiohead self-releasing things, then you have people like Morrisey that really wants to have- belong to a label and have that security. Where do you stand on that and where to you see the music industry going into the future business wise.
Axl: Well, to me, in the late 90s to now, it's like the heads of record companies realized- and it's not just my opinion, they've said it to me. It's like I tell people- I don't get fights with people in the music industry I get in fights with people that are the music industry. They realized that for their business they don’t- why deal with a band. All they need is a star and a producer. Somebody that they feel is a star and a producer. And if they- they don't even care who writes what or how [???] or what it sounds like. They can be a genuine fans of music. Say the record company owner/president, whatever, but when it comes to their business it doesn't have anything to do with that. It just has to do with what is going to be the easiest, what is going to make the most money and work, make their company and shareholders happy and stuff like that. Which I can respect that in a sense, but as an artist and a musician and working with bands it doesn't help me, you know, at all, and I don't think it helps music. It doesn't help the bands become self-sufficient and successful. They've got to work a lot harder 'cause the labels more are worried about them making the money.
Audience: That is really sad.
Interviewer: Yes it is. But don't worry Axl [???]
Axl: Oh, now the pressure is on me now.
Interviewer: No, Listen. I want to say, it is a huge honor for Axl to come here today. I want you all to please respect this last hour. And as I said just said enjoy yourself please don't, try to imagine this is a private gathering and don't start writing things publicly about it of course you can talk about-
Axl: I didn't have anything to do with this.
Interview: And, and when Axl leaves. Please I have to stay behind because I have another man coming who is, and it shows the diversity of China Exhange, here we have Axl Rose and in ten minutes time we got Nicholas Jones who is the grandson of Winston Churchhill coming to speak about something else.
Axl: There you go, and come talk about intelligent things.
Interviewer: No, I think he's going to say something very dumb. He's very, very, very, very, very [???]
Audience: Can Axl stay then?
Axl: Wow.
Interviewer: those of you come to the first part, please come back. We've got lesser people, but interesting people coming through out the-
Axl: Did he say less of evil...or…
Interview: lesser- more evil perhaps. The point is that you are everything you see. A lot of people…are a lot of what you don't see. Those are the monsters and the demons. Listen. I don't want there to be another crush of middle class of behavior. Like selfies, okay. So please try to restrains yourself. When I finish in one minute-
Axl: He's just... we got like attacked outside so….
Interviewer: I don’t want Axl to feel that this is just another mob. In one minute I am going to ask his friends and his entourage to leave in relative non-rockstar styel.
Axl: We're fine.
Interview: Please just-
Axl: I'll sign- I'll do whatever you people want me to.
Interviewer: unbelievable
Axl: We've practiced this now.
Interviewer: I am going to ask Fernando, who is the man in charge, to say when is enough, enough. But before that will you, all of you, please join me in thanking Axl Rose for coming today.
Axl: The first time I came to London. I was with my manager Who was English, I the first time I came to London we were in his car after we left a bar I'm like "Can I have your friends number?" and he's like "why?" I'm going "because when I'm in jail with you I need someone to call.
Interviewer: Axl Rose today.
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Re: 2016.06.07 - China Exchange - An Evening With Axl Rose
by Blackstar Fri Jun 02, 2023 12:17 am
Three years earlier (November 15, 2013), David Tang, the host of the China Exchange event, had mentioned Axl in his Q&A column in The Financial Times:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Column reader: I once sat next to Mr Axl Rose on a plane and had no idea who he was. I found an old issue of the Financial Times in which you were incapable of defining what it is to be middle class or upper class in England. I was always under the impression that those of us who worked were considered middle class and the ones who didn’t were upper class.
Tang: I once gave a dinner for Mr Axl Rose and deliberately sat my mother-in-law next to him. She, like you, had not the faintest idea who he was. I did try to be a bit provocative because I knew Mr Rose had a propensity to go berserk on stage and I was intrigued to see what he might do, if provoked. As it turned out, Mr Rose was charm personified and afterwards my mother-in-law said what a nice young man he was!
As to the second part of your question, I would say that the middle class consists mostly of people who are constantly anxious about how they compare with others and worry about status all the time. The upper class are more confident because they regard their blood as blue and don’t much care about others whom they regard as inferior. I am certainly not upper class. Four generations ago my family scrambled from Canton into Hong Kong as refugees, and my family and I became quintessentially middle class, even if I have grown to abhor all the superficial values of material comparisons that underpin it.
https://www.ft.com/content/3b29a580-479e-11e3-9398-00144feabdc0
--------------------------------------------------------------
Column reader: I once sat next to Mr Axl Rose on a plane and had no idea who he was. I found an old issue of the Financial Times in which you were incapable of defining what it is to be middle class or upper class in England. I was always under the impression that those of us who worked were considered middle class and the ones who didn’t were upper class.
Tang: I once gave a dinner for Mr Axl Rose and deliberately sat my mother-in-law next to him. She, like you, had not the faintest idea who he was. I did try to be a bit provocative because I knew Mr Rose had a propensity to go berserk on stage and I was intrigued to see what he might do, if provoked. As it turned out, Mr Rose was charm personified and afterwards my mother-in-law said what a nice young man he was!
As to the second part of your question, I would say that the middle class consists mostly of people who are constantly anxious about how they compare with others and worry about status all the time. The upper class are more confident because they regard their blood as blue and don’t much care about others whom they regard as inferior. I am certainly not upper class. Four generations ago my family scrambled from Canton into Hong Kong as refugees, and my family and I became quintessentially middle class, even if I have grown to abhor all the superficial values of material comparisons that underpin it.
https://www.ft.com/content/3b29a580-479e-11e3-9398-00144feabdc0
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Re: 2016.06.07 - China Exchange - An Evening With Axl Rose
by Soulmonster Fri Jun 02, 2023 2:22 pm
What an absolute weirdo this guy, David Tang, is. I assume it is a joke that he would put his mother-in-law next to someone he anticipated could blow up during the dinner, but still. And how did he even know Axl from before this, how did he get to give a dinner to Axl that also included his mother-in-law? Such a bizarr thing.
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Re: 2016.06.07 - China Exchange - An Evening With Axl Rose
by Blackstar Fri Jun 02, 2023 10:06 pm
He died in August 2017 and Axl dedicated Knockin' On Heaven's Door to him, so they must have known each other for some time (unknown how...).Soulmonster wrote:What an absolute weirdo this guy, David Tang, is. I assume it is a joke that he would put his mother-in-law next to someone he anticipated could blow up during the dinner, but still. And how did he even know Axl from before this, how did he get to give a dinner to Axl that also included his mother-in-law? Such a bizarr thing.
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