.

 

 

 

An Axl Interview From Argentina:

 

 

Question: Good afternoon Axl, it's a pleasure to have you back in Buenos, how are you?

 

Axl: I'm doing very well, thank you.

 

Question: What brought you to Buenos Aires?, this is a surprise visit, nobody was expecting you at this time.

 

Axl: I wanted to come to play en Argentina and Chile also, well... that didn't work out for us and I was in Brazil, in Rio, I said well it's been a long time since the last time in Argentina, why not to go to Argentina? I wanted to be here, that's why I came.

 

Question: How are you feeling in relation with the last time you were here?

 

Axl: The areas that I visited last time I see there are more constructions, more things. I've been having a great time since I arrived and the people have treated me in a wonderful way, I want to come to play here with the band maybe around fall, around November or so.

 

Question: We saw that you talked to the audience a lot at the show, how did you feel when it was over, when you left the stage?

 

Axl: It was something absolutely special, I received too much love from the audience in Brazil, they are very receptive,I tell you about the sound and the music, the show was really bad, but for me it was something very special because everything was very new for us and in such a huge show!!! It was good in that sense.

 

Question: You came back in a big show like Rock in Rio why did you decide it to do it that way?

 

Axl: Well, South America occupies a very, very special place in my heart, everything that is South American and the people there is very emotional, well the management proposed to us to go and play there and we went. It seems great to me that the people were there to see me when they didn't know the new songs, the band is new, it has nothing to do to what I used to do before and that for me was something really special... and this show united us as a band.

 

Question: Talking about the band have you ever thought in all these years to come back as a solo artist instead of with GN'R?

 

Axl: Well... at one point yes, I thought about it but it seems to me that I need to be back as GN'R because the band has a very special place, has earned a very special place in a lot of people's hearts, and for me to be back under that name I want to revive that memory in every single one of the people that always followed the band and what makes me really happy is that I have people around me that help me and support this idea.

 

Question: How it was to teach the new member to play the old songs?

 

Axl: Well in the begining they didn't want to (laughs) in the beginning they didn't like the idea very much, in that way they are similar to the old members with that attittude of saying " I play my music not other people's music" but later it became something funny for them to play and they began to appreciate it a little bit more. That is what it's about and especially Tommy, the bass player, he supports me a lot leading the band in the rehearsals we did for Vegas and Rio.

 

Question: The question that everybody is asking is why is it taking so long, the relesse of the new album?

 

Axl: What happened was first it took us several years to write and record the songs - there were changes in the band, changes in the record companies involved, changes in the people from the record companies...So when we were ready to release something, everybody, especially at the record company, wanted to help us to make the best possible album so when we kinda had a concrete idea someone in the record company would say " no, this could be better" so that makes for delays and we were writing again and recording it again... Changes in the people that was what happended. At this point I find myself, when the album come out, I'm gonna be very proud, with a lot of confidence in what I'm doing and also I'm gonna have some extra songs to play. It's important to me to make sure and clarify that before Rock in Rio we only had six weeks of experience as a band, to play all together and I'd like everybody to know that.

 

Question: What about the album, going to be more like industrial rock?

 

Axl: It could be that you have that idea of an industrial sound in the band because of some of the songs that are not there any more, that are not going to be realesed, no, it has nothing to do with industrial rock, there is a song OMG that has an industrial side but the album is not like that, it is a mixture of different styles, there are things mixed with some blues sound. It's true that they don't have the inspiration of Aerosmith or AC/DC like Appetite, this is not the case. Although Buckethed became a guitar player because he is a fan of Angus [Young] and despite the fact that he likes that music this kind of music is not very much like that. The former GN'R members solo projects go in that direction and I think they sound kinda old. Let me tell you, I didn't compose those kinds of songs because I think that today to make that kind of music would sound a little bit old. I'd like to have a new influential sound that sounds good - that is something alive not something old.

 

Question: Talking about Buckethead, there were fans in Rock in Rio that thought that it was Slash wearing a mask. What can you say about that?

 

Axl: Yeah, I heard that rumor and I know on the internet they made polls about it...It makes me laugh because when this occurred I hadn't met Buckethead yet, it was crazy but I guess because of the hair and his look maybe people were confused.

 

Question: The last quetion - we know you're on vacation so we wanna leave you to enjoy it. How do you see yourself as a musician and performer now that is different from 10 years ago?

 

Axl: Well... after the experience in Vegas and Rio I think that if we really want to be a tour band we'd need about 5 more months to go on tour for the summer. I would have loved to play in Argentina... these two shows helped me a lot to recover energy and enthusiasm. It was what I needed, it was hard emotionally and mentally to go back and sing the old songs because it brought to mind the difficult moments that I had with the old band but the new members made everything very exciting, so I'd like to see this band solidified and they can show what they are really capable of doing. Although these shows were good, I think we need more time.

 

Question: Well Axl, thanks a lot for your time. Do you have something to say to your fans in Argentina?

 

Axl: I want to tell them that I thank them very much, thanks for the love they give me and the support. I want to tell them that I feel, I feel what they want to transmit and I'm totally thankful and I really can't wait to come here and play here again and see them again.

 

 

 

.

.