2014.06.09 - Las Vegas Sun - Guns N' Roses To Tour, Expand Hard Rock Residency? (& related articles)

Guns N’ Roses to tour, expand Hard Rock Hotel residency amid KISS rumors of off-Strip run?

By Robin Leach

The return of hotel executive Don Marrandino to Las Vegas as the possible future head honcho at the off-Strip Hard Rock Hotel has sparked a series of rock and roll rumors. Don will not confirm reports that he will eventually take over as COO there when current negotiations are concluded.

Over the weekend, Oscar-winning actor and Las Vegas resident Nicolas Cage joined comedian Andrew Dice Clay to watch Guns N’ Roses’ closing shows of their “An Evening of Destruction: No Trickery!” mini-residency run at the Joint. I’m reliably told that business at the box office has been phenomenal and even better than frontman Axl Rose anticipated. “So much so, he’s begun thinking about putting the original group all back together for a global tour. That would be the biggest-selling rock tour of all tours,” one knowledgeable insider told me.

And Don himself told me: “They are definitely thinking of returning for another mini-run at the Hard Rock. We’ve already had conversations about converting one of the restaurant venues into a Guns N’ Roses hangout with its own barbecue and hamburger lineup.”

Don was at restaurateur Elizabeth Blau’s advance birthday party for “Iron Chef” winner Kerry Simon, and Don and Kerry talked burger recipes for Axl to try. Don also confirmed that his pal Sammy Hagar will have a lineup of rockers join the July 2 kickoff of the new Soundwaves sessions they’re planning at Paradise Pool in the Hard Rock. That debut will be a journey through the history of rock.

Meantime, intriguing posters about KISS have begun popping up in town, triggering talk of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley agreeing to a mini-residency at the Hard Rock. Don did say: “Rock will be back full force at the Hard Rock.”

Kerry’s advance birthday party was a salute to the chef battling the neurodegenerative disease Multiple System Atrophy, a rare condition similar to but far more advanced than Parkinson’s. Among those at the party: Zappos magnate Tony Hsieh, Elizabeth’s husband chef Kim Canteenwalla and chef Grant McPherson.

Don joked that he’d actually given Kerry the last name of Simon when his “real name” of Moskovitz wouldn’t fit on the original Simon Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock.

“Nobody knew his real name all these years. The game of Simon Says just flashed into my mind, and he’s stuck with it ever since,” said Don.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140612051843/https://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2014/jun/09/guns-n-roses-tour-expand-hard-rock-hotel-residency/

Ultimate Guitar, June 11, 2014:
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Axl Rose Reportedly Considering Classic GN'R Reunion

But even better, Nic Cage was caught behind the stage wearing a t-shirt with Nic Cage. Also drank from a goblet.

Following the massively successful Las Vegas residency, Guns N' Roses might be on a way to a full-on classic lineup reunion.

As the Las Vegas Sun reports, the powerful crowd response to the shows featuring bassist Duff McKagan drove Axl Rose to actually considering the mentioned reunion.

"So much so, he's begun thinking about putting the original group all back together for a global tour," a "knowledgeable insider" told the source. "That would be the biggest-selling rock tour of all tours."

Not disputing the knowledgeable insider, but another source claimed that a full-on reunion is still far-fetched. However, the return of guitarist Izzy Stradlin, at least on a temporary basis, was supposedly set to happen during the residency.

The second source told Alternative Nation that Izzy was scheduled to appear with the band in Vegas on June 6 in 7, but couldn't make it for an unknown reason.

In related news, Slash weighed in on McKagan's appearance with the Guns, telling Daily Star that "it really isn't that big a deal. Duff told me he was going to fill in for what's-his-name." And by "what's-his-name" he meant bassist Tommy Stinson.

But we're forgetting the most crucial thing of all here! Back in Vegas, Nicolas Cage was caught behind the stage wearing a shirt with Nic Cage. Also drank from a goblet. And wore leather pants. And a cowboy hat. Just check out the photo.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/axl_rose_reportedly_considering_classic_gnr_reunion.html

Alternative Nation claimed it got an email from a "second hand source" (I suppose one of the self-proclaimed "insiders"):

https://web.archive.org/web/20140616043409/http://www.alternativenation.net/?p=48848