2003.10.DD - Classic Rock - "No Thanks, Axl" (& Brian May's response)

“No thanks, Axl”

Brian May snub to “down-to-earth” singer.

QUEEN GUITARIST BRIAN MAY RECENTLY revealed that he turned down an offer from Axl Rose to join Guns N’ Roses.

“Ha-ha. Yes, it’s true. How did you know that?” May responded to an interviewer from Live magazine. “I worked with Axl a couple of years back on some new songs, and during that period he did ask me if I wanted to become a guitarist in Guns N’ Roses.”

May declined the singer’s offer, but not due to his notorious ‘difficult’ streak: “Axl’s actually a really nice, down-toearth guy,” ha says. “He gets a bad deal from the press, but that’s mainly because he likes his privacy. He’s a really genuine person, and a good friend.

“Axl is a very good songwriter,” May added. “He writes good, complex songs that are a pleasure to listen to. Some of his new songs, like ‘Madagascar’, ‘Catcher In The Rye’ and ‘Once Upon A Time’, are very complex yet catchy, and it’s hooks that sell songs. Queen’s songs all had hooks, which is why we were so popular. Axl does the same thing.”

Other guests linked to GN’R’s muchdelayed ‘Chinese Democracy’ album include Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, Ozzy/Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde, guitarist Stevie Salas, ex-Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese and even basketball star Shaquille O’Neal.

Meanwhile, a Queen insider has quashed reports that the band are to tour with John Farnham as frontman.

The false claims, initiated by a rogue journalist, angered Aussie singer Farnham so much that he declined to attend the Melbourne premiere of Queen’s We Will Rock You musical.

However, the version of ‘We Will Rock You’ (the song) that Farnham recorded with Queen will appear on an album to commemorate the Rugby World Cup.

Velvet Revolver, the band that includes three former Guns N’ Roses members and Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, have binned plans to issue a live EP and will proceed with a fulllength studio debut instead.



https://web.archive.org/web/20120111092018/http://archive.classicrockmagazine.com/view/october-2003/15/no-thanks-axl
https://brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewssep03.html

Brian May's angry response to this article with two entries on his official website on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22, 2003:

**Sun 21 Sep 03**
I SNUBBED AXL??? WHAT ?!!!

Ed: This is Brian's reply to the ARTICLE in Classic Rock October 2003, page 10, titled "NO THANKS, AXL"

I snubbed AXL??? WHAT ?!!!

This is complete Horse-Poo - a deliberate mis-quote as far as I can tell, to make a cheap headline.

Who makes this stuff up??

I was NEVER, NEVER asked to join Guns n Roses. The truth is I was invited by Axl to play on 3 tracks a while ago, no an album which they were making in L.A. I had a great time playing, and interacting with the guys, and I was hugely impressed with the material they'd already put down. To me Axl is one of the great untamed talents of our age. Since the album is still not released I have no idea if the tracks I played on are still in consideration. But I'm damn sure it will be worth waiting for!

P.S. I also NEVER would have given away the titles of songs I had heard - I regarded the whole experience as confidential. I am VERY upset that this writer has made it look like I blabbed.

God, I HATE journalists. Fabrications like this can destroy friendships.

Brian

**Mon 22 Sep 03**
LIES IN A GLOSSY MAGAZINE

LIES in a glossy Magazine

I'm pretty sad and disappointed to see yet another music magzine be sullied by ignoranace and schoolboy-level journalism.

Classic Rock seemed such a refreshing change when it first came out - devoted to the enjoyment of the music it discussed.

Now they have some jerk writing for them called Tommy Udo, tellling us that our musical 'We Will Rock You' has "soiled the legend" of Queen. Ha Ha! Well, there's exactly one MILLION people ready to tell you that you, young man, are talking outta your ASS. Try actually seeing it, Mr. Udo, and see if you can still say that, after seeing so many people having such a huge good time! Trying to make a name for yourself, Tommy? Better raise your game.

But much worse is the nasty little tapestry of lies woven in the same magazine, which makes it look as if I gave Axl Rose "The Finger". They even have the temerity to print a picture of me holding up a finger, purportedly "The very one he gave Axl." Now, number one, you idiots, IT'S the wrong FINGER - have you haver been outside Peckham, you simpletons?!! Number two, you have painted a picture of me insulting one of the greatest Rock Stars of our age, and one of my most valued friends. That's not funny. I am taking advice as to whether I have grounds for suing you and the writer responsible. This is deliberate mischief. How would you like it if I tried to lose you a friend by lying about what you had said about him? Why should I have to put up with this crap just because the music we made became famous, making it possible for people like you to parasitically live off it?

What a shame about Classic Rock. You seemed to be so full of promise. Going down the same road as the NME???

I hope I'm wrong.

Brian

https://web.archive.org/web/20031215000201fw_/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbsep03.html